Ch 30: The High and Mighty

House was released from the hospital after two full days of being monitored and he took a day off to lounge around his apartment. He quickly discovered that being alone was boring, however and was at work on Thursday. He walked into his office to find a stack of résumés piled on top of his computer. Without a second thought he discarded them into the floor in the neat little stack that they had been presented in. He sipped coffee and checked his email while waiting for one of his team members to show up so he could order them to get him a good case.

As it happened, Thirteen wasn't long in coming. She looked curiously at the files he had placed in the floor and then greeted him. "That's my pile of fan mail," he said, noticing where her eyes had been originally. "I grew bored of reading how great I am." His voice turned serious. "I need a case."
"I'll see what I can do. Taub is still in the clinic, though."

"I'll go get him, your job is to keep me entertained. So go and do and be…" he ordered, waving a bit in her direction as though to shoo her out. She rolled her eyes and turned to do as he asked. House stood up and paced around for a few moments before making his way down to the elevator to get the missing member of his now 2 person team.

He arrived in the clinic in the midst of a crisis. A man who had come in with stomach flu symptoms had ended up with an extreme nose bleed and was being carted upstairs. Taub was nowhere to be seen. He checked the exam rooms and found him with a two year old patient and his overly protective mother. "I need you upstairs," House informed him.

"I'll be there as soon as I'm done here," Taub replied, not looking away from the child's inner ear.

"And see if you can't finagle that flu/nosebleed guy," House suggested. He hoped that Thirteen could find something more exciting, but wanted the weird bleeding as well. He spotted Cuddy at the nurse's station as he walked out of the clinic and a pang shot straight to his heart. He ignored that, of course, and kept walking. He would have successfully gotten away had it not been for her sharp eye for troublemakers.

"Dr. House!" she called. He pretended not to hear her and looked the elevator door over instead, hoping she would get the message. If it translated, she brushed it aside, however. "Dr. House, have you looked over the stack of possible new fellows that I had sent upstairs yesterday?" she asked.

"Oh, is that what those were? I thought you were just using my desk as a filing cabinet for the ignorant kids who think they've got a chance at getting hired here."

"House, you're going to have to replace Foreman. Thirteen is four months pregnant and Taub can't handle all of your cases that require illegal or dangerous behaviors," she pointed out. "And he can't do everything when Thirteen goes on maternity leave."

"I beg to differ," House replied, stepping into the elevator and hoping she would give up and walk away. He had no such luck. She pressed the button for his floor and glared at him for a moment.

"You aren't serious?"

"I'm dead serious," he said, not looking at her.

"You'll just be dead if you don't get a new team member. Or fired in any case." The look in her eyes was one of sternness and pain intermingling, but he avoided eye contact with her, so he missed it. He stepped out and walked toward his office, but Cuddy followed.

"I can have you arrested for stalking," he threatened.

"Not if I'm your boss telling you to do your job…and trying to make sure you follow through," she replied unhesitatingly. He said nothing in response, but kicked over the stack of résumés in defiance. She narrowed her eyes. "I want a name by Monday morning or I'll hire someone for you."

"I'll just fire them," he retorted, but she wasn't listening. She spun on her heel and left him alone so she could cool down, not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone they worked with about something so personal.

Thirteen returned soon thereafter with the file of the bleeder and House sighed. He had gotten what he wanted in the form of a patient, anyway. Thirteen went off to take a patient history while House waited on Taub to finish up in the clinic and report to work.

"Search the home and car," he ordered when the plastic surgeon finally turned up. When he didn't add anything to that, Taub confusedly wandered off to carry out his orders. House let his head fall into his hands and sighed tiredly. He was more miserable than ever and it was all Cuddy's fault.

House's pity party ended half an hour after it began when Thirteen came back with the information about the patient's life. The man was a scuba diver, so House ordered a full panel and a CAT scan. He watched her walk out and decided to ask Wilson about his personal life in hopes of rousing some kind of embarrassing memory or thought which would at least provide a bit of entertainment.

Wilson was completely free and offered to eat lunch, which House was inclined to agree with. They chatted at length about Thirteen's ass before House mentioned the new employee requirement set by Cuddy. "What are you going to do?" the oncologist asked. "You do need a new fellow."

"I realize that, but if I hire someone now it'll look like I'm doing it on her orders."

"I know following orders isn't your strong suit, but some things have to be done," Wilson told him.

"Never fuck your boss," House advised Wilson. "It'll come back to bit you on the ass."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that lesson in office relationship etiquette. I think I can get along without that bit of imparted wisdom, though. I never had the desire to sleep with Cuddy."

"You had the chance," House pointed out. "When she was all helpless over her kid you could have slid right in there and fixed her right up."

"I do occasionally refrain from the people I help out or befriend," Wilson said.

"Right!" House said sarcastically, insinuating that he had been helped and then seduced by the attractive doctor.

Wilson was inclined once again to roll his eyes. "As long as you didn't tell my wives, that didn't count," he replied, playing along. House snorted and stole a bite of Wilson's sandwich. He was glad that he could at least count on Wilson to be of a bit of help…even if it was only keeping his mind off of his failed relationship.