OCTOBER HORSE

Chapter 1

Wednesday

Wilson stood at the doorway and watched as House packed his black carry-on suitcase. The force at which House threw the clothes into the bag screamed just how angry he was.

"Where are you going?"

"My Mom wants me to go to Oceanside for Thanksgiving; she has some favor to ask."

"Your mother wants to ask you a favor?"

House shrugged.

"And you're going to stay with your mother for your two weeks of suspension?"

"Three. I'm suspended for two and I put in vacation for the third."

"Have you talked to Nolan about what happened? You know, get his input as to why you did what you did?"

"About what happened? I saved a woman's life, that's what happened!" House yelled at Wilson.

"Yeah, after performing an unnecessary brain operation that left her partially paralyzed."

House turned and clenched his teeth. He'd had enough second guessing. All the Monday morning quarterbacking was driving him crazy. "Yeah, well even the review panel said that all signs pointed to a tumor. I got it right in the end, she'll live now."

"Well, that's not why you're being suspended and you know it."

"So what if I diagnosed her while at the betting parlor?"

"Your failure to talk to her when she asked to see her attending before agreeing to the operation was one thing; but failing to show because you had to stay for Charlie's Devil in the fourth at Windsor? That was what got you suspended. It's never the medicine; no one dares challenge your process or diagnosis. It's your patient interaction or lack of it that got you into this mess."

"Jesus Christ, you sound like the Board. Why don't you take your bitter judgment and judge someone who cares?"

"Fine, just give me a call when you land somewhere." Wilson said before walking out the door.

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