House, M.D. s05e21 Episode Script

You made your point, now how about letting us do our job? Our point will be made when your company stops tearing down this mountain.
Then who's gonna feed our kids? You? If you really cared about your kids you'd want them to have air to breathe when they grow up.
What did you say, you son of a bitch? You guys aren't the problem.
You're being hurt more than anyone.
You breathe in that coal dust Coal is the dirtiest energy on Earth.
Gonna need some backup.
Not enough for you thugs to assault the environment? Doug, please, don't.
Susan? Susan, you okay? She needs to get to a hospital.
She's just dehydrated.
We have medics here.
Let them give her fluids.
She has no pulse.
Either unhook your arm or I'm gonna break it off.
Either way, this protest is over.
The protest is over, come on! All right.
What happened? You passed out.
It's okay.
Just dehydrated.
You know we'll be back.
We'll be back! Hey, stop screwing around.
I'm not screwing around.
I just can't I can't stand up.
I need to push back our getaway.
No, you don't.
I found you a board, perfect size to learn on.
I'm just postponing.
O'Neil, from Philly General wants me to get a patient in to see House.
So? I owe him a favor.
He's taken about a dozen of my referrals over the last year.
I meant, so, that's five seconds to hand House the file your real motives a minute for witty comments comparing the length of your legs to Thirteen's Plenty of time left over for the shore.
I need to make sure he doesn't toss the file in the trash as soon as I'm out of sight.
Babe, can't you repay the favor on another case? After last week, I could really use a break from this place.
We both could.
Once I'm sure he's really on the case then we're out of here.
And these legs, and every other part of me, will be all yours.
He's seen three different specialists.
Interesting.
Almost as interesting as you trying to step into Kutner's shoes just days after he stepped out of them.
I am not shoe shopping I'm just trying to repay a favor to his referring doctor.
What's the mystery? The nutcase spends all his free time wreaking havoc at toxic waste dumps.
Tox screen's negative.
No neurological, muscular or cardiovascular abnormalities.
The guy cares about the environment, that makes him a nutcase? He's a single guy in his 20s he cares about getting his hybrid waxed by girls who care about the environment.
See? Not a nutcase.
He's probably just faking so he can sue the cops and get a six-figure settlement.
If he was trying to fake an illness why would he consent to be seen by the best diagnostician in the country? Now look who's trying to get her hybrid waxed.
We need to do a vestibular caloric test see if the balance problem starts above or below the neck.
And when I say "we," I mean you.
You're the one with a favor to repay, not them.
I'm going to be injecting ice-water in your ear canal.
If the resulting eye movements are at all erratic then the balance problem's in your inner ear.
Those in every room? I think so.
Can you get rid of them? Preferably from every room? They use over 30 pesticides to grow commercial flowers.
You'd think the medical industry would be a lot more Concerned with medicine? Let's fix your body, then you can go back to fixing the Earth.
This is gonna get a little uncomfortable.
I just spent 14 hours chained to a tire.
Most doctors would recommend Our planet's headed for destruction.
Coastlines underwater, a million species extinct.
Whoa! Feels like I'm tumbling head over heels.
It's normal.
Sometimes this test causes vertigo and nausea.
Cameron just brought me a case.
Cameron is happy in the ER.
There's no way she wants her nose back on your grindstone.
Egg-white omelet, no bacon, whole-wheat toast.
I say it's not my grindstone she's after and not her nose she wants on it.
She and Chase are practically living together.
What did you just order? An omelet.
Since when do you pass on the swine? And wheat toast? Might as well eat a sheet of sandpaper.
Yes, but I don't like eating the same thing two days in a row.
Your bro's nurse not loving the love handles? I'm just not in the mood for bacon and you are obviously trying to avoid talking about Kutner which is odd because you spent a whole week obsessing about why He's no longer on my team.
I'm sorry he's no longer on my team.
There's nothing else to talk about.
You're wearing the watch he gave you for Secret Santa.
Five functions, including a stopwatch to time how long it takes you to ask me if I'm okay.
You gonna order? Not hungry.
It's just weird.
She's brought cases before but he's never made her run the tests.
Maybe he's looking for someone to mother him after what happened.
The only kind of mothering House wants involves a bullwhip, leather diapers and a credit card.
Mommy's home.
Test made the patient lose his lunch, but his calorics are normal his inner ear is fine and he still can't balance himself.
How many normal test results do we need to know the patient's a granola-filled phony? He's not lying about his symptoms.
And you know this because She changed her shoes.
If he was faking, he'd have vomited on the other side of the bed.
Sparring with the police and chaining yourself up for days can cause stress.
Stress screws with the heart and arteries.
Carotid atherosclerosis could cause a loss of balance.
Wouldn't show up on CT or MRI.
It could also be our only warning before a massive stroke.
Do a Holter and a carotid doppler see if his heart skips for more than the Spotted Owl.
Although I didn't say "we," if I had Sorry if this is screwing up the test.
Been hiccupping a lot lately, but not as bad as this.
How much is a lot? And how long is lately? It's been on and off for about a week.
Maybe a few hours a day.
Did you tell the doctors in Philly about it? They didn't seem to think it was any big deal.
Hey, so we're still leaving tomorrow, aren't we? I'm not sure.
The referring doctors didn't realize that his hiccups were Hiccups? With this duration and intensity, most likely pathological and it could mean it's serious.
Are you avoiding me? No.
So, I shouldn't be at all concerned that you're treating another doctor's patient for hiccups instead of going on the vacation I spent a week planning? There is a reason I need to stay with this case a while longer but I can't tell you what it is.
So, you admit you lied to me, now you're asking me to trust you.
Yes.
Okay.
No sign of heart or arterial problems but he's been hiccupping on and off for over a week.
Nice.
I'm hooked.
You can get back to your shift at the ER except, as far as the ER is concerned, you're on vacation, right? I postponed a trip because I'm concerned about the patient.
Explains why you ditched Chase and came to the differentials not why you ran the tests.
You told me to.
Well, I'm not your boss something you usually take great pleasure in pointing out.
Hey, you don't still have the hots for me, do you? I care about the patient and I care about the people who work on your team they've been through a lot lately.
I just thought I Was Florence Nightingale and you're gonna nurse us back to spiritual and mental oneness.
That would make sense if we were having this conversation a week ago.
Think what you want, that I'm here to get a job that I'm here to wrap you in swaddling clothes.
Problem is, I think neither.
Because neither makes sense.
The only thing that does, doesn't.
Pathological hiccups plus inability to balance, go.
What she said.
Brain would connect the two.
It could if Cameron hadn't already CT'd his head.
Empty as her boyfriend's calendar.
What does this have to do with Chase? Nothing.
Not sure yet.
Patient is on a jihad against commercial flowers he's picketed several nurseries.
Organophosphate poisoning can cause both hiccups and No GI problems, no hypersalivation.
It's possible it's not connected to a protest.
MS wouldn't show on the CT, and his name is Swenson.
Scandinavians have an increased susceptibility to MS.
Better theory than, "He's faking it.
" The clogs have it.
Do a lumbar puncture to confirm MS.
I guess we'll just continue to twiddle our thumbs.
God, I hope that's a euphemism.
How am I supposed to do a lumbar puncture on a patient with intractable hiccups? I'm trying to figure out what that could be a euphemism for.
You'll find a way.
You're not worried House is gonna be pissed you're helping me do the test? He said find a way, and you did.
How do you think House is doing? That why you're here? Yeah.
No, it isn't.
Even if House was messed up by Kutner's suicide, it wouldn't matter.
He already thinks life is nasty, brutish and long and misery helps his diagnostic skills.
All of which you know, so, why are you here? Which answer would you believe? If you want Kutner's place, it's fine by me.
I could use someone else with the stones to stand up to House.
But you've got to know that's gonna blow up your relationship with Chase.
All I did was postpone a three-day trip.
With Chase, to be with House.
What are you doing? Ordering IV chlorpromazine.
This could still be neurological.
You can cloud his mental status.
You wanna get the needle in his spine or you wanna talk? You and House been talking about filling Kutner's slot? Yeah, we went straight from the funeral to Human Resources.
You interested in getting back on the team? I'm interested in knowing if Cameron's interested.
She's been running all the tests for House's case.
Well, she hasn't said anything to me.
But I guess the referring doctor might have asked her to keep an eye on him.
Do you think Cameron's in love with House? That is a ridiculous question.
She's in love with you.
Are you in love with House? That is an even more ridiculous question.
Two questions, zero answers.
I think I can extrapolate from there.
Dr.
House? Sorry, I'm just the zone delivery guy.
I'm Doug Swenson's wife.
His history said the environmental kamikaze was single.
He probably didn't want me to worry.
He told me he was in jail with some of the other protesters.
Yeah, well, no worries there.
He's in jail a lot.
Not so often in the hospital.
I searched his e-mail, and I found the referral to you yesterday.
You must really love your husband, and travel by rickshaw.
Only took you 18 hours to get here.
Who eats kale? It's so bland it doesn't even taste like kale.
I had to find somebody to take care of our 4-year-old son.
Doug's all right, isn't he? I have no idea.
I know he's an idiot and now I've learned that he's a liar, so we're making Who told you that I was in here? The doctor in the office next to yours said that you might be here.
I got it figured out.
That mean we don't need to do the LP? I was talking to her.
You're not even supposed to be here.
You want us to stop or not? What? I don't care what you do with him.
You're not doing a favor for a doctor in Philly you're doing a favor for an oncologist in North Jersey.
I'm spying on you for Wilson? Spying, pre-emptive grief counseling Wilson sees you 10 times more than I do, he's a better liar and he wouldn't have to cancel a vacation to do it.
Good points.
Also doesn't explain the diet.
What does any of this have to do with my husband? Nothing.
Meet Mrs.
Environmental Nutbag, or did you keep your maiden name? He's married? Yep.
Got a kid, too.
Double threat, eco-freak and deadbeat dad.
House! Sorry, parentally challenged.
No, his neck.
It's torticollis, reaction to the chlorpromazine.
That's not just a spasm, it's swollen.
Crunchy.
It's definitely not MS.
Crunching sounds were caused by an air leak between his lungs.
The leak in his mediastinum could've been caused by prolonged hiccups.
More likely it was the neck spasm.
Most likely it was there all along.
We just didn't notice until the other symptoms made it worse.
So, what causes loss of balance, pathological hiccups and a hole in his Gloria Steinem? He was protesting a lumber mill last fall.
Sarcoid's been linked to pine forests.
No, his AC levels are normal.
Progressive systemic sclerosis? Guy practically lives in industrial waste sites.
If a solvent got absorbed through his lungs, caused an autoimmune firestorm Start him on IV methylprednisolone for systemic sclerosis.
Do a full work-up to confirm.
By myself? Without yourself.
Grab a bat.
Grab some pine.
Time to bring in the first string.
Why? You obviously want to be here.
I can't figure out why.
So I want to see where you go when you can't be here.
You know what vacation means, right? You here because of House, Chase, or overtime issues? He's very concerned.
Chase, not House.
If it's all right with you I'd rather communicate with Chase by communicating with Chase.
Are you in love with House? You are not concerned about me.
You're marking your territory.
You shouldn't be involved with House neither should I, neither should anyone.
You and Chase are good together.
Don't screw it up.
When are you gonna stop this? How can you ask me to stop? You're in a hospital.
You have a son.
The steroids ought to get him breathing normally again.
But autoimmune diseases are serious.
Might not be a bad idea to take some time at home, rest up.
I can't just quit.
Do you hate us that much? I love you, and I love our son.
But why should he matter more than everyone else's? He does.
Why? Because he's biologically connected to me? There's no rational reason.
He's our son.
And he's going to need to drink clean water and breathe clean air.
I'm doing this for him, too.
Come on in, House.
Because who else is it going to be at 10:30 at night? And, no, thanks, I already ate.
I didn't ask you to dinner.
But you were going to.
And when I explained that I'd eaten hours ago you were going to move on to your real entree rifling through my kitchen.
Hmm.
Inviting me to search your kitchen.
Means you know that I'd find nothing or you know that I'd find something so you're hoping that I'm gonna assume the former and I won't bother to look.
Or it means it's late, I'm tired I know you're here to advance some paranoid theory based on a single egg-white omelet, and I'd like to get it over with so we can both go to sleep.
Your single-omelet theory conveniently overlooks the grassy knoll you had for lunch today a vegetable and grain gag-a-thon.
The Warren Commission found no evidence of a second lunch possibly because it was stolen from the doctors' lounge.
You're not getting any fatter your medical records were clean.
You checked my You're alone tonight, so it's Kutner.
How could Kutner have any conceivable Your patients live, your patients die you float above it all like a medical colossus.
But a fellow doctor dies That's brilliant.
Kutner was a wake-up call that if I didn't eat healthier I might kill myself.
Mortality is mortality.
And ice cream is ice cream.
Full-fat content.
Quadruple-fat content.
Stuff you haven't eaten just proves you haven't eaten it.
You were hoping for evidence of stuff I have eaten? First door on the right.
Excruciating pain in his left leg.
Acute onset, about 10 minutes ago.
What are you doing to him? I assume they were checking for vascular pulsation.
Either it's negative or he's a big wuss.
It's not a tumor or an aneurysm.
Metabolic bone disease? Bone density's normal.
But the bone covering might not be.
If it's osteomyelitis, an infection eating away at his periosteum Explains the pain.
Odds are it's a subclinical infection that we made worse with the steroids we gave him.
Start him on IV antibiotics, x - Ray his legs to confirm osteomyelitis.
Cameron's already done a full set of lower body x-rays.
Infection obviously flared, do them again.
Even if I had changed my diet what possible reason could I have for hiding it from you? Ankle, tibia, fibula, all look normal.
No inflammation, no signs of osteo.
Hang in there, we're almost done.
You and your wife, you talk about stuff? Sex.
No.
Anything else.
Money.
I'm gonna go way out on a limb here.
Foreman not a Chatty Cathy? Normally, it doesn't matter.
Last week, it did.
You want to date men, good chance talking won't be His femur's fractured.
That's impossible.
It's the hardest bone in the body.
And he broke it lying in bed.
How can you have a broken femur without so much as a bruise? Whatever broke it had to do it from within.
Osteogenesis imperfecta? Brittle bones wouldn't cause hiccups plus we'd have seen abnormal coloring in the sclerae.
Which leaves cancer.
Since when does bone cancer cause hiccups? Which means it's a bone cancer.
Or it's not cancer.
House is right.
It'd be hard to find a guy outside Chernobyl who'd been exposed to more carcinogens pesticide plants, nuclear waste sites.
Tell Chase to repair the break.
You two prep him for chemo.
You want to blast him with chemo for a cancer we don't even know he has? No.
I want to blast him with chemo for a cancer that explains the symptoms.
Intramedullary nail.
Hold on.
That your House imitation? Some late-breaking epiphany? Just need you to get a bone biopsy before you insert the pin.
For a broken leg? House is prepping him for chemo.
Thought it might be worth checking for cancer before pumping him full of poison.
Does Cameron agree with House? Cameron's not on the case anymore.
Oh.
Still enjoying your day off, I see.
Why are you prepping him for chemo? The more interesting question is, why do you care? You're not even sure that it's What I mean is, why do you care from here? You can monitor the patient from home.
What's the difference between here and home? You're not at my home.
This has nothing to do with Any other differences? Hmm.
There's less medical equipment, more training bras and more Vegemite sandwiches.
Actually, technically, right now Chase is here but that's because I called him and you didn't know that and it's irrelevant to my point, which is you and Chase are over.
You are wrong.
You decided that his single drawer of clothes is one drawer too many.
But you don't have the guts to tell him so you're emotionally walking away instead of actually walking away which is stupid because only one of those is good for your heart.
He's gonna ask me to marry him.
I was looking for some thick socks, found the ring.
And you want to say no.
So I circle right back to his single drawer of clothes I don't want to say anything.
I don't want him to ask.
Not now.
Kutner We're all a little freaked out.
We go home, we just want to hug someone.
We just want to know everything's gonna be okay.
I don't want him to propose just because he's scared.
Oh.
She's got a headache, fever, she's completely exhausted.
Tell him about your chest, honey.
Her breasts are really tender.
You guys have a hot tub? No.
So you must go to the gym a lot? Not in years.
But maybe when you travel on business, you zip on down to that complimentary hotel spa.
No.
Sorry, did you just say yes? What the hell is wrong with her? Got a minute? He doesn't.
What's wrong with her? Sorry, I'm sure she's got a medical crisis and I need more time to figure out some leading questions for your wife.
What's going on with Cameron? She doesn't want back on my team, and she doesn't want to jump me.
Okay.
What? You ask a question, I rule out two possibilities, and you're satisfied? That means you don't want an answer you just wanted to know there wasn't a particular answer.
Either you were worried that she wanted back on my team or you were worried she wanted back on me.
This isn't a medical crisis, is it? Could be.
A lot of STDs hang in the balance.
I give up.
Vinegar compresses four times a day.
Any chance I could just leave it at that? No.
Pseudomonas folliculitis.
It's a skin infection from crowded and contaminated hot tubs which you obviously use, but not with your husband.
Tried to help a sister out.
The nuclei were all normal-sized bone cells are well-differentiated.
No dysplasia means no cancer.
That's good, isn't it? We hope so, although it also means we still have no idea what caused the break.
How does it feel? It hurts.
Is it supposed to look like that? No, but it's probably just residual bleeding from the surgery.
We should be able to Need two units of FFP, right away.
Oh, my God.
What's happening? He's bleeding out.
Means it's gotta be cancer.
It's gotta be, except it's not.
The biopsy was negative.
Biopsies can be wrong, symptoms can't.
All signs point to cancer, but you can't blast a cancer you can't find.
Sure you can.
Prep him for total-body irradiation.
You do realize that's insane.
Not unless you think the cancer's cleverly hiding outside his body.
Steroids already weakened his immune system.
That much radiation will kill him before it kills the cancer.
And if he doesn't have cancer, we could cause one or destroy his immune system altogether.
The guy could die from an infected toenail.
So you'd rather do nothing, just let him die on his own? I'd rather make his cancer worse.
Give him insulin-like growth factor, make any tumor or malignancy grow.
Grows big enough, we can find it.
That's like pouring gasoline on a fire.
At least total-body irradiation is an actual treatment.
His idea is better.
Pour away.
I've lost my mojo.
Have you retraced your steps? Does your cleaning lady check your pockets before I was clueless about Kutner, I was wrong about Cameron Taub just came up with an idea that I should have seen long before he did.
No one saw anything coming with Kutner you hardly ever see Cameron anymore and you hired Taub to come up with ideas that you wouldn't have come up with.
And I have no idea why you're eating carrots.
Good.
I'm losing my mind, all you got to say is, "Good"? House, a guy you worked with for two years, who you mentored and, yes, possibly even cared about, just blew his brains out.
You can't find the reason, can't find the meaning in it because sometimes there isn't any.
Sometimes this is all there is.
You should be losing it.
You'd be crazy not to be off your game.
But your mojo's right where you left it.
Just keep playing with it.
I gotta go.
Help yourself.
I know this is a tough process.
At the first sign of any tumors or masses we can Start saying prayers? It's gonna be okay.
Once we can No, it is not gonna be okay.
You're growing his cancer.
This isn't the doctors' fault.
I've exposed myself to a lot of bad stuff.
I knew the risks.
I want my life to mean something and if that means I'm destined to He's in V-tach, and no pulse.
Grab the paddles.
Oh, God.
Charging.
Clear.
Charging.
Clear.
I've been looking for you.
And I've been thinking about you.
Just hadn't reached the looking stage yet.
Which is the problem.
You asked for a day, I gave you two.
You told me you had a secret you couldn't share, I respected that.
Now I don't know what's worse blowing off our vacation to hang around House or continuing to blow it off when he won't hang around you.
If you think I'm the least bit interested in House I don't know what I'm supposed to think.
I know this looks bad and I don't care how it looks, I care what it is.
And you're not telling me what it is.
I'm trying to trust you, but I just I need a little more time.
No.
This has nothing to do with House.
Yeah, well, it has nothing to do with me either, not anymore.
Let me know when I can come pick up my things.
Nothing on the echo.
We drew a troponin level no signs of myocardial ischemia.
All the tests were normal.
Loss of balance, pathological hiccups, air leak between the lungs broken femur, now tachycardia.
Go.
Come on, give me something.
Give me a bad idea maybe I can turn it into a good one.
Fine.
Open him up, put in a defibrillator.
That's permanent and risky.
We don't even know what, if anything, is wrong with his heart.
Redo all the tests.
In the meantime, open him up, put in a defibrillator so he can live long enough for you to finish the tests.
Balance organs, nerves, lungs, bones, heart.
Things you use to make bratwurst? There's no sign of infection it's not a metabolic or autoimmune disease.
It's definitely not cancer.
I think.
Definitely not cancer.
Aren't you gonna pick? I'm thinking.
Is there a ticking clock? You already put your money in.
You never do that until you decide.
That's very observant of you.
Too bad you distracted me.
Now I'm thinking I might change my mind.
There's nothing healthy in that machine.
No, there's not.
Gummi Bears.
You hate Gummi Bears.
People can change.
No.
And more importantly, I hate them.
Oh, fine.
Then I won't offer you any.
You manipulative bitch.
You're not suddenly eating healthy because you want to.
You're eating healthy because you know I don't want to.
I've been mooching food for 10 years so either something started bothering you this week or you're Screwing with you.
It needed to be done.
After Amber died, I withdrew, tried to change everything hoping I'd sort it out, find some deeper truth.
It was a mistake.
I should have gone back to normal, to here and now.
Because that's all we can ever really count on.
Things need to get back to normal in your life.
And what could be more normal than me screwing with you and you figuring it out? You manipulative bitch.
We need to put in a cardioverter defibrillator.
It'll keep your heart beating while we keep looking.
What does that mean? It means, even if we figure this out you'll have to stop protesting anywhere not near a hospital.
Hi.
Got a few questions.
We're about to start doing A hopefully pointless medical procedure.
Your life and my mojo hang in the balance.
Pesticides are evil, which means that commercial flowers are doused in evil but plant life is nature's answer to evil.
So you have a garden.
No.
We live in an apartment.
A window box then? No.
Potted plants? Nothing.
The commercial growers Yeah, they're evil.
Yeah, got it.
House, I really don't think we have time for this.
Your marriage sucks.
Thank you.
All marriages suck.
Your marriage sucks.
No.
I love her.
He loves a tree in Oregon more than he loves you but he can't have sex with it.
Unless it's that slutty oak outside Portland.
You want to get to your point? She's had enough.
She's gonna leave, maybe she's just not putting out, whatever.
You gotta make it right.
Right away.
You gotta compromise that precious flower principle.
Never.
Once.
Three weeks ago.
Our anniversary.
I missed the dinner to be at that rally.
You planned it for months.
You were mad, really mad.
I bought you flowers.
I brought them home.
You were gone, so was your suitcase.
I tossed them, bought you the earrings.
Roses? Yes.
You have sporotrichosis.
It's an infection from the thorn of the rose which by any other name is still a cheap marital aid.
The flowers are what gave me Lesion on your eighth cranial nerve knocks out your balance another on your phrenic nerve gives you serial hiccups.
We then spread it to your bones and heart with steroids and insulin-like growth factor.
Please tell us that this is good news.
It's good news for him, it's good news for future generations.
It's crappy news for you.
He's gonna be fine.
And he'll never doubt himself again.
There you go.
Damn.
I was hoping to interrupt something.
Your favor's repaid, patient's cured.
He's already packing for another Earth Day extravaganza next week.
He almost died.
He can't take a few days at home with his family? People only change after a trauma if they wanted to change before the trauma.
Or if they've watched too many After School Specials.
You talking about Chase? I'm talking about you.
You lost husband number one, no surprise that the death of a colleague would make you question another long-term lease.
You teaching commitment classes? 'Cause I thought you were too busy with your lecture I'm sure that was going to be hysterical.
Let me just give you the Cliff Notes.
Don't try to dump him by dumping cases on me.
I told you, I never wanted to dump Chase.
Absolutely.
You wanted him to dump you.
It's totally different, much less guilt.
Either way, you're out of reasons to avoid him.
Kutner was a pretty dumb one to begin with.
I should never have postponed our vacation.
I should never have planned it.
I found the ring in your sock.
I didn't want you to propose out of some sort of knee-jerk reaction to what happened to Kutner.
Well, I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore.
I'm not.
I I don't care how it happens, I just want it to happen.
Are you proposing to me? I'm proposing that you propose to me.
After I broke up with you? After you ruined my planned proposal? You expect me to I'm not expecting.
I'm hoping.
Yes.
Solved another case busted Wilson.
Looks like you're not losing it after all.