Fic: Second Opinion 3/3
Title: Second Opinion 3/3
Total Word Count: 3073
Pairing: Glitch/Cain (background)
Crossover: Tin Man with House
Author's Note:
Yet another fic inspired by, but growing beyond the bounds of, tinman100! (Response to the suggestion: crossover)
Many thanks are due to my beta-reader, TODS, who performed yeoman service on this story, with incredibly fast turnaround as well.
Part 1
Part 2
"Aren't there any more tests we can do?" Glitch asked as Foreman pushed him down the hall in a wheelchair. "These have been so much fun. I really liked the sugar-uptake one with the screen to look at." Foreman had been able to show him his brain activity in real time on a new display monitor; his patient had initially shown a childlike joy in observing the results, and then asked some surprisingly penetrating questions, a pattern that persisted throughout every test.
Foreman smiled. "I have to say, you've been the most cooperative patient I've ever had. To say nothing of the easiest to examine. I wish more of my patients had zippers."
Glitch looked suddenly somber.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," said Foreman quickly.
"No, it's just ... it would take too long to explain. Never mind," Glitch said quickly. "Are you sure we can't do the MRI? It sounded so fascinating."
Foreman shook his head. "Even if the zipper is, as you say, made from an alloy unknown to Western science, there's enough recognizable metal in it that the machine would try to pull it out."
"Hm," said Glitch. "Yes, I suppose that would damage the internal chamber."
"To say nothing of you!"
"Oh, yes, you're quite right." Glitch sat quietly for a moment, then began to fidget. "I can walk, you know."
"Hospital policy," said Foreman. "Err on the side of caution."
"Did you tell me that before?" Glitch asked. There was no sarcasm in his voice.
"Several times," Foreman admitted. He had noted similar lapses during some of the tests, particularly the interview and the memory inventory. Sometimes Glitch had appeared to be dodging questions or giving half-answers, but other times he had clearly gone blank.
"See, that's what worries me," said Glitch. "I told you how I got my nickname, didn't I? Sometimes my synapses--"
"That's something you've only told me once," Foreman interrupted.
They reached Glitch's room.
"What's the news?" Cain asked as soon as they came in. DG went over and put a hand on Glitch's shoulder. He smiled at her and patted her hand. Raw hovered nearby, looking cautiously optimistic at the vibes emanating from patient and doctor.
Foreman handed House a folder. "He exhibits complete proprioception and coordination as well as very high reasoning skills in every area. He clearly has both long-term and short-term memory problems, but with proper therapy I think that both of those can be addressed." He looked serious. "That's the good news. What would be bad news, if the good news wasn't this good, is that I don't think any further surgery is advisable. What's left of his brain has accommodated itself to the current situation for quite a number of years. Trying to reintegrate the missing portion could reduce functionality, rather than improve it. I mean, it could make him worse. Much worse."
The group looked relieved. Cain shook Foreman's hand. "Thank you," he said. "We appreciate your time. This is good news. We'll be leav--"
"Missing portion?" interrupted House. "They were thinking of reintegrating--you mean they've got the missing piece?" He looked suspiciously at the group, as if one of them might be hiding half-a-brain in a pocket.
"That's what Glitch told me," said Foreman. "They don't have it here, obviously."
"Obviously," said House, looking disappointed. He flipped through the folder and tossed it onto a table. "I don't agree. I think they should go ahead with the surgery, and that it should be done here."
Foreman pulled him back out into the hall. "You just want to see the missing half-a-brain," he hissed, pushing the door shut.
"Well, yeah," said House. "So?"
"This isn't what's best for the patient!" said Foreman quietly but firmly.
"Might be what's best for a bunch of other patients," House said, also lowering his voice, "if we could keep these people here a while longer."
"That can't be the basis of his decision," said Foreman. "In all probability, the operation would make him worse."
"Look, you don't understand--" House paced a few steps up the hall and came back.
"Hey," Foreman interrupted, staring. "You're not limping."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you. We can't let these people leave. Remember those three patients I was considering? Let me show you something."
Their voices trailed away as they moved further down the hall. DG turned to her companions. "I think it's time we blow this popsicle stand."
"Agreed," said Cain. "We got what we came for."
"I feel bad about leaving without paying," said Glitch. "They really did a lot for me."
"Don't worry," said Raw. "Balance more than equal."
******
In the waiting room, House's team confirmed the news that the other three patients really were completely well.
"Should we discharge them?" Taub asked, but Foreman and House were already out the door, on their way back to Glitch's room.
"I hate to admit it, House, but you're partly right. We can't let these people leave until we know more about--" Foreman was saying just as they arrived at an empty room. "Hey! Where'd they go? They would have had to go past us to get to the elevator or the stairs."
"The folder's gone, too," said House. He looked at Foreman. Foreman looked at him. They both stared around the empty room for a moment. It was hard to believe that it had once held an empathic healer and a man with a zipper in his head. "Did any of this really happen?"
"Your other patients didn't get well by themselves," Foreman pointed out.
"Maybe they were faking," said House.
"You're not limping any more."
"Maybe I was faking, too." House sighed. "Wilson is definitely buying dinner."
"Why? The guy was everything Cameron promised."
"Yeah, but all my promising cases got solved and the guy's gone and I'm pissed. So Wilson's buying both of us dinner. Come on."
Foreman shrugged. "Works for me," he said and followed House to the stairs.
Total Word Count: 3073
Pairing: Glitch/Cain (background)
Crossover: Tin Man with House
Author's Note:
Yet another fic inspired by, but growing beyond the bounds of, tinman100! (Response to the suggestion: crossover)
Many thanks are due to my beta-reader, TODS, who performed yeoman service on this story, with incredibly fast turnaround as well.
Part 1
Part 2
"Aren't there any more tests we can do?" Glitch asked as Foreman pushed him down the hall in a wheelchair. "These have been so much fun. I really liked the sugar-uptake one with the screen to look at." Foreman had been able to show him his brain activity in real time on a new display monitor; his patient had initially shown a childlike joy in observing the results, and then asked some surprisingly penetrating questions, a pattern that persisted throughout every test.
Foreman smiled. "I have to say, you've been the most cooperative patient I've ever had. To say nothing of the easiest to examine. I wish more of my patients had zippers."
Glitch looked suddenly somber.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," said Foreman quickly.
"No, it's just ... it would take too long to explain. Never mind," Glitch said quickly. "Are you sure we can't do the MRI? It sounded so fascinating."
Foreman shook his head. "Even if the zipper is, as you say, made from an alloy unknown to Western science, there's enough recognizable metal in it that the machine would try to pull it out."
"Hm," said Glitch. "Yes, I suppose that would damage the internal chamber."
"To say nothing of you!"
"Oh, yes, you're quite right." Glitch sat quietly for a moment, then began to fidget. "I can walk, you know."
"Hospital policy," said Foreman. "Err on the side of caution."
"Did you tell me that before?" Glitch asked. There was no sarcasm in his voice.
"Several times," Foreman admitted. He had noted similar lapses during some of the tests, particularly the interview and the memory inventory. Sometimes Glitch had appeared to be dodging questions or giving half-answers, but other times he had clearly gone blank.
"See, that's what worries me," said Glitch. "I told you how I got my nickname, didn't I? Sometimes my synapses--"
"That's something you've only told me once," Foreman interrupted.
They reached Glitch's room.
"What's the news?" Cain asked as soon as they came in. DG went over and put a hand on Glitch's shoulder. He smiled at her and patted her hand. Raw hovered nearby, looking cautiously optimistic at the vibes emanating from patient and doctor.
Foreman handed House a folder. "He exhibits complete proprioception and coordination as well as very high reasoning skills in every area. He clearly has both long-term and short-term memory problems, but with proper therapy I think that both of those can be addressed." He looked serious. "That's the good news. What would be bad news, if the good news wasn't this good, is that I don't think any further surgery is advisable. What's left of his brain has accommodated itself to the current situation for quite a number of years. Trying to reintegrate the missing portion could reduce functionality, rather than improve it. I mean, it could make him worse. Much worse."
The group looked relieved. Cain shook Foreman's hand. "Thank you," he said. "We appreciate your time. This is good news. We'll be leav--"
"Missing portion?" interrupted House. "They were thinking of reintegrating--you mean they've got the missing piece?" He looked suspiciously at the group, as if one of them might be hiding half-a-brain in a pocket.
"That's what Glitch told me," said Foreman. "They don't have it here, obviously."
"Obviously," said House, looking disappointed. He flipped through the folder and tossed it onto a table. "I don't agree. I think they should go ahead with the surgery, and that it should be done here."
Foreman pulled him back out into the hall. "You just want to see the missing half-a-brain," he hissed, pushing the door shut.
"Well, yeah," said House. "So?"
"This isn't what's best for the patient!" said Foreman quietly but firmly.
"Might be what's best for a bunch of other patients," House said, also lowering his voice, "if we could keep these people here a while longer."
"That can't be the basis of his decision," said Foreman. "In all probability, the operation would make him worse."
"Look, you don't understand--" House paced a few steps up the hall and came back.
"Hey," Foreman interrupted, staring. "You're not limping."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you. We can't let these people leave. Remember those three patients I was considering? Let me show you something."
Their voices trailed away as they moved further down the hall. DG turned to her companions. "I think it's time we blow this popsicle stand."
"Agreed," said Cain. "We got what we came for."
"I feel bad about leaving without paying," said Glitch. "They really did a lot for me."
"Don't worry," said Raw. "Balance more than equal."
******
In the waiting room, House's team confirmed the news that the other three patients really were completely well.
"Should we discharge them?" Taub asked, but Foreman and House were already out the door, on their way back to Glitch's room.
"I hate to admit it, House, but you're partly right. We can't let these people leave until we know more about--" Foreman was saying just as they arrived at an empty room. "Hey! Where'd they go? They would have had to go past us to get to the elevator or the stairs."
"The folder's gone, too," said House. He looked at Foreman. Foreman looked at him. They both stared around the empty room for a moment. It was hard to believe that it had once held an empathic healer and a man with a zipper in his head. "Did any of this really happen?"
"Your other patients didn't get well by themselves," Foreman pointed out.
"Maybe they were faking," said House.
"You're not limping any more."
"Maybe I was faking, too." House sighed. "Wilson is definitely buying dinner."
"Why? The guy was everything Cameron promised."
"Yeah, but all my promising cases got solved and the guy's gone and I'm pissed. So Wilson's buying both of us dinner. Come on."
Foreman shrugged. "Works for me," he said and followed House to the stairs.