Chapter Text
Chase was the one who picked up the file. Woman, 34, unexplained pain, fainting, impossible bloodwork and not cancer.
House sighed, tapping the marker against the whiteboard dramatically. "Really? You found that interesting?"
"Well, the bubonic plague wouldn't return my calls."
And they'd argued. Cameron wanted to do it. Foreman didn't take sides.
It wasn't until Wilson met him for lunch that he thought of the case again.
Taking some fries off Wilson’s plate, House noticed Wilson’s sad puppy dog eyes.
"What? Sharing is caring."
Wilson had just shook his head and paused for a moment before putting down his sandwich. A sure sign he was going to talk.
"House, you've got to take this case-"
"Nope. That's the beauty of freedom. I don't."
"Hey, it's interesting, you'll like it."
"Unlikely."
"Oh, come on. I feed you!"
"Fine. Fine! This better be good."
"... you do get that people being sick isn't good?" House arched an eyebrow. Wilson grimaced. "Never mind. Don't answer that. It's this young couple. The wife is presenting with ..."
The same case.
Wilson had brought up his divorce with Julie, puppy dog eyes dampening in earnest.
House agreed to take the case in exchange for Wilson buying dinner. Just to get him to shut up.
Chase better not be smug, or he'd never let Wilson hear the end of it.
When he first saw the woman, he could tell that she'd been sick for a long time. It was written in the lines etched in her face, the tiredness in her posture, the apparent familiarity of the hospital room. Her husband, an antsy man with bloodshot eyes and a few days stubble, was holding her hand.
House gave a diagnosis 56 minutes after that meeting. After he'd insulted the intelligence of both the couple and his own employees.
But that didn't matter. That was what he did. He insulted them, he refused to lie to them, to sugarcoat the truth. He saved lives.
The only memorable thing was an offhand comment from the husband.
"You're Dr Wilson’s friend, right?"
House had shrugged it off with a snide remark.
It was the wrong diagnosis. She deteriorated overnight and had to be put in an induced coma.
The next morning, Wilson was nowhere to be found.
Then the call came.
"Your favourite oncologist and I are on a little field trip. If Via dies, so does your friend. And for every hour, you don't save her. He suffers. I want you to know what it's like to watch someone you love suffer. Except, this time it'll be your fault. She's already been in your care for 14 hours so you'll have to excuse me because your friend and I have some catching up to do. Oh, one thing. Call the police and he dies."
Call ended.
For once, House had no words.