...no more Cuddy in House? D: ;~;

Chapter Four- Painless

When Thirteen and Taub dropped off the blood and said a bit about the patient, Kutner and Chase began to run cultures. Once most of them were set up, Kutner broke the silence. "I'm going to go see this handful of a patient, you good to do the rest?" he asked, standing to leave. "Yeah, I can finish it up," he assured without looking up. Kutner nodded and walked out of the pathology lab, down towards the ICU.

The first glance around the door frame told Kutner to leave, as she appeared to be sleeping. But when he sighed softly her eyes flicked open, gaze drifting directly to him. "Hello," he said with a smile, calm and happy voice erasing any awkwardness.
It took her a moment before she responded, "Hello Doctor Kutner," her soft voice also even and calm.
"Have we met?" Kutner asked as he took a seat next to Evalyn's bed.
She shook her head, but paused before asking, "Why? Do I look familiar?"
Rather confused, Kutner hesitantly stated, "No…you knew my name…" He paused, mulling it over. "Do you know your name?" Evalyn stared at the ceiling in silence, searching for the right word.
"Eve…" it was more of a question than a statement, which Kutner noticed. "Are you sure?" he asked softly, making a mental note; add brain involvement to the whiteboard.
"No…" she easily lied. She knew her name; she just couldn't remember what she had told them he name was. Or why she was there….Oh crap, my memory is going… She slammed the side of her tightly clenched fist into the railing of the bed, screaming; "Dammit!"
Kutner nearly jumped out of his skin, "You okay?" his head snapped over to look at her as before he jumped to his feet. "I …" she held her limp hand up to her face, eyes widening with fear when she turned it to its side.
"What? What is it?" Kutner reached out for her arm, looking over it. Once he saw the side of her hand, his eyes widened as well. "One a scale of one to ten, how badly does it hurt?" he asked as he dialed into the phone.
"….zero" she almost whimpered, staring at the blood as it tinkled down the side of her arm. She used her other hand to feel over it, making sure it was real. Yup, she had a compound fracture; one of the many bones in her hand somehow twisted and punctured through the skin.
Kutner looked up from the montage of needles, "Zero? You have a bone sticking out of your hand, and feel no pain?" he glanced over to see her staring at the dark blood running down her arm and staining the hospital gown.
"No", she said quickly, "I don't feel anything. Nothing at all…"her head slowly shifted to look in his direction. With tear brimmed eyes, she said softly, "You idiot. I told you it was neurological." Kutner fought for words, but was relieved when a hello? came across the phone.
Kutner's eyes never left Evalyn as he spoke into the phone, "Prep an O.R., compound fracture with complications." He hung up without awaiting an answer. "Here," he handed Evalyn some bandages, "Apply pressure, which shouldn't be too difficult since she can't feel it…but be sure not to put any strain the bone."
"I know that," she snapped. "You're the idiot, remember?" she narrowed her eyes and snatched the fabric. The regular nurse that would have been called in was never called; she knew what she was doing. And with that, Kutner left to go find House.

Who was in his office, 'working'. Working, of course, translating to fiddling with the knickknacks scattered across his desk and repeatedly throwing a ball against the wall. Kutner knocked lightly on the glass door before walking in. House caught the oversized tennis ball and looked up at his minion. "What wondrous tales to you bring me today, sir Kutner?" he asked into an unusually deep voice. Kutner fought back a smile and relied the information he'd just observed. "Whatever she has is spreading. It's in her brain, and if we don't find it soon she's going to be paralyzed. She slammed her hand down hard enough to give herself a compound fracture. She said she feels nothing there, and she couldn't move it. She's due for surgery whenever a room is prepped and available."
House furrowed his eyebrows. "What if the liver damage caused the brain damage? Toxins don't get flushed out, the brain stares losing function," he stood up and limped past Kutner and out the door.
Kutner followed him into the elevator, "Where are you going?" he asked as the doors began to close.
"To see the patient."

₰ΩΩ₰

Evalyn couldn't seem to tear her gaze from the bone that penetrated her skin. She didn't feel the pain. She couldn't feel. And it was the best feeling in the world. The bandaged were laying untouched on her lap, waiting for her trance to end. And that it did when a nurse keep in, within seconds of hearing footsteps, the cloth was pressed firmly against the wound, quickly soaking with blood. The nurse walked over and pulled Evalyn's uninjured hand towards her. It twitched, and Evalyn made a mental note that all nurses were idiots when the woman didn't even make a notice it. No, scratch that, not all nurses are idiots. All nurses just don't care. All doctors are idiots. Next she checked Evalyn's pulse, apparently not trusting the monitor. Out of the blue, Evalyn's hand shot up at the nurses enticing neck. Her broken hand, but she didn't seem to care. All that now mattered was seeing this pathetic thing crumble in her hold. She leaned forwards and pushed herself up with her uninjured hand. She didn't know why she was suddenly trying to choke the woman to death, but she continued anyways. The nurse was light, but still too heavy for a compound fracture. A small crack was heard before Evalyn's bloodcurdling cry broke through the atmosphere, and it was she who then crumpled to her knees, but not tears rolled down her cheeks. The nurse didn't run, but backed away and looked over across the room. "Evalyn?" came a voice riddled with disbelief.
She panted and looked up, "Who the hell are you?" she choked over the pain that seemed to form a lump in her now dry throat.
"Doctor House?" the disbelief was now accompanied by confusion.
"Who are you?" House, who had been sitting silently in the corner, seemed to echo Evalyn.
"I'm Doctor Levin... Evalyn? Is that you?" his interest in House dropped and reattached to the pile of Evalyn on the floor.
"I don't know anymore..." she cradled her hand towards her chest. House simply watched, intrigued. When Evalyn pushed herself up, he noted that she used her broken hand, as if on purpose, to bring herself to a staggering stand. She walked as if nothing had happened over to the cart, pulling open a drawer. Again, with the broken hand. She pushed through the pile of needles until she found what she wanted. The room was silent, no one stopping her. House was too interested, Levin too trusting, and the nurse too terrified; just now feeling her neck where she had just been strangled. Evalyn returned to the hospital bed, climbed in, and pulled up the sheets. "I told you idiots it was neurological. And you are going to figure out what it is before I get surgery," she announced. "And since that mime in the corner," she gestured vaguely at House, who still had only said two words. "Is actually paying attention, he is the one who runs the tests and such. I mean my god, what kind of nurse doesn't notice that I twitched when on the chart it says I can't feel my other hand?" She waved the needles around as she made hand gestures the entire time. "And I'm not sure who you are, although that confused look is rather familiar... It's becoming of you. Now, goodnight." Levin's confusion rose almost as fast as House's interest did. The nurse was now gone. Evalyn slammed the needle into her arm, slowly pressing down the end with a demented smile. "I'll see you later...unless of course you don't figure out what's wrong with me. And I'll say it slowly this time so maybe it registers; Liver. Ignore it." Upon pulled the needle out, she drifted off to sleep.
House looked back over at Levin, who was uttered speechless. "Who are you?" he asked again, leaning forward on his cane. "I already told you," he said before looking over.
"I'm Doctor Levin."
"Yeah, I got the name. But that's not who you are. How do you know my patient?"
Levin narrowed his eyes, "Why wasn't I told that my employee was in intensive care?"
"Because we don't even know what her name is. Are you sure it's Evalyn?" he rose an eyebrow.
Levin looked back at the seemingly peaceful girl for a moment in silence, repeating her words, "I don't know anymore", before turning to leave. House looked over at Evalyn once more, smiling to himself. She faked the twitch.

₰ΩΩ₰

Cuddy glanced over at the clock. Six thirty, and still no House insanity. Oh god, he went behind my back, didn't he… she checked her Blackberry again. Nothing from House, only a missed call from the nanny at noon. She dialed the number, growing even more worried when it went straight to voicemail. She most have turned off her phone so that Rachel could sleep…she rationalized, and could practically hear House mocking her for it. When she looked up she realized she actually did hear him; he was sitting back on her couch.
"Call your house number."
Cuddy sighed and avoided the command, "How did you get in here?"
"Flew," he replied, absolutely deadpan. "The more important question is why you didn't notice me. I just walked in."
Cuddy's eyes narrowed, "Well you see, some of us actually do our paperwork," she stated as if telling a two year old that they need to eat their veggies to grow big and strong.
"But mom-!" he whined.
Cuddy rolled her eyes, "What did you want anyways? Some crazy procedure?" she asked, almost hopeful.
"Nope, I need to know when you hired a minor," he sat forward.
Cuddy's face was plastered with sincere confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"My patient. She works for one of your monkeys."
"Well I didn't hire her, or even know sh-"
House cut her off, "Do you know her name? Where she lives? Her criminal record?" House asked, standing up and walking over to in front of her desk. "She's working in your hospital, now has memory loss and is dying, and we have no idea what her real name is!" his voice rose, some control slipping away.
Cuddy looked down, "Who does she work for?"
"Levin," House basically growled, trying not to yell.
"Levin works in research. You can check that environment for toxins, and ask what kind of work she was doing. Levin should also have her information."
He walked towards the exit "Call the house phone," he threw over his shoulder before vanishing out the door with a slam.