A/N: Happy New Year! Welcome to my first update of 2012.
Enjoy
As always, I own nothing!
Chapter 12: For Love or Money
Chase, Forman, Taub and Cicciliano sat around the meeting table while Rachel and House paced the floor, with Rachel mimicking most of House's movements precisely.
"Toxoplasmosis," Chase stated as he stared down at the file before him.
"Her white cell count is fine," Forman sighed.
"Meningitis?" Victoria asked.
"Would have seen there symptoms, and she'd be getting worse not better." Taub answered.
"Brain trauma, maybe it was caused when she hit the deck." Chase theorized. "She did completely go into arrest the night of the opera. Maybe she hit her head on the stage when she fell."
"So it's not a symptom of her original illness?" House asked sarcastically. "You're a moron!"
"It could be a tumor," Forman sighed, "have Wilson take a look to rule it out."
"No," House stated, "You are all morons. Rachel what do you think?" he asked.
"Encephalitis," Rachel stated, "that would explain the fatigue, the passing out and the possibly even the change in her behaviour." She explained proudly.
House smiled, "Forman and Taub start her on broad spectrum antibiotics while Chase and Mussolini find us an infection to blame it on."
"What if you're wrong," Taub asked, "and she goes into arrest again?"
"If I'm wrong let's hope Chase and Cicciliano find something in the blood work, otherwise Wilson can take over." House stated and took Rachel Cuddy's hand, "Once you two have administered the antibiotics, get a detailed account of where our diva has traveled in the last six to twelve months. Let's see where she picked up this pesky infection."
"You seem sure of yourself," Victoria stated as she stood from the table.
"We are!" Rachel snapped. "Now find that infection and don't waste any more of our time."
"Doesn't she sound like a little tiny Lisa?" House asked with a smile.
Chase and Cicciliano simply marched out of the office.
"If anything transpires between those two I want to know!" House stated as he turned on Forman and Taub.
"What could possibly be happening?" Taub asked exhausted and unmoved by the idea.
"Victoria made a living disproving miracles," House stated, "she's either going to try and prove Chase has lost all sense of a moral code or she's going to try and sleep with him in an act of retaliation. Chase just might… who am I kidding… Chase wants into those pants and he'll do almost anything to get there. Victoria is the new Cameron, wait until everything starts to crumble!" House explained with enthusiasm. "It's going to be epic!"
"Totally epic!" Rachel stated.
"Or maybe they are working colleagues and Victoria is a woman of faith who thinks she can change Chase and bring him back to the moral code he's lost," Forman added.
"Not likely," Rachel spat.
"My theory would be far more fun and messier, but I suppose yours could be right too." House said contemplatively. "I'll start the betting at a hundred dollars on messy sexy times." He smirked.
"One fifty and the awkwardness to follow leads to more work for Forman and myself when Cicciliano goes back to Rome," Taub said in his usual monotone.
"You are terrible," Forman sighed, "but two hundred dollars says faith prevails."
"You have yourself a wager sir," House smiled.
"Alright, I'm in," Taub added.
"Good, now get to work!" Rachel ordered.
"She really is a tiny Lisa Cuddy." Forman sighed.
"That was cross bread with Gregory House," Taub whispered as he left the office, "In a lab, it can't be natural."
"What should we do now Jelly Bean?" House asked as he smiled down at the little girl.
"Wanna watch cartoons?" She asked.
"Of course I do!" House smiled and walked his little charge off to the doctor's lounge and the big screen TV.