Inquiry: Day One, 1:30 p.m. - Stacy
Title: Inquiry
Author: zeppomarx
Characters: All the usual suspects, plus more.
Summary: When a panel is convened to review the facts of Gregory House’s life, his fellows (past and present), colleagues, patients and friends are called to testify.
Thanks: To Brigid45, for her infinite wisdom and advice.
Warnings, etc.: Possible character death.
Disclaimers: Don't own House or any of the show's characters. If I did, things might have gone a little differently.
Chapter Summary: Stacy Warner testimony.
Day One, 1:30 p.m.
When Stacy entered the panel chambers, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Even after all these years, the end of her relationship with Greg still pained her. A tall, elegant woman, she looked the thorough professional.
“State your name for the record.”
“Stacy Lockhart Warner.”
“What is your profession?”
“Attorney.”
“Thank you, Ms. Warner. We’ll try to keep this brief, as we are sure that your time is valuable.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Please describe your relationship with Dr. House.”
“We were a couple for five years.”
“Did you live together?”
“Yes, at 221b Baker Street in Princeton.”
“Tell us about Dr. House’s leg injury.”
“He was playing golf with a couple of other doctors when he felt an excruciating pain in his right thigh. When he went to the Emergency Room, he was told it was muscle strain.”
“But it wasn’t muscle strain, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t. He went back to the hospital the next day, but the doctor who examined him at that point believed he was exhibiting drug-seeking behavior.”
“Was he, in fact, seeking drugs?”
“No. The pain was horrible. He was seeking relief.”
“Had he been using drugs recreationally before then?”
“Not much. An occasional joint.”
“But no painkillers or hallucinogenics?”
“Not that I’m aware of… and we were together most of the time.”
“Were you present with him these two times at the hospital?”
“No. I had been working the day it all started, and the next day, he chose to come to the hospital by himself.”
“So there was no one there to back up his story, to help convince the doctor on call that he wasn’t merely seeking drugs.”
“No, there wasn’t. I really wish I had gone with him… but that’s water under the bridge now.”
“How did he get diagnosed?”
“After three days of unimaginable pain, he diagnosed it himself.”
“We understand from his medical records that he asked for a bypass, which was very painful and put stress on his heart, so he asked to be put in a medically induced coma. Is that correct?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Who was his treating physician at this time?”
“Dr. Lisa Cuddy.”
“What treatments did she recommend?”
“She really wanted to amputate -- I think she felt that was the only safe solution, because by this time, his life was in danger. But Greg refused to consider it.”
“At what point was the debridement suggested, and who suggested it?”
“Dr. Cuddy suggested it.”
“What was Dr. House’s reaction to that idea?”
“I’m sorry to say he didn’t know about it.” God, Stacy wished she could go back to that specific moment in time and rethink her decisions, although she had sincerely believed she was making the right choice in order to save his life, even if it blew up her relationship.
“Why not?”
“Dr. Cuddy and I talked privately. I was Greg’s power of attorney and medical proxy, so I approved the procedure while he was in the coma.”
“Against his express wishes?”
“Yes.” Damn it, yes.
“I take it the debridement did not go well.”
“That’s an understatement. It left him in the worst pain you can imagine. I think he spent the first month afterward screaming in agony.”
“What happened next?”
“When he woke up and found out what I had done, it was really the beginning of the end for us. He was so angry, and felt so betrayed by me -- somewhat justifiably, I must add -- that our relationship never really recovered. After a few months, I moved out.”
“Sorry to hear that, Ms. Warner. I’m sure this is still difficult for you, but we have a few more questions.”
“Certainly. Proceed.”
“How would you compare his personality before and after the injury?”
“Wow. That’s actually a tougher question than it sounds. I think he shut himself off from others a lot more. He had always been direct and fairly caustic, with little patience for people he thought were idiots, but afterward… well! He became bitter and brittle… sometimes nasty, even. I think that not only the pain, which certainly affected his behavior, but also my betrayal, caused him to hide his feelings deep inside, and he rarely -- as I understand it, anyway -- let them surface after then. He came to expect that people would betray him… and I’m sorry to say that they generally did.”
“So you stayed in touch?”
“A little bit. He treated my husband a few years ago, and we resolved some of our past differences then.”
“Would you say that Dr. House was a selfish man?”
“That’s a very interesting question. I think -- at least after his injury -- he liked people to believe that he was. But truly selfish? No, I don’t think so. I think he was -- both before and after the injury -- a remarkably devoted friend. He might have expressed it in unusual ways, but he would literally do anything in his power to ensure that someone he cared about was happy.”
“At the time of the incident, you said he was playing golf with other doctors. Was he already heading up the Diagnostics Department at the time of the accident?”
“No. In fact, no such thing existed; the department -- the first in the world -- was created just for him after his injury.”
“Really? How did that come about?”
“As I understand it, Dr. Cuddy created the job and the department for him. I was already gone by that time.”
“Given the severity of his misdiagnosis and the agonizing pain he suffered, did he ever consider filing a lawsuit against the hospital, and against Dr. Cuddy, in particular?”
She grew quiet, looking down at her manicured nails. When she answered, she spoke softly. “I don’t know that he did. I think he was so deep into his own pain and his sense of betrayal by me that he never seriously considered going after the hospital or Dr. Cuddy for negligence in his case. Plus, I think he knew I was just as much at fault for how it turned out, and he didn’t want to jeopardize my career… no matter how angry and upset he might have been with me personally.”
“Do you think the hospital or Dr. Cuddy might have been concerned that he might file a lawsuit and win?”
“Certainly if he had filed a suit, he had an excellent chance of winning… and I say that as an attorney. The first two doctors definitely mistreated him, and -- in retrospect -- I can see that Dr. Cuddy wasn’t exactly ethical by suggesting the debridement to me without informing Greg that it was an option. He was a good enough physician -- actually, one of the best -- that he should have been given the opportunity to consider it and decide for himself.”
“I know this is asking for your opinion, but… in your opinion, do you think the job creation was solely because of Dr. House’s abilities, or was some of the motivation perhaps because PPTH and Dr. Cuddy were concerned about a lawsuit?”
“I can’t say for sure, because, as I said, I had already left him by the time the department was created for him, but if I had to guess, I would say that it was equal measure. I don’t think Dr. Cuddy would ever have created an untried and untested new kind of department for Greg, no matter how good he was, unless there was something else motivating her.”
“One last question, Ms. Warner. Do you think there is any connection between the fact that it took three days to diagnose Dr. House’s leg condition and his desire to become a diagnostician? Do you think his own experience might have been a motivating factor, and if so, how?”
For a moment, Stacy was thrown off balance. Although it should have been obvious, it had never actually occurred to her before that there might be a tie between what happened to Greg and the direction his career ultimately took.
“I… uh… well, yes. I have to confess I never considered this before. I guess I should have, but I didn’t. I do remember Greg telling me -- before everything went to hell -- that he couldn’t believe it had taken three days of unrelenting torture to find out what was going on with him… and that he’d had to do it himself.”
She shook her head slightly, as if to clear away cobwebs. “I know it may not seem like it from how he often behaved over the years, especially later on, but underneath all that crap was a decent guy who cared, maybe even a little too much, about other people. So, although I wasn’t there anymore when the department was created for him, I’d have to say that -- knowing him as well as I did in those days -- there must have been a really strong connection between the two. It had to have been a motivating factor.”
“I realize this is conjecture,” said the chairman, “so I appreciate your response. Is there anything else along those lines you’d like to add?”
“Yes, I think so,” replied Stacy thoughtfully. “I’m sure… I’m really sure… he didn’t want anyone else to go through what he’d suffered in those three days, and I’m prepared to bet that he would have been willing to devote his entire professional life to that end. I don’t know if the idea of the department was originally Greg’s or Lisa’s, but it was the perfect fit, not just for Greg’s talent and skills, but for where he was emotionally at that time.”
“Thank you, Ms. Warner, for your honesty and willingness to clarify these issues for us. I think that’s all we have for now. Stay available in case we have any follow-up questions. We’ll take a brief break and reconvene at 3 o’clock.”
Stacy rose gracefully and exited the room, happy to have her testimony behind her.
Day One, 3 p.m. - Foreman testifies
Author: zeppomarx
Characters: All the usual suspects, plus more.
Summary: When a panel is convened to review the facts of Gregory House’s life, his fellows (past and present), colleagues, patients and friends are called to testify.
Thanks: To Brigid45, for her infinite wisdom and advice.
Warnings, etc.: Possible character death.
Disclaimers: Don't own House or any of the show's characters. If I did, things might have gone a little differently.
Chapter Summary: Stacy Warner testimony.
Day One, 1:30 p.m.
When Stacy entered the panel chambers, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Even after all these years, the end of her relationship with Greg still pained her. A tall, elegant woman, she looked the thorough professional.
“State your name for the record.”
“Stacy Lockhart Warner.”
“What is your profession?”
“Attorney.”
“Thank you, Ms. Warner. We’ll try to keep this brief, as we are sure that your time is valuable.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Please describe your relationship with Dr. House.”
“We were a couple for five years.”
“Did you live together?”
“Yes, at 221b Baker Street in Princeton.”
“Tell us about Dr. House’s leg injury.”
“He was playing golf with a couple of other doctors when he felt an excruciating pain in his right thigh. When he went to the Emergency Room, he was told it was muscle strain.”
“But it wasn’t muscle strain, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t. He went back to the hospital the next day, but the doctor who examined him at that point believed he was exhibiting drug-seeking behavior.”
“Was he, in fact, seeking drugs?”
“No. The pain was horrible. He was seeking relief.”
“Had he been using drugs recreationally before then?”
“Not much. An occasional joint.”
“But no painkillers or hallucinogenics?”
“Not that I’m aware of… and we were together most of the time.”
“Were you present with him these two times at the hospital?”
“No. I had been working the day it all started, and the next day, he chose to come to the hospital by himself.”
“So there was no one there to back up his story, to help convince the doctor on call that he wasn’t merely seeking drugs.”
“No, there wasn’t. I really wish I had gone with him… but that’s water under the bridge now.”
“How did he get diagnosed?”
“After three days of unimaginable pain, he diagnosed it himself.”
“We understand from his medical records that he asked for a bypass, which was very painful and put stress on his heart, so he asked to be put in a medically induced coma. Is that correct?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Who was his treating physician at this time?”
“Dr. Lisa Cuddy.”
“What treatments did she recommend?”
“She really wanted to amputate -- I think she felt that was the only safe solution, because by this time, his life was in danger. But Greg refused to consider it.”
“At what point was the debridement suggested, and who suggested it?”
“Dr. Cuddy suggested it.”
“What was Dr. House’s reaction to that idea?”
“I’m sorry to say he didn’t know about it.” God, Stacy wished she could go back to that specific moment in time and rethink her decisions, although she had sincerely believed she was making the right choice in order to save his life, even if it blew up her relationship.
“Why not?”
“Dr. Cuddy and I talked privately. I was Greg’s power of attorney and medical proxy, so I approved the procedure while he was in the coma.”
“Against his express wishes?”
“Yes.” Damn it, yes.
“I take it the debridement did not go well.”
“That’s an understatement. It left him in the worst pain you can imagine. I think he spent the first month afterward screaming in agony.”
“What happened next?”
“When he woke up and found out what I had done, it was really the beginning of the end for us. He was so angry, and felt so betrayed by me -- somewhat justifiably, I must add -- that our relationship never really recovered. After a few months, I moved out.”
“Sorry to hear that, Ms. Warner. I’m sure this is still difficult for you, but we have a few more questions.”
“Certainly. Proceed.”
“How would you compare his personality before and after the injury?”
“Wow. That’s actually a tougher question than it sounds. I think he shut himself off from others a lot more. He had always been direct and fairly caustic, with little patience for people he thought were idiots, but afterward… well! He became bitter and brittle… sometimes nasty, even. I think that not only the pain, which certainly affected his behavior, but also my betrayal, caused him to hide his feelings deep inside, and he rarely -- as I understand it, anyway -- let them surface after then. He came to expect that people would betray him… and I’m sorry to say that they generally did.”
“So you stayed in touch?”
“A little bit. He treated my husband a few years ago, and we resolved some of our past differences then.”
“Would you say that Dr. House was a selfish man?”
“That’s a very interesting question. I think -- at least after his injury -- he liked people to believe that he was. But truly selfish? No, I don’t think so. I think he was -- both before and after the injury -- a remarkably devoted friend. He might have expressed it in unusual ways, but he would literally do anything in his power to ensure that someone he cared about was happy.”
“At the time of the incident, you said he was playing golf with other doctors. Was he already heading up the Diagnostics Department at the time of the accident?”
“No. In fact, no such thing existed; the department -- the first in the world -- was created just for him after his injury.”
“Really? How did that come about?”
“As I understand it, Dr. Cuddy created the job and the department for him. I was already gone by that time.”
“Given the severity of his misdiagnosis and the agonizing pain he suffered, did he ever consider filing a lawsuit against the hospital, and against Dr. Cuddy, in particular?”
She grew quiet, looking down at her manicured nails. When she answered, she spoke softly. “I don’t know that he did. I think he was so deep into his own pain and his sense of betrayal by me that he never seriously considered going after the hospital or Dr. Cuddy for negligence in his case. Plus, I think he knew I was just as much at fault for how it turned out, and he didn’t want to jeopardize my career… no matter how angry and upset he might have been with me personally.”
“Do you think the hospital or Dr. Cuddy might have been concerned that he might file a lawsuit and win?”
“Certainly if he had filed a suit, he had an excellent chance of winning… and I say that as an attorney. The first two doctors definitely mistreated him, and -- in retrospect -- I can see that Dr. Cuddy wasn’t exactly ethical by suggesting the debridement to me without informing Greg that it was an option. He was a good enough physician -- actually, one of the best -- that he should have been given the opportunity to consider it and decide for himself.”
“I know this is asking for your opinion, but… in your opinion, do you think the job creation was solely because of Dr. House’s abilities, or was some of the motivation perhaps because PPTH and Dr. Cuddy were concerned about a lawsuit?”
“I can’t say for sure, because, as I said, I had already left him by the time the department was created for him, but if I had to guess, I would say that it was equal measure. I don’t think Dr. Cuddy would ever have created an untried and untested new kind of department for Greg, no matter how good he was, unless there was something else motivating her.”
“One last question, Ms. Warner. Do you think there is any connection between the fact that it took three days to diagnose Dr. House’s leg condition and his desire to become a diagnostician? Do you think his own experience might have been a motivating factor, and if so, how?”
For a moment, Stacy was thrown off balance. Although it should have been obvious, it had never actually occurred to her before that there might be a tie between what happened to Greg and the direction his career ultimately took.
“I… uh… well, yes. I have to confess I never considered this before. I guess I should have, but I didn’t. I do remember Greg telling me -- before everything went to hell -- that he couldn’t believe it had taken three days of unrelenting torture to find out what was going on with him… and that he’d had to do it himself.”
She shook her head slightly, as if to clear away cobwebs. “I know it may not seem like it from how he often behaved over the years, especially later on, but underneath all that crap was a decent guy who cared, maybe even a little too much, about other people. So, although I wasn’t there anymore when the department was created for him, I’d have to say that -- knowing him as well as I did in those days -- there must have been a really strong connection between the two. It had to have been a motivating factor.”
“I realize this is conjecture,” said the chairman, “so I appreciate your response. Is there anything else along those lines you’d like to add?”
“Yes, I think so,” replied Stacy thoughtfully. “I’m sure… I’m really sure… he didn’t want anyone else to go through what he’d suffered in those three days, and I’m prepared to bet that he would have been willing to devote his entire professional life to that end. I don’t know if the idea of the department was originally Greg’s or Lisa’s, but it was the perfect fit, not just for Greg’s talent and skills, but for where he was emotionally at that time.”
“Thank you, Ms. Warner, for your honesty and willingness to clarify these issues for us. I think that’s all we have for now. Stay available in case we have any follow-up questions. We’ll take a brief break and reconvene at 3 o’clock.”
Stacy rose gracefully and exited the room, happy to have her testimony behind her.
Day One, 3 p.m. - Foreman testifies