Cameron works in the ER, and Foremen works in neurology. They'll have a role in the story later :3
Thanks for the reviews! Just knowing someone's there is a really great motivator.
Chapter Two- Missing Piece
Two nurses crashed through the door while Cuddy had opened Evalyn's eyes to flash a penlight and check the response of her pupils. She froze before turning to the nurses. "She's jaundice. Her liver's failing. Get her to the ICU." Only when the gurney came did Cuddy notice the file Evalyn had been holding. She skimmed through it while Evalyn was taken to the ICU. Rash, chronic pain, and dizziness. That's what she had meant with House; she found a case. But why would someone she didn't remember employing look through clinic files? She slapped her forehead in her palm at her ignorance, and shouted at the nurses, who were already in the lobby and heading towards the ICU, to stop. She ran over, and quickly checked her over for a rash. First on her stomach, then the back of her neck, ending when she found the answer on the underside of her arm. Cuddy nodded to the nurses, indicating to continue. Cuddy wrote in Liver Failure into the chart, and made her way to the fourth floor.
When Cuddy walked into his office, the diagnostician was fast asleep in his chair, gameboy just below his hand on the ground. "House!" she shouted and he jolted awake.
"Can't a guy ditch clinic duty in peace around here?" he muttered, sitting up.
"I've got a case for you" she held the file enticingly in front of him. "Rash, chronic pain, and dizziness. That, and she just collapsed in my office with liver failure" she shirked, handing over the file.
He shifted his eyebrows closer together in thought. After a pause he pulled out his cell and flipped it open. "Here. Now," he barked, slapped it shut, and ripped the file out of Cuddy's hand, reading it over himself. When he looked back up, Cuddy's heels could already be heard down the hall. House limped over to the board, quickly scribbling down Evalyn's symptoms. His team, or rather parade, marched through the door. A few took seats around the glass table and the rest stood; all attention on the board as House turned around. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the circus" he said, gesturing to the board. When his team gave him a puzzled look, he continued with a smile. "We take physics, detort it, and amaze people." he clarified. They all smiled slightly; House seemed to be in a good mood. Kutner voiced this observation, and House replied with "I skipped clinic duty, and Cuddy didn't care." He said simply, as if he were telling a five year old how to wash their hands. "What causes liver failure, rash, and neurological symptoms?"
The team was silent for a moment. "Fine, let's get some of the puzzle pieces before were try to fit it together. Thirteen and Taub, figure out where she lives, and wherever else she is during the day, then search it. Chase and Kutner, run tests on any infection that cause liver failure. Go, do," he commanded, the parade marched out.
Taub and Thirteen made their way to the elevator. Thirteen stopped Taub from hitting the 2, explaining that, "We don't know who the patient is. Cuddy will," and pressed 1.
"Why didn't we have a differential? I know that it's easier to eliminate all possibilities first, but it just seemed...odd." Taub observed aloud and glanced over at Thirteen for her opinion. The doors opened on the first floor, and they made their way to Cuddy's office, dropping the topic for now.
"Cuddy?" Thirteen questioned, slipping through her boss's door.
Cuddy looked up, "Shouldn't you be working on the case?"
"That's what we're doing." Taub put in, a bit annoyed.
"We don't know who the patient is," Thirteen continued.
"Oh," Cuddy muttered and stood, shutting the file she had been looking through. "Follow me," she said, and walked out the office to the elevator. Taub and Thirteen obeyed, all three going into the elevator. They rode up on silence to the ICU a floor above. Cuddy walked through until she spotted Evalyn, whose eyes studied her. "Oh, you're awake." Cuddy noted with a smile. Evalyn nodded, returning the friendly gesture.
"I assume you're here to draw blood?" she asked, looking over at Taub and Thirteen. She was now in a hospital robe as opposed to the lab coat she had been in earlier.
"No, we're here to get a history." Thirteen replied, looking from Evalyn back to Cuddy. Cuddy gave a nod of approval, turning on her heel and leaving.
"Although cultures take awhile to develop. Wouldn't it be better to start those as soon as possible?" Taub asked Thirteen.
She thought it over, "I'll go get a syringe. House must be off his game today" she said with a sigh. Thankfully, neither of them noticed the grin that stretched across Evalyn's face. Taub nodded, and turned back to Evalyn just as she managed to whip away the smile.
"Okay, first we need an address. That way we know toxins you may have been exposed too." Taub explained, sitting in one if the visors chairs.
"No." Evalyn said abruptly. "I don't do drugs, and keep the house spotless. Whatever I have isn't from my house." she said firmly, gaze never wavering.
"Okay, than cleaners. Some can have negative effects" he suggested.
"No. Next question."
Taub hesitated, wanting to argue, but instead looked over as Thirteen as she walked in. She sat by Evalyn, who held her arm out without being asked. Thirteen wrapped the strip of cloth around Evalyn's upper arm as a tourniquet. "Slight pinch" Thirteen warned.
Taub continued with the questions, "Where do you go to school."
Evalyn paused before admitting "I don't." Thirteen pulled out the syringe filled with blood and untied the cloth. "You're a dropout?" Thirteen tried to clarify. Evalyn paused again.
"Yes."
Thirteen and Taub exchanged questioning glances. "What's your name?" Thirteen asked, placing the syringe and cloth on the table behind her. Evalyn hesitated again before answering, "Sarah."
"Last name?" Taub questioned. Evalyn shook her head. "I, ugh, don't have one."
"You're an orphan?" Thirteen questioned, trying to make sense of this. Must be why she didn't want us to check her home; she doesn't have one. Taub guessed.
Evalyn shook her head, and firmly stated "No."
"Then where do you live?" Taub cut in.
Evalyn sighed, "There's nothing there that would have caused this. My family's rather…nomadic. You'd have to search across the country. Just assume it isn't environmental. Shouldn't you check my head for tumors?" she asked, not knowing yet that she had liver damage.
"You have liver failure, which means it's most likely that you were exposed to something, and your liver was overwhelmed trying to filter it out. Brain tumor doesn't cause liver failure or rash." Taub explained.
"Liver failure was last and rash less than a day before then. Assume it's neurological, and the liver failure and rash were just a result of overdosing."
Thirteen looked over at Taub, both thinking the same thing; Did the patient just give us a differential whereas House failed to?
"It'd be easier to assume that you've overdosed on something if you'd tell us what you overdosed on." Taub pointed out and Thirteen nodded adding, "We aren't cops, if you've done drugs you can tell us."
At this, Evalyn gave a laugh, humor that last thing that rang through it. "You're both idiots, just like all the other doctors in this world. You assume you can piece everything together while missing a piece. That if you guess what the piece is, the puzzle will be clear." At this, Taub and Thirteen leaned back. "I'm not on drugs. I'm not an idiot, unlike you two apparently are. You've got my blood, run cultures for whatever infections your hearts' desire to that would affect the liver. You, like all the numerous doctors I've been to, will get it wrong. I've given you the piece you're missing, but you rejected it because the picture doesn't look right to you. Maybe you're just not seeing what's actually there. So go, do your jobs, and I'll die in the process." Her jaw was taut, eyes narrowed. Taub and Thirteen were speechless. "Get the hell out." Evalyn clarified with a small, 'bite me' smile, pointing at the door. "And take my blood with you; you aren't getting another sample." Thirteen did as told, still not knowing what to say. Taub followed. Once they left, Evalyn sank into her pillow, wishing more than ever for sleep to come.
