Doctor-Patient Confidence

Cuddy was sitting at her desk reviewing spreadsheets for the upcoming Board Meeting when her phone rang. She answered it casually while still perusing her work.

"House?" He had barely said two words before she recognized his voice. She was astonished to hear from him but glad he called. "I'll see if the nanny can stay longer. Don't call Rachel a rugrat. I can't come now, I'm in the middle of things. I'll be there when I can."

Lisa hung up and immediately dialed her home number. Before she could finish, she put the receiver back in the cradle. "What did I just do?"

She closed her files, organized her desk and readied herself to leave the hospital for the day. At the Reception Desk she scribbled a note for Wilson and left it in his message slot.

A half an hour later she was pulling into Memorial's parking lot and heading for House's room. She had no problems obtaining a pass to the floor. Standing outside the door, Lisa mentally prepared herself to be calm and understanding.

Slowly she made her way in not wanting to startle him. She wasn't expected until much later. Since she still didn't know what had happened, finding House in his current state was a bit unnerving.

"You're early." There was no snark or accusation, just a tad of relief and a small smile.

"I'm your boss. I thought I should be supportive. I'm also your doctor. I wanted to make sure you were okay." She looked at the traction apparatus. "It looks like it hurts a lot."

"This is actually keeping me out of pain." House responded happily.

"Are you going to let me look at your medical records?"

"Look to your heart's content. I've got nothing to hide."

"Any internal injuries?" Cuddy moved closer to get a better look at him.

"I slipped on some ice and broke my leg. I wasn't rock climbing Kilimanjaro." The snark was back.

"I would have known that if you had just told us upfront."

Greg frowned.

Lisa sighed. "I'm sorry. I was under the assumption that you were hit by an SUV."

"Where'd you get that idea?" House was slightly amused.

"Wilson," she said sheepishly.

"Wilson. How'd he come up with the MVA scenario?"

"One of your neighbors said you had been run down and that the person responsible put you in her vehicle and drove off."

"And you believed it." Greg started to laugh. "In general, people are idiots. Seems like Wilson is the biggest one of all."

"We were worried sick," Cuddy protested. "You were missing after Wilson got your call, and nobody knew what happened to you."

"And yet you believed some half-assed story from a complete stranger."

"There are crazies out there, House. You, of all people, are not immune."

"No, I seem to attract them."

Cuddy grabbed his hand. "At least you're going to be okay."

House nodded. "That I am." He lifted his gaze from where her hand held his to her face. "And I'd prefer it if my situation stays private until I'm ready to tell people."

"Does that include Wilson?"

"Doctor-Patient confidentiality. I'm going to hold you to it."

"The only people who will need to know are the Board. Wilson's on the Board." She was frowning. "After I meet with Dr. Radcliffe, I'll wait twenty-four hours before the notification."

Greg spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about what he'd say to Wilson. He wasn't angry or resentful toward him; he just didn't feel the need to have his friend around. It was like Greg was given an opportunity to explore new relationships in a controlled environment. Without James' running commentary on the pros and cons of each issue, House was able to form his own opinion. If Wilson was allowed into this world, Greg would fall into old habits.

Although he had a propensity for gossip, this new environment was teaching him to be self-reliant. If he wanted or needed something, he had to ask. There was no one there to advocate for him. The shame and doubt associated with needing assistance was slowly abating. The nurses were always willing and pleasant; without being sappy. The prejudice that came with Wilson would certainly taint the atmosphere.

As it was, he had asked Cuddy not to return either. He was feeling emotionally stable, aside from the brief episode. His time at Memorial was having a positive effect. It was as if his psyche was detoxing from the oppression of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Here he could get bad news, but it was always offset with the potential for a positive outcome. No, he wouldn't say there was hope; he'd just chalk it up to advances in modern medicine. He didn't want his new outlook to be discounted by anyone but himself.

Dr. Radcliffe entered with some of his staff in tow. A sinking feeling rebounded in the pit of Greg's stomach.

"I had a long talk with Dr. Cuddy." He gave his patient a pitying look. "She asked some relevant questions that we didn't think to speak to you about."

"Leave it to Cuddy to stir up the pot." Greg rolled his eyes.

"She thinks you need to get up and around."

"And no doubt, back to work," he groaned.

"Needless to say, we're going to start prepping you for the first part."

Greg wasn't sure what they were planning to do. It was making him a little more than uncomfortable to think that Cuddy coerced his doctor into siding with her.

"Relax, we're just going to adjust the tension. Think of it as modifying the dosage until we get to a nice homeostasis." The doctor went about the business of checking out Greg's leg beyond what the nurses did every four hours.

"How long has your foot been cold?" Radcliffe looked at him curiously.

"It doesn't feel cold."

"Capillary refill is good," he said squeezing the tips of the patient's toes. "And the pedal pulse is strong."

"All positive signs."

"Just to be on the safe side we're going to lower the angle a few degrees."

It was a slow process as they swapped out pulley traction for hanging traction by using a wide sling under his thigh and two smaller ones under the lower leg. Almost immediately Greg felt a series of different sensations. There was a change in pressure in his lower back causing his hip muscles to contract slightly. He thought for sure he'd spasm.

"We're counterbalancing with your own weight. All you have to do is stay relaxed and not move around too much and you'll be fine."

"What do I do if I get a spasm?" Greg was anxious, and it was affecting his common sense.

"First, don't wait until you're in full contraction. You'll have some twitching on and off for a while. If it feels like they're getting stronger or closer together, call the nurse. We'll give you something."

The doctor patted him on the shoulder. "Relax, we're not going to let you suffer."

That didn't ease all of House's concerns. Maybe he did need Wilson's voice to either reassure him or help Greg to bolster his confidence by arguing with his friend. He grabbed for the phone and dialed without having to think.

"You have reached the voicemail of James Wilson. Please leave your name, the time you called and a return number."

House waited for the annoying beep. "Wilson, you missed my call. Tough luck."

Maybe he was on another date. Maybe stuck in traffic on his way home. Either way, Greg had no intention of trying again tonight. He was just too tired.