Disclaimer: I do not own House MD. I make no profit from this.
Notes: This chapter is a bit longer then the prologue. I'm surprised to have made it even this far on chapters. Again, concrit is appreciated and any tips to better my writing will be highly considered.

Chapter 2 – Just Can't Resist You

"I have a case for you House." Cuddy said.

She strolled over from the front desk of the corridor of Princteon-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. House moved the strap of his blue backpack further up his shoulder as he paused several feet away from her.

"I barely make two steps into the hospital and you're already harping on me to do my job?" House asked.

Cuddy ignored the question as she held out the manila folder. House snatched it with his left hand and eyed her for only a second, before she began to speak again.

"Marcus Sornet. 35 year old male who was admitted early this morning, complaining of bad chest pains, shortness of breath and nausea. Within 30 minutes, he had a massive heart attack. His previous medical records state he's had one smaller heart attack a year ago and a larger one a month after it which he had coronary artery bypass surgery for. He's in a critical, but stable condition right now."

House, exuberantly, rolled his eyes and let a puff of air escape through his pierced lips, "Severe coronary artery disease. He'll be in need of a heart transplant. Bor-ing!"

Cuddy worried her bottom lip. She needed him on this case, no matter how diagnostically boring it might be. She sighed and rubbed a finger over her temple. She would have to resort to some old trickery here.

"Please House," Cuddy pleaded, "He's an old friend from college and I promised him the best care while here."

"Oh-ho-ho!" House waggled a finger at her and sneered, "Someone's taken hints from Wilson. I'm not falling for that line."

"Then do it because I'm your boss and I'm telling you to."

"What are you going to do? Fire me?" House bite down on his knuckles and gave a fake, scared look. Then, as if struck by divine inspiration, removed his hand from his mouth. "Oh wait! I have tenure. You can't. I think we've had this conversation before."

Cuddy looked up with an exasperated look and slapped her arms down to her sides. She didn't know what other tactic to possibly use to get him to take this case.

House was about to toss the folder back to her, but not before eying it thoughtfully. His gaze lifted back up to Cuddy and searched over her face. She was awful persistent for him to take this case that even she seemed to know was simple and diagnostically boring.

He smirked and began walking towards the elevator, folder still in hand. Cuddy watched after him for a second before stepping up to his retreating form.

"You're taking the case?" she asked. Hopefulness was lined in her voice.

"Yup," he threw over his shoulder.

"You found something interesting enough with it to grab your attention?"

"Nope. I find your persistence in my taking the case interesting."

Smirking, he pressed the up button on the elevator with the rubber-tipped end of his cane and waited for the elevator to open for him. Cuddy, merely shook her head, a slight smile gracing her features. She started to head back for own office as the doors of the elevator opened.

House, smirk still plastered on his face, began to move forward through the doors as a young male intern came out. The man eyed House's smirk for a second, before winking and heading out the elevator.

House cocked his head slightly at the gesture, but merely shook it off as he hobbled into the closing doors of the elevator and hit the button for his floor.

-

"New case my pretties," House said.

He tossed the case file onto the table, Cameron quickly pulling her coffee mug out of it's path. Chase lifted his gaze from the crossword he had been working on, quickly closing the book and placing it on the table, his attention belonging souly to the man who'd just entered diagnostics. Foreman stood by the counter, sipping at his coffee and peering over the edge of it at House.

"Perform the usual blood tests and a CT scan." House said, "If nothing conclusive shows, put him in for a coronary angiogram."

"Wait, no differential diagnosis?" Cameron questioned as she began to open the file.

"We don't need a differential if he knows what the patient has." Chase smiled softly up at House. "It's obvious that House knows what the patient has."

House made his way over to the coffee maker, pulling his red mug out of the shelf and filling it. He rummaged around the small tray for a packet of sugar.

"Course I know," House ripped the top of the packet of sugar off with his teeth and poured it in. "It's basically written out in the case file."

Cameron skimmed quickly over the list of symptoms on the paper in the manila folder, "Coronary Artery Disease. He had a heart attack 30 minutes after being admitted to the hospital this morning. And over a year ago he had two other heart attacks that required him to have bypass surgery."

"Yup. Easy. We should probably get him on a donor list soon then."

"Why did you take such an easy case House?" Foreman questioned.

"Because every once in awhile I feel the need to do something good for someone who doesn't deserve it." House said as he downed the last few swallows of his coffee. "At least someone who doesn't deserve it coming from me."

Foreman gave an almost soft smile and placed an arm on House's shoulder. House shoulders tightened slightly at the unexpected gesture and before he got a chance to shrug himself away from the evasion of his personal space, he had lifted his hand off his shoulder and began heading towards the doors of the lounge.

"That's very kind of you House. I'll get to work on those tests." Foreman smiled over his shoulder. He pushed open the door and then looked back at the slightly stricken Cameron and almost fuming Chase. "You guys coming? I'm not doing these tests all by myself."

Cameron and Chase quickly gathered themselves and rushed out the door after Foreman. During this, House had merely stared at the odd spectacle that had been performed in front of his eyes. He was reminded of one of those weird circus side-shows. The ones where the sad looking clown did some odd, simple gesture and walked quietly off stage afterwards, as if he had expected that his show would not receive an applause.