Disclaimer: Don't Own, Except OCs, etc.
Ann got up and got a washcloth and cleaned up House's face. She was surprised when he took it from her and used it on her face, too.
Ann went to rinse out the washcloth in the sink in the room. She returned to House's bed and they cuddled for a while longer.
The dinner tray arrived with broth, Jell-o and toast. Ann proclaimed it a milestone while House complained.
Chase and Danielle, who was slightly flushed, Ann was happy to see, arrived with dinner. After everyone ate, Chase removed all the lines except the one that was needed to administer House's pain meds. They left and House and Ann got ready for bed. Ann pushed the two beds together again and they talked quietly and caressed each other before going to sleep.
Ann was glad after everything that had happened that day that they didn't have the meeting with Cuddy, Shankar, Nolan and the attorneys until Tuesday. She hoped Monday would be a bit calmer so they could recoup.
House was just happy to have the use of one of his arms back, so he could hold Ann. They slept reasonably well, considering the beds they were using.
Monday wound up being an active day, although a less emotionally intense one. House was moved from the ICU to his own room on another floor. He wasn't sure why he got a private room, but, he supposed Cuddy was beginning to realize the trouble she was in and had probably decided not to give House any more ammunition.
House knew that as wildly emotional and vindictive as Cuddy was capable of being, she also had an unerring instinct for saving her own ass. He decided that the next time he talked to his lawyer he would warn Ginsberg not to underestimate her.
Once House was settled, the rest of the day passed quietly. They did get a call from the attorney, who asked House to give more detail about some of the events House had talked about the previous day.
Foreman brought lunch for Ann. House guessed his fellows were rotating the duty, knowing that Wilson wouldn't be doing it.
A stuffed bear with balloons had been delivered and the card said it was from Wilson and Sam.
House wondered why Wilson hadn't actually come to see him, but found out from Hadley that Wilson was concerned, but, given the current state of their relationship, Wilson didn't want to just show up in case House didn't want to see him.
House felt a pang of remorse when he heard that, but then he realized that was what Wilson wanted him to feel. It was pure, old-fashioned Wilson-esque manipulation, designed to make House feel guilty about their estrangement and get House to be the one to make the first move to fix it. After House figured that out, he also decided that if Wilson was waiting for an invitation from him, hell was going to freeze over first.
Chase and Danielle brought Thai for dinner that night, and Chase slipped House some noodles from the Pad Thai. They didn't seem to bother House, and Chase told House that he was lucky to have such an-iron clad stomach. House remarked that it wasn't quite iron-clad enough.
Ann spent the night again and neither she nor House slept very well. They were thinking too much about the meeting the next day.
They managed to fall asleep at about two in the morning. They woke up about eight and Ann gave House another shampoo and sponge bath (without, to their great regret, the denouement of the previous one because there were too many people coming in and out of the room). Ann went for a shower. She arrived back at about nine, when House was eating his breakfast.
"So, how was the land of real food?" House asked.
"What?" Ann replied in confusion.
"What did you have for breakfast?"
"I didn't."
"Not good. You have to keep your strength up."
"I know. But just the thought of trying to eat something made me queasy. I'm so nervous about this meeting."
"That's understandable. But there's not much we can really do about it. What's going to happen is going to happen."
"That's very Zen of you."
"Well, as someone pointed out to me, even if this doesn't work out, I have other options. Say, how come you're all dressed up?"
"I'm not. I'm just wearing some slacks and a top. I didn't think jeans and a t-shirt would be a good look for me today."
"Yeah, Cuddy will probably be in her tightest power suit and highest heels, trying to melt the eyes of Nolan, Shankar and Ginsberg."
"That sounds kind of scary, actually."
"Just don't look directly in her eyes or you'll turn to stone."
"Thanks for the warning You're still in a hospital gown. Are you going to the meeting like that?"
"I'm going for the pathetic injured patient look. Am I there yet?"
"Or weren't you going to the meeting at all?"
"I wasn't sure. Until I remembered that you would be there. I don't want to miss the fireworks. I love a good catfight. It's really hot."
"Thanks. I'm glad I'm here to entertain you, although I think I should tell you that I don't plan to engage her. This isn't a 'you and your boyfriend are jerks and keep away from me and my loved ones' moment. There's a lot more at stake here than just telling someone to back off."
"Annie, I know you too well. She'll say something personal and it'll set you off."
"I'll be trying my damndest not to do that."
"And I bet The Evil One will be goading you, for no other reason than to take the focus off her screw-ups."
"I'm sure. Could you do me a favor? Could you keep an eye on me and give me some kind of warning if I start to look like I'm ready to go after her?"
"What kind of warning?"
"I don't know, maybe a code word?"
"That might be too obvious. How about something non-verbal?"
"Like what?"
"I could grab your boob . . . "
"Because that would be so much more subtle."
"Hey, it was worth a shot. How about a kiss?"
"After we figure out the signal."
"No, I mean a kiss as the signal."
"Well, that's not very subtle, either, but a peck on the cheek wouldn't be too bad."
"What do you mean? I was thinking of a lot of tongue . . . "
"You're always thinking of a lot of tongue."
"Like you aren't."
"Okay. A quick kiss on the lips with no tongue. That could work."
"Well, if that's all I'm going to get . . . "
"Look at it this way. If it goes badly, we'll need to console each other, and if it goes well, we'll want to celebrate."
"What if we're not sure how it's going?"
"Then we'll need a distraction to help us deal with the tension that comes from the uncertainty."
"So, I'm getting laid no matter what?"
"Pretty much."
"Cool. Help me with my pants, will you?"
Ann helped House get dressed in his jeans and a t-shirt. She would have liked him in a blazer, but they couldn't do that because of the IV. An orderly came by with a wheelchair. House wasn't thrilled with the idea of being pushed through the hospital corridors like that, but he really wasn't well enough yet to do all the walking required, and it was easier to maneuver with his IV attached to the pole on the chair rather than have to wheel a separate pole around.
It was about nine forty-five when they decided to make their way down to Cuddy's office. As they got to the anteroom outside, House saw Nolan and Shankar, and a third person, who he assumed was Ginsberg.
Ginsberg was wearing a gray, well-fitting, double-breasted suit. He was short and thick, but not overweight per se. He had jet black hair, dyed, no doubt, given his age, that was slicked back. His profile was interesting – a low, rounded forehead and receding chin, with a large, triangular shaped nose. House smiled to himself as the theme from "Jaws" popped into this head. Well, since Cuddy was a barracuda, it wouldn't hurt to have a shark on their side.
Ann pushed him through the doors. Introductions were made, along with some small talk about the traffic that morning coming from Manhattan and from Nolan's home. They weren't about to discuss anything significant with Cuddy's receptionist sitting right there.
Ten o'clock arrived and Cuddy buzzed Ms-Temporary-So-Why-Bother-Learning-Your-Name to tell her to show them in.
As they entered the room, House saw there were all four hospital attorneys, along with two board members he recognized. So, Cuddy's trying to nip this in the bud by intimating me, he thought. He hoped they could make up in quality what they lacked in numbers.
"Doctor Cuddy," Shankar began, "Allow me to introduce everyone. I'm Sanjay Shankar, this is Darryl Nolan, and this is Sheldon Ginsberg. I believe you all know Doctor House and Ms. Mueller."
"Why is she here?" Cuddy asked, indicating Ann with some disdain. "She has no reason to attend this meeting."
"She's his Power of Attorney. She has legal standing. Let's move on," Ginsberg snapped forcefully. It was the first volley, and Ginsberg appeared to have won.
House looked at Ann. She seemed a bit peeved, but she also seemed to be determined not to respond. House admired her resolve, even as he was disappointed that she wasn't taking Cuddy down a peg. Well, they were paying Ginsberg for that, after all.
As the hospital attorneys were introduced, House realized that in spite of all the times he had met with them because he had been sued so often, he had never bothered to learn their names. Well, he wasn't about to waste the brain space now, so he decided to refer to them as Shysters One through Four. Likewise, since he rarely attended board meetings, he didn't know the board members' names, either, so they became Moneybags One and Two.
Once all that was complete, Shankar continued. "We are here today to modify Doctor House's employment agreement to allow him to take medically necessary pain medication."
"We haven't agreed to modify anything," Shyster Number Three responded. "That employment agreement is there for a reason. When Doctor House returned from Mayfield, he needed to be drug-free."
"He needed to stop using Vicodin for his pain," Shankar corrected. "He still has pain that needs to be treated in the way my report recommends."
"I've read portions of the report, and some of these drugs can be mood-altering," Shyster Number One commented. "How do we know they won't have that effect on Doctor House?"
"When administered for pain treatment, these medications do not induce changes in mood," Shankar stated. "It's only if they are used in the absence of pain or in excess that they can be problematical."
"And how do we know Doctor House won't use them to excess?" Shyster Number Four emphasized the last word, mocking both Shankar and House. "He has a history . . . "
Suddenly, House felt something. He glanced down and saw that Ann had unobtrusively reached through the space in the side of the wheelchair, and she had taken House's hand in hers.
He wanted to look at her face. He hesitated, dreading the pity he would see there. He should have known better by now. When he looked at her, he saw a firmly set jaw and blazing eyes. She wasn't pitying him, she was angry for the assault on his dignity and she was giving him comfort. His champion, as always.
In that moment, House realized she was there with him not because she thought he was pathetic and needed her help, but because she believed in him and she thought he was right, and she was willing to fight for that.
House felt intense emotion surge in his chest. For the first time in his entire miserable life someone really knew him, accepted him, and loved him. For a moment, he entertained the idea of getting up, pushing all the crap off Cuddy's desk, pushing Ann on to the desktop and taking her right in the middle of meeting.
Shankar's voice pulled him back. "My plan contains random drug testing, similar to the regimen Doctor House is currently under," Shankar said, keeping calm and professional. "He will not be able to use drugs at levels beyond those prescribed or drugs outside the protocol without being detected."
"I guess I don't see why the hospital should take the risk," Shyster Number Two stated.
"Setting aside the barbaric cruelty of leaving someone in agony when it's not necessary," Shankar argued, "Doctor House obviously cannot continue to function under his current circumstances. I would think the fact that his stomach was nearly destroyed would be reason enough."
"We didn't tell Doctor House to take what he did. We can't be held responsible for his abusing alcohol and pain medication," Shyster Number Four intoned.
"Yes, you can," Ginsberg jumped in. "You can because you made his lack of effective pain medication a condition of his return to work after he had been in the mental hospital. And you can also be held liable."
"Liable?" Shyster Number Three questioned. "For what?"
"For the injury Doctor House has suffered due to his draconian working conditions."
"Draconian working conditions?" Shyster Number One repeated. "You make it sound like he was in an unsafe sweatshop or something."
"Well, there have been a few tripping hazards," Ginsberg noted calmly. He, House, Ann and Nolan saw Cuddy blanch.
"What?" Shyster Number Four asked in a bewildered voice.
"We can discuss that later," Ginsberg answered, looking directly at Cuddy. Although many of the people in the room didn't see it, the threat was almost as explicit as if Ginsberg had actually said the words.
"With all that has happened in the past few days, I have to agree with Mr. Ginsberg on this," Cuddy interjected hastily, sounding a bit rattled. "I believe we should follow Doctor Shankar's recommendations, including the random testing, of course. So, are we done here?"
Cuddy stood up behind her desk in an effort to bring an end to the meeting.
"Thank you, Doctor Cuddy," Ginsberg said. "However, I think we're just getting started."
"I think we're finished," Cuddy insisted forcefully.
"Well, Doctors Shankar and Nolan are very busy, so, since the medical issue is settled, I'm fine with taking a break to allow them to return to their important work." Ginsberg agreed. "So, once they've left, shall we reconvene immediately, or, if not, when shall we set up the meeting for the legal issues? I've cleared my calendar for the rest of today and I'd certainly be happy to accommodate your schedule. In fact, since all these issues may take some time, I plan to stay in Princeton for most of the week. "
"What issues?" Shyster Number Two asked.
"Well, as I said before," Ginsberg began, "The hospital is liable for the injuries Doctor House sustained because of the effect of his employment agreement. We need to negotiate a settlement for that."
"Negotiate a settlement?" Moneybags Number Two jumped in. "Are you talking about money?"
"As much as I'm sure Doctor House would appreciate a personal apology from Doctor Cuddy and every member of the hospital board," Ginsberg answered, "He also deserves some compensation for an egregious injury."
"Was it really that serious?" Shyster Number Three questioned.
"My understanding is that Doctor House could have bled to death," Ginsberg responded. "And he's certainly looking at a lengthy convalescence."
"That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?" Shyster Number Four insisted.
"Since you are an attorney for a hospital," Ginsberg observed, "I'm assuming you have bothered to familiarize yourself with mortality statistics. Improper use of NSAIDs is the fifteenth leading cause of death in this country. And that only accounts for deaths from prescription NSAIDs, not over-the-counter. So, the death rate most likely is even higher. It's a good thing Doctor House was in a hospital, whatever its quality, when his stomach gave out, or he very likely could have died."
Cuddy looked like she was about to protest Ginsberg's statement about her hospital's worth when one of the Board members jumped in.
"What kind of money are we talking about here?" Moneybags Number One inquired.
"I don't think we would be satisfied with less than fifty-seven million," Ginsberg stated.
"What? Are you crazy?" Shyster Number One asked. "There's no way that's going to happen."
"We are willing to go to court," Ginsberg noted. "It seems to me that the publicity associated with a hospital being negligent enough to injure one of its own doctors is not something a teaching institution that ever needed government grants, corporate funding, private charitable donations or even future patients would want."
"This is nothing short of legal blackmail!" Moneybags Number Two exclaimed.
" 'Legal' being the operative word," Ginsberg smirked slightly.
"I still don't see how this is the hospital's fault," Shyster Number Three stated. "Even if the employment agreement was a contributing factor to behavior on Doctor House's part that wasn't healthy - and I'm not admitting that it was – there was no way for the hospital to know that."
"There certainly was," Doctor Nolan spoke for the first time. "Doctor Shankar and I sent reports and recommendations as early as January of this year."
"Which were not received," Cuddy explained.
"A startling coincidence that two letters sent from two entirely different locations would both just happen to be lost in the mail, don't you think?" Ginsberg asked.
House saw Cuddy shudder slightly. He, of all the people in the room, knew her well enough to know by that tiny motion that she was lying about not receiving the paperwork in January. Not that she was not going to admit it. It didn't matter anyway, since there was no way to prove it.
"In any case," Shankar interjected. "A second set of the same report and letters was sent the first week of February and was received the following week."
"And Doctor House did not have his medical crisis until the third week of March. That seems ample time to have done something," Ginsberg noted.
All eyes turned to Cuddy for an explanation. "Well," Cuddy clarified, "Since the employment agreement had to be approved by the Board, any change to that agreement also has to be approved by the Board. The Board only meets every other month. And the agenda for the March meeting was already full."
"Aren't there times when the Board meets besides its scheduled meetings?" Ginsberg asked. "Why didn't you call a special session?"
Cuddy replied, "Because I was unaware of the seriousness or urgency of Doctor's House's medical condition . . . "
"I beg to differ on that point, Doctor Cuddy," Ginsberg countered. "In Doctor Shankar's report, on the concluding page, it clearly states, and I quote, 'As my findings indicate, Doctor House has been attempting to treat severe pain with nothing more than ibuprofen and alcohol. This combination is worrisome enough in a casual user. For someone with an acute chronic pain condition like Doctor House, this is cause for serious concern. It appears to be only a matter of time before there will be serious physical consequences, including potentially severe damage to the patient's gastrointestinal tract. I cannot recommend strongly enough that he immediately be placed on the pain management regimen I have described in this report. This is a matter of utmost urgency. There can be no delay.' Seems pretty clear to me, even as a non-medical person, that something has to be done yesterday."
"Doctor Cuddy, were you aware of this?" Moneybags Number Two asked.
Cuddy looked extremely uncomfortable. "Well, let me just say that I was very busy at the time these letters arrived, negotiating our reimbursement rate with the insurance company, which I considered my top priority."
"Which was not as successful as last year," Moneybags Number One added. "In any case, it is your responsibility to keep up on all aspects of your job, as you well know. Besides, all that effort will be wasted if the hospital is forced into a large settlement and increased insurance rates due to your negligence, and – "
"I think Mr. Ginsberg is correct that we should reconvene at a later time," Shyster Number Two interjected. It was obvious that the attorneys thought a dressing down of the hospital administrator by a Board member shouldn't be done in front of opposing counsel. Especially when that Board member was using a word like "negligence."
"So, it's about eleven," Ginsberg said, glancing at his Rolex. "Shall we meet back here at one, then?"
"We will need a little more time than that to prepare," Shyster Number Three said. "How about in two weeks?"
"Sure," Ginsberg said. "In the meantime, I'll just start my filings."
"Filings?" Shyster Number One questioned.
"For the lawsuit," Ginsberg said. "Since you are obviously using delay tactics by putting off the meeting, there's no need for me to wait for you. Also, expect subpoenas for Doctor Cuddy, all the Board members, your Human Resources director and anyone else involved, not to mention all records related to this case. Just as a professional courtesy, I want to let you know that I tend to cast a wide net during the discovery phase, so be prepared. You never know what interesting things we'll find once we start digging."
"I think we can get together on Thursday," Shyster Number Two informed him.
"Great," Ginsberg responded. With that, he put all his files in his briefcase. "Doctor House, I seem to have worked up a bit of an appetite. I don't suppose you and Ms. Mueller could join me for lunch?"
"Sorry, I can't," House said, indicating the wheelchair and his IV. "But Annie can go with you. She probably needs a break from the hospital, anyway."
"No, I can't, either," Ann said. "I've already planned to have lunch brought to Greg's room. You're welcome to join us there. Also, Doctor Nolan and Doctor Shankar, you're welcome as well."
"I'm afraid I will not be able to join you," Shankar said. "I have an afternoon appointment in the city. Even if I leave now, the timing will be tight."
"I need to leave as well," Nolan stated. "But, I'll take a rain check."
"Maybe once Greg is home, I can have everyone over for dinner," Ann suggested.
They all agreed, shook hands and went their separate ways.
Cuddy watched them go. It was not going to be a pleasant afternoon for her, nor a pleasant week. She'd be paying Marina a lot of overtime, no doubt.