Disclaimer – See chapter 1
Author's Note – A bit of a medical chapter this one. While it may be a little boring its still very important so I suggest you don't skip over it! I've just realised that I said that this fiction would be between series one and two, which shows how old it is (though in my defence series 2 didn't start in the UK until February). Series 2 finished over here last night (which was AMAZING by the way!) and I've thought over the timing and have decided to leave it between 1 and 2 rather than 2 and 3 because I've mentioned characters like Stacy and dated it in 2005. Also, I realise series 2 started in America last Autumn, yet this fiction is set in December/January but lets just say series 2 started in February throughout the world so I have no more issues with the time. Anyways, my hopefully clarifying rant is now over. Hope you enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review. Good or bad, I want to hear what you have to say!
The blanket of darkness that had engulfed the city allowed the hospital to become its own little world disconnected from life outside. Barely anybody inside was aware that it was night. The staff rushed about on there endless missions of curing, cleaning and caring. The patients sat and stared at walls or TVs and allowed time to wash over them as they waited to be freed, while those that cared for them concentrated solely on their healing. For the family and friends of a patient time was not marked by the transition from day to night and back once more to day, it was tracked by their loved one's gradual healing or deterioration. These people were as devoted to the patient's healing process as the doctors assigned to the case, perhaps even more.
This was what bothered House. The family of patients always have their own suggestion as to what is wrong with their loved one. Said suggestion is usually ridiculously incorrect, but at least they try. At least they care. He'd always believed that if he ever witnessed a doctor treat a member of their own family they would go into medical overdrive, fighting furiously to save this person's life. Now, at last, he had the opportunity to watch such a case and he realised that his hypothesis was wrong. He was midway through the forth differential diagnosis of the day, seventh overall on this particular case, and still Dr Cameron would only make a suggestion if he forced her to do so. He understood that she was shocked, and her husband probably wasn't her favourite person on Earth right now considering he had faked his own death, but surely some part of her wanted to save him. She's longed to be reunited with him for years and, even in such unusual circumstances, he was certain that she'd someday want to get to know him again.
House allowed this internal discussion to take place as he pretended to watch Chase and Foreman argue over which step would be the best one to take next. One doctor believed they should do a second load of blood tests as there was any number of reasons why they could have received a false result. The other thought they should try using an x-ray to find infiltrates which would diagnose an infection. House disagreed with both of them. If the patient had an infection it could take a long time to find out which one, time they don't have. They'd already done an MRI, which should produce much clearer results than an x-ray, and had only found cloudiness around the lungs. They had no concrete evidence of what could be wrong. Even the urine tests had come back negative. Unless someone could come up with a disease rather than a diagnostic procedure the patient was in real danger.
"Dr Cameron," House cut across the argument, "what do you suggest?" Both Foreman and Chase looked annoyed at having their ideas completely ignored, but quietened down to hear what other possibilities they were missing.
Cameron considered the evidence for a moment before making her suggestion. She recognised that as the patient's condition worsened time was getting shorter. Now would be a good time to suggest something logical that would lead them down a path they hadn't already travelled. She looked across at the whiteboard. The symptoms were written down it in order that they had first shown in House's familiar black scrawl. "What about pneumonia?" she asked cautiously, unsure whether she was right.
House thought through this a moment. "It would explain the pain, the difficulty in breathing, even the fever."
"But surely it would have shown up on the urine or blood tests?" Chase was sceptical.
House acknowledged that this was true. "Perhaps it's playing hide and seek. We've gotta go deeper. Chase, your suggestion was worst, MRIs are better than x-rays at a diagnosis unless you've broken your leg. You can go and make sure the thoracentesis kit is available for tomorrow morning. The rest of you, go home. I want you back here early tomorrow."
"Thoracentesis can be extremely danger-" Foreman's protest was cut short.
"If you want to help this patient, go home. Enjoy it. Go read the lazy man's guide to patient care." With that he stormed out of the room and was soon followed by the three younger doctors who each headed in their separate directions.