"You think I'm WHAT?!" The patient exclaimed, taken aback.
"Pregnant." Thirteen confirmed, nodding.
"No." The patient shook her head violently, "no, no, no, no, noooo. I can't be pregnant."
Thirteen cocked her head, "well, have you been experiencing any dizziness or nausea lately?" She inquired.
"Um, dizziness, yeah, but-"
"And when's the last time you had your period?" Thirteen asked, making a note on her clipboard.
"Three months ago...but listen-"
Thirteen cut her off again, in light of the information the patient had just given her, she was sure of her diagnosis. Unless... "Are you a virgin?" she inquired, glancing up at the patient, who scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Do I look like I'd be a virgin?" She kept a straight face for a few seconds, before her facade of seriousness faltered, and she laughed.
Thirteen allowed herself to laugh along, it had been a long week, and she could use a break from all of the intensity. Not that she didn't like her job, but this had been an extraordinarily depressing week; the team had lost two patients. Three now, in the past month. It was taking a toll on all of them.
"No," she conceded, "it looks like you could have just about any boy you'd want."
Gabi grinned, a flirtatious, slightly lopsided smile. It made her look years younger than the pensive expression she'd worn since she was admitted. "And what about girls?" she asked softly, cocking her head, and leaning forward slightly.
Thirteen raised an eyebrow, and paused before responding, "if that's what you're interested in, then I'm sure." Her tone was strictly professional, if not a little cold.
Gabi's smile faltered for a split-second, 'Ouch. Shot down.' She pursed her lips, 'I would've bet anything she was at least bi.' She hesitated a moment, before she sighed. Her eyes dropped to the uncomfortable hospital bedding, and she sighed. "Hmm," she hummed softly, the sound resonating through her chest, "Yeah, it is. I'm not into boys. At all." She admitted, in a voice that nearly qualified as monotone. She picked at the starched white sheets, still examining them as if they were the most interesting thing in the room, as opposed to the gorgeous doctor. "It's how I know I'm not pregnant," she offered with a small shrug.
Thirteen nodded, "fair enough." She had noticed the sudden shift in mood from the patient, and wasn't quite sure how to respond. She could empathize with the girl; it was obvious that she was somewhat uncomfortable with the admission. But as a doctor, she needed to remain professional. "I'd still like to draw some blood, though, just to be sure." She made her way to the white cabinets to gather the necessary supplies, as her patient groaned in protest.
"Look- I've never slept with a guy. Hell, I've only ever even KISSED two boys!" She sat up straighter, staring at Thirteen, who had obtained the supplies and had begun making her way back to the girl's bedside.
They locked eyes for a moment before Thirteen relented. "Okay, you win," she held up her hands, palms outward as a sign of surrender, "but we will need to draw blood soon anyways."
Andrea frowned, "been there, done that." Her tone was passive, bored.
Thirteen offered a sympathetic smile, "I know. But we're going to need more samples. We aren't sure what's wrong yet, and Dr. House wants us to run, well, a lot of tests. They'll help us narrow down the cause of your seizure."
Andi rolled her eyes, a half-smile playing at her lips, "I'm a medical mystery then, eh?"
Thirteen smiled, "that's why you're with us. Those are the only cases my boss will even consider taking."
The patient stared at Thirteen for several moments, watching her. It made the woman uncomfortable-- she could tell by the way she began shifting her weight with increasing frequency. "You should smile more," was the simple statement.
"Excuse me?" Thirteen questioned, not sure of what she had heard.
"You have an amazing smile. It makes you so much more attractive." The younger woman added, matter-of-factly. She wasn't trying to flirt anymore; it was just a statement of fact.
Thirteen raised an eyebrow at the comment, and then smiled as her patient's expression transitioned from one of confidence, to a look of pure horror. She backtracked as quickly as she could. "Shit. I'm sorry...shit. That came out really wrong; I didn't mean it- well I did, but not the way it sounded! You're really pretty, even when you frown, which you shouldn't do so much, you know, but you've got a great smile. When you smile, you're gorgeous...more than that even. Your whole face lights up, and, and...argh, I'm sorry!" By the time she had finished her rant, Andi was blushing, and out of breath, which wasn't surprising, since she had neglected to breathe while she had been talking.
Thirteen gave the dark-haired girl a confused, but still dazzling, smile. "Don't worry about it," she dismissed with a wave of her hand, as she approached the patient's bed, needle and vials in hand. She set the supplies down, and sat in the chair closest to the bed, but found it to still be too far away, so she stood again, and brought it right up to the bedside.
Andrea was chewing her lower lip, and looked close to tears.
Thirteen bit her own lip for a moment, before placing her hand over Andi's, trying to be comforting. "It's going to be okay, we'll figure out what's wrong with you," she assured, and the nodded absently. Her gaze was fixed on the hand holding hers. She couldn't help but compare the two, now that they were side by side. Dr. Hadley's hands were so…perfect. Her fingers were long, and slender, ending in perfectly manicured nails, and the skin was soft, and smooth. It was a striking contrast to her own hands, which were covered with calluses and scars from her many years as a drummer and guitarist. Several fingers were crooked, bearing the telltale marks of breaks that hadn't healed just quite right.
She returned the beautiful doctor's smile half-heartedly, and withdrew her hand, shaking her head. What a buzz kill. "I'm sorry," she murmured, tilting her head forward, just far enough that her dark hair spilled onto her face, her eyes becoming hidden behind her bangs. "I'm not normally like this." Andrea explained, running her fingers through her bangs, brushing them off to the side, only to shake her head, letting the hair fall back into place over her eyes.
Thirteen frowned slightly, "what do you mean?"
Andi bit her lip for a second, "I dunno." She shrugged, and exhaled sharply, "I'm not usually so…spastic. Or bipolar." Her disdain was evident on her pale features. "My mind's been…racing, lately, you know?" She frowned, "I've got too many thoughts all of a sudden, and they're moving too fast for me to sort them all out." She paused again, "mood swings too."
Thirteen lapsed into thought as she listened to the younger girl's explanation. Could this be a symptom? Probably. Definitely. It would mean neurological problems. 'The mood swings could mean she's having hormonal problems though.' Something in her ovaries, maybe? Since she wasn't ovulating, it made sense…maybe. Thirteen's frown deepened. She wasn't an endocrinologist. Nor were any other members of House's team.
In fact…Thirteen couldn't remember meeting a single endocrinologist in the time she had been working at PPTH. They certainly didn't have an Endocrinology department.
'Well, there is one person,' Thirteen mused, 'But she's the one person House would never call for a serious consult. Damn.' She also knew that House would think she was going over his head if she were to call Dr. Cuddy herself, but…
"Dr. Hadley?" a soft voice cut into her musings. She looked sharply up from her clipboard, and towards the source of the voice. As she met the patient's startling green gaze, she noted that the girl immediately diverted her attention elsewhere. Namely the glass wall of the room. Thirteen blinked a few times, allowing herself a moment of confusion.
"I'm sorry," the girl apologized for the third time within minutes. Her voice was sincere, and she sounded far guiltier than she should have.
"Don't apologize," Thirteen instructed her softly. "That was me, I shouldn't have zoned out there." She hadn't been kidding about the mood swings; this girl was an emotional wreck!
Andrea inclined her head slightly, in what Thirteen took to be a nod, but otherwise, showed no signs of having heard the doctor. "Andrea?" she inquired, and the girl in question mumbled something incoherent in response, still refusing to face the slightly older woman.
Thirteen bit her lip, partially in sympathy and partially in frustration, as she tried to decipher the dark-haired girl's comment. She came up blank, and decided to try again. "Andrea," she repeated, and not being quite sure how to handle the situation, reached out and took the patient's hand between her own two.
The beeps emanating from the stat monitor connected to the patient's finger sped up significantly, and when Andi turned to face her after several moments, she was blushing furiously. "Andi," she mumbled softly, not meeting Thirteen's gaze.
"I'm sorry?" Thirteen cocked her head slightly, not understanding.
"Andi…is fine." She elaborated, facing Thirteen, but looking past her, rather than at her. 'Damn machine,' she thought, thoroughly embarrassed. She noticed, however, that Dr. Hadley had yet to move her hand. She quirked an eyebrow at the brunette as she waited for a response, the blush receding a bit. She was unaware that the gesture would go unnoticed due to her hairstyle, though.
"Well then, Andi," Thirteen began with a small smile, "I'm going to go talk to my boss, and let him know that you're not pregnant."
Andi finally made eye contact with her doctor, and her expression was obviously worried. Thirteen have her hand a soft squeeze, "I'll be back soon. I do still need to get your medical history, and I'm going to bring another doctor in for a consult." She finished speaking, and released Andi's hand, who simply smiled and nodded.
As Thirteen left, Andrea sighed, running her fingers through her hair again. It was a bad habit of hers. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. It seemed she had a lot to think about: the infamous Dr. House and his enigmatic team of doctors, the drop-dead gorgeous Dr. Hadley, the huge show she was supposed to be playing at later this week, and whatever it was that was, according to House, probably killing her. Sweet.
Without the author's notes, this chapter officially makes up over half of the story!
Anyways, reviews would be amazing. I personally think Thirteen is acting more like Cameron than herself. What do you guys think?
Also, let me know what pairings you want, and I'll try to work them in.