Just A Colleague

DNR

Victoria

"So, what are his sats?" Foreman ask

"Staying in the 90s on the nasal cannula." Chase answers.

"Coughing up much Sputum?"

"Almost none. He seems to be stabilized." Cameron looks at him.

"Dr. House" I lift my head from the table to see Foreman looking at me dad instead of me. "Is anything back from micro?"

Dad put his cane from his face and tilt his head. "Not yet. You gonna fire me?"

"You can make up for it by washing my car." I snort at Foreman's comeback.

"Oh, this is fun." Dad point cane at me. "Heard that junior you've got a job"
I give him a glare which he ignores.

"Okay. Let's keep him on the broad-spectrum antibiotics. And since he's displaying septic physiology, draw blood for adrenal and thyroid function." Robert and Cameron gets up to only by stopped by dad who has his legs on the table.

"What about the paralysis?" Dad looks at Foreman.

"We're sticking to the pneumonia."

"Well, you certainly are, boss, like a wet tongue stick to dry ice." Robert and Cameron sits back on the chairs.

"The paralysis has already been diagnosed by Dr. Hamilton, it's ALS."

"Lou Gehrig's disease. It's lovely diagnosis. They make movies about it. No tests, no treatment, it's a disease of exclusion."

"Because Hamilton has excluded everything else."

"I haven't." Dad stood and took a white marker from Foreman. "What else it could be?"

"Guillain-Barre, which would be reversible" Robert leans forward.

"Excellent." Dad starts writing but Foreman steals the marker back.

"No. The progression of the paralysis would be symmetric. This wasn't." Foreman looks at Cameron.

"Transverse myelitis."

"Hamilton tested for it. Negative. And he was negative for masses and AVM."

"Antibodies could be attacking the nerves. Multifocal motor neuropathy."
I lean my cheek against my palm and let my Eyelids close. Robert's voice drowns. I hear silent voices.

Slams!

I jump at the sound and looks to see dad's cane next to me on the table.

"You had to do it?" I massage my head.

"If you wouldn't sleep than I wouldn't"

"I have a headache"

"That's not my problem get a tablet. I don't share my Vicodin" I scowl at him.

...

"What happened to you doctor?"

"If I told that I tried to play on instrument and it went wrong would you believe me?" I look at patient.

He chuckles. "No."

"I got a punch from abusive mother, when I was protecting little boy."

"So you think the breathing stuff is connected to my ALS?"

"Well, Dr. House thinks.."

"House? Yeah, I heard about him. Obsessive son of bitch?" I giggled at his words.

"And that's one of many reasons to get married." I sigh. "I will be happy if he don't do anything stupid on my weeding."

"Ex-wife?"