A/N: Again, I know it's short. I just couldn't bring myself to do extensive research on a case when I know this fic is going to be done in one more chapter.

Disclaimer: If you wanted to sue me, you could have all the money I make from writing these fics. $0.

Chapter 8

Thirteen

"It's not TSS," Emery announced as he, Mitchell, Duncan and Watson entered House's office. House frowned and walked into the conference room, where the last of the potential fellows waited.

"Fever, headache, dizziness, fatigue, depression," House read off the board. "Sore throat, muscle aches, abdominal pain, rash …"

"And an enlarged spleen," Mitchell said.

"She's negative for staph aureus and she's got proteinuria," Duncan added. He handed House the lab results. House glanced at them and then took a marker and crossed TSS off the board.

"Not so elementary, is it Dr. Watson?" House asked. Watson rolled his eyes and wondered if he would have to hear that comment during every DDX.

House turned back to face the group of doctors. He could practically see the diagnosis on the tips on their tongues. There was only one spot remaining open, however, and it seemed as though nobody wanted to forfeit their chances by breaking one of the rules. House was disappointed.

"Enlarged spleen, unexplained fever, rash, joint aches and proteinuria all suggest autoimmune," 13 said slowly.

"Autoimmune you say?" House prompted. He could see a sort of predatory glint in a few of the prospective fellow's eyes. He knew exactly what they were thinking, and found it amusing that they could be so wrong.

"Yes. I think we should stop looking for an infection and start examining other possibilities," 13 said cautiously. She knew what the next logical diagnosis was, but she hadn't quite worked out how to suggest it without being fired.

"Other possibilities such as?" House prompted again. He'd been waiting for one of them to do exactly what 13 was about to do … if she'd just do it already.

13 glanced down at her feet. She knew he was waiting for her to say it. Did he want to fire her or was he looking for something else? There had to be a way around this, a way to diagnose the patient and not break one of the rules.

Tired of waiting, House ordered them all out of the conference room so he could think. He limped into his office and pulled out his PSP. They were to report back to him at 3pm. Plenty of time to do what needed to be done. Would any of them pass this final test?

At 3pm House shut off his PSP and tossed it carelessly on the desk. He grabbed his cane and limped into the conference room. Watson, Emery, Duncan and Mitchell were seated at the table; the rest of the fellows were standing in various corners of the conference room, with one notable absence.

"Its lupus," 13 announced as she burst into the conference room, file in hand.

"Lupus," House said flatly. Of course it was lupus, and he couldn't have ended up with a better test for the last few fellows if he'd planted a lupus patient in their care.

"Lupus," 13 confirmed.

"Lupus," House said one more time. "I think I addressed this already."

"Right, rule 5 – it's never lupus," 13 said. Then she smirked. "I learned that one. But I also learned rule 7 – You teach, I learn. So I learned rule 8 – you don't follow the rules."

13 thrust her lab results into House's hands. A groan escaped from two or three of the remaining potential fellows. Without even waiting for House to respond, 8 and 33 unpinned their numbers, dropped them on the conference table and left.

"Well played," House said to 13. "Dr. Whatever Her Name Is is staying. The rest of you are dismissed."

"Craig," 13 supplied.

"Sure," House replied as he took the number she'd unpinned from her lab coat. "Can you make a decent cup of coffee?"

Gotta love the rules