Untitled
a House story
by midnight_angel_girl
"It could be Lupus." Cameron suggested.
"It's never Lupus." Foreman countered. "My money's on Encephalitis."
House turned expectantly to Chase, expecting him to give the third possible explanation. "And Wombat?"
"Eh-chuhh." Chase pressed a crumpled tissue from his nose and pulled another from the box. "I'm sorry. What was the question?" He asked thickly, rubbing his eyes.
"The patient. You know, the sick person we're treating." House looked at him as if he were even dumber than normal.
"Right the patient. Umm, something autoimmune."
"What specifically?" Cameron asked, somewhat more patiently than House or Foreman would have.
"Ummmm, myalgic encephalomyelitis. Eii-ihhshuhh. Pardon."
"Sure. Pick the one with no specific test." House snapped. "Foreman, Cameron, do an LP and an MRI. Check ANA and do a CBC while you're at it"
"What do you want me to do?" Chase asked, blowing his nose carefully.
"Stay the hell away from the patient since we don't want to infect them with whatever virus you're carrying."
"Fine." Chase sniffled, rubbing at his nose.
Cameron and Foreman left the office to go do the labs House requested. House pulled the nearest medical journal over to him and began to pretend to read it in order to avoid House's penetrating stare. "Eii-chhehhh, hih-chehhh, uhh-ihhhcheshh." Unfortunately his nose had other ideas.
"Alright Wombat. What is wrong with you? If you're sick, you could have shown some consideration for your co-workers, namely, me, and stayed home."
"I'm finde." Chase blew his nose again. "It's just a couple sneezes."
"22 since you've come in this morning. More than just a few sneezes. If you've got a cold, you should have stayed home."
"Doesn't feel like a cold. Just a sneezy day, I guess." He looked up to notice House sitting next to him. "What?"
"Symptoms."
"Doing a differential on me now?"
"Symptoms."
"Sneezing."
"Duh."
"Congestion."
"Again, duh." He looked closely at Chase. "Eyes itch at all?"
"A little." He reached for his crumpled tissue again. "Eiichuhhh."
House waited for him to blow his nose before pressing against his sinuses. "Hurt at all?"
"No."
"When did the symptoms start?"
"Noticed I was a bit stuffy yesterday, worse today, but I don't feel sick."
"Eyes been watering?"
"A little." Chase rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.
"History of allergies?"
"Some, back in Melbourne. But not a pro…ihhchhh…not a problem since I moved here 4 years ago."
"I think it's hay fever." House concluded.
"I just told you, I've never had allergy problems in the states, except for animal dander. I doubt that's the case now."
"You Did go to medical school right? Remember the part where they discussed that allergies can occur at any time? Exposure is the key. Eyes are red and watery, you're sneezy and congested, yet don't feel sick; you've been rubbing your nose; you've even got that little `allergic crease' starting on it. I can get Cameron in here for a second opinion."
"Hiichuhhh, uhhchehh, chishhoo."
"And you're up to 27 sneezes." House got up and walked over to his desk. Returning to the conference table, he threw a packet of pills down. "Diphenhydramine. I'd recommend you take it, especially as I'm sick of listening to you sniffle and sneeze."
Sighing, Chase reached for his coffee and downed the pills. "Thanks."
House rolled his eyes. "Please. It was to keep my sanity, not to help you. I'll write you a scrip for Allegra. In the meantime, you can go and research what may be causing the patient's symptoms other than Lupus or Encephalitis."
Grabbing the tissue box from the table, Chase headed over to the computer start the task House had assigned.
Written because Chase won't leave me alone to write Expecting Comfort because he feels that I need to write something about him.
Disclaimer: Again, I do not own the cast and/or characters of House MD; rather they own me.