Meanwhile, Foremen sat in the lab going over some test results. Chase stood nearby looking at some tests of his own but his heart wasn't in it. He groaned, loudly, and swatted some papers off the table and onto the floor. "DAMN IT!"
"What is with you!?" Foremen turned from his work and gave Chase a condescending look. "You've been acting like a baby all week!"
"Look, I've got some things going on, Ok!? I am stressed out!" Chase stomped and shook his fists. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment and let out a loud moan before letting his head collapse on a table, clumsily.
Foremen just gave him a disapproving glance and shook his head, turning back to his work.
The door opened and in came Cameron followed by House. They were arguing about the case. Chase looked up immediately and quickly bent down to pick up the papers from the floor.
"She had a seizure! how do you explain that?" Cameron was saying.
"A new symptom!" House observed. "What does it mean? anyone? anyone? Bueller?" He looked around at Chase and Foremen. Foremen had turned to look at him but Chase just finished picking up the papers on the floor and set them on the table.
Foremen considered a moment and said "Hypoalogenia could explain the seizures and kidney failure--"
"But what about the fever?" Cameron cut in.
"Miseoflia? Hapigolagio?" Foremen offered.
"Oh yeah, right!" House mused. "Come on, give me something that actually makes an ounce of sense!" and he turned on Chase who had retreated to the back of the room and was trying to look inconspicuous "anything to add, emo kid?"
Chase looked up, annoyed. "No." he said, sharply.
House hobbled over toward him. Chase stared at the ground. House stood with his face close to Chase's and ordered "Look at me, Chase." Timidly, Chase raised his eyes. House's eyebrows were lowered and his face was contorted into a silly looking frown. in a deep voice he whined "Look at me! I'm Chase! Oh, I am sooo sad!" He feigned wiping a tear from his eye. Chase looked at him, insulted. House returned his face to his normal smirk and shook his head. "Do your job, Chase! don't make me send you to the Principal's office! I hear she's a real bitch!"
Cameron, who had watched the events with contempt for the actions of both parties finally could take it no more. "House! stop! You are being a bully!" she said, as sternly as she could muster. She felt sorry for Chase, even though he was acting childish she couldn't help but feel responsible for his mood.
"A bully?" taunted House. He laugh in a mocking mischievous way. "Chase! give me your lunch money or I'll beat you up!"
Cameron groaned. "I'm going to go check on the patient." she said and left the room.
House made silly face and then looked Chase in the eye, a serious look in his eyes now. "Get to work." he said and limped out of the room.
Cuddy sat in her office. She felt tired and weak. Why did it seem she had lost the courage to face House? Now, when it really mattered, she couldn't seem to say to him what she needed to say. She leaned her head over her desk, her hands in her hair. She was frustrated. Frustrated in so many ways. She lowered her hands from her head and clenched them into fists. "I need to be brave!" she muttered. "I need to take all the bravery inside and use it! I need to tell him!" She moaned, weakly, but caught herself and took a breath and sat up straight and puffed up her chest. "Yes, that's it! I can do it! If he were to come in here right now I would tell him! No doubt about it! I could do it! I will do it!" A smile spread across her lips but faded very quickly as she saw her resolve instantly tested. House was at her door!
He playfully knocked on it with his cane but then showed himself in. "Chase needs to be dealt with!" House started speaking right away. "There's something wrong with him. He can't seem to do his job. Can I just fire him?"
Cuddy looked surprised. "Of course not!"
House glanced at her, frustrated.
"Ok, maybe I can talk to him about it." she sighed.
"His goldfish probably died. just get him a new one and explain to him that goldfish go to fish heaven or something." House rolled his eyes. "I've got to get some more vicodin." he grumbled and turned to leave.
Cuddy stood up "wait!" she said.
House turned to her, inquisitively.
"Well, House, I wanted to talk to you about..."
"Oh, it's about earlier, right? you got a complaint from the hypochondriac, right?" He frowned in and exaggerated way. "I don't want to live in a world where it is unacceptable to make fun of hypochondriacs!"
"No, it's..." but the little courage she had melted away when she looked in his eyes. "I mean, yes. stop making fun of the patients! We have enough lawsuits to deal with!"
House laughed and left.
Cuddy sat down again and rested her head on her desk and cried.