Foreman saw Chase alone in the office. He knew what he was going to mention was hard for any doctor to deal with, especially the first case.

"We need to talk about your patient," said a rather subdued Foreman.

Chase looked at him with careful attention. He could tell it was something important. "Sure, go ahead."

"I had a chance to talk with Estelle and knew something wasn't quite right," Foreman continued. "Then I read the notes of the psych consult."

"Yeah, I saw those too. They didn't look promising." Chase acknowledged.

"She has dementia. The MRI shows that the areas of her brain that control memory, problem solving, and decision-making is degrading. It will not get better, and if anything it will get worse. The results of the psychological exams also support the diagnosis. She couldn't remember your name when I talked to her."

"Any chance that it is Alzheimer's?" asked a rather concerned Chase.

"It is too early to tell," replied Foreman. "It would take a long time of monitoring and memory testing to know for sure. If aphasia, disorientation, and disinhibition start happening then she should be tested, but in the meantime I have no reason to suspect it."

Chase silently listened, knowing where Foreman was going with this.

Foreman continued. "Put that with the psych consult and your home visit, it is clear that she cannot properly care for herself. She has too many physical problems that require special attention."

"I need to declare her incompetent," replied Chase.

Foreman nodded. "Is her son the appointed guardian in her living will?"

"Yes," replied Chase. "Getting him to cooperate though won't be easy."

"I can help you talk with him. There is a process he will need to follow, but he shouldn't have any trouble getting her the care she needs. Once he realizes that, he might be more willing to cooperate."

"You had to do this with your mother, right?" Chase asked.

Foreman nodded. "Although I was helping my dad. It is a little harder to do it alone."

Chase sadly nodded. "I'll also have to tell Estelle. I don't trust her son to deliver the news tactfully." Chase halted briefly to think about what he would say to Estelle. It was a lot easier for him to tell someone they were going to die than they had to spend the rest of their life in a home. That was a slow, painful death sentence to many.

"Just let me know when you are ready to talk to her son," said Foreman.

"Thanks," Chase said earnestly. "I appreciate the help."

-----------

House stood on the balcony outside Wilson's office. He was hoping Wilson would see him there and come out to talk. When Wilson noticed but chose to ignore him anyway, House impatiently walked over and opened the glass door.

"Hello, friend out here calmly waiting for you to notice."

"Oh, you are talking to me now," replied Wilson. "Of course you are, you have that look that you need to bend my ear or you will explode. Apology accepted I guess." Wilson then got up and joined House out on the balcony.

"So what is so important this time? Did you kill someone?" said Wilson. Then the light-bulb-flash moment hit him when he took another glance at House. "No, you have a problem with one of your subordinates."

"I yelled at Cameron," House said rather ashamed at himself.

"Did you make her cry?" asked Wilson

"No."

"Then things are okay. She'll go around pouting for a little while and then she'll be back to falling all over you in no time."

"I told her it was time to make other plans," House said with minor remorse. "I really smacked her down this time."

"Oh, come on. You have given her more than enough chances. You are just having feelings of guilt because she is a beautiful woman and she has your number."

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked House. "She doesn't have control over me. If anything, it is the other way around. She would jump off a cliff if I told her too. Of course she would bitch about it before hand, but she would do it."

"It isn't about control," explained Wilson. "You let that pretty face prevent you from dishing out the necessary amount of abuse she needed to get over her many hang ups. If I recall, your over abuse of Chase didn't get the desired reaction either and he seems to be turning out just fine. So why are you so worried about Cameron? She'll find her own way when pushed."

"That's the problem," replied House, "I don't think she will. She has responded to the latest changes by whipping out her closet of deep fear and insecurity. I find that troubling."

"She has always been that way. What made you think she would change now? Oh, I see why, because Cuddy is forcing you to make decisions regarding their futures. They are no longer around for your amusement. You actually believed when this time came she would rise up."

"I thought all of them would rise up," House confessed.

"Why, because you are such a great mentor?" Wilson said mockingly. "You can't make people get a clue. Cameron really has come a long way if you think about it. You did harden her a lot. Too bad she never got over the hero worship."

"I was too soft on her because she is a beautiful woman. I figured that was all she needed to get by. It turned out I was really wrong. Now she has too far to go in such a short time."

"All doctors are deeply insecure." Wilson observed. "We should be. We are playing with the knowledge that one wrong move and the essence of a life is gone. What makes Cameron different is that she wears her insecurities and heart on her sleeve. She must figure out for herself that continuing to do so in this profession will consume her. There's nothing you can do to fix that."

"In other words, once she grows some balls, she'll be fine."

Wilson laughed. House always had a gift of breaking down his sensitive view of things into more real world terms. "Yes, that is one way of putting it."

"I wonder if I should talk to her again. I was pretty harsh." House was still feeling a little guilty.

"No, what you did was great," answered Wilson. "She needed a kick in the ass from you. Maybe she'll finally get over all those feelings of admiration. In the meantime, Chase will nurse those hurt feelings."

House looked at Wilson rather surprised by his conclusion. "No way she'll go to him this time. He is a big cause of her angst right now."

"Come on, you are in complete denial if you think that. She is now distraught and will go running to a source of comfort. Chase has always been her outlet. One look at her waifish pout and he will melt into playing the 'good guy friend there to help' role that he is so good at. While she is whining about how unfair her life is, he will sit there listening while looking at her with an adoring gaze. You know that look, the same gaze you give her most of the time."

House flashed Wilson an intense look of disapproval over his comment.

Wilson got a huge devilish smile. "It was a joke! Why House, do I sense some jealously of your junior attending over the fair maiden? I wouldn't go down that path if I were you. He is already one step ahead of you. You got a date, he got to sleep with her."

"Are you going anywhere with this?" asked House still bothered. "He can comfort her all he wants. It isn't going to help her grow up like she should."

"Just let it go," Wilson advised. "It will all work itself out. If Cameron can't get over her hang ups, she'll move on like she should. I have a feeling though that Chase will convince her to try. Strangely, he likes having her around even though he knows he'll never get to touch her again."

"Oh, they'll do it again," said House.

"You know this for sure," Wilson said skeptically. "Ah yes, that is because of your profound and wise understanding of the human infatuation with sex."

"Those two are so weak," explained House. "All it will take is one moment of strife and they will remember how great it was and how it won't hurt to have a little tension release one more time."

"How do you know it was great?" Wilson asked curiously.

"It is so obvious. Afterward they didn't have looks of shame or embarrassment. They flashed each other subtle smiles before deciding that trying again would be a very bad idea."

"So you will be okay with such behavior continuing with your professional staff?"

"It's only sex. It doesn't mean anything." House replied.

Wilson started chuckling. "You should really write a book on your management techniques. I could see them being adopted by every boardroom in the country. Break their will, unfairly favor one over another, and encourage lots of casual sex among members of your team."

"It's more like dazzle them with your shock and awe when breaking their will while they are having sex." House said with a big smile and joking tone. "You are right, I can make millions on this."

Wilson laughed along with him. They both needed a humorous moment at this particular time.

"Thanks," said House. "She has four months. I guess we will see what happens."

----------------------------------------

"So what is wrong with my mother now?" Mr. Anderson asked when both Chase and Foreman were there to meet with him.

"This is Dr. Foreman," Chase replied. He is a neurologist that has examined your mother."

"Another doctor, that is great. So what new defect have you found?"

Foreman understood completely where the anger was coming from, but he also knew better than to put up with this guy's attitude. "I know you are bitter, but this is the only mother you have. Care to know what is going on?"

Mr. Anderson nodded. "Sorry, but you don't know what crap that woman has put me through. It's like caring for a small child."

Chase and Foreman looked at each other acknowledging that this wasn't going to be easy.

"Please, let's have a seat," Foreman said as he motioned to the available seating in the private waiting area.

"Mr. Anderson," Chase started, "We have been examining your mother thoroughly to make sure we clearly understand all her physical and mental problems and treat them properly. In identifying all the conditions, we found enough evidence to conclude she can no longer make sound decisions on her own. She is going to require constant medical attention that she cannot provide for herself."

Mr. Anderson looked at him kind of confused, not sure where Chase was going with all the information he was sharing.

"You are going to have to evoke power of attorney," continued Chase. "She needs to be admitted to an assisted living facility. We cannot permit her to go back to her home."

"Oh, no way," replied Mr. Anderson. "There is no way I'm taking over that mess. She will drag me down with her. She can't go home anyway. You had her place condemned."

"You are listed are her legal guardian in her living will," replied Chase. "There is no one else that can care for her."

"Too bad. Make the state care for her or something. I don't need to be taken down by her problems anymore than I already have."

Foreman jumped in. "Okay, now it is time for you to carefully listen to what we have to say. No more objecting until you know all the facts. No matter what entitlements you think you have in this world, one of our primary responsibilities as children and human beings is to care for our parents when they can no longer care for themselves."

"You don't know all the trouble I have had to go through with this woman. I have had to help her with harassment from bill collectors, file accident insurance claims, pick up prescriptions and pay for them because she had no money to get them not to mention listen to her ramble about nothing on the phone daily. I'm too young to have to care for a parent like this. My dad is fine."

"Sorry this is happening to you at a much earlier age than you thought it should, but see it as getting it out of the way while you are young," replied Foreman aggressively. "You have enough energy and time to do this now. Your mother needs you, and that is all there is to it. You don't have much of a choice here."

"Oh and I suppose both of you have had to care for your mothers by now." Mr. Anderson replied in a derisive tone.

"As a matter of fact yes, both of us have," replied Foreman. "That is why we are here to help. All you have to do now is take it."

Chase was very surprised to hear Foreman declare that both of them had been through this. It was a personal fact he didn't know Foreman was aware of. When Mr. Anderson looked at him, Chase's stare acknowledged that what Foreman said was true. Then the young man looked at Foreman to see he was being sincere as well.

"Okay," said Mr. Anderson reluctantly submitting. "I guess I knew this was going to happen eventually. What do I need to do?"

"We will have a social worker contact you that specializes in helping families find adequate facilities for loved ones that require specialized care," replied Foreman. "There are several options for Medicare only facilities out there since your mother doesn't have any financial means to support herself."

"My grandmother was in a good one a few years ago back in Pennsylvania. If I can get her in there, she will at least have family nearby."

"Okay, that is a great start," replied Foreman is a more passive voice. "Dr. Chase here will be filing the paperwork you will need to take over power of attorney and get her transferred. If you need anything else from either of us, don't hesitate to call."

"She won't be discharged for at least another week or two because she has to have surgery," said Chase. "Once she is able to be transferred, an ambulance will transport her to where she will get her care. We will make sure all her conditions have been treated and properly medicated before she is moved."

"So no more of 20 different medications from 20 different doctors?" asked Mr. Anderson.

"No, she will be under the care of one primary physician at the facility. They will control the meds she gets from now on." Chase replied.

"So all I need to do is get her into a home and someone else will care for her? I only have to file her taxes and stuff like that?"

"Yes that is all, although she might appreciate a visit once in a while," Foreman said adding his own personal insight to the conversation.

"Who is going to tell her? Mr. Anderson asked. "She won't take this well at all."

"I will," volunteered Chase.

"Okay, I think I can do this then." Mr. Anderson replied having calmed down by now. "Thanks, and I'm sorry I can be difficult at times. My mother drives me crazy most of the time."

Foreman smiled. "Someone will be in contact with you soon."

As Chase and Foreman walked away, Chase couldn't help but appreciate the use of hostility. "You see," said Chase, "there are times when arrogance comes in handy. Glad to see you can use it when needed."

"Someone had to do that to me believe it or not," Foreman replied. "It worked."