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Chapter Fifteen - Out of the frying pan into the scanner

Chapter Fifteen  - Out of the frying pan into the scanner

Watching as their friend was wheeled away the other two of the teen trio sat in the room opposite and contemplated. The girl in the bed moved a steaming mask away from her face and said. "See I told you so...she's totally just doing it for attention, she is jealous that I'm getting all the attention so she has to go do it too." She put the mask back.

The boy looked torn. "Really? How can you think that? Arin's not like that, she hates hospitals."

"Yeah...like so she says...think about it...every time she's like oh I have a sore throat or you're like oh you're warm she makes this big song and dance about it...like it's basic attention seeking 101. Gawd Zen..."

The boy frowned. "Why would she?"

"Uhh duh so we can be all like 'OMG you totally need to go to the doctors, you're so brave here let us like do stuff for you and junk.' I mean come on...as IF anyone has that many sore throats and stuff...like I had a really sore throat like a year ago remember and I was like floored...for like a week...she doesn't even miss a day of school and it's not like her appetite goes down."

The frown on the boy's face deepened as the girl continued. "And last night he was with her for like ever and she did a whole dramatic performance about it. Wouldn't even talk to me when I tried to find out what was going on and brought her the soda. She got him to send me away." The mask went back on for a moment then was taken off again

"And Arin like sat here totally fine until Doctor House came in, I gave her a little push with my toe and she was all 'Oh my god Robyn you've wounded me' in front of him...why? Attention! I'm telling you." She nodded and put her mask back on leaving the boy to watch the trio of medical staff wheel their companion away. He didn't answer because well...he didn't know what to think.

***

House sat in the control room and watched as the images from the CT scan flashed up on the screen. Unfortunately, like the MRI, lung function test, strep throat test and blood work before it, he got bupkis. No meningitis, no obvious head issues, nothing. It seemed he was now four for four in the null results category. Only this time, he really didn't like it. They had symptoms a plenty, yet not a damn thing showing up in any of the tests. What was wrong with this kid? Absentmindedly he began twiddling his cane as his brain struggled to come up with any concrete theories. Given her complete lack of inoculations and the rather generic nature of her symptoms, there were just too many possibilities to narrow it down. Hence the need to run the tests, except... The vicious circle that Kiddo's case was quickly devolving into served only to irk him. A bit like the girl herself. He let out a long exhale. If the LP came back negative, he was going straight for lunch. Perhaps Wilson would prove a useful distraction for an hour or so.

Cameron sat peering at the monitors as the machine scanned. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. She kept glancing sideways at her boss then fixing her eyes forward again. Finally as the machine started the final scan cycle she raised her eyebrows and said. "So...you agreed to be the one doing this..." she trailed off. "...I just mean well the nurses said you had a rather big argument with her and she was desperate to get rid of you but now this morning..." again she trailed off as if expecting him to respond and fill in the blanks for her.

"I argue with everyone, especially patients. Usually they come around to my way of thinking. And if the nursing staff say big, it probably only registers as small on the House scale."

Arin for her part lay as still as she could, the calming effect of the injection House had given her was starting to wear off. Her head felt clear again and her chest didn't hurt anymore. She looked at the camera and raised her eyebrows. "Ground control this is Major Tom. Can I get out yet?"

House chuckled and pressed the intercom button, "we're on the last scan now, Kiddo. So just hang tight for a few more minutes." He decided not to tell her that the scans had been a complete waste of time.

"You keep calling her that" Cameron said with a smile.

"That lady from human resources came around again and insisted I start calling my patients by name. Apparently, it makes them more human and me more likely to care. She just never specified what name I had to call them."

"Aha," Cameron's smile widened. "You like her don't you." She asked

As the female doctor glanced at her boss any of the two looking would see via the monitor Arin roll her eyes and let out a huge sigh. The sort of sigh that accidently made scans fuzzy because it moved the patient. "Easy for you to say." She muttered obviously not thinking the sound would be loud enough for the microphone to pick up.

When the last scan came through all fuzzy and completely useless, House jabbed the intercom button, "for someone who wants out of there, you're sure making life difficult for yourself. That last scan is fuzzier than Fozzie so we're going to have a do-over. So hold still this time or I'll have my heavies fetch the kiddy restraints."

His words seemed to have the opposite effect. Arin swallowed and shuddered. Her whole frame moving in the scanner again. She glanced at the arm now containing the IV line House himself had inserted on her insistence Cameron not be allowed to. She recalled the warm feeling spreading over her legs and torso as the dye was injected for this...the skin was itchy and she felt slightly sick.

"My arm itches from the inside." She told the non corporeal narrator, "and I feel sick" this was a new part of their relationship, where she told him how she felt. As they went. So far it just made her feel stupid, like she was whining.

"That's probably just a reaction to the dye, Kiddo. Now relax in there or we'll do the whole lot again." Internally, House hoped it wasn't. With no positive results from the tests, a new symptom would be the next best thing. Except there would be no way of knowing which it was until the dye had completely left her system.

Cameron peered at the screen as the last set of scans came up "No swelling or inflammation in the skulll...sinuses look good...meninges look clear of inflammation too." She moved her hand and pointed to an old injury site "Foreman was right, look that was a hairline skull fracture. That would have been a whopper of a concussion."

"Yep.. just another waste of Cuddy's money on a diagnostic test that showed nothing. God we're going to be popular at the monthly budget review." He glanced at the fracture sight. "You're right. One big fat concussion that happened six months ago and tells us nothing about her current condition."

Rising from his chair, he limped over to the control room door. He'd had enough of this. Time to get the Kid out of the scanner and to her appointment with a nice sharp lumbar puncture needle.

***