"Hey, House." Wilson casually entered the room hoping to find House in a decent mood.

"Wilson. Have a seat. I need to tell you a couple of things."

This was certainly interesting. House usually just spat out whatever he wanted to say with little regard for ramifications. Wilson hesitantly sat down next to House's bed.

"I don't want any narcotics." House abruptly stated.

"That's good because I'm not giving you any." Wilson was somewhat puzzled.

"No, I mean – even if I'm screaming bloody murder on my deathbed, don't give me any. I'm too worried about the hallucinations. I can't go through that again."

"What if we reach the stage of palliative treatment only?" Wilson hated to ask that, but he needed to know. He figured at that point it would be okay to give House narcotics.

"No, I don't want narcotics! I don't think you understand. I mean NO NARCOTICS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES." House's heart rate was rising and he was starting to pant.

"Okay, House. You don't have to get upset. You took off you nasal cannula. Let me put it back on."

House seemed very out of breath. Wilson calmly reapplied the oxygen tube to House's nose and over his ears.

"You shouldn't have taken this off. Look at you oxygen saturations. You're still weak from the anesthesia during your surgery."

"You have to understand…"

"House. Breath."

"Seriously, I want you to promise me that no matter what happens you won't give me narcotics."

"I won't give you narcotics."

House seemed satisfied for the moment and just sat there breathing. "My lungs kind of burn."

"What do you expect when you take off your oxygen, you idiot?"

"Shut up."

Wilson decided to just stay calm and placate House.

After a few minutes, House's oxygen saturation levels had risen again and he started talking.

"Also, you know how you've had my power of attorney since Stacey left after my infarction..."

"Don't worry, House. I'll take care of everything…"

"Well, you're not my power of attorney anymore."

"What?" Wilson looked profoundly hurt.

"You get too emotional. I want someone totally rational under any amount of stress."

"I'm rational."

"Sometimes." House sighed.

Wilson seemed upset.

"So, who is it?"

"Foreman."

"Who?"

"Eric Foreman. He works for me, you've probably met him."

"Half the time it seems like you two hate one another."

House rolled his eyes with a scowl. "No, we don't hate each other. That's just professional disagreement. He is the most rational person I know – aside from myself, anyway. I don't want you in the position to make decisions when you are emotionally unstable."

"If you don't trust me…" Wilson got up and began pacing the room.

"It's not like that! You know-"

Wilson interrupted, "No, you know what House, I'll…I'll… talk to you later."

Wilson left the room in a huff after being told that he no longer had House's medial power of attorney.

After Wilson left, House felt like crud. Why couldn't Wilson understand how logical this was?

Look what happened with Stacy. If some difficult decision came up, he didn't want Wilson making it.

House still felt very out of breath. It seemed like he felt out of breath when Mathis was checking his incisions yesterday, too.

The oxygen cannula was still on his face. He pressed the call button.

When the nurse entered, House got straight to the point.

"I need more oxygen and I can't reach the adjustment." He desperately wanted to try and reach it, but if he ever wanted to get the surgery over with, he was going to have to be still. Maybe once he had the brace on he would be able to move a little bit.

"I'll page your doctor."

"I am a doctor and I need my oxygen turned up."

"Still…"

"Turn the damn oxygen up and get out of my room!"

"I'm going to page your doctor."

Mathis came through the door almost immediately. "The nurse said you needed more oxygen?"

"Yes. Why she couldn't just turn it up I'll never understand."

Mathis walked over and turned his oxygen up.

"Did this just start?"

"I've noticed it before."

Mathis grabbed her stethoscope, warmed it and pulled House's gown aside. She tried to listen to his breathing from the front of his body, but quickly found out that the angle wasn't what she needed.

She pressed the call button for a nurse.

Mathis addressed the nurse, "I need to listen to his lungs from the back, but I don't want him leaning forward. I want you to put both arms behind his back and support him with your forearms. I want him held at exactly the same angle. I am going to recline the head of the bed while you hold him. Once we have enough space, I'm going to reach in and listen to his breath sounds. You just be prepared to hold him until I'm done. Make sense?"

The nurse nodded.

She turned to House, "Okay?"

House was curious. "What if I said no?"

"I would have to come up with some other way to listen. Any ideas, Dr. House?"

"That's fine. I just wanted to see how you would respond." House smirked expecting Mathis to be annoyed, but she wasn't. This was disappointing.

Mathis took a deep breath and nodded at the nurse to hold House. Once she had a firm grip on him, Dr. Mathis tilted the bed back until there was a gap.

"You okay House?" He looked very uncomfortable.

He responded, "Yeah. For now." House hated having the nurse's arms holding him up. He felt totally out of control. What if she dropped him? He wouldn't be able to catch himself. He knew she wouldn't drop him, but he still didn't have control of his own body!

Mathis reached in and listened in several spots. "Deep breath. Another." Mathis continued to move the stethoscope around on his back listening from different place. "Okay. I'm going to raise the head of the bed again. Keep him still. After she raised the head of the bed, the nurse carefully pulled her arms out.

"Thank you." The nurse left.

"House, you're lungs sound clear. Have you had reactions to anesthesia in the past?"

"Yeah. I get out of breath, nauseated, and weak. I figured that was why I was having some trouble breathing, but I decided to humor you." House said this with a smirk, but apparently Dr. Mathis didn't see the humor behind it.

"Since we'll be giving you anesthesia again so soon, we'll keep a close eye on your oxygen saturation. If we need to leave you intubated after your surgery, we will. Or we may leave a mask on you instead of a nasal cannula. Don't panic when you wake up after the surgery. Okay?"

"I really don't think that will be necessary"

Mathis interrupted, "You'll be out. If I decide it's necessary, by golly you'll wake up surrounded by any equipment I see fit." Mathis certainly was determined. Maybe Mathis would hold a little stronger than House thought.

House sarcastically responded, "Aye, Aye, Captain."

He could tell Mathis was not amused, but she wasn't annoyed either. She was no fun to aggravate.

"Don't you dare remove that nasal cannula. I'll see you soon for surgery."

Mathis made a note in his chart and left the room.

(NOTE: I realize everyone doesn't react to anesthesia with respiratory exhaustion, but that is how I react. I figured I'd follow the old phrase 'write what you know.' Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated)