Today the hospital had an epidemic, not some tiny one with like 100 people, 890 people were sent here when a meningitis outbreak occurred at a local swimming pool. During epidemics it's a pretty standard and boring routine. Temperature over 38• give them a blue slip, under 38• give them a yellow slip. This morning I was administering the clinic when I saw House walk in, look around then turn around to leave. I ran up to stop him.
"Where do you think you're going?" I asked him
"Sorry, lot of sick people. I might catch something." He replied
"A judge at the campus pool center collapsed, LP revealed a virulent form of bacterial meningitis. Since you are a doctor currently employed at this hospital you have a duty to treat patients"
"Great, you've already got it diagnosed, you don't need me." He replied
"2500 people at the pool center were exposed. They're being bused to all the neighboring hospitals. We're full and need all the doctors we can get"
"That's a problem of resources, not diagnostics. I'd get in everyone's way." He said and turned around to leave
"You can't legally leave, you've been exposed so you can either pick the easy way and stay or I could have the security guards make you stay"
He turned around sadly and walked to the exam room to look at patients.
A few hours later I was checking out patients, I was only in charge of administration until Cuddy came back from Boston. I was in the room and behind it was an endless line of people just waiting to be seen
"All right, no fever, no rash, you're fine. Take these two pills, and show this blue slip to Security on your way out. Next!" I said
A young girl walked in probably 12 or 13 years old. She sat down on the table and I took her temperature.
"I'm Mary" she said
"Nice to meet you Mary I'm Dr. Kingston"
I took the thermometer out of her mouth
"38.4" I said as I looked at the thermometer
"Fever. Does that mean I have it?" She asked
"Do you have a rash?"
Mary lifts her jacket to reveal a red rash on her hip.
"It's from my new bathing suit, I've had it a week. I was one of the swimmers at the competition, I've been here for a week competing"
"Okay, Does your neck hurt?"
"It's nothing. I pulled it trying to do a three-and-a-half tuck."
"Where are your parents?"
"We live in Chicago. I'm here with my coach."
"Okay, can you do this for me" I said turning my neck from side to side
She tried by it hurt her. This isn't meningitis but it's something.
"Mary, I'm going to admit you. Go tell your coach take you to the waiting room on the second floor"
She sighed and went to do as I said. I walked out of the exam room and walked into the one House was occupying. I peered in.
"I need you now" I said
"I'm okay staying here" he replied
"I've got a good case"
"I'm coming" he said as he stood up
We rounded everyone else up and went to the office, I described Mary's symptoms.
"Maybe something systemic." Said Chase
"Or maybe it's meningitis." Said Taub
"She's had the rash a week. If it was this meningitis, she'd be dead by now."
"King, It's the definition of meningitis!" Said Foreman
"Sure, pus in the spinal canal makes it hurt to move your head up and down, but her head only hurts moving side to side."
"Oh, side to side. That's what proved this theory to you" Said Foreman
"C'mon Foreman don't be such a Debbie Downer. This is a case and we need to solve the puzzle" Said House
"House, this is clearly meningitis. Are you really going to go through with this just because you want it to be a case so you'll have a puzzle to solve"
"That's right. I would subject a 12-year-old to a battery of dangerous and evasive tests to avoid being bored." He said sarcastically
We all stared at him.
"Okay, maybe I would do that, but I'm not. If it turns out she does have meningitis, you're right, you win, but if we go back downstairs and she dies... your face will be so red." He said pointing at the team
"Fine" said Foreman
"Okay great, Foreman go do a lumbar puncture"
Foreman got up to go do it as the rest of us stayed behind.
"What do we do?" Asked Taub
"Umm, go make friends. You guys are too antisocial"
"That's rich coming from the most antisocial person on the planet" I replied
"I enjoy my hypocritical thinking, it's a part of being antisocial" he replied
"It could be an STD" I said
"Yes, because a twelve year old decided to have sex. It says her she hasn't had sexual intercourse before" he said pointing at the file
"That's only what she told us, go test her for any STD you think would fit her symptoms" Said House and we walked out to run the tests. We walked down to the patients room to get samples, once we did we went to the pathology lab and ran the tests.
"Do you actually think this girl has an STD?" Asked Taub
"I'm sorry that I don't see the same purity that you see in the world" I replied
"You've worked with House way too long" he replied
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's affecting your judgement, you are subjecting a 12 year old girl to a bunch of unnecessary tests because you don't believe her when she says she has never had sex"
"So what, I second guess what people say sometimes. That's not a terrible trait"
"Whatever you say King"
"Just run the damn tests and leave me alone!" I said and went back to my tests
We ran them for awhile and no positives so far.
"I'm sorry I exploded on you, I shouldn't have reacted like that" I said finally after about 10 minutes of silence.
"It's fine, I shouldn't have come down on you like that. It's not a problem to second guess people sometimes it's just the way you think."
I looked down at my test
"Holy shit" I said
"What?" He replied
"She doesn't have an STD... she's pregnant!"
"We gotta tell House"
We left the pathology lab and went to Houses office. We explained that Mary was pregnant. He took no interest to it and told us to go downstairs to question her. We arrived at her room.
"I'll go ask her" I said
"Why not me?" Asked Taub
"Because... your a dude" I said and walked in. He seemed to think my reason was fine so he left.
"Hi Mary" I said as I walked in
"Hi" she said
"I need to ask you a few serious questions and you need to answer them honestly or else we won't know how to treat you, okay"
"Okay"
"Mary, have you ever had sex"
"What, no!"
"Well your pregnancy test came back positive"
"What"
"Mary, if anything happened. If you were raped or assaulted in any way we can help you. You just need to tell me the truth"
She sighed
"I wasn't raped... I knew what I was doing I just didn't think I would get pregnant" she said
"Who was it" I replied
"Why do you need to know?"
"Because, we need to test them for any STD's or anything... and they need to be arrested if they are over the age of 18...... so who was it?"
"My......My swim coach"
"Okay...I'll be back soon" I said as I got up
"Wait!" She said
"Yes" I turned around
"Do you need to tell my parents?"
"We need to do an abortion so we don't need to tell them, it's your choice"
"Please don't tell them"
"I won't" I said and left.
I ran into Wilson down the hall.
"Hey, I haven't seen you all day" I said
"Yeah, I had a surgery that took a little too long" he replied
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, the prep just took awhile. The patient kept having second thoughts"
"Oh okay. I was wondering if you wanted to come to my place tonight?" I asked him
"I'd love too" he smiled
"Okay, 7:30 good?"
"Yeah, I'll be there" he looked at his watch
"Oh, I'm late for a meeting with a patient. I'll see you tonight." He said and walked away
"See you"
I walked back towards House's office and saw that he was watching that whole conversation.
"I will give you 100$ to stop dating him" he said as I walked in
"What a weak offer" I replied
"Would you do it if I offered you more?"
"Nope, I'm happy with Wilson and I'm not giving that up"
"Whatever, I can tell you guys aren't that serious"
"Where are you getting that from?"
"You've been dating for a few weeks now and you still call each other Wilson and King not James and Amelia"
"I give up on your stupid theories House" I said and went to go make a coffee.
HOW THE FRICK DO I WRITE THE END OF A STORY?!? I just cut it off when I'm bored of writing but whatever.
Thanks 🙏 for 520 reads! ILYSM!!!