CHAPTER 5
House met Wilson in the front row of the presentation room the next morning, well before it was scheduled to start. House was kind-of dressed up. He had come to Wilson's room the night before to borrow a tie and he looked more ironed than usual. "Wow, House, what's the occasion?" Wilson asked him.
"My lady friend is giving an important presentation today," House explained. "Gotta look like I might possibly deserve her." They just flipped through the program, people watched and waited.
"I haven't even seen Bauer yet," Wilson noted when it was approaching 9. "He's probably planning some grand entrance," Wilson snarked.
Then the emcee approached the podium and welcomed everyone. "We are so honored to have our speaker from the Princeton Plainsboro teaching hospital here today to discuss an issue that really exemplifies the kinds of issues conferences like this are supposed to address: The intersection between education of our future doctors and the treatment options for our patients. We'd like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Peter Bauer." People began politely clapping and House stood up and limped up to the podium. Wilson was shocked and kind-of freaking out. What the hell was he doing?
"Good morning, colleagues," House said in a very professional tone, one Wilson had never heard before. "I'd like to thank you all for coming and I'd like to second the introductory remarks by emphasizing that topics like this are of great importance to anyone practicing in a teaching hospital." Wilson started scanning the room. Bauer was nowhere in sight. House saw Cuddy enter the doors at the back and lean against the wall. She was stunning, as always, in a tight knee-length skirt and crisp white shirt.
"Now I know why you're all here," House began. "Who can resist a catchy title like, Designing a scope and sequence for medical student oncology rotations framed around pharmacological interventions," House read haltingly off the program. People laughed a little. "It's so sexy," he said, meeting Cuddy's eyes and winking quickly. "But that's just the problem. It was such an appealing subject that I was led astray by my own ambition. I am standing here now, and realizing that I have to correct my mistakes." The audience started shifting uncomfortably a little - Wilson most of all.
"We all do it – collaborate with colleagues and then write up the work listing ourselves as first author and the others after us. It gives us the credit," House continued. "But I went too far. You see, I really didn't do this work," he confessed. A little gasp rustled through the presentation room. "I worked closely with Dr. James Wilson, my colleague at PPH, and then I submitted his work as my own." The room was positively buzzing now. "And as I waited here to be introduced, I realized I can't even speak intelligently about the work because it isn't mine, so I'd like to hand the podium over to the man who really is responsible for it, Dr. James Wilson." Everyone waited, almost frozen.
"Wilson," House beckoned. Wilson was stunned in his seat. "Wilson!" House hissed, gesturing for him to get the hell up there. Wilson stood up hesitantly and walked to the podium. People applauded awkwardly.
"Um, hello," he began, totally panicking. "Um, sorry, this was most unexpected." People laughed a little. "Okay, so…" he took a deep breath, "The motivation behind this project was the idea that medical students are inundated with information, especially when it comes to the range of varieties and treatments of cancer…" He was off and running now. House walked to the back of the room and leaned next to Cuddy.
"Thought you weren't coming," he whispered.
"I'm no match for your masculine wiles, He-devil," she whispered back, listening to Wilson present. "He looks really happy," she added, rubbing House's arm.
"I don't know what he'd do without me," House sighed.
"Yeah," Cuddy whispered back. "Definitely not the other way around."
House looked at her. "Don't know what you'd do without me either," he said, sweetly carrying on the joke. He gave her a small kiss on her head.