Verso

Chapter Ten - House Call

Chapter Ten - House Call

The woman pushed a blood pressure monitor on a small rolling basket with a digital oral thermometer in her hand,she seemed distracted however and didn't look up from her implements until she was into the room. "Alright sweetie...lets get your vitals and your meds. How's your throat feeling now?" she started as she finally looked up then stopped dead seeing House in the visitors chair. "Oh...my I mean, Doctor House, I... I didn't realize you were in here." She glanced at Arin. "I just need to check this patient."

"Don't mind me," House replied, rising from his chair. "In fact, don't mind her either. I've got this. Why don't you go see the next poor soul on your list and I'll deal with this one." He paused and pulled a thermometer out of his pocket. "In fact I'll be doing all of Miss Rae's vital checks, so no need for you to disturb her again." He gave the kid a wolfish smile.

Arin for her part did not look happy about this idea. Her heart rate spiked again slightly and she blushed a dark red colour. The nurse blinked at him, "you'll be...but she is under observation as per your order...surely you'll need someone to do the night time checks..."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Miss Rae and I are going to have a little sleepover. I'll take care of it. Besides, It'll give us a chance to get to know one another," he turned to look at the kid, "isn't that right, Arin."

Arin and the nurse both stared back at him their mouths slightly agape. Arin shook her head as if this idea was the worst yet and looked between house and the nurse. Eyes wide, pleading with the woman not to leave her with him.

The nurse didn't seem to know what to do but with a small sigh she acquiesced to House's seniority and left the rolling basket where it was, put down on the table the cup of little white tablets and turned back to the door. "If you're sure." She said to House and with an apologetic look back at Arin she left the room again sliding the door shut behind her.

Now alone again Arin swallowed and looked at House. She didn't seem to be able to form words just mouthed soundlessly for a second before..."Sleepover?" she asked apparently dumbfounded. She cast around the room, looked at the basket and the wires and things it contained and felt her stomach drop as if she were on a rollercoaster. Stupid, she told herself, get a grip. She watched him, eyes fixed on the thermometer he now wielded with the expression of a caged animal.

Unfazed, House drank in the girl's now frightened appearance and had to hand it to himself. He really knew how to freak people out. Let's see how long she would refuse his lung function test now. He walked closer to her, waited a few beats before he spoke. "You didn't tell me your throat hurt," he said eerily, he clucked his tongue wagging his left index finger at her in a tisk-tisk manner. Then, looking her directly in the eyes, held up the thermometer and grinned, "We'll have to see about that, but first...open wide."

She closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. She didn't comply however.

He waited a second as she seemed to struggle internally then opening her eyes looked at him then at the device he held, she swallowed again. With a deep shudder of a sigh she opened her mouth just wide enough for him to put the thermometer in. Like he was feeding a baby, House put the device into her mouth and lifted her chin up with his other hand until it closed around the plastic cylinder, metal tip under her tongue. "Good girl," he praised and gave her a gentle pat on the head.

Her eyes flashed darkly at him as her jaw clenched hard, a low soft growl of disapproval rumbling from her chest. She jerked back slightly away from his touch but did not spit out the thermometer despite the urge to do so.

"That stays under your tongue until I remove it," he warned. "Otherwise, I start again until you do. And if you keep doing it I'll have the nurse bring me an anal thermometer and I'll roll you. Understand?"