"How long were you at your last job?"

"Three years."

"Why did you leave?"

"My boss hired his nephew. Favorited him. I wasn't the only one who walked. Equality's a requirement, at least it should be; I want to matter."

Cameron leaned over and extended a hand. "Thanks for coming in, Stephanie. I'll give you a call."

Her eyes followed Stephanie out the door, then she turned her attention to Park, sitting all by herself in the larger adjacent office. Cameron stood up and moved into the neighboring room. "What do you think?"

"That you probably don't want to take this case."

Cameron spoke while taking the file. "It's my job. I need to start doing it; and I think all the years I worked under the best doctor in New Jersey could have—" But as she examined the patient's information, she stopped speaking. Huffing a sigh, her eyes resolutely met Park's. "Start with getting a complete history from Brad. From now on we're going to work our way up to tests." She tossed the file onto the table and moved towards the door.

"Really?"

"It's a brave new world."

Wondering how brave she was, Cameron left the office and walked down the hall. She heard Park following before she saw her, falling into step to her right side. "If you'd rather not take the case, I'm sure Cuddy wouldn't—"

"I know Cuddy wouldn't. But I'd rather not watch this and every other patient die just because I'm not as good as House."

Park scuttled towards the patient's room and Cameron pushed the elevator button. The doors whooshed open and she found herself looking at Chase. She stepped into the elevator.

"'Sup?" he asked, as she pushed the button.

"A lot."

"More than you can handle?" he asked. "Bummer."

"Don't act like I fired you."

"I'm not! I'm acting like you—" He made a face. "Fired everyone else. It's funny."

"Huh. I'm so glad my life falling apart is so amusing to you."

"You didn't need to fire anyone."

"So your sound advice is that I hang onto manipulative doctors just so I won't be alone?"

"You hung around a manipulative doctor; I fail to see a distinction."

"We're all going to end up alone, Chase. If that's something you can laugh about, you probably shouldn't be a doctor."

"My sound advice is that life is going to fall apart. There's no need to take a hacksaw to it." The doors whooshed open and they exited into the lobby. "Just sit back, grab some friends and some popcorn, and enjoy the show."

Cameron turned to look at him. "House broke you," she said, and left him standing there.

Walking into the locker room, she stopped in the doorway at the sight of Taub, putting on his doctor's coat. "I think you're working in reverse."

"I assure you, I'm functioning normally. I'm just not working for you."

"Good."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, looking at her.

"Of course. I can't work with people who deceive patients for fun."

"Which is why you're going to do some belt-tightening and start doing things by the book." He closed his locker and added, "There's no guarantee my new boss hasn't become corrupt."

"You're saying you might need saving?"

"I'm saying, the only thing for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing."

"You weren't going to do nothing; you were going to be a part of it. You can either save yourself or you can't."

Taub walked past her.