(NOTE: Some of you may hate me after this chapter, but it honestly wasn't part of my plans. It just happened. I'm still exploring House's feelings of confinement and helplessness. I've been reading an orthopedic nursing book as I write this thing, so hopefully it is fairly accurate!)

He had good news about the hormone therapy today, but he still felt glum.

In the back of his mind, he knew why. He just didn't want to acknowledge it - he missed Casey and Claudia. He was bored and actually felt...socially isolated.

He never thought of himself as a social person, so this was just weird.

This was the first night in a while that he didn't have Claudia to talk to at night.

He couldn't sleep, as usual. He had nothing, or more specifically - nobody, to distract him.

He eventually went to sleep, but he didn't feel like he had slept at all.

His body seemed more tired now than it was closer to the surgery!

He woke up the next morning with nobody across the room from him. This was a first during his hospital stay.

Later in the morning, his troop of nurses came in to turn him as usual. Sometimes it would be a different combination of nurses, but all of them were efficient and careful not to hurt him.

Richard, who seemed to be their lead nurse started out, "Are you in a lot of pain today?"

"About the same."

"I talked to Mathis and got her approval. Do you want to try helping us move you this morning?"

That sounded awesome to House. He felt like he had no control of his body and being able to move himself some would bring some of that control back.

Of course, they said "try."

What if he tried to help and couldn't? Would these people think he was a weak loser?

He never thought he cared what other people thought of him, but he was discovering over the course of his illness that he actually did care. He still made Wilson keep the blinds closed every day. He tried to look as strong as possible when his team came in for consults. He wished they would always come when he was on his back, but people didn't always get sick when it was most convenient.

He was particularly uncomfortable and embarrassed when they came in while he was lying on his side. He felt even more awkward than usual and often had trouble seeing them because they would forget that they had to be right in front of him. They always positioned themselves well when he was leaned back, but on his side they tended to forget and he would find himself only able to hear them or see just certain body parts. Foreman always remembered and would usually scoot a chair up to the bed and sit so that he was easy to see. House had always hated it when people talked to him and he didn't know exactly what they were doing or where they were.

At least nurses seemed to be trained to be particularly conscious of that sort of thing.

He would never admit it, but his respect for nurses was growing.

OH! He suddenly realized there were five nurses standing in front of him waiting for a response.

"Yeah." Might as well try it.

Richard nodded and proceeded with instructions.

"We'll still have someone at your right leg and hip, but we will only have one person on each side of you. There will only be three people clustered around you this time. Depending on how this goes, we might work down to only two people.

"Gee, I feel more independent already." It sounded like he would still be moved around like some sort of 'thing.'

Richard was talking again, "I'll be on your right side supporting the middle of your back and he'll be on your left with one hand under your left knee and the other at your left hip/lower back area. You will move your upper body. Bend your elbows and put your hands flat on the bed on either side of your upper torso about where the brace ends."

House placed his arms where Richard instructed.

"Plant your right hand a little further away from your body to give yourself more room to move, but plant your left hand as close to your torso as possible."

Okay, this made sense.

"Good. Your arms are right where they needed to be."

House felt like a kindergartner being congratulated for making the first bunny ear as he tied his shoes.

"Now when we tell you to 'push' you'll raise your body straight up using your arms. Leave your elbows slightly bent. We'll say 'shift' and you'll move your upper body to the right until your torso is up against where you right hand is at. Your left hand will still remain planted; there will just be some space to the left of your upper body. All of us are going to go ahead and still be standing around you. If you feel uncomfortable or like you might not be able to support yourself, just say 'help' and they'll step in to help you. We won't let you fall."

This sounded like fun. House just sighed.

One of the other nurses chimed in, "Do you understand?"

"Yes." He would normally be snarky about this, but he was way too nervous to even care what they thought.

He felt a lot better than a few days ago, but he still felt weak and wasn't sure this was such a great idea.

"Okay. We're going to move the pillows and foam out of the way. Go ahead and plant your arms."

They were still clustered around him, but they weren't all touching him. He got himself into position.

"Ready?"

House was reluctant, but still spoke, "Yeah."

"Push."

He somehow managed to get his upper body off the bed and it was irrationally exhilarating.

"Shift."

He tried to move, but his whole body seemed to be screaming at him. He suddenly felt like he was hurting worse and was out of breath. He couldn't remember what he was supposed to say to make them help him again.

What he didn't realize was that the nurses were watching his body language and after making quick eye contact one of the extra nurses already had her hands under his shoulders and they were lowering him to the bed.

Even though he was back on the bed he still felt like he was falling.

He suddenly felt claustrophobic just like when he first came out of anesthesia. He felt like his body was frozen and falling.

After House was unable to help, the nurses decided to skip this morning's session on his side. He was already tired out enough for now. Three of the nurses left and the remaining two were about to prop him up again when he became agitated.

It was like his body abruptly snapped out of whatever frozen state it was in.

He was stronger than right after the surgery and he was now seething with adrenaline.

He wasn't aware of his own body.

He had to move!

He used his left foot and leg to push up and bend his knee. Unfortunately, this gave him leverage and sent him out of balance. Three nurses were already gone and the other nurse had turned away to get pillows. The only nurse standing by was the one at his right leg. He didn't have support around him yet or pillows propping up his leg, so she was holding it for him. The anxiety and adrenaline had obviously dulled his pain receptors and he didn't even seem aware of what he was doing.

It was like some sort of delayed reaction - he now had his hands at his sides and was pushing himself to the side and squirming. He somehow managed to knock the nurse over with his braced right leg. The other nurse heard the racket and turned his way, but was still on the other side of the room. He seemed so calm once they set him down - he showed no indication of this kind of panic.

The nurse holding him was knocked over and the bedrails were still down from the plan to turn him. There was nothing there to support him.

As the other nurse saw her colleague get knocked over, she rushed back to grab House.

She was too far away.

He was already tumbling over the right side of the bed toward the hard hospital floor.