House (2004–2012): Season 5, Episode 21 - Saviors - full transcript

House worries he's lost his mojo when he can't determine the reason for Cameron and Wilson's changed behaviors or his new patient's diagnosis.

(PEOPLE SHOUTING)

You made your point, now how about
letting us do our job?

Our point will be made when your company
stops tearing down this mountain.

Then who's gonna
feed our kids? You?

If you really cared
about your kids,

you'd want them to have air to breathe
when they grow up.

What did you say,
you son of a bitch?

You guys aren't
the problem.

You're being hurt
more than anyone.

You breathe in
that coal dust...

Coal is the dirtiest
energy on Earth.



Gonna need some backup.

Not enough for you thugs to assault
the environment?

Doug, please, don't.

Susan? Susan, you okay?

She needs to get
to a hospital.

She's just dehydrated. We have medics
here. Let them give her fluids.

She has no pulse.

Either unhook your arm
or I'm gonna break it off.

Either way,
this protest is over.

The protest is over,
come on!

(MINERS SHOUTING)

All right.

(MINERS CHEERING)

- What happened?
- You passed out.



It's okay.
Just dehydrated.

You know we'll be back.
We'll be back!

Hey, stop screwing around.

I'm not screwing around.
I just can't...

I can't stand up.

(GRUNTS)

I need to push back
our getaway.

No, you don't. I found you a board,
perfect size to learn on.

I'm just postponing.
O'Neil, from Philly General,

wants me to get a patient
in to see House.

So?

I owe him a favor.

He's taken about a dozen of my referrals
over the last year.

I meant, so, that's five seconds
to hand House the file,

30 for him to question
your real motives,

a minute for witty comments

comparing the length of your legs
to Thirteen's...

Plenty of time left over
for the shore.

I need to make sure he doesn't toss
the file in the trash

as soon as
I'm out of sight.

Babe, can't you repay the favor
on another case?

After last week, I could really use
a break from this place.

We both could.

Once I'm sure
he's really on the case,

then we're out of here.

And these legs, and every other part
of me, will be all yours.

He's seen three
different specialists.

Interesting.

Almost as interesting as you trying
to step into Kutner's shoes

just days after
he stepped out of them.

CAMERON: I am not
shoe shopping,

I'm just trying to repay a favor
to his referring doctor.

What's the mystery?

The nutcase spends all his free time
wreaking havoc at toxic waste dumps.

Tox screen's negative.

No neurological, muscular or
cardiovascular abnormalities.

The guy cares about the environment,
that makes him a nutcase?

TAUB: He's a single guy
in his 20s,

he cares about getting
his hybrid waxed by girls

who care about
the environment.

See? Not a nutcase.

He's probably just faking
so he can sue the cops

and get a six-figure
settlement.

If he was trying
to fake an illness,

why would he consent to be seen by the
best diagnostician in the country?

Now look who's trying
to get her hybrid waxed.

We need to do a vestibular
caloric test,

see if the balance problem
starts above or below the neck.

And when I say "we,"
I mean you.

You're the one with a favor
to repay, not them.

I'm going to be injecting ice-water
in your ear canal.

If the resulting eye movements
are at all erratic,

then the balance problem's
in your inner ear.

Those in every room?

I think so.

Can you get rid of them?
Preferably from every room?

They use over 30 pesticides
to grow commercial flowers.

You'd think the medical industry
would be a lot more...

Concerned with medicine?

Let's fix your body, then you can
go back to fixing the Earth.

This is gonna get
a little uncomfortable.

I just spent 14 hours
chained to a tire.

Most doctors
would recommend...

Our planet's headed
for destruction.

Coastlines underwater,
a million species extinct.

Whoa! Feels like
I'm tumbling head over heels.

It's normal. Sometimes
this test causes vertigo

and nausea.

Cameron just
brought me a case.

Cameron is happy
in the ER.

There's no way she wants her nose
back on your grindstone.

Egg-white omelet, no bacon,
whole-wheat toast.

I say it's not
my grindstone she's after,

and not her nose
she wants on it.

She and Chase are practically
living together.

What did you just order?

An omelet.

Since when do you
pass on the swine?

And wheat toast? Might as well eat
a sheet of sandpaper.

Yes, but I don't like eating the
same thing two days in a row.

Your bro's nurse
not loving the love handles?

I'm just not
in the mood for bacon,

and you are obviously trying to avoid
talking about Kutner,

which is odd because you spent a whole
week obsessing about why...

He's no longer
on my team.

I'm sorry he's
no longer on my team.

There's nothing else
to talk about.

You're wearing the watch he gave you
for Secret Santa.

Five functions,
including a stopwatch

to time how long it takes you
to ask me if I'm okay.

You gonna order?

Not hungry.

It's just weird.
She's brought cases before,

but he's never made her
run the tests.

Maybe he's looking for someone to mother
him after what happened.

The only kind of
mothering House wants

involves a bullwhip, leather diapers
and a credit card.

Mommy's home.

Test made the patient lose
his lunch, but his calorics are normal,

his inner ear is fine
and he still can't balance himself.

How many normal test
results do we need

to know the patient's
a granola-filled phony?

He's not lying
about his symptoms.

And you know this
because...

She changed her shoes.

If he was faking, he'd have vomited
on the other side of the bed.

Sparring with the police and chaining
yourself up for days can cause stress.

Stress screws with
the heart and arteries.

Carotid atherosclerosis
could cause a loss of balance.

Wouldn't show up
on CT or MRI.

It could also be our
only warning before a massive stroke.

(SIGHS) Do a Holter
and a carotid doppler,

see if his heart skips
for more than the Spotted Owl.

Although I didn't
say "we," if I had...

(HICCUPPING)

Sorry if this is
screwing up the test.

Been hiccupping a lot lately,
but not as bad as this.

How much is a lot?
And how long is lately?

It's been on and off
for about a week.

Maybe a few hours a day.

Did you tell the doctors
in Philly about it?

They didn't seem to think
it was any big deal.

Hey, so we're still
leaving tomorrow, aren't we?

I'm not sure.

The referring doctors didn't realize
that his hiccups were...

HICCUPS?

With this duration and intensity,
most likely pathological,

and it could mean
it's serious.

Are you avoiding me?

No.

So, I shouldn't be
at all concerned

that you're treating another
doctor's patient for hiccups

instead of going on
the vacation I spent a week planning?

There is a reason I need to stay
with this case a while longer,

but I can't tell you
what it is.

So, you admit you lied to me,
now you're asking me to trust you.

Yes.

Okay-

No sign of heart
or arterial problems,

but he's been hiccupping
on and off for over a week.

Nice. I'm hooked. You can get back
to your shift at the ER,

except, as far as the ER is concerned,
you're on vacation, right?

I postponed a trip because I'm concerned
about the patient.

Explains why you ditched Chase
and came to the differentials,

not why you ran
the tests.

You told me to.

Well, I'm not your boss,

something you usually
take great pleasure in pointing out.

Hey, you don't still
have the hots for me, do you?

I care about the patient and I care
about the people who work on your team,

they've been through
a lot lately.

- I just thought I...
- Was Florence Nightingale

and you're gonna nurse us back
to spiritual and mental oneness.

That would make sense if we were having
this conversation a week ago.

Think what you want,
that I'm here to get a job,

that I'm here to wrap you
in swaddling clothes.

Problem is, I think neither.
Because neither makes sense.

The only thing
that does, doesn't.

Pathological hiccups plus inability
to balance, go.

What she said.

Brain would connect the two.

It could if Cameron
hadn't already CT'd his head.

Empty as her
boyfriend's calendar.

What does this have
to do with Chase?

- Nothing.
- Not sure yet.

Patient is
on a jihad against commercial flowers,

he's picketed
several nurseries.

Organophosphate poisoning
can cause both hiccups and...

No GI problems,
no hypersalivation.

It's possible it's not
connected to a protest.

MS wouldn't show on the CT,
and his name is Swanson.

Scandinavians have an increased
susceptibility to MS.

Better theory than,
"He's faking it."

The clogs have it.
Do a lumbar puncture to confirm MS.

I guess we'll just
continue to twiddle our thumbs.

God, I hope
that's a euphemism.

How am I supposed to
do a lumbar puncture

on a patient with
intractable hiccups?

I'm trying to figure out
what that could be a euphemism for.

You'll find a way.

(SIGHS)

(DOUG HICCUPPING)

You're not worried House is gonna be
pissed you're helping me do the test?

He said find a way,
and you did.

How do you think
House is doing?

That why you're here?

Yeah.

No, it isn't.

Even if House was messed up
by Kutner's suicide, it wouldn't matter.

He already thinks
life is nasty, brutish and long,

and misery helps
his diagnostic skills.

All of which you know,
so, why are you here?

Which answer
would you believe?

If you want Kutner's place,
it's fine by me.

I could use someone else
with the stones to stand up to House.

But you've got to know that's gonna blow
up your relationship with Chase.

All I did was postpone
a three-day trip.

With Chase,
to be with House.

(HICCUPS)

- What are you doing?
- Ordering IV chlorpromazine.

This could still be
neurological.

You can cloud
his mental status.

You wanna get the needle in his spine
or you wanna talk?

You and House been talking
about filling Kutner's slot?

Yeah, we went straight
from the funeral to Human Resources.

You interested
in getting back on the team?

I'm interested in knowing
if Cameron's interested.

She's been running
all the tests for House's case.

Well, she hasn't said
anything to me.

But I guess the referring doctor might
have asked her to keep an eye on him.

Do you think Cameron's
in love with House?

That is a ridiculous question.
She's in love with you.

Are you in love
with House?

That is an even more
ridiculous question.

Two questions,
zero answers.

I think I can
extrapolate from there.

FRANNI: Dr. House?

Sorry, I'm just
the zone delivery guy.

I'm Doug Swenson's wife.

His history said the environmental
kamikaze was single.

He probably didn't
want me to worry.

He told me he was in jail
with some of the other protesters.

Yeah, well,
no worries there.

He's in jail a lot.
Not so often in the hospital.

I searched his e-mail, and I found
the referral to you yesterday.

You must really love your husband,
and travel by rickshaw.

Only took you 18 hours
to get here.

Who eats kale? It's so bland
it doesn't even taste like kale.

I had to find somebody to take care
of our 4-year-old son.

Doug's all right,
isn't he?

I have no idea.

I know he's an idiot,

and now I've learned that he's a liar,
so we're making...

Who told you
that I was in here?

The doctor in the office next to yours
said that you might be here.

I got it figured out.

That mean we don't
need to do the LP?

I was talking to her.
You're not even supposed to be here.

You want us to stop or not?

What? I don't care
what you do with him.

You're not doing a favor
for a doctor in Philly,

you're doing a favor
for an oncologist in North Jersey.

I'm spying on you
for Wilson?

Spying, pre-emptive
grief counseling...

Wilson sees you 10 times more than I do,
he's a better liar,

and he wouldn't have
to cancel a vacation to do it.

Good points. Also doesn't
explain the diet.

What does any of this
have to do with my husband?

Nothing.

Meet Mrs. Environmental Nutbag, or did
you keep your maiden name?

- He's married?
- Yep. Got a kid, too.

Double threat,
ecu-freak and deadbeat dad.

House!

- Sorry, parentally challenged.
- No, his neck.

It's torticollis,
reaction to the chlorpromazine.

That's not just a spasm,
it's swollen.

Crunchy.

FOREMAN: It's definitely
not MS.

Crunching sounds were caused by an air
leak between his lungs.

CAMERON: The leak in his mediastinum

could've been caused
by prolonged hiccups.

More likely it was
the neck spasm.

CAMERON: Most likely
it was there all along.

We just didn't notice
until the other symptoms made it worse.

So, what causes loss of balance,
pathological hiccups,

and a hole in
his Gloria Steinem?

He was protesting
a lumber mill last fall.

Sarcoid's been linked
to pine forests.

No, his AC levels are normal.

THIRTEEN: Progressive
systemic sclerosis?

Guy practically lives
in industrial waste sites.

If a solvent got absorbed
through his lungs,

caused
an autoimmune firestorm...

Start him on IV methylprednisolone
for systemic sclerosis.

Do a full work-up
to confirm.

- By myself?
- Without yourself.

Grab a bat.
Grab some pine.

Time to bring in
the first string.

Why?

You obviously want to be here.
I can't figure out why.

So I want to see where you go
when you can't be here.

You know what vacation
means, right?

You here because of House,
Chase, or overtime issues?

He's very concerned.
Chase, not House.

If it's all right
with you,

I'd rather communicate with Chase
by communicating with Chase.

Are you in love
with House?

You are not
concerned about me.

You're marking
your territory.

You shouldn't be
involved with House,

neither should I,
neither should anyone.

You and Chase are good together.
Don't screw it up.

FRANNI: When are you
gonna stop this?

How can you
ask me to stop?

You're in a hospital.
You have a son.

The steroids ought to get him
breathing normally again.

But autoimmune diseases
are serious.

Might not be a bad idea to take
some time at home, rest up.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)
I can't just quit.

Do you hate us
that much?

I love you,
and I love our son.

But why should he matter more
than everyone else's?

He does.

Why?

Because he's biologically
connected to me?

There's no rational reason.

He's our son.

And he's going to need to drink clean
water and breathe clean air.

I'm doing this
for him, too.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Come on in, House.

Because who else is it going to be
at 10:30 at night?

And, no, thanks,
I already ate.

I didn't ask you
to dinner.

But you were going to.

And when I explained
that I'd eaten hours ago,

you were going to move on
to your real entree,

rifling through
my kitchen.

Hmm.

Inviting me to
search your kitchen.

Means you know
that I'd find nothing,

or you know that
I'd find something,

so you're hoping that I'm gonna assume
the former and I won't bother to look.

Or it means it's late,
I'm tired,

I know you're here
to advance some paranoid theory

based on a single egg-white omelet,
and I'd like to get it over with

so we can both
go to sleep.

Your single-omelet theory

conveniently overlooks the grassy knoll
you had for lunch today,

a vegetable
and grain gag-a-thon.

The Warren Commission found no evidence
of a second lunch,

possibly because it was stolen
from the doctors' lounge.

You're not getting
any fatter,

your medical records
were clean.

You checked my...

You're alone tonight,
so it's Kutner.

How could Kutner
have any conceivable...

Your patients live,
your patients die,

you float above it all
like a medical colossus.

But a fellow doctor dies...

That's brilliant.

Kutner was a wake-up call
that if I didn't eat healthier,

I might kill myself.

Mortality is mortality.

And ice cream
is ice cream.

Full-fat content.
Quadruple-fat content.

Stuff you haven't eaten
just proves you haven't eaten it.

You were hoping
for evidence of stuff I have eaten?

First door on the right.

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

(DOUG SCREAMING)

Excruciating pain
in his left leg.

Acute onset,
about 10 minutes ago.

What are you
doing to him?

I assume they were checking
for vascular pulsation.

Either it's negative
or he's a big wuss.

It's not a tumor
or an aneurysm.

Metabolic bone disease?

Bone density's normal.

But the bone covering
might not be.

If it's osteomyelitis, an infection
eating away at his periosteum...

Explains the pain. Odds are it's
a subclinical infection

that we made worse
with the steroids we gave him.

Start him on IV antibiotics, x-ray
his legs to confirm osteomyelitis.

Cameron's already
done a full set of lower body x-rays.

Infection obviously flared,
do them again.

Even if I had
changed my diet,

what possible reason
could I have for hiding it from you?

Ankle, tibia, fibula,
all look normal.

No inflammation,
no signs of osteo.

(GROANS)

Hang in there,
we're almost done.

You and your wife,
you talk about stuff?

Sex.

No. Anything else.

Money.

I'm gonna go way out
on a limb here.

Foreman not
a Chatty Cathy?

Normally, it doesn't matter.
Last week, it did.

You want to date men,
good chance talking won't be...

His femur's fractured.

That's impossible. It's the hardest bone
in the body.

And he broke it
lying in bed.

How can you have a broken femur
without so much as a bruise?

Whatever broke it
had to do it from within.

Osteogenesis imperfecta?

Brittle bones
wouldn't cause hiccups,

plus we'd have seen
abnormal coloring in the sclerae.

Which leaves cancer.

Since when does bone cancer
cause hiccups?

Which means it's
not bone cancer.

Or it's not cancer.

House is right. It'd be hard to find
a guy outside Chernobyl

who'd been exposed
to more carcinogens,

pesticide plants,
nuclear waste sites.

Tell Chase to
repair the break.

You two prep him for chemo.

You want to blast him with chemo for a
cancer we don't even know he has?

No. I want to blast him with chemo for
a cancer that explains the symptoms.

CHASE: lntramedullary nail.

FOREMAN: Hold on.

That your House imitation?
Some late-breaking epiphany?

Just need you to get
a bone biopsy before you insert the pin.

For a broken leg?

House is prepping him
for chemo.

Thought it
might be worth checking for cancer

before pumping him full of poison.

Does Cameron agree
with House?

Cameron's not on
the case anymore.

Oh.

Still enjoying your
day off, I see.

Why are you prepping him for chemo?

The more interesting
question is, why do you care?

You're not even sure
that it's...

What I mean is,
why do you care from here?

You can monitor
the patient from home.

What's the difference
between here and home?

You're not at my home.

This has nothing
to do with...

Any other differences?

Hmm.

There's less medical equipment,
more training bras,

and more
Vegemite sandwiches.

Actually, technically,
right now Chase is here,

but that's because I called him
and you didn't know that,

and it's irrelevant to my point,
which is you and Chase are over.

You are wrong.

You decided that his single drawer
of clothes is one drawer too many.

But you don't have
the guts to tell him,

so you're emotionally walking away
instead of actually walking away,

which is stupid because only one
of those is good for your heart.

He's gonna ask me
to marry him.

I was looking for
some thick socks, found the ring.

And you want to say no.

So I circle right back
to his single drawer of clothes...

I don't want to say anything.
I don't want him to ask.

Not now.

Kutner... We're all
a little freaked out.

We go home, we just want
to hug someone.

We just want to know
everything's gonna be okay.

I don't want him to propose
just because he's scared.

Oh.

She's got a headache, fever,
she's completely exhausted.

Tell him about
your chest, honey.

Her breasts
are really tender.

You guys have a hot tub?

No.

So you must go
to the gym a lot?

Not in years.

But maybe when you
travel on business, you zip on down

to that complimentary
hotel spa.

No.

Sorry, did you
just say yes?

What the hell is
wrong with her?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Got a minute?

He doesn't.
What's wrong with her?

Sorry, I'm sure she's
got a medical crisis,

and I need more time to figure out some
leading questions for your wife.

What's going on
with Cameron?

She doesn't want back on my team,
and she doesn't want to jump me.

Okay-

What?

You ask a question, I rule out two
possibilities, and you're satisfied?

That means you don't
want an answer,

you just wanted to know
there wasn't a particular answer.

Either you were worried
that she wanted back on my team

or you were worried
she wanted back on me.

This isn't
a medical crisis, is it?

Could be. A lot of STDs
hang in the balance.

I give up.
Vinegar compresses four times a day.

Any chance I could
just leave it at that?

No. Pseudomonas folliculitis.

It's a skin infection from
crowded and contaminated hot tubs,

which you obviously use,
but not with your husband.

Tried to help
a sister out.

The nuclei were
all normal-sized,

bone cells are
well-differentiated.

No dysplasia means
no cancer.

That's good, isn't it?

We hope so,

although it also means we still
have no idea what caused the break.

How does it feel?

It hurts.

Is it supposed
to look like that?

No, but it's probably just residual
bleeding from the surgery.

We should be able to...

Need two units of FFP,
right away.

Oh, my God.
What's happening?

He's bleeding out.

Means it's gotta
be cancer.

It's gotta be, except it's not.
The biopsy was negative.

Biopsies can be wrong,
symptoms can't.

All signs point to cancer,

but you can't blast a cancer
you can't find.

Sure you can. Prep him for
total-body irradiation.

You do realize
that's insane.

Not unless you think the cancer's
cleverly hiding outside his body.

Steroids already weakened
his immune system.

That much radiation will kill him
before it kills the cancer.

And if he doesn't have cancer,
we could cause one,

or destroy his
immune system altogether.

The guy could die
from an infected toenail.

So you'd rather do nothing,
just let him die on his own?

I'd rather make
his cancer worse.

Give him insulin-like growth factor,
make any tumor or malignancy grow.

Grows big enough,
we can find it.

That's like pouring
gasoline on a fire.

At least total-body irradiation
is an actual treatment.

His idea is better.
Pour away.

I've lost my mojo.

Have you retraced
your steps?

Does your cleaning lady
check your pockets before...

I was clueless about Kutner,
I was wrong about Cameron,

Taub just came up with an idea that I
should have seen long before he did.

No one saw anything
coming with Kutner,

you hardly ever see
Cameron anymore,

and you hired Taub to come up with ideas
that you wouldn't have come up with.

And I have no idea
why you're eating carrots.

Good.

I'm losing my mind,
all you got to say is, "Good"?

House, a guy you worked
with for two years, who you mentored,

and, yes, possibly even cared about,
just blew his brains out.

You can't find the reason,
can't find the meaning in it,

because sometimes
there isn't any.

Sometimes
this is all there is.

You should be losing it.

You'd be crazy
not to be off your game.

But your mojo's
right where you left it.

Just keep playing with it.

I gotta go.
Help yourself.

I know this is
a tough process.

At the first sign
of any tumors or masses we can...

Start saying prayers?

- It's gonna be okay. Once we can...
- No, it is not gonna be okay.

You're growing
his cancer.

This isn't
the doctors' fault.

I've exposed myself to a lot
of bad stuff. I knew the risks.

(WHEEZING)

I want my life
to mean something,

and if that means
I'm destined to...

(EKG ALARM BLARING)

He's in V-tach, and no pulse.
Grab the paddles.

Oh, God.

Charging. Clear.

Charging. Clear.

I've been looking for you.

And I've been
thinking about you.

Just hadn't reached
the looking stage yet.

Which is the problem.

You asked for a day,
I gave you two.

You told me you had a secret you
couldn't share, I respected that.

Now I don't know
what's worse,

blowing off our vacation
to hang around House,

or continuing to blow it off when
he won't hang around you.

If you think I'm the
least bit interested in House...

I don't know what
I'm supposed to think.

I know this looks bad and...

I don't care how it looks,
I care what it is.

And you're not
telling me what it is.

I'm trying
to trust you, but...

I just...

I need a little more time.

No.

This has nothing
to do with House.

Yeah, well, it has nothing to do
with me either, not anymore.

Let me know
when I can come pick up my things.

TAUB: Nothing on the echo.
We drew a troponin level,

no signs of
myocardial ischemia.

All the tests were normal.

Loss of balance, pathological hiccups,
air leak between the lungs,

broken femur,
now tachycardia. Go.

Come on, give me something.
Give me a bad idea,

maybe I can turn it
into a good one.

Fine. Open him up,
put in a defibrillator.

FOREMAN: That's permanent
and risky.

We don't even know what,
if anything, is wrong with his heart.

Redo all the tests.

In the meantime, open him up,
put in a defibrillator,

so he can live long enough
for you to finish the tests.

Balance organs, nerves,
lungs, bones, heart.

Things you use
to make bratwurst?

There's no sign
of infection,

it's not a metabolic
or autoimmune disease.

It's definitely not cancer.
I think.

Definitely not cancer.

Aren't you gonna pick?

I'm thinking.
ls there a ticking clock?

You already
put your money in.

You never do that
until you decide.

That's very observant of you.

Too bad you distracted me.

Now I'm thinking I might
change my mind.

There's nothing healthy
in that machine.

No, there's not.

Gummi Bears.
You hate Gummi Bears.

People can change.

No.

And more importantly,
I hate them.

Oh, fine.
Then I won't offer you any.

You manipulative bitch.

You're not suddenly
eating healthy because you want to.

You're eating healthy
because you know I don't want to.

I've been mooching food
for 10 years,

so either something started bothering
you this week or you're...

Screwing with you.
It needed to be done.

After Amber died, I withdrew,
tried to change everything,

hoping I'd sort it out,
find some deeper truth.

It was a mistake.

I should have gone back
to normal, to here and now.

Because that's all
we can ever really count on.

Things need to get back
to normal in your life.

And what could be more normal
than me screwing with you,

and you figuring it out?

You manipulative bitch.

TAUB: We need to put in
a cardioverter defibrillator.

It'll keep your heart beating
while we keep looking.

What does that mean?

It means, even if
we figure this out,

you'll have to stop protesting anywhere
not near a hospital.

Hi. Got a few questions.

We're about to
start doing...

A hopefully pointless
medical procedure.

Your life and my mojo
hang in the balance.

Pesticides are evil, which means that
commercial flowers are doused in evil,

but plant life is
nature's answer to evil.

So you have a garden.

No. We live in
an apartment.

- A window box then?
- No.

Potted plants?

Nothing.
The commercial growers...

Yeah, they're evil.
Yeah, got it.

House, I really don't think
we have time for this.

Your marriage sucks.

Thank you.

All marriages suck.
Your marriage sucks.

- No.
- I love her.

He loves a tree in Oregon
more than he loves you,

but he can't have
sex with it.

Unless it's
that slutty oak outside Portland.

You want to get
to your point?

She's had enough.

She's gonna leave, maybe she's just
not putting out, whatever.

You gotta make it right.
Right away.

You gotta compromise
that precious flower principle.

Never.

Once.

Three weeks ago.
Our anniversary.

I missed the dinner
to be at that rally.

You planned it for months.
You were mad, really mad.

I bought you flowers.
I brought them home.

You were gone,
so was your suitcase.

I tossed them,
bought you the earrings.

Roses?

Yes.

You have sporotrichosis.

It's an infection
from the thorn of the rose,

which by any other name
is still a cheap marital aid.

The flowers are
what gave me...

Lesion on your eighth
cranial nerve knocks out your balance,

another on your phrenic nerve
gives you serial hiccups.

We then spread it to your bones
and heart with steroids

and insulin-like
growth factor.

Please tell us that
this is good news.

It's good news for him,

it's good news for
future generations.

It's crappy news for you.
He's gonna be fine.

And he'll never
doubt himself again.

There you go.

Damn. I was hoping
to interrupt something.

Your favor's repaid,
patient's cured.

He's already packing for another
Earth Day extravaganza next week.

He almost died. He can't take a few days
at home with his family?

People only change after a trauma if
they wanted to change before the trauma.

Or if they've watched too many
After School Specials.

You talking about Chase?

I'm talking about you.

You lost husband number one,

no surprise that the death
of a colleague

would make you question
another long-term lease.

You teaching
commitment classes?

'Cause I thought
you were too busy with your lecture...

I'm sure that was
going to be hysterical.

Let me just give you
the Cliff Notes.

Don't try to dump him
by dumping cases on me.

I told you, I never
wanted to dump Chase.

Absolutely.
You wanted him to dump you.

It's totally different,
much less guilt.

Either way, you're out
of reasons to avoid him.

Kutner was a pretty
dumb one to begin with.

I should never have
postponed our vacation.

I should never
have planned it.

I found the ring
in your sock.

I didn't want you to propose
out of some sort of knee-jerk reaction

to what happened
to Kutner.

Well, I guess you don't have
to worry about that anymore.

I'm not. I...

I don't care how it happens,
I just want it to happen.

Are you proposing to me?

I'm proposing that

you propose to me.

After I broke up with you?
After you ruined my planned proposal?

You expect me to...

I'm not expecting.

I'm hoping.

(SIGHS)

Yes.

(HOUSE PLAYING JAZZ ON PIANO)

Solved another case,

busted Wilson.

Looks like you're not
losing it after all.