Chapter 2

Having had no patient come in over the weekend, managing to avoid Cuddy and the clinic all day yesterday, he wasn't surprised when he got caught out this morning. He was now mandated to do his allotted clinic hours. He had 6 to do this week, she had given him 2 extra for slacking off yesterday.

He had so far managed to jam up exam room 1 for an hour while he watched General Hospital, taken a D cell battery out of an orifice and on top of that it was allergy season. If he didn't find a way to get out of here soon he would go insane, but he still at about 2hrs to do.

As he took the next patient file he really hoped it wasn't some snotty nosed kid that would sneeze all over him. He was surprised to see the name Jonah Schwartz again. He looked around the waiting area and sure enough they were back. He caught their eye and motioned his head for them to follow. They followed him into the exam room and Jonah took a seat on the table.

"What's up now?" Asked House impatiently, but slightly glad not to be getting snotted on.

"He's no better" Ella began to say

"Can he not talk for himself" House questioned abruptly. Jonah looked at the floor "I don't feel well" was all he said more to the floor than House.

"Right! I think I need a little bit more to go on" He said sarcastically but realising this behaviour was different to last week.

"It's hard to explain. My joints hurt, I ache – I don't feel right!" He said just about looking at House

"Look Doc, he's been like this for about 2 months now. I tried to get him to go see a doctor before we left Penn but he didn't. He's not right, he's not himself" She said straight to him with genuine concern "and the meds you gave him didn't work"

House looked from one to the other and read his file through, not that there was much in it yet. Closing the near empty file "Ok, I'm going to admit you so that we can run some tests" He said not really thinking he had a case but at least it would get him out of clinic duty and into his own office. "I'll send one of my lackeys down to see you, wait here"

As he made his way out of the clinic, Cuddy stepped into his pathway "What are you doing, you still have at least another hour down here" she scowled at him.

"Have a patient" He said side stepping her and holding up the file.

"Wait!" She said taking it from him. She thumbed through the file "This is not a case, it's an excuse!" She concluded snapping the file shut.

"Inexplicable headaches and joint pain, that's enough for me" He replied as he snatched the file out of her hand and walked past her.

Without turning to him she called "That had better be a real case of I'll double your clinic hours"

He took a very slight pause, quirked a small grin and carried on to his office.

He came bouncing into the outer office "Right people DDX time" throwing the file on to the table and walking in the direction of his own office.

Taub was the 1st one to poke his head through the door to a now sleeping House. "There is no mystery here" He stated

"Sure there is he has headaches and joint pain that haven't gone away with treatment. Now go retrieve our patient from the clinic" He said without even opening his eyes.

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Jonah was settled in a room with Ella waiting at his side. Taub came back in with 13 to talk to them.

"So, we need to draw some blood and for you to do a urine sample" Taub said giving him the sample pot.

"So what do you want first blood or pee" Questioned Ella

"Pee first then blood" Answered 13

Jonah and Ella looked between each other. Jonah took the sample pot from Taub and went to the bathroom. Within minutes he was back handing the sample to Taub.

"We also need to take your history" Taub said to Jonah while 13 was piercing his veins taking vials of blood.

"Ok" Jonah answered quietly, he was beginning to feel a little dizzy.

"Any history of Arthritis in your family" Questioned Taub already showing signs of boredom

"Not that I know of " Replied Jonah closing his eyes.

"Hey, hey, not done yet" 13 rustled him slightly

He opened his eyes "Hey, I feel really dizzy and light headed"

"It's just the blood draw" insisted 13

"Right"

"Take any medication, legal or otherwise" continued Taub

"Nope"

"Had any recent travel" When no answer came Taub looked up to see Jonah had passed out.

"Great" He sighed. "When was the last time he ate" He fired at Ella

"I don't know, I met him at 10am and I haven't seen him eat" She answered

"Ok, let's get him on saline and hang a banana bag" Taub ordered to 13

"Already on it"

They set him up and said they would be back when the blood results came in. As they walked back into the outer office House was making a cup of coffee and the symptoms were now on the board.

"So, what's up with my patient?"

"Nothing a good meal wont cure" Chipped in Taub

House raised his eyebrows "Don't tell me he passed out while you were taking blood?"

Both 13 and Taub gave him a doah stare.

"Wus! When will the test results be back?" he questioned to the minions.

"In about 2hrs we didn't rush them through" Said 13

House looked at his watch. It was almost time to go home. "Go home. The kid can stay in tonight. They'll call if anything odd shows up"

Taub, 13, Kutner and Foreman all looked between each other, they didn't need telling twice. It was a rare opportunity and they didn't want to miss it. House on the other hand just wanted some peace and quiet. As the minions left the office Wilson was heading into the office. He looked at them curiously as they passed.

"You ready to go. Thought we might get a bite to eat" He suggested.

"Um, no, I'm good. Gotta wait for some test results to come in" As much as he would like to get some dinner with Wilson things were just starting to feel good again between them since the funeral road trip and he didn't want to push it.

"You sure?" Questioned Wilson a little too readily accepting

"Yep" retorted House knowing that he had made the right call. There was no way Wilson would normally be so accepting of his answer. He was being polite.

"Ok, see you tomorrow" Leaving House to his own thoughts.

House left his office with his bag and keys and headed off to see Jonah. Toxicology had come in and surprise surprise there was a trace of weed. As he ambled down the hallway he could hear the sweet sound of a guitar being stroked. He slowed his pace, not only was it being played very well but the axe itself sounded sublime. The music stopped so he carried on into the room just as it started again.

Ella looked up, saw him standing there and stopped playing "What's up Doc?"

He quirked a hidden smile "You are going to have to stay in tonight the rest of the test results won't be back until tomorrow" He said directly to Jonah, picking up his chart to make sure everything else was in place.

Jonah looked at Ella and then back to House "Um, ok then" He said quietly

"I've given instructions for the nurses to give you extra pain relief if you need it, just press the call button." House proceeded to press the call button. Jonah just looked at him and nodded.

"Oh and next time don't bother to lie about your drug habit, we find everything out" He said raising his eyebrows. Just as the nurse came in looking for the problem. "Just showing him how it works" He said giving an exaggerated smile. The nurse promptly hmmphhed and walked out of the room.

"What, what…did it show" Stuttered Jonah with anxiety, his Mom and Dad would kill him.

"Oh relax! Just some pot and that didn't do this to you" House looked across to Ella who was suddenly quietly looking at the floor.

House rolled his eyes and left the room. He went straight to the elevator bank to make his way down to the underground garage. He could get an early night. But then the thought of going home wasn't so great either. Maybe he should've gone out with Wilson. He made his way slowly to his car, to the awaiting nothingness. He sat in his car for a couple of minutes, he had to stop this. He was used to living on his own, he liked living alone, he was better off alone. He shook his head rubbed his aching thigh, put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.

As he came up to the ground level, he saw the girl amble her way to the bus stop. He watched her gait and her slow movements to put the guitar case down, adjust her bag and sit down awkwardly on the bench to wait for the bus. As he done a few times now he wondered what was wrong with her, but he hadn't seen any tell-tale signs of any illness as yet but he thought MS was most likely. He pulled round slowly in front of the bus stop and rolled down his window "Hey" He called. The girl looked up, but wasn't sure who it was, upon realising who it was she nodded at him. "You want a ride home?" he shouted.

She got up hesitantly off of the bench, picked up the guitar case and carefully headed towards the car. "Thanks" She said nervously, she guessed it would be ok to get a lift, he wasn't a complete stranger and they lived in the same building.

Maybe he could interrogate her about her illness he thought as she got in. But upon seeing how nervous she was of him, he changed his mind, put a blues station on the radio and calmly drove home, the interrogation could wait until another day.