Generally, when a patient arrives and is admitted into the care of the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, they have been stricken with some debilitating illness that has caused their lives to come to disarray, and are seeking the aide of the team of knowledgeable doctors who's intelligence and diagnostic abilities have exemplified the very best the nation had to offer. This woman on the other hand, had no intentions of even being taken there in the first place. She was just afflicted with the rotten luck of living close enough to the PPTH to which the paramedics decided it was the fastest and safest place to treat her. She was well aware of the knowledge that she was dying; when one's disease wracks damage on a body like the disease that plagued her body, one begins to understand the end was sooner rather than later.

Her temperament from the moment she had arrived through the doors was one of instability. She refused to tell any of the personnel her very name; one who bore witness to her unhopeful demeanor would tend to see her as a helpless old lethargic who was brought in to make the world miserable on her dying days.

The doctors who worked under Gregory House were given the esteemed privilege of having to care for the woman, who, at first, was labeled, 'Patient X', but through biographical analysis of medical history and fingerprints was later deemed her birth name, Lena Elderhardt.

It was a well known fact that the doctors would draw straws to determine who would have the major inconvenience of taking care of Lena that day. On that late, rainy afternoon, Thirteen drew the short straw.

She silently sulked down the hallway, the obvious weight of her current situation bearing down on her like a hail storm. She made her way to the nurses' station to pick up Lena's chart, and then turned around to face 'Lena's Den,' as it had been referred. Thirteen stared a moment at the patient through the thick glass sliding door. She was slightly surprised at how young and innocent Lena looked. A stranger may have not even guessed that she was afflicted with an illness. Age had been fair to Lena's face; her eyes were still a deep and fiery shade of green, her cheeks were smooth and fair shade of pink. The wavy locks of her golden touched brown hair fell over her shoulders and cascaded to her bosom. Thirteen took a second glance at her chart,

her age stated that she was fifty six years old. Her eyes returned to the woman in the bed, 'there's no way in hell she is almost sixty.' Thirteen brought her eyes back to the chart skimming further down the page. She had no children, was divorced, and no one had come to visit her. No wonder she was so angry. Lena was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Thirteen braced herself for the woman's wrath and stepped inside her room.

Lena's eyes went from the television to Thirteen as she made her way to the opposite side of Lena's bed. Thirteen tried to avoid conversation with the woman, and began checking the various machines that Lena had been hooked up to. Lena smiled slightly, simply because she could sense Thirteen's nervousness. Lena spoke quietly,

"You know, you're the first one who actually had the common sense not to try to cheer me up at this place."

Thirteen kept her eyes fixed on the EKG machine,

"I've heard that you're not one for light conversation." she replied.

Lena stared at Thirteen while she made her way to the right side of Lena's bed; checking the various IV's and jotting down information. She began taking in small observations; Thirteen's sagging shoulders, her weak sense of pride when she walked, her stylish yet masculine clothes.

"Looks like I'm not the only one in this room with a problem." Lena asked with a deep, somewhat southern lilt in her voice.

Thirteen paused slightly,

"Excuse me?" she asked. Lena stared into her eyes in an examining fashion.

"You've got woman troubles." Lena blatently stated.

Thirteen was slightly taken aback,

"I have w- excuse me? Where is this coming from?" Thirteen asked.

"It's coming from a woman who is in this hospital alone because she has had endless strings of woman problems." At this comment, Thirteen suddenly became fascinated with Lena.

"How could you possibly know that?" Thirteen probed.

"I've been there, honey. I know. In fact, sit down, and maybe I'll be able to shed a little light on this for you."

Thirteen stared at Lena in disbelief for a moment, and then slowly took a seat.

Hey! Sorry about my hiatus. I've been wracking my brain trying to continue! If anyone has an ideas, send 'em to me! Lena is going to play a key role in the whole Cuddy/Thirteen relationship; more in the sense of a teacher for Thirteen. More to come....