Like Father, Like Son
Chapter 9
Greg said good-bye to his dad and hugged him before he walked out of the 221B Baker St. condo. The minute House exited, Greg sprang into action. He checked the "letter of intent" that he had written and placed it into a folder and then into his backpack. As an afterthought, he cleaned up the kitchen and wiped off the island in the middle of the kitchen where they had stood to eat breakfast. Greg had learned early in his life that it was always good to be able to point out positive accomplishments when there was a risk of retribution for his actions. Today had the potential to be one of those days!
He then showered and carefully shaved his peach fuzz, using an old electric razor that he had found under the bathroom sink. He remembered the scene in Home Alone when the kid had used the aftershave and screamed in pain with its application. He braced himself as he dabbed the cool liquid on his face and smiled as he realized that his concern was folly, until the full force of his actions were revealed. It wasn't all over his face that the aftershave seared into his nerve endings, just where microscopic little nicks had occurred! He filled the sink, running the water full force and plunged his face into it catching his forehead on the tap in its descent. An involuntary gasp caused Greg to inhale the water as his face made contact with its surface. As he coughed and spluttered, he thought decidedly, "This morning is not going well!"
As he looked at the few things that consisted of his wardrobe, Greg realized that the only thing suitable for the task at hand was the shirt and trousers that he had worn at his grandma's funeral. They were wrinkled and Greg wasn't sure that they had been washed since before then. He tossed the clothing into the dryer with a dryer sheet and hoped for the best. As the clothes tumbled, he looked through his dad's ties. Some of them were truly hideous and Greg hoped that they had been gag gifts; otherwise his dad had some serious issues when it came to fashion. On the other hand, his dad had the coolest tee shirt collection ever! Greg chose a tie of midnight blue. His mom always liked it when he wore blue, because she said that it brought out the blueness of his eyes. He smiled at the memory and ignored the voice within, (her voice), that suggested that this might not be such a good idea. He grinned, just thinking about getting out of this place and into his dad's business! The clothes came out of the dryer looking better than he had expected and he carefully dressed. He was very glad that before his grandpa died, he had taught him how to tie a tie. Greg looked at himself in the mirror and aside from acknowledging that he needed a haircut, he thought that he looked pretty good! The handsome young man grabbed his letter, and with a cocky swagger, headed to the bus stop.
There was no need to worry about missing his stop for the hospital, the building was imposing and well identified. Like most hospitals, there were signs indicating which entrance to use given the mission. Greg had heard that the Dean, a Lisa Cuddy, had her office near the clinic and so that was the entrance Greg chose. Greg thought about just finding his dad's office, but he thought credentials from the Dean would smooth his way with the doctors he might encounter. He had his speech prepared and the letter would hopefully ensure his entrance. His biggest concern was getting past whoever stood guard for Cuddy. There was always someone like that for important people!
Just then, Greg noticed a petite woman appear at the nurses' station. The way she dressed seemed weird for someone like a Dean, but she fit his dad's description perfectly. Greg took long strides willing himself not to lose his nerve and not to drool. The closer he got the prettier she became! It was now or never!
"Dr. Cuddy?"
The woman turned at the sound of her name. "Yes."
"My name is Greg Dubois."
"I'm pleased to meet you, Greg. What can I do for you?"
"I'm interested in an internship. As a homeschooled student, I have the advantage of being able to work at my own pace and follow my interests. I'm hoping to become a doctor and would like to shadow someone in the fields of Oncology and Diagnostics."
"I'm between appointments, right now. Why don't you come in and we can talk further about this." Cuddy gestured toward her office and then followed Greg in.
"I appreciate you seeing me with such short notice, Dr. Cuddy."
"It's not a problem, Greg" responded Cuddy with a friendly smile. "Please tell me more about yourself. How old are you?"
"I'm fourteen. I was raised in New Orleans, but I have recently started living at my dad's place."
"I usually only accept older students, Greg. Why do you think I should make an exception for you?"
"I've wanted to be a doctor my whole life. There are other things I could do, but medicine is the most challenging of my options. Also, I know that I will need to have spent time around the medical profession, before I'm admitted into any medical school. PPTH has a great reputation. It would be foolish of me to go anywhere else." Greg hoped that his sucking up had sounded sincere.
His blue eyes danced as he spoke. He was gangly and still growing. When he filled out he would be handsome, but for now his expressions drifted between solemn and goofy. As Greg was speaking, Cuddy had been looking at him trying to figure out who he reminded her of. It was her inability to place him that made her decide to take him on as an intern, of sorts.
"Greg, do you have any brothers or sisters here at PPTH?"
"No ma'am, I'm an only child."
Cuddy nodded her acknowledgment. "I need to talk to the department heads of Oncology and Diagnostics. Dr. Wilson, from Oncology won't be a problem. He'll make you feel welcome and answer any questions that you might have. You may never see Dr. House. He will pawn you off on one of his fellows and that's probably a good thing. He can be…difficult.
"You will need to follow a few rules. You are to stay with the doctor you are assigned to at all times. You are not to speak to the patients without permission. If you have questions wait until you are in private to ask. Finally, when you are in a patient's room and a doctor asks you to do anything, do it without question. It might be a life or death situation and you don't want to distract the doctor from doing his job. Now, do you have any questions for me?"
Greg shook his head.
"Alright then, I will call you Monday morning after I meet with the doctors that you will be working with and we will set up a schedule for you then." Cuddy rose from her seat and Greg followed suit.
"It was nice to meet you, Dr. Cuddy. I appreciate your willingness to give me a chance."
"The pleasure was mine, Greg! This is a teaching hospital and there is always room for a student who is eager to learn!"
GHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGH
House and Wilson sat in Cuddy's office looking expectantly at Cuddy who was wearing the lowest of her low cut blouses. House knew that when she wore that shirt, he wasn't going to like what she had to say.
"Let's just get this over with, Cuddy; the girls aren't gonna work on me today!"
Cuddy sighed and resigned herself to an uphill battle.
"A student met with me last Friday who is interested in doing an internship here at the hospital, I'm going to have him shadow, you first, Wilson, for two weeks. Then, House, he will shadow you."
"No, Cuddy, he won't." House stood and left the office.
Cuddy sighed and said to Wilson, "Well, that was predictable!"
Wilson shrugged. "It may be best if House isn't involved with this kid. Keep them apart so he can have a good first experience without all the sarcasm that House brings to the table."
"How about I give House clinic hours whenever Greg is here?" Wilson smirked when he heard the kid's name. "Ironic, isn't it?"
"I like the symmetry!" Wilson grinned. "When it's time for his Diagnostics rotation, I'll supervise as he works with one of the team. Who do you think?"
"Let's wait and see," replied Cuddy. "Give him opportunities to interact with all of them and we'll see who stands out as the best match, or we can let him have an opportunity to work with all of them. They each have something different to offer."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm going to let you tell House that he's getting extra clinic duty that he can't pass off to the ducklings, since that's why you get paid the big bucks!"
"That…and you're not brave enough to do it yourself!"
"Touché!"