Had a great time with our family at Universal Orlando, but now it's back to this fanfic.
Chapter 83.
Cameron returned to the courtroom after lunch to find Mrs. Carson in a huddle with her lawyer. Johanson seemed to be calming her client down, but Carson wouldn't be quieted. Cameron shook her head and walked instead to the lawyer for the nail salon.
"What are they fighting about?" she asked.
"I think Miss Johanson told her client she didn't have a strong case against us. Johanson wants to drop it, but Carson is insisting they continue. One of the things she shouted was, 'I paid you to win this, and you're going to do it.' Unfortunately, the judge hasn't seen her tantrum."
"Can I tell the judge?" Cameron asked.
"No, because that would be hearsay."
Just then, the clerk called everyone to order, the room quieted and the judge entered. Once she sat, everyone else took their seats.
"Miss Nguyen, you said you have three more witnesses?"
Johanson stood. "You're honor, may I approach the bench?"
The judge raised one eyebrow. "All right."
Johanson walked to the judge and whispered to her for a minute. The judge bent over her raised desk to listen intently.
All Cameron heard was 'withdrawing'. Had Mrs. Carson's lawyer decided it was a no-win situation?
Johanson stepped back and spoke directly to Nguyen, pointing to her client. "She's all yours." With that, she left the courtroom.
Mrs. Carson jumped out of her seat and shouted at Johanson's back, "Why you...you...you came highly recommended. Well, I'll sue you for everything you've got."
The judge banged her gavel. "Mrs. Carson, you're out of order. Please sit down. I'll have at least a hint of decorum in my courtroom."
"But, judge."
"That's 'Your Honor'." The judge glared. "Another word out of you, and I'll dismiss the case. As it is, I think I've heard enough to sentence you for defaming the good name of the salon and the people who work there."
A soft smiled spread across Nguyen's face. "Your honor, if it pleases the court, I will continue."
"No need. It's a waste of your time and mine." She banged her gavel once more. "Case dismissed. Mrs. Carson, if you bring frivolous cases to my court again, I'll have you jailed for contempt."
House returned to his office expecting a few clinic patients might have been sent to him, but he wasn't prepared for wall-to-wall patients. He hoped Naomi had them all fill out new patient forms, and she knew the order he should see them.
But she'd worked long enough for Cameron, he could depend she had everything under control. She handed him a list and the first two files, all neatly arranged.
Before he entered his office, he smiled and called the first patient, Larry Quinlan, in to see him. Larry was a heavyset man in his fifties with a full head of graying brown hair. He'd stated on his intake form that he'd been having trouble climbing stairs for a while but the night before was the first time he couldn't make it to the second floor of his house, gave up and slept on the couch.
"Doc, I got an earful from the wife this morning. 'I told you to see a doctor'," he said in an imitation of a high-pitched voice. "What if you had a heart attack on me,' she said." He was out of breath before he could finish that sentence.
"Sit," House pointed to the chair across his desk from him. "In a little while I'll take your vitals, but first, tell me, what sort of work do you do?"
"I sell insurance. Sit at a damn desk all day."
"And don't get any exercise."
"Well, yeah." Larry pressed his lips together.
House knew he'd have to be diplomatic. "There's a gym on Main. That anywhere near where you live?"
"Porter's? Yeah, coupla blocks away."
House nodded. "Best way to keep the wife from complaining is to walk over there three times a week."
Larry sneered, "You mean I should join a gym, work out?"
"Nah. Just walk over there and back a few times a week. Your wife will think you're exercising." And you will be, House thought. "I mean, if you want to join the guys inside, building muscles, becoming even more macho, go ahead. Can't hurt." House stroked his chin. "You have a bike when you were a kid?"
"Sure, didn't everyone?"
"You could bike over instead of walking. Up to you."
"Yeah." Larry smiled as if he liked the ideas House was proposing. "Thanks, Doc." He stood and held out a hand.
House shook it, but said, "Just for the record, let me get your blood pressure, temperature and oxygen levels." He had Larry sit on a table in the next room and did a cursory exam. High b.p., low O2 sat. Not unexpected.
When he was done, Larry struggled to get off and breathed heavily.
House collected his file and led him out to the waiting room. "Naomi, schedule Larry for a follow-up visit in three weeks." He turned to the patient. "Try what I told you. We'll see how it works. On your way out, might as well leave me a little blood. Lab's across the hallway." He pointed.
Larry nodded and left.
House turned toward the waiting room. "Next?"
Anita had a lot to think about as she drove back to police headquarter. She planned to record her notes and, in the process, maybe she'd understand the pattern. Too many agents involved. Too many odd events.
Chief Anderson caught her before she reached her desk. "How'd it go at Snow Hill PD?"
She shook her head. "Steve's still not talking. I can't get straight answers from the two other agents in Shelby either." She scratched an ear. "Please tell me there's something not so convoluted happening here, so I can tackle it and maybe feel I've accomplished something."
He ticked them off on his fingers. "A car theft, a break-in at the sporting goods store, and two domestic violence cases. Par for the course."
"Then, I'll log what I have, as little as it is. Who's handling the car theft?" That was the most intriguing.
"Samuels. Sorry, you're left with the break-in. Mr. Torrance, the owner, is expecting you later this afternoon. Already had the crime scene team out to dust for fingerprints and look for anything the culprit left behind."
She nodded. "After I type things up I'll head over there. Across from the west side of the square, right?"
Anderson said, "Yes," and walked back to his office.
Anita entered hers, sat and stared at her computer for five minutes before turning it on. She took out her recording from that morning and her written notes from her conversations with Les and Curt. As she typed, she looked for contradictions. She'd have to ask Steve about calling Curt, that is if she ever got another chance at Steve.
She noticed something wasn't quite right, but hadn't figured out what before her phone rang. She answered the call from one of the detectives from the Snow Hill PD. Steve had feigned a need for the bathroom, or maybe he really did need it, but he used the pretext to escape. "We have no idea where he might have gone."
"He doesn't have transportation," she said then smacked her forehead. "We left his car across the street from the apartment building where Lorelei lived. Send someone to check for it, a silver Honda with D.C. license plates." She checked her files for the plate number. "Tango foxtrot bravo six seven eight. If it's still there, might as well impound it."
"Got it. I'll go over there myself."
Anita hoped he'd find the car, but she doubted it. She sighed and headed out again to look into the break-in at the sporting goods store.
The team had settled on a patient that each of them considered marginally interesting. They visited him in a room in cardiology.
"Mr. Moody, we're your new doctors," Jacobs said. She glanced at the array of readouts on monitors hung behind Moody's bed.
"What happened to Dr. Wu?"
"He's overloaded with patients and suggested we take over since you're showing more than heart issues."
Hadley burst into the room. "Team, we're off this case. I found us a much juicier one."
"But they've only just got here." Moody sat up in bed. "What gives?"
"Guess Wu wants your case back, lucky man."
During his rounds, Wilson stopped at the senator's room.
Mrs. Carmichael sat at the side of the bed, holding his hand and reading a copy of Family Circle. She put her magazine down and beamed at him. "Dr. Wilson, I can't thank you enough for all you've done for my husband."
"Looks like he's doing well already." He checked the senator's eyes with his penlight. "We'll have to see how he does for the next two days before I release him again."
"You're sure this wasn't related to the tumor?" Senator Carmichael asked.
"It wasn't even close to the area where I'd operated before." Wilson wouldn't tell him, not yet, that this series of problems pointed to something worse. "So the missing aide never showed up."
Mrs. Carmichael shook her head. "I can't believe that he might have passed on confidential information."
The senator sneered. "It had to be about money."
"If he should visit, you'll call the authorities."
"Of course," they both said.
Now that the trial was over, Cameron considered going into the clinic after all, but since Carol was sending her patients to House, she headed there too. He might even be glad of some help.
She found Naomi deftly handling the crowded waiting room. She rarely had this many patients. What was going on? "Naomi, did all of these come from the clinic?"
"About half. The rest just wandered in to see what the fuss was about."
Cameron laughed. "How'd House react to that?"
"He doesn't know." Naomi winked at her and went back to creating files for each of the patients.
"Has Dr. Carter come in yet?"
Naomi shook her head.
"He won't have time to wait. There's a second exam room, right?"
"Yes. Dr. House is using the one attached to his office."
"Then he won't mind if I used the other one. Who's next?"
"Mrs. Burdinski. Seems to have a rash on her hands." She handed Cameron the file.
Jessica returned to the veterinary clinic after lunch and took Bruno for a short walk before she returned to her treatment of other animals. It was nippy outside and she was happy to return to the warmth of the office.
She examined a frisky sheepdog, a squirmy rabbit and two cats before it was time for Dr. Carter to leave for his appointment with House.
"I shouldn't be long. House rarely has other patients when I'm there."
"You may be in for a shock," she said. "He's covering for Cameron while she's attending the trial."
"Toenail lady?" He chuckled. "I heard about that one."
"I think the whole town has." She smiled. "Take as much time as you need. I have everything under control."
She was examining the right hind leg of an Airedale, though, when a bang reached the exam room. "I'll see what that is," she told the dog and its owner. She was met in the waiting room by Mr. Carruthers carrying a baseball bat.
"Gimme back my dog."