Disclaimer: I do not own House MD. I make no profit from this.

Notes: Oh wow, I'm really getting along on these chapters! At this point House starts experimenting with the necklace. This is also where my own interpretation of the extent of the necklace's powers start. There's nothing very concrete about how exactly the necklace worked in Norse Mythology, so much of it is my own take on things.

Chapter 5 – Taking Advantage of the Situation

House's face was plastered with a sinister grin as he entered the busy clinic. If Cuddy had been there to see the look he eyed the waiting patients with, she would have known something was up with him being there for clinic so early on a Friday morning.

He strolled up to the counter and grabbed a patient file from the basket, making sure it was a male patient, and hollered the name into the crowd. "Micheal Stone! Exam Room 1!"

A tall man in his late twenties staggered up from one of the waiting room benches and followed House into the exam room. House let the flushed-face man in first and tightly closed the door behind him as he motioned for the patient to hop up onto the exam table.

"Hello, I'm Dr. House. What seems to be your problem today Micheal?" House said as he took a seat on the black cushioned stool in front of the table.

"My throat feels swollen." Micheal said in an audibly scratchy voice. He rubbed at his throat as he spoke. "It's been this way since Tuesday."

"Hmm, that's no good." House said with fake sympathy. He stood up and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Has there been any other symptoms you're feeling. Fever, stuffy nose, watery eyes or a headache?"

Micheal skin turned, if even at all possible, more flushed and he quickly nodded and babbled. "All of those."

House patted his shoulder and smiled softly. "You just have some hay fever. It should ride itself out shortly, so no need to put you on any medication."

The patient sniffled and rubbed at a watery eye before speaking. "No medication? Really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

Micheal scrunched up his shoulders and in a shy voice said, "Oh, I-i-i don't think you'd lie, Dr. House." He scratched at a spot at his cheek. "Um, I just thought I could get some medicine to... Make the symptoms lessstrong..."

House put on his best emmy-winning smile and said, "Believe me. Seeing me is the best medicine you could ever have." With another pat on the shoulder, he sent the enamored patient out of the exam room and called for his next victim.

-

After an hour and a half of seeing how well he could talk his way out of handing out pills to sniffling men and avoiding prostate exams, House had enough with the clinic scene and headed back to the front desk to record his hours and check out. At the desk was a handsome looking male nurse and House inwardly grinned as he turned towards the nurse.

"Hi there." House said. He let a smirk grace his lips as he spoke again. "I think I've seen you around before."

The male nurse turned to House and gave him a large smile. "You probably saw me attending to one of your patients once." His eyes seemed to glaze over with pleasure. "I'm happy you remember seeing me."

"Why wouldn't I remember you?" House leered. "With a face as handsome as yours, no one could ever forget you."

The nurse blushed and was about to thank House for the compliment when Cuddy came up to House and gave him a reproachful look. Cuddy had eyed House moments before as he came out of the exam room and already had a feeling he was up to something, what with being in the clinic this early on Friday. When she caught him chatting idly with a nurse, her head spun and she quickly left her office to see what he was up to.

House shot the nurse an almost apologetic look, as the man left to continue his duties. He then turned back to Cuddy and stared at her as if to say 'How dare you interrupt my conversation'.

"Was that nurse just smiling, laughing and seeming to have a fairly nice and civil conversation with you" Cuddy asked.

"I believe it's called 'flirting' Dr. Cuddy." House sneered.

"Flirting?" Cuddy looked taken aback and at the least skeptical. "A male nurse was 'flirting' with you?"

"What? You don't believe that young, handsome men can be attracted to older, wiser men? That's very sexist of you Cuddy."

"That nurse is engaged."

"Oh dear! I had no idea!" House cried, looking absolutely stunned by the news. "He seemed so nice. I honestly thought he just wanted to be my friend, not get into my pants. I'll make sure to tell him next time that I won't help him cheat on his boyfriend."

"He's engaged with a woman, House."

House audibly gasped at this. "Well, I can't help it if no man or God can resist my charms!"

House threw Cuddy a flagitious smirk as he finished signing off on his hours and headed up to diagnostics.