CHAPTER 11: TESTIMONY, PART TWO
Weinmann looked for a moment at his papers as the next witness, Taub, stepped in the room. "State your full name, please", he requested. "Dr. Christopher Michael Taub", the plastic surgeon introduced himself. "Dr. Taub, we've called you here to listen to your perspective concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage of Dr. House to Dominika House, nee Petrova. What is your response to the claims about the marriage in question being a sham with the intention to deceive the authorities?", the official asked his customary first question. "I find it totally absurd that such an accusation has been levelled against Dr. House. I have been working for him for years. I know he is a cynical person, with no regard for the norms of society. This may encourage you to think that he has indeed got involved in a felony, but for me it says the opposite. For such a man to actually embrace an institution he viewed as useless, in our case marriage, this means he found something in the woman he got married to", Taub replied, adding, "Like my fellows, I first met Mrs. House when my superior introduced her to us as his fiancée, announcing his upcoming wedding. And, truth be told, it wasn't a typical introduction. In fact, they wheeled through the conference room on Dr. House's Segway, causing, I can say, a good deal of commotion. In any case, the days immediately before the wedding took place, they could frequently be seen together, in various parts of the hospital, engaging in various activities. If you want my view, they both seemed to enjoy each other's company very much". "Throughout those days, was there no mention of the bride's status as an immigrant in need of a green card?", Weinmann asked. "None at all. Although it was relatively easy to gauge that she is a foreigner, mostly from her accent. But, I don't think her status as an immigrant affected, in any way, positive or negative, Dr. House's sentiments towards her", the doctor replied. "From what I see here, Dr. Taub, you were also present during the wedding ceremony, and not just present, but also the ring bearer", the official remarked. "Indeed. Dr. House had suggested that and it was my honour to perform that service", Taub answered. "Could you please elaborate more on the wedding? How did Dr. House act like during the ceremony?", Weinmann asked his next question. "He was much affected. It was unexpected to see him like that. And the bride, too, was similarly affected. Everything betrayed real feelings", the plastic surgeon replied. "Is it true that your own marriage is falling apart, Dr. Taub? And that your infidelity has a lot to do with this?", Tritter suddenly interjected. "I fail to understand the relevance of this question and I also fail to see a reason for that man's presence here", Taub held to his edge. "Indeed, Dr. Taub, I'm sorry for Detective Tritter's inappropriate question. You are in no way obliged to answer", Weinmann intervened, adding, "To sum it up, you totally repudiate the accusations against your superior and subscribe to the opinion that the marriage under scrutiny is a real one". "Exactly. I find it tragic that those allegations have been thrown", was Taub's response. "Thank you for your perspective, Dr. Taub", the official stated, shaking the doctor's hand.
The next witness was, predictably enough, Masters. "State your full name, please", Weinmann began the process. "Dr. Martha M. Masters", she replied. "Dr. Masters, we've called you here to listen to your perspective concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage of Dr. House to Dominika House, nee Petrova. What stance do you take on the accusations that the marriage in question is fraudulent?", he asked. "I would say that the claim holds no water. I am not so well acquainted with Dr. House as his other fellows, being the latest hire in his team. My interactions with him have been limited to the professional sphere. Dr. House has his own methods of working and handling medical cases, which can alienate many people, me included. But, no one can doubt his brilliance and effectivity. If there is anything I have learned from Dr. House, it is that there is a huge gap between theory and real life, a lesson I still have trouble digesting, so to speak. Back to the topic of your investigation, like my associates, I first met Mrs. House shortly before the wedding occurred. When Dr. House introduced her to us as a permanent member of his team, I enquired on her speciality, mistakenly thinking she was a doctor. I must confess I was surprised when Dr. House announced their upcoming wedding, but not questioning the veracity of their feelings for each other for a single moment. Frankly speaking, the more I saw them, the more convinced I became that they were made for each other, as the expression runs", Masters gave her relatively detailed answer. "Were you aware of Mrs. House's status as an immigrant?", the official asked. "I didn't focus my attention on such trivial details. All I noticed was that Dr. House seemed to have found the right person", the young prodigy responded. "But you were not present at the wedding, right, Dr. Masters?", Weinmann enquired. "I had to be absent, because I was tasked with taking care of a patient. Otherwise, I would be there to congratulate them. From what I know, the ceremony was properly enacted", Masters answered. "How can you be so sure that there was real affection between them, Dr. Masters? From what I gather, your experience in those matters is negligible", Tritter intervened. "I'm not here for you to try to discredit my testimony because of my personal life", she shot back. "Detective Tritter, I'm afraid I have to ask you not to interrupt the process and not insult the witness. Dr. Masters, I apologize on behalf of Detective Tritter", Weinmann remarked, obviously irritated. "Apologies accepted", the redhead replied. "I have one more question: could it be that Dr. House's recent breakup somehow influenced his actions concerning the marriage in question?", the official said. "I'm afraid I'm not much qualified to answer this question, but I will try to the best of my abilities. Dr. House was really depressed after his breakup, but I don't think he would resort to committing a felony just to spite someone who rejected him", Masters carefully dodged the question. "So, to sum it up, you don't think there is any truth in the accusations against Dr. House and stand by the words of your associates that the marriage under investigation is not a fraud", Weinmann drew his conclusion. "By all means, that is what I believe", she answered. "Thank you for your perspective, Dr. Masters", the official stated, shaking hands with the young doctor.
It was now Wilson's turn to testify. "State your full name, please", the INS official commenced the process. "Dr. James E. Wilson", the oncologist replied. "Dr. Wilson, we've invited you here to listen to your perspective concerning the circumstances surrounding the marriage of Dr. House to Dominika House, nee Petrova. What do you have to say in response to the allegations that this marriage is a fraud?", Weinmann enquired. "First and foremost, I have to say I was diametrically opposed to that marriage. I knew that Dr. House was in a very dire situation, mentally and psychologically speaking, after Dr. Cuddy broke up with him. Immediately after the breakup, he'd checked into a luxury hotel, immersing himself in alcohol and numerous liaisons with prostitutes, pulling all kinds of stunts and antics. I repeatedly cautioned that he was falling apart and that he needed to talk to Dr. Cuddy. He rejected my advice all the time. From what I gather, it was during his stay at the hotel that he met his wife. I'm still unaware of the precise circumstances, but I think she offered some kind of service to him. When I first met her, they had already decided to get married, which I had trouble taking seriously, given the fact that Dr. House has the habit of pulling pranks and making deliberately ambiguous statements. But, it never crossed my mind that he would ever get involved in such a serious crime as the one he is being accused of. Therefore, I don't believe that the accusations are true", Wilson explained. "Were you aware of Mrs. House being an immigrant or of anything else involving her background?", Weinmann proceeded to the next question. "Absolutely not. I has heard from Dr. House that she happens to be a licensed aesthetician, but I couldn't determine whether this was true or a lie. At the time, I prioritized on dissuading him from the marriage, being under the impression that he wanted to make Dr. Cuddy jealous", Wilson answered. "Exactly what Dr. House's associates have ruled out", the official mused. "And which I increasingly believe was wrong on my behalf to assume. I misjudged the situation, perhaps out of excessive concern", the oncologist clarified. "That's interesting, Dr. Wilson. From what I see here, you were present during the wedding. Given the extent of your friendship with Dr. House, isn't it strange that you were just a guest, with other people chosen as best man and ring bearer?", Weinmann asked. "Look, I was still subscribing to the view that the whole incident was an immature stunt Dr. House was acting and that he'd soon regret it. I didn't even want to be present, but I attended mostly for the sake of Dr. Cuddy. I can say that, for all her supposedly calm demeanor, she was affected by Dr. House's decision. However, I observed the pair throughout the ceremony. The first seeds of doubt were planted on those moments. Having been married non-fraudulently three times, for a total of twelve years, I can recognize sentiment when I see it. And, what I saw was genuine. Some days later, after Dr. House returned at his workplace, following a short absence, he directly told me he really wanted to be with his wife. That was shortly before we all became aware of Mrs. House being arrested by Detective Tritter, actually", Wilson finished the sentence and exhaled audibly. "If I understand correctly, Dr. Wilson, you had an objection to the marriage under investigation, but your objection never stemmed from potential legal issues. As Dr. House's best friend, would you say it is impossible for him to get involved in a felony, in the manner outlined by the accusations?", Weinmann pressed the point. "Dr. House can do many unpredictable things. He has a unique ability to alienate or irritate people, including those closest to him. But, he doesn't have the personality of a law breaker. Besides, what would he have to gain by perpetrating this particular kind of crime? His career and reputation, even freedom, would be at stakes, and whatever reward, financial or otherwise, would never outweigh those risks. And we are speaking about a very risky person. I won't speak about his wife, because I hardly know anything about her, but I can say with absolute conviction that Dr. House is not a gullible person, so he certainly isn't an accomplice in a plan hatched by another person. He doesn't have the reputation of an altruist, so it's out of the question that he would help someone without any benefit for himself. And, there is frankly nothing he could gain by getting involved in such a sham he is being accused of perpetrating. By simple elimination, this conclusion becomes inevitable", Wilson replied. "So, to sum it up, Dr. Wilson, you too, like all the witnesses examined so far, don't think that there is any kernel of truth in those accusations against Dr. House", the official stated. "Precisely", the oncologist answered. "Thank you for your perspective, Dr. Wilson", Weinmann said, shaking hands with House's best friend. Turning at the couple sitting on the couch, he said, "Excuse us for five minutes", gesturing for Tritter to follow him again out of the office.
Casting a glance at the detective, the INS official remarked, "That's not going well for you, Mike. And, from what I saw outside my office, Dr. Cuddy and Mr. Barrett haven't appeared yet, so I have to postpone their testimony for the end of the process". Tritter was sweating even more, having trouble to accept what had happened so far. "They're all lying! You will see, the rest of the witnesses will open your eyes to the truth!", he muttered. "Let's go, then. The five minutes are passing as we speak", the other man responded and headed for the office again.