Chapter 12: Verdict

A/N: (In which we find out the punishment of Racknell's catfight.)

Waiting outside the board room was getting irritating for all. The ducklings that weren't on trial were sitting on a group of four chairs, murmuring worriedly. No matter how much counselling Racknell had received from Stacy's replacement, the cards were stacked against her. Big time.

House didn't intend on congregating with his ducks, so Wilson had come over to sit, and be silent. Twirling his cane between his left hand's fingers, he asked a question from the blue,

"Give me three words that describe how Chase looks physically now."

"Is that a demand or burning question?"

"I haven't said 'please' since I was four. You do the math."

From a distance, Wilson picked up a few things: Chase had given up on belts, was wearing clothes that were slightly looser, and "delicate" wasn't going to be a great descriptive word.

"Big?"

"My 10th grade teacher gave me a C- for that response. Think more adjectival."

"Is that a word?"

"'Phat' certainly isn't."

Wilson sighed, "Gravid, vibrant, fertile. Oh, fact-wise, 29 weeks."

"Not as insulting as what I was thinking, but I guess. The whole Earth Mother crap doesn't suit him though."

"And neither does Yummy Mummy."

"Really? I think that suits my bitch perfectly. Ass before ankle biters."

"Uh huh."

"Dar dump."

"What are you on now?"

"I'm warning you, dar dump."

"House…"

"Dar dump dar dump dar dump…" House continued, pointing in the direction of a fastly approaching Cuddy.

In a few seconds, she was standing over them, but looked more alarmed than angry. "How long has Elaine been in there?"

"Twenty minutes. Give me three words that describe how Chase looks physically now."

Cuddy raised her eyebrow for a second, and then took a moment to think about it. "At seven months? Flesh, curves…"

"Little person inside him?"

"He looks fine, if not uncomfortable in his own skin."

"Yeah. Whatever; must be a chick thing she's talking about."

"Dr. House, you presence is needed at Dr. Racknell's verdict." A member of the board had peeked outside the door of their cage of fear, looking for the doctor on trials superior.

"Coming; just let me take my time, bum leg and all."

The member just nodded his head and went back inside the cage.

"So, what'll the punishment be for causing a catfight?" House pondered to himself before finding the chair next to Racknell and plonking down in it.

"Dr. Elaine Racknell: You're on delayed trial today due to starting a riot in the nurse's lounge between yourself and Nurse Tai Ogden after striking Nurse Martine Salam across the face…"

"You bitch-punched a nurse because she was calling Cameron fussy, Idnax Irish,

Chase fat and you a Guinea Pig…"

"Your actions caused Ms. Salam to break her nose…"

"Derange it; noses are made of cartilage…"

"And causing Miss Ogden to sprain her ankle."

"Keep in mind she was sticking up for her family-like colleagues, and 'Miss Ogden' (the slut) couldn't seem to make up her mind on which ankle was sprained."

"You also cursed and gave crude hand signs to Nurses Ogden and Salam when Drs. Cameron and Idnax tried to restrain you, and stamp on Dr. Lisa Cuddy's foot when she spoke to you not half an hour after the incident occurred."

"You have the brain capacity to do THAT!"

"As punishment, you are suspended for four days, on probation for a month, and will be seen to a counsellor to prevent this sort of thing from happening again."

"Oh, really? I thought you could have spanked her a little. Unlike some of my lackeys, she doesn't like it." House piped up after his mental audio commentary.

"Dr. House, you are to ensure that any other member of your staff is accompanying Dr. Racknell in the hallways, and while treating her patients."

"Right-o, Kirk."

"This hearing is adjourned." The solemn board member said. The nurses who had blown the whistle did not look impressed at what she received. A longer suspension, a firing, anything longer would have made it seem more to them in their facial expression.

"'C'mon, whitey. We've got a lounge to daydream in."

"Coming, snarky." Racknell said, smoothing her skirt down again and standing up to go outside.

"You know, you could have bagged them out a lot more. They scratched you; I can still see three of four scars. It was your shoe they broke, it was your inflamed ankle-"

"A suspension I can deal with. Firing, no. Bagging them out would have made it worse, and make me look like them."

"Yeah, and the hookers have me on the top of their little black books." House said, watching the other four of his employees walk over to question them. Chase, as usual now, was slowest.

"How bad off are you?" Foreman asked.

"I'll be back on Tuesday, someone's going to be over my shoulder for four weeks, and I have to talk to some know-it-all if I ever want to punch somebody again."

"Right."

"Personally, I don't think that's too bad."

"No, I guess it could have been a lot worse for you."

"Yeah," Chase agreed, "I guess things could be."

A/N: Yeah, not very interesting an end. I know, can ya blame me? I just thought that I needed to have some sort of fate for Racknell after the cat fight, and this is the chapter I've done it in. I can't post for a while, as I'm going camping on the weekend, and, yeah. Chapter 14, Lethargy, will come sooner or later!