By Montykins
Wilson has five months to live, unless he agrees to go back on the chemo. And he doesn't want to do that. He'd rather have five months of relative good health (followed by death) than a couple years of agonizing treatment (also followed by death). House spends much of the episode trying to get him to extend his treatment, but it's strictly from selfish motives. Wilson goes back and forth and eventually House agrees to just accept having Wilson around for five months.
There's also a patient, who has auditory hallucinations of a brother who died ten years earlier. His problem is blood in his ear canal.
During this whole time, House has been attacking the plumbing at PPTH by way of pranking Foreman. But it goes a little too far, and it collapses the ceiling above the MRI Machine. This means that the police and fire department have to be called, and House is tagged for felony vandalism. This is a violation of his parole, so House has to go back to jail for the rest of his sentence.
And his sentence has six months remaining. One month after Wilson's due date. Bum bum BUMMMMMMMM!
A clock flips to 6:30 and an alarm goes off. No, it's not Groundhog Day. It's Wilson's bed. The music suggests that he's sad.
Wilson knocks on House's door and announces that he's not doing any more chemo. House claims to agree with this plan, because it will result in Wilson being dead in five months. Wilson explains that he'd rather have five good months than a year in pain in the hospital. House feebly argues that he could get two or three months. Wilson says he's sorry and walks away. House: "I'm not gonna let you just die!
Credits. Have we gone past the point of Medical Mystery of the Week?
House enters PPTH and Foreman greets him. He offers him season tickets to something that they could attend together, but House notices that the first date is a month after Wilson will be dead. He recognizes this as an attempt to distract him and promises that he probably won't fall apart.
House greets his team with a case: a 46-year-old oncologist who refuses treatment. But they've already got a case assigned to them by Foreman: a 19-year-old cheerleader with a nosebleed and dizziness. I should remind you at this point that Chase left at the end of the last episode. So the team is just Taub, Adams and Park. House does not care about the cheerleader, even though the team tries to distract him with diagnoses. House mostly wants to talk about how his best friend is killing himself. On his way into his office, he diagnoses the cheerleader as having a midline granuloma, which will show up on a scan.
The cheerleader's a guy. Did you assume it was a girl? Taub and Park look at the scans and briefly talk about whether they should be taking this case. Park thinks they should consider giving it to someone else and Taub thinks it's dumb to not work just because "somebody is dying." Then Taub thinks the microphone is on, but it's just because the patient's brain is all lit up in its auditory center. So he's hearing something.
House enters Wilson and accuses him of telling Foreman to try to set him up with those season tickets. Don't worry if that's complicated, because the important part is that House is pushing an IV stand loaded with chemicals and Wilson's speech is all slurred because House drugged him. House hooks up the chemo and settles in with a magazine. Taub barges in to ask Wilson something and then notices the nonconsensual drugging. Adams and Park are also there and House does nothing but validate their theories: it could be schizophrenia and they should go check out the guy's dorm room for toxins.
By Montykins
The dorm room is full of pot smoke and gross stuff. And a roommate. Taub and Adams are on the case. The roommate won't talk about drugs because he's pre-law. He does say Derek doesn't party. Then Adams finds a picture of a little boy hidden in Derek's sock drawer.
Adams and Taub go to Derek's room and try to kick his girlfriend out so they can ask him about the picture. He says she can stay. After denying that the picture is anything, he admits that the picture is his brother Christopher, who's been dead ten years. Adams: "Is that the voice you hear in your head?"
Wilson wakes up. House claims he was dead, since he had no dreams. Wilson objects to the claim that House has proven something about death. He also says that neither of them has changed the other's mind. He asks House to leave. But before House can leave, Wilson says that he's spent twenty years holding the hands of people who are just about to die. So he doesn't believe that people are just bags of chemicals.
Park asks the team if they'll be talking about the patient or waiting for House. Taub says that it's viral encephalitis, but the symptoms have been going on for ten years. Park and Adams go to distract House, but Taub says that House never listens to them. How about temporal lobe epilepsy?
Derek and his girlfriend are having an argument about whether he trusts her. Adams and Taub want to take Derek for tests and he tells the girlfriend to leave and not come back.
Epilepsy test. Strobe lights. But he feels fine and smells nothing odd. Adams asks why he won't admit that he hears his brother's voice. He says it's how he was raised. She probes a bit and he reveals that his brother was killed by a drunk driver and his father drank himself to death. He looks confused. After his father moved away, his mother hid all the pictures of Christopher and pretended he didn't exist. And just then! His right eye hurts and shortly after he could see spots. Adams says it's a clot behind his eyes.
House and Wilson look for a place to eat in the cafe, but it's too crowded. House has a story about a kid that Wilson saved and it turns out to be his first case at PPTH. And this is the kid here! Right at this booth! House: "He's going to be a doctor. Instead of being dead." The kid tells Wilson about how much good he could do if he stayed alive. And then, of course, the entire cafe is full of people who are alive today because of Wilson. It's a very nice scene. They start to tell him about the things they've gotten to do because he saved their lives, then they start applauding. House tells him that 74 children and 14 children are alive today because of him. Then Wilson tells House that Mikey Kimball would have graduated high school the year. In fact, nobody in the room was really a patient of Wilson's. Yeah, House shouldn't have gone back to the "hire an actor to trick Wilson" move so quickly. It was still a pretty moving moment. I mean, briefly. House says that Wilson really did save all those lives. And maybe it's more impressive that all Wilson's patients are too busy to be there? Wilson leaves.
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Taub throws a file on Foreman's desk. It's a glowing letter of recommendation for Foreman to sign when House implodes. Foreman claims that House has been handling it fine, but just then water cascades under his office door.
Foreman has a scene with House. House admits that he flushed those season tickets down the toilet (thus overflowing the pipes), but he only did it because Foreman wants to replace Wilson. And that, to House, means that he wants to be the victim of pranks.
Wilson is drinking a beer in a diner when a woman walks in. It's Doctor Thirteen! I'm calling her that because it always seems disrespectful to just call her "Thirteen," but no one on the show ever calls her Hadley. So I decided "Doctor Thirteen" strikes a nice balance. Glad we got that sorted out! So like I was saying, Doctor Thirteen joins Wilson at the booth and he says that he ordered her some beers and then drank them. He would like to know what it's like to be dying. "Does it ever stop being surreal?" Sure, she says, when you die. He says that he had a patient start crying for him. He wonders why people don't say something that makes him feel better and she points out that there's no such thing. She suggests doing "two weeks on, two weeks off." Wilson says he can't envision spending his remaining time in a Chemo Suite in Princeton. I don't know why not; he spends most of his time there anyway.
House is on his cell and leaves a message on Wilson's parents' phone, asking them to call back. The rest of the team wants to talk about Derek, who's got some psychological issues. Adams thinks Grief Avoidance is a thing. Taub tries Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Adams suggests that Derek could have gotten hurt at practice and not told anyone, because he's clearly pretty good at not telling people things. They get to the bathroom, which House has sabotaged. Water is cascading everywhere, presumably because he flushed more tickets.
Park sticks a needle into Derek's back to investigate the spinal fluid. She makes small talk about what Derek hears. She thinks that he hears Christopher's voice to help him deal with it. And then she sees that the pressure in his spine is way too high.
House hangs out at the Chemo Suite. Doctor Thirteen walks up and announces that the Prodigal Daughter has returned. So she didn't just fly in to do an off-set scene with Wilson, then! He offers to off her, which is a fun phrase to say out loud. She says that House should respect Wilson's decision. He fired her so she'd be "forced" to spend the rest of her life doing whatever she wanted. She considers that selfless. "And you don't even like me that much."
By Montykins
House is on his cell and leaves a message on Wilson's parents' phone, asking them to call back. The rest of the team wants to talk about Derek, who's got some psychological issues. Adams thinks Grief Avoidance is a thing. Taub tries Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Adams suggests that Derek could have gotten hurt at practice and not told anyone, because he's clearly pretty good at not telling people things. They get to the bathroom, which House has sabotaged. Water is cascading everywhere, presumably because he flushed more tickets.
Park sticks a needle into Derek's back to investigate the spinal fluid. She makes small talk about what Derek hears. She thinks that he hears Christopher's voice to help him deal with it. And then she sees that the pressure in his spine is way too high.
House hangs out at the Chemo Suite. Doctor Thirteen walks up and announces that the Prodigal Daughter has returned. So she didn't just fly in to do an off-set scene with Wilson, then! He offers to off her, which is a fun phrase to say out loud. She says that House should respect Wilson's decision. He fired her so she'd be "forced" to spend the rest of her life doing whatever she wanted. She considers that selfless. "And you don't even like me that much."
House opens the door to Wilson's office and pokes in his cane, on which he is waving a white rag. He enters and announces that he surrenders. He admits that he's been a disloyal jerk. Wilson says he won't let his parents return his call. House says he's made a reservation for two at Carmine's and promises that there are no ulterior motives. I think he looks sneaky in the final shot, but he kind of always looks like that.
Derek's mother enters his room. Adams says they think it might be an extreme migraine and he'll get an MRI soon. The mother sees the picture. Adams tells her that Derek may have been repressing grief for ten years. Derek says that he doesn't even know if Christopher was really like that. With no pictures or video to go on, he doesn't have reliable memories. He asks if his mother could maybe tell him a little bit about Christopher. "I'm sorry. It was a long drive in. I'm going to go get a coffee." Thanks, mom!
Wilson and House are having a lovely meal. Wilson is laughing and crying. House has ordered a platter of Oreos, which is apparently a reference to a camping mishap they once shared. Wilson acts his ass off in this scene and starts to hypothesize about "sticking around for a little longer." House admits that he thinks that's reasonable and drinks some coffee. Wilson looks around and decides that House must have been conning him. House objects to the idea that Wilson couldn't fold on his own without being conned. Wilson says that the whole nostalgia trip was a set-up. House says that he needs Wilson because he doesn't know what he'll do without him.
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Ambulance! Firemen! The hospital is full of wreckage! House looks around, somewhat dazed and ducks below some police tape so he can participate in this week's case. Adams is pretty mad at him for injuring her, destroying the MRI machine and endangering the patient. House swears he had an alibi. Taub says House is only here because something happened with Wilson. House claims to be done with Adams, which nobody believes. Park says they got enough from the MRI machine to know it's not a migraine. Also, the patient mistook her for Adams. House looks thoughtful. Then he grabs something from a medical drawer and leads everyone to Derek's room.
He pokes a hypodermic needle into Derek's eardrum. And when he pulls out the plunger, it's not full of air, but blood. It's "persistent stapedial artery." It's supposed to disappear in the embryonic stage, but it didn't. So it's been pushing against his frontal lobe all this time. House leaves and Taub follows. Derek asks if his brother's voice will go away.
Taub lectures House about how he's being an ass to Wilson. House shouts at him about how life is pain and how he's thought about suicide a lot. Lots of people hear him. House leaves and Taub looks sad.
Park is waiting for House when he comes out of the elevator. She tells him they had to delay the surgery because Derek drank ammonia from the janitor's cart. He didn't want to live without his brother's voice. House limps off angrily. He enters the patient's room and loops something around Derek's neck. Derek fights for life while Park and his mother try to fight House off. House shouts about how this proves that Derek wants to live, but he keeps strangling. Park whops House over the head with his cane, which stops him. She says that he's spent his life looking for the truth. And this time, the truth sucks.
Wilson and Foreman. Wilson tells Foreman that he'll be leaving "quite a bit earlier than we had talked about." In the day or two, in fact. Foreman gently asks if it's something to do with him and House. Wilson says he can't be responsible for House's happiness. Foreman says he is, though. He's kept one best friend for twenty years amid three wives. Foreman: "Enduring pain to do some good for someone you care about. Isn't that what life is?" Man, are you kidding me with this? At this point, I think Wilson should kill himself just to show House he won't be pushed around.
House holds a bag of ice to his neck, alone in his apartment. He takes out some Vicodin and looks at it. We see Wilson alone at home. House plays the piano. Wilson gets some wine and sees a bag of Oreos in his cabinet. Derek's mother watches him sleep/ Derek wakes up and asks if she took his picture of Christopher. She did. Did she throw it out? Nope. Will she bring it back if he agrees to the surgery? She takes his hand. Surgery. Something is removed from Derek's ear. House continues to play piano. Wilson knocks on his door.
By Montykins
Taub lectures House about how he's being an ass to Wilson. House shouts at him about how life is pain and how he's thought about suicide a lot. Lots of people hear him. House leaves and Taub looks sad.
Park is waiting for House when he comes out of the elevator. She tells him they had to delay the surgery because Derek drank ammonia from the janitor's cart. He didn't want to live without his brother's voice. House limps off angrily. He enters the patient's room and loops something around Derek's neck. Derek fights for life while Park and his mother try to fight House off. House shouts about how this proves that Derek wants to live, but he keeps strangling. Park whops House over the head with his cane, which stops him. She says that he's spent his life looking for the truth. And this time, the truth sucks.
Wilson and Foreman. Wilson tells Foreman that he'll be leaving "quite a bit earlier than we had talked about." In the day or two, in fact. Foreman gently asks if it's something to do with him and House. Wilson says he can't be responsible for House's happiness. Foreman says he is, though. He's kept one best friend for twenty years amid three wives. Foreman: "Enduring pain to do some good for someone you care about. Isn't that what life is?" Man, are you kidding me with this? At this point, I think Wilson should kill himself just to show House he won't be pushed around.
House holds a bag of ice to his neck, alone in his apartment. He takes out some Vicodin and looks at it. We see Wilson alone at home. House plays the piano. Wilson gets some wine and sees a bag of Oreos in his cabinet. Derek's mother watches him sleep/ Derek wakes up and asks if she took his picture of Christopher. She did. Did she throw it out? Nope. Will she bring it back if he agrees to the surgery? She takes his hand. Surgery. Something is removed from Derek's ear. House continues to play piano. Wilson knocks on his door.
"I'm ready to start the round of chemo?" "Why?" "Because you need me. And I don't think that's a bad thing anymore." "No. You're the only one I listen to." And when he stopped, he almost killed his patient. House says Wilson is smarter than him. He's not okay that there are only five months left, but it's better than nothing. House says he won't tell Wilson he loves him, which Wilson is pleased about. "You got any Oreos?"
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