A/N: Alright…I had intended to put in many more hospital scenes before this, but it didn't happen.

Thus, a brief interlude from the world of Phantom.

Chapter Seven
Conflicts

"I don't like this."

"Nor do I."

"I told them they couldn't ignore their clinic hours, but they go off and do it anyway."

"That's true, Doctor Cuddy. But didn't you tell them that they also needed to be gung-ho about their roles in the musical?"

"You're right, Martha," sighed Lisa. "I need to call a meeting."

Office of Doctor Lisa Cuddy

Twenty Minutes Later

"We need to re-prioritize, people. Nurse Howard says clinic hours are down, patient happiness is down…Even the number of patients are down!

"I realize I told you that you needed to give Phantom your all, but your jobs are more important, people. In fact, I believe I told you that being here was more important than being at rehearsal, did I not?"

Before anyone could answer her question, Dr. Cuddy plunged on. "I don't want to do this – especially since I enjoy playing Carlotta thoroughly – but rehearsals are postponed until further notice. In fact, I think I'm going to call Ms. Havilland and tell her to cancel the musical outright. Heaven knows she can't run the musical without all of us!"

The staff members nodded glumly, but Lisa missed that. She had her head cocked sideways and a weird look on her face.

"What was that?"

Stacy stared at her friend. "What was what?"

Doctor Cuddy held up a finger. "Shh…Listen!"

A chuckle danced through the air.

"What?"

"Shh!" A snicker.

"What'd you do?"

"My ring…I can't find my ring!"

"What do you mean; you can't find your ring? Since when do you wear a ring?"

The sound of flesh hitting flesh; then more whispers.

"You know! My class ring! The one I got during medical school!"

A frown carved onto her face, Cuddy reached out and yanked the door of the nearby closet so hard, she nearly tore it off its hinges. Stepping aside, Lisa revealed Drs. House and Wilson stuffed inside, along with a few lab coats and Cuddy's favorite trench coat. The two men were clutching a pizza box and they had sheepish looks on their faces. Worse, James' missing ring rolled out at that moment and hit Lisa's foot.

"What is the meaning of this! No…Never mind…I don't want to know!"

Doctor Cuddy whirled around on the gathered group. "All of you – out!"

They obediently shuffled away, but Chase moved closer to Wilson. "Can I have a piece?"

"I said out, Doctor Chase!" Turning back, Lisa barked, "Not you two. Sit! Stay!"

Obeying her command, House and Wilson dropped into the chairs opposite Cuddy's desk. Lisa poured herself a glass of water from a carafe standing on a filing cabinet and then took her own seat. "Explain yourselves."

"I…we…" James twisted his ring anxiously, now that he had put it back on, and looked at House.

"Why were you trying to skip the meeting?"

"We were hungry," growled House.

"We needed a little time to ourselves," Wilson wheedled.

"We thought you'd be in the conference room…"

"So we thought it was prudent to hide in your closet…"

"Because it was the last place you thought I'd look," finished Cuddy.

James looked down at the floor, but Gregory continued to stare Lisa in the eye.

"Fifty extra clinic hours over the next two weeks."

Wilson beamed. "Oh, we can handle that! Twenty five each, then 12½ this week and 12½ next week!"

"Fifty hours for each of you."

"Guess we'd better go home and get some sleep, Greg, 'ole buddy."

"Fifty hours starting now, Doctor Wilson!"

The two gentlemen stood up and House gave Wilson the brunt of his sharp elbow.

"Ow!"

"It's all your fault!"

"Mine! You wanted a pizza, too!"

A/N: I'd like to give a special thank you to PrincessCat…Without her; this chapter would've been extremely boring!