Tess walked into a hospital lobby and smiled to herself. She looked around at the place and was amazed at how much it looked the same since her time there 5 years before. She heard a familiar voice from across the room and smirked as she rolled her eyes. She turned around and leaned against a pillar as two people, a man she didn't know and Lisa Cuddy walked out of an office. She had her voice raised to a level Tess had only heard when she was absolutely determined or was really angry. As she watched the two argue, she looked on in wonder at Cuddy; because although she sounded angry, her old friend was smugly enjoying the argument.

The bickering duo walked across the room closer to her. She listened to part of their discussion which was currently whether or not to allow the other doctor to perform a high risk procedure on a patient. She forced a serious tone as she interjected, "Well, if the patient is experiencing a fever, I think that a lung biopsy could cause more harm than good."

The man looked irritated and shouted, "But the biopsy is the only way to find the…" The man stopped and looked toward her and looked confused, "Who are you?"

Cuddy looked at her amazed, "Tess? Oh, wow! It's been five years since I saw you last!"

They hug and Tess tells her, "Yeah, I know. But I had a day layover in Jersey and decided to drop by. I just finished a project in Australia and was heading back to Washington."

The man interrupted them, both serious and mocking at the same time, "Cuddy, I would love to hear about any experimenting you may have done in the past, but I need that biopsy!"

She sighs and turns to him, "You're positive it's in the lungs?"

He looked hesitant, "No, but it's the most likely place."

She lowered her head and after a minute, she sighed, "Go ahead."

The man nods and limps away toward the OR. Tess looks concerned, "A lung biopsy for fever? That's an irregular test, isn't it?"

Cuddy nodded, "Yes it is, but the patient will probably be discharged tomorrow."

Tess raised her eyebrows, "Interesting." She changed the subject, "Well, anyway, I came to say hello; and also I wanted to leave a new number with you if you needed to reach me."

Cuddy asked, "Oh did you get a new phone?"

She shook her head, "Yes. I just had a temporary one for international calls and signed a new contract last week before coming back."

She nods, "Okay." She starts to ask a question when one of the doctors collapses nearby. They and a group of others run up and check on him. Cuddy checks his pulse, "Rapid heartbeat; could be tachycardia."

A nurse attaches an EKG monitor and announces, "V-Fib! Cardiac arrest!"

Cuddy orders, "Paddles!" They rush them in and shock him a couple times.

The nurse checks the vitals, "He's stable."

Cuddy tells them, "Get him to ICU!"

********

Tess has thrown away a coffee cup when Cuddy walks back out. Tess walks over, "Is he going to be okay?"

She sighs and shakes her head solemnly, "Yes and no. Doctor Kensington has a genetic heart defect. His heart is normal for most of his life, but it develops deformations later in life." She seems troubled, "This is the second heart attack he's had in 8 months. He's going to be fine, but I can't allow him to continue working here. If he collapses during procedures, he becomes a liability. I have to let him go." She sighs, "He loves this hospital and he is such a good doctor. It's going to be hard for the staff to pick up the slack."

Tess asks, "Wait, you're short handed? I thought they were 13 other doctors assigned here?"

She nods, "There are. However, 3 of them are employed for Doctor House. They are busy a lot with special cases. And two quit about a month ago."

Tess sighed, "So one more doctor would make that much of a difference for you?" she smirks, "Is Doctor Kensington stable enough for a flight?"

Cuddy looked unsure, "Maybe. Why?"

"I have an idea." She explained, "I know a person who just graduated Harvard Medical. She was top of her class but hasn't experienced actual hospital situations. He could…" She stopped as she though of the right word, "Show her what to expect."

Cuddy scoffed slightly, "Tess, you can't just be told what to expect."

Tess asked, "Trust me, Doctor Cuddy. This will work." Cuddy looked unsure but nodded.