Here's another one. Thanks for reading and for all the comments.

Chapter 79.

Wilson drove as fast as he could down the state highway to Snow Hill.

"Whoa, since when do you drive this fast?" Jessica said. "Even if the ambulance was outside their door when you hung up, they couldn't have gotten to the airport fast, not in D.C. traffic. Then it would take time to fly to the hospital in a helicopter."

"I want to prepare the hospital staff for the senator's arrival and collect his records from before. There's something I missed."

"You never miss anything. This has to be unrelated."

"I'll start with some tests. We'll see." They reached the hospital without incident and ran into House and Cameron who were headed to the garage.

"What're you doing here?" House demanded. "Thought your patient was discharged yesterday."

"Something else is wrong with him. They're bringing him back by helicopter." Wilson glanced past House's shoulder.

House looked at Cameron, who frowned. "Any of his staff coming with him?"

Wilson raised an eyebrow. "Don't know. Why do you ask?"

"Anita's anxious to speak with one of his aides."

Just then she appeared with Hadley. "This a convention or something?"

"Wilson's patient is returning," House said.

Anita raised an eyebrow the same way Wilson had. "Do tell. What's wrong?"

"I'm not privileged to tell you." Wilson looked from House to Anita. "What's this about an aide? And, by the way, what are all of you doing at Snow Hill this afternoon?"

"Confrontation with Steve," was all Anita said.

"Guess you can't tell me the same way I can't tell you about my patient."

She nodded. "Right."

"But you could tell House and Cameron."

That one seemed to stump Anita, but Hadley answered instead. "We were together when we heard he was headed this way."

Wilson moved toward them. "I have to get to my office and let the nurses know the patient is returning."

"Yeah, yeah." House blocked his way. "What's your rush? He's not here yet, couldn't be."

"House, don't tell me how to do my job."

House held his hands up as if in surrender. "All right, go ahead, but don't be surprised if we're not far behind."

Anita held back with Hadley and called to House and Cameron, "I have to make a call before I go chasing after the aide. We don't even know if he'll be here."

House shrugged. "Time enough to get a snack and drink. Text one of us when you're ready to pounce."

He and Cameron made for the cafeteria.

Anita called one of her remaining contacts at the bureau. "You heard the local police are holding Steve."

"Yeah," Agent Margo Niles said. "You think he killed his partner?"

"Probably not, but he's covering something up and it has to do with an aide to someone in D.C."

"Okay, so what do you want to know?" Margo was an information specialist.

"I want to know what Curt Sawyer and Les Colombo are doing here."

Margo whistled. "I'll see what I can find out. Give you a call tomorrow."

"That's what I figured since it's Sunday and few people are in."

"Including me."

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"Not really. Just enjoying a quiet afternoon at home alone."

Anita smiled. "You should come for a visit sometime, meet Remy, have a girls' day."

"I might just do that. By the way, weren't you and Colombo a thing once?"

"Once." Anita ended the call. She'd accomplished a lot already that day, but now she was on the scent for the mysterious aide. She turned to Hadley. "Which ward would Wilson's patient be in?"

"Oncology is on the third floor, but Wilson probably sent his patient for tests. Let's head down to Radiology."

They took the elevator to the basement.

"What about House?"

"What about him?" She pointed to herself. "This is my investigation. Don't need any civilians involved."

"Including me?"

Anita smiled. "You're an exception."

But House had concluded the same way as Anita that Wilson would send his patient for tests, most likely a CT scan. He and Cameron were the first people Anita and Hadley saw when they entered the Radiology area. Anita frowned but didn't say anything.

Only it wasn't Wilson's patient being scanned but Les. The team waited impatiently for an ultrasound to be over and the results read.

"Have you seen Wilson?" House asked Simpson.

He shook his head.

"How long have you been here?" Anita looked from Simpson to his two teammates.

"We came down not long after you left Les's room," Jacobs said. "About half an hour."

Magnani tilted his head. "I thought you were headed back to Shelby."

"Wilson's patient is coming back," Cameron said. "We hoped his aides would be with him, or at least arrive later."

"What kind of scans are you doing on Les?" Hadley asked her team.

Magnani rattled off a long list.

"Want him to glow in the dark?" House asked.

Jacobs grimaced. "You're a doctor. You have to know that won't happen from ultrasounds, magnetic imaging or tomography."

House opened his eyes wide. "But did you tell him that?"

Wilson and Jess appeared in the doorway with a frazzled-looking woman.

"The techs are just finishing up with Les and should be free for your patient," Simpson said.

"Thanks." Wilson appeared grim. "What are the rest of you doing here? Thought you were leaving."

"What, and miss all the fun?" House's eyes widened again. He turned to Cameron. "Shoulda brought our leftovers and had another party." He sat in one of the two chairs in the room.

Anita got them back to serious business. "Did anyone come with the patient besides his wife?"

The woman wrung her hands. "I didn't call anyone yet. Why do you want to know?"

Anita moved closer to the woman. "Could you call your husband's aides and let them know he's here? Especially Palmer."

She looked at Wilson, who sighed then nodded. She pulled out a cellphone. "I think I have Frederick's number here." She thumbed through a list. "Here it is." She made the call.

After a short time, she said, "Suzie Carmichael here. I'm calling to let you know Charles is back in the hospital. Snow Hill again. Please call me." She turned to everyone. "There was no answer but I left a message. I'll call the others now."

"Charles Carmichael? As in Senator Charles Carmichael?" House was on his feet again.

Wilson sighed again. "I should have known I could never keep a secret from you, although I did for a few weeks this time, didn't I?"

House grinned.

Mrs. Carmichael was able to contact all of her husband's staff except Palmer. No one knew where he was, but they agreed to take turns visiting their boss.

The team disappeared to review any findings on Les's scans. Hadley was torn, but eventually decided to go with them.

"At least it's not as crowded in here." House took a seat and leaned back as if he planned to stay a while.

Wilson glared at him. "I'm sure you have something else to do besides wait for the results of the senator's tests."

"No, I don't think so."

Wilson rolled eyes that had had lots of practice.

Meanwhile, Anita called her friend in D.C. "We're trying to find an aide to Senator Carmichael named Palmer. Pass the word along."

"Will do," Margo said.

Anita slipped her phone into the slit pocket of her jacket. "I'm heading home. Let Remy know. Guess one of you can give her a ride. Oh, and if Palmer should show up, let me know and I'll come back."

"Of course," Cameron said without even looking at House.

Anita left heading for the garage. On the way, she called Anderson to ask about Steve's current status.

"He's still at the Snow Hill PD. Since he resisted arrest there, that's where he'll be charged."

"I hope that being incarcerated will make him think harder about whatever he's keeping from us."

"I don't understand why all this happened. You had spies and a double agent here in Shelby and couldn't prevent them being killed by persons unknown."

"I'm sure when we find out all the aspects of this story it'll all come clear," she said.

"I wouldn't be that sure, but we can hope. Take the rest of the day off."

"It's not as if I did anything for the Shelby PD today."

He laughed. "I guess this is the kind of thing you usually do on Sundays when you're off duty."

"Not always, but often enough. Hope that's not a problem."

"Long as you do your job when you're on the clock."

She laughed. "See you tomorrow, boss." She reached home and found a parking spot not far from the house. It was quiet inside. Jess and Wilson's dog wasn't barking. She had the place all to herself, but it wouldn't be the last time. Doctors worked strange hours.

Watching House tap his cane, Cameron suggested, " Why don't you head up to find out how the team's doing with Les? I'll stand watch for Palmer, keep Jess and Mrs. Carmichael company."

"Suzy, please," the senator's wife said. "I doubt Palmer will show up, or even that the other staff can get in touch with him."

Wilson returned from consulting with the radiology techs. "Good news. This isn't due to additional cancer. After the surgery, a clot formed affecting the left frontal lobe. That's what caused the speech problems. The clot is easily removed. When the neurosurgeon operates, he'll make sure no other clots form."

"Neurosurgeon? You're not going to perform the surgery?" Suzy asked.

Wilson scratched his head. He should since it was his initial operation that led to it. "I'll need a surgical team and operating room." He left again to set it up with Jessica right behind him.

Tears pooled in Suzy's eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.

Cameron motioned for her to sit and took the plastic chair next to her. She put an arm around Suzie. "It'll be fine."

"We've been married forty-two years. I can't lose him now." Suzie took out a tissue and swiped at her eyes. "The country can't lose him."

"You insisted Wilson should do the surgery because you have faith in him, right?" Cameron asked. "Don't worry."

Suzie pulled in a deep breath. "I'm trying not to." She forced a smile.

Cameron smiled back.

Jessica stood outside the OR, waiting for Wilson to come out and tell her he'd successfully removed the clot. She should have waited with Suzie, Cameron and House down in the radiology waiting room. When Wilson didn't come out after half an hour, she made up her mind, strode to the elevator and took it down to the basement.

Only Cameron and Suzie were waiting there. Where did House go? She shrugged. Didn't matter. "Everything okay here?" she asked.

"Suzie is worried," Cameron said. "Should we go to recovery?"

"Not yet. Surgery's not over." Jess sat on the other side of Suzie from Cameron.

"Suzie just told me she and the senator have been married forty-two years. Can you imagine?" Cameron patted Suzie's hand.

"How wonderful. I'm sure you have many happy memories of those years." Jess wished she could be as supportive, as compassionate. All she could do was mouth words that she wasn't sure of. "James will make sure the senator is back to health in no time, and then you can have forty-two more years together."

"You're Dr. Wilson's wife?" Suzie asked.

"Girlfriend. We've been together for three months."

"And you, Dr. Cameron?"

"I've known House for a few years, but we've only been together since the summer. We recently had a house built outside Shelby toward the bay and moved in a week or so ago."

"It's a fantastic house. They had a party there last night so their friends could see it."

Cameron nodded at Jess to keep going, to talk about pleasant things.

Jess told Suzie about the inner courtyard, the size of the kitchen, the fixtures in the bathrooms, the library. Cameron threw a word in here and there. After a while Jess realized she was babbling, but at least it had taken Suzie's mind off the surgery her husband was going through.

"We live in Alexandria," Suzie said. "The house is convenient for Charles and a pleasant town. Near enough to D.C. It's a very old house, though, and we constantly need something or other repaired."

"Do you have children?" Jess imagined if they did, they were grown, maybe living far away."

"Sadly, we never had any."

That sounded like a sore point, so Jess changed the subject. "I'm a veterinarian. Work with another doctor, caring for all the injured and ailing dogs and cats in town. Often, we see other animals. Birds too."

Suzy frowned. "Charles is allergic, so we never had a pet."

"There are dogs with short hair that don't trigger allergic reactions, you know." I'd be happy to give you inform— " Jess cut off seeing the cloud invade Suzie's face. She searched her mind for a subject to broach.

Cameron came to the rescue. "The cafeteria here is quite good. Would you like to come with me to get something to eat or perhaps a cup of tea? The swill from the machines is awful."

But Suzie shook her head. "I don't want to leave, in case someone comes to tell me Charles is out of surgery and I should go to recovery. That's what they did when he had his first surgery."

So the three of them continued to sit and wait. And wait.