Necessary Arrangements

The second call had been determined necessary. James Wilson answered on the third ring.

"Dr. Wilson," he figured it was business as usual.

"Dr. Radcliffe at Memorial. I was hoping we could speak-"

"Is he okay?" James dropped what he was doing, giving the call his full attention.

"He's hanging in there. I'd rather not discuss this over the phone."

Wilson consulted his watch. "I've got one more patient to see. I should be there in about an hour and a half."

"Meet me in my office. I want to talk to you before he knows you're here."

Wilson nodded into the phone, then realized it was moot. "I'll be there," he said before hanging up.

His mind was whirling with questions and what to do next. It felt imperative to get Cuddy in on this, but something held him back. He really didn't know much except that as Health Care Proxy, he was being asked to step in.

James nearly ran into Dr. Hadley as they both hurried to the elevator.

"Have you gotten the news on House?" The stepped into the elevator. James thought he might get some preliminary information House's surgeon wouldn't give up to him.

"What news?" Remy wasn't sure if she was being baited.

"I just got a call from his doctor at Memorial. They've called me in as his proxy."

Remy couldn't believe what she was hearing. The look on her boss's best friend's face was one of triumph. Some info was missing. She knew she had to leave now and head over there to protect House's interest.

Wilson pounced into Cuddy's office jubilant. "Guess what?"

Cuddy looked up surprised. "You found one of House's old stashes of Vicodin and took one."

"They've evoked the HCP."

Cuddy frowned. "Why are you happy? That means-"

"It means we ultimately have control over the situation."

"It means you are to abide by his intents and wishes," Lisa used her administrator authority.

"But-"

"I won't ever do that to him again." House had never forgiven her for siding with Stacy. That's why she could never be with him the way she wanted. "He chose not to be here."

"I'm the closest thing he has to a brother." Cuddy had taken the wind right out of his sails. "That's why he chose me as his proxy. I know him best. "

"Do you?"

Remy rushed into House's room expecting the worse. What she found was no different from the last time she visited.

Greg tilted his head, wonder why it seemed like she raced to get to him. "You training for a marathon?"

She bent over, panting, trying to catch her breath. "I thought something happened."

"Why would you think that?"

"Wilson baited me."

"How?" House was suspicious.

"Said your doctor called him in as your proxy."

"Damn it! Go find the bastard and drag his ass in here."

Remy headed for the Nurses' Station grabbing at the stitch in her side. Several minutes later she returned red-faced and angry.

"What?"

"I had to keep them from coming in here and sedating you."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Calm down. They called the doctor and he's coming."

Dr. Radcliffe marched through the door angry. "You crossed the line." He pointed a finger at Dr. Hadley.

"Me?" Remy's eyes were wide.

"Why have you called Wilson in?" House's voice carried accusation and authority.

"Dr. House, you expressed that you felt you needed to be protected from yourself. I followed up with Dr. Nolan, who in turn, suggested we talk with Dr. Wilson."

"So I take a swing at your staff during a psychotic break and Nolan isn't so concerned. I request a precautionary measure to stay in place, and all of the sudden, I'm crazy?"

Both Greg and Thirteen stared down the doctor causing him to squirm.

"I asked Dr. Wilson to come to my office. I knew that if he were come in here, you'd be livid. That and the fact that I was only instructed to alert him to his potential need. Dr. Nolan is worried that you might need his assistance and not get here soon enough. We discussed the possibility of transferring you to Mayfield or having another psychiatrist take over your case."

House was glaring at him. "Why didn't you just ask me?"

"I'm not qualified to decide your level of sanity. Dr. Nolan can't evaluate you until tomorrow. Between now and then we decided to put Dr. Wilson on notice."

Remy saw the skewed logic behind their thinking. She looked to House to see if he seemed to understand.

Greg was thinking. Nolan understood his patient's unwillingness to let down his guard. Bringing in a new doctor to perform even the most basic evaluation would be futile. No way he'd breach the chasm between 'Hi, how ya doing' and 'I was abused as a child.' It was so much easier to let Wilson have his few hours of control until Nolan deemed him sane.

He nodded to Thirteen; a sign that she could back down. Before Radcliffe explained himself, Greg had considered pulling Wilson as his proxy and making Remy his go to guy. I would be fruitless if he tried. One thing he knew after living five years with a lawyer was that the insanity plea was only a bargaining chip when an army of doctors was trying to have you committed for murder. It worked against you if you needed to protect yourself from said doctors.

"Don't let Wilson transfer me to Princeton-Plainsboro. Better yet, don't let him make any decisions," Greg said with resign.

"It's only for a few hours. I'm not letting you out of that bed, let alone out the door. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting." The doctor wasn't as angry, but he wasn't his pleasant self either.

"I've screwed up," House said softly to Thirteen.

"How?" Remy resumed her bedside vigil.

"It doesn't matter…the whole dynamic of this situation has changed."

"House, it's not the end of the world." She tried to sound reassuring, but he was sounding paranoid.

"No, just the end of MY control over MY world. I'm being dragged back into the Wonderful World of Wilson." He sighed heavily, weary with the thought of enduring the never ending lecture series that was sure to come.

"I seem to remember a little cricket who made sure Jimmy followed his conscience." She smiled cunningly. "I will make sure James Wilson follows your wishes. Otherwise -"

'You'll make his life a living hell," House asked hopefully.