WebNovels

Chapter 123 - Chapter 123

Note.

Over the weekend I watched Weapons by Zach Cregger (Who also directed Barbarian, watch it) and I really liked it, so without further ado, my top 10 movies of 2025. 

Disclaimer: It's a personal top (Which basically means it's the best top ever made, you're welcome) based purely on the movies from the year in question, only the ones I've seen (Obviously I've seen more than 10 movies so far this year, but it's a top 10 so there's no point in adding more).

10 - Highest 2 Lowest by Spike Lee (Do yourself a favor and watch High and Low by Akira Kurosawa) 

9 - Thunderbolts by James Gunn (The second season of Peacemaker is already out, watch Peacemaker) 

8 - A Nice Indian Boy by Roshan Sethi (Watch 7 Days) 

7 - The Fantastic Four: First Steps by Matt Shakman (Watch The Great, WandaVision and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) 

6 - Frankenstein by Guillermo del Toro (Do I even have to recommend something??? Just watch his movies) 

5 - Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos (Watch Poor Things) 

4 - Bring Her Back by the Philippou brothers (Who also directed Talk to Me and, fun fact, they also made those mitic youtube videos of Ronald McDonald killing people, including children in a McDonald's, watch them.) 

3 - Superman by James Gunn (Did I already mention Peacemaker? watch Peacemaker) 

2 - Sinners by Ryan Coogler (Watch Black Panther) 

1 - Weapons (Because I already wrote notes on the rest of the recommended movies, I'm just going to say that old people running, is possibly the funniest thing that can exist)

Honorable mentions (Or also called: They made me waste time and money that I could've used to buy important things like drugs or alcohol).

Until Down (Play the game instead) 

Locked (Somehow they made Anthony Hopkins act in a movie arguably worse than the original '4x4' from Argentina which was very difficult) 

The Ritual (Now here there really is competition, which is the worst movie Al Pacino has acted in? Jack and Jill or this one?) 

Megan 2.0 (Much worse than the first one) 

Death of a Unicorn (Not even Paul Rudd's apparent immortality or Will Poulter's eyebrows could save this movie, oh yeah, Jenna Ortega also acts in the movie) 

The Gorge (It's not THAT bad, Miles Teller still doesn't know how to play the drums and Anya Taylor-Joy still can play chess)

That's it.

Enjoy.

---

I closed the binder with distaste at Vogler's shamelessness and in general pharmaceutical companies. "A speech?" I finally asked.

"What can I say? I read the research, and I agree with the goal" House defended himself, shrugging.

"The goal" I spat ironically immediately, "what, updating the patent of a drug so you don't lose it and can squeeze even more money out of the people who need said drug to survive?" I asked in disgust.

Smiling shamelessly, House nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't have said it better" he replied sarcastically.

Sighing, I forced myself to relax, if there was something that bothered me it was the rottenness of the health system.

Much calmer. "Not really, what is it? You give the speech and Vogler gets the stick out of his ass?" I asked, leaning back in the chair.

I couldn't see another reason why House would agree to give a speech for Vogler's company, that or maybe under the threat of more people possibly losing their jobs, like Dr. Wilson or Dr. Cuddy.

Shaking his head slightly. "Oh no, Ed loves that stick too much to move it anytime soon" House said, smiling proudly, "it's just a small deal we made, I know how much you love your siblings, especially Chase, so if I give a little speech about their new drug I don't have to fire anyone" he explained neutrally.

Even though House was trying hard not to show it, I could see a bit of self-contempt slipping through at possibly having had to accept such a deal. Knowing the bitter man, it was clear that being someone else's 'puppet' burned his ass deeply.

Keeping silent for a couple of seconds. "All right" I finally muttered, dragging the binder back to me.

It wasn't that I really had any interest in writing the speech, but that didn't mean I didn't want to read the kind of trickery companies like Vogler's pulled, and if possible, compare it with the data of the drug they were developing, at least from the few documents I had.

Putting his feet back up on his desk. "Great, I want something that inspires people, maybe even a standing ovation, not too long I'm too modest for that, maybe just two or three minutes" House said, moving his hands gratefully in front of his body, as if already seeing several people clapping in front of him.

Letting out air with disdain, I shook my head without deigning to say anything.

A few seconds later, House's office fell into silence, while I read the research, House stared fixedly at the ceiling of his office. "Hmm" he suddenly murmured, putting his arms behind his head, "I feel like I'm forgetting something… something supposedly important" he added while pretending to struggle to remember.

Shaking my head exasperated at what was clearly a lie from House, before I could say anything about it, from the door that connects House's office with the diagnostics lounge, the voices of the three doctors under House's command caught my attention.

Touching the frame of the office door. "The cell count–" Dr. Foreman was saying, stopping dead when he saw me head-on, clearly taken aback by my sudden appearance.

I highly doubted House had told anyone the reason I had been absent those weeks.

With my jaw clenched I moved my head in an awkward greeting.

Behind Dr. Foreman, Chase and Cameron immediately entered, looking strangely at Foreman who had stopped just a few steps from the entrance, but understanding a second later the reason behind it.

Quickly recovering from the surprise. "PJ, you're back" Cameron said happily.

Before Cameron could. "Yeah yeah, the kid is alive" House interrupted, "just please remember not to provoke him so no one gets hurt" he added exaggeratedly concerned, something he quickly forgot as he maliciously smiled at Chase.

Excellent way to remind everyone what had happened, thanks House.

Clearly Chase for his part hadn't forgotten our 'fight' and its outcome because, exhaling annoyed, he left the room, surely feeling humiliated by House's joke.

"What, was it something I said?" House asked, falsely surprised.

Rolling his eyes exasperatedly. "As I was saying, the senator's white cell count is rising quickly, in a couple of days it'll reach normal levels" Foreman continued, stepping closer to the desk, offering documents to House. Surely the patient's latest studies.

Meanwhile in silence Cameron gave me a couple of signs indicating that we should have a chat.

"Good" House murmured, giving a lazy check to the data, "start getting the paperwork ready" he added visibly confident of the final diagnosis and therefore the treatment.

Nodding, without saying anything else, Foreman took back the papers he had brought with him, leaving the office, not without first nodding at me as a greeting.

Holding his chin, pretending to be surprised. "That was much better than I expected" House commented, "I thought Chase would attack you to regain some of his masculinity" he added sarcastically.

Without deigning House with a response, with the binder in my hands I stood up, putting the document in my backpack before following the doctors to the lounge.

Outside, sitting next to Cameron at the lounge table, we chatted calmly, ignoring both Chase and Foreman who were working on what House had ordered, or at least that's how they made it look, because with how little their pens moved, it was clear they were listening to my story about my vacation.

After answering basically the same questions the nurses had asked me when I arrived at the hospital, it was my turn to listen to Cameron, the 'extremely interesting' case of the senator who was running for president of the country.

The case, as House had said, turned out to be really interesting, toxoplasmosis, false positives in tests for AIDS, something that only happened once every five thousand times, muscle spasms, swollen lymph nodes leading to the diagnosis of Epstein-Barr with childhood ingestion of phenytoin, which explained the symptoms that could be confused with AIDS. "Common variable immunodeficiency" I said incredulous, because it really was a risky diagnosis "bold move, to just treat it with intravenous immunoglobulin, he could have died" I added reading the latest notes of the case.

Shrugging. "You know House" Cameron said, pressing her lips.

Forgetting he was pretending not to be listening to the conversation. "Fortunately it's working" Dr. Foreman said, surprisingly offering me the same papers he had given House some time ago.

Smiling with slight discomfort. "Thanks" I said as I took the clinical analysis results from the doctor's hand, immediately reading the data that matched what he himself had said in House's office.

Maybe I should follow Diane's example with Meredith and try to make an effort to reach a better coexistence with the doctor… Chase on the other hand, consciously avoided turning his face toward where I was, completely ignoring my presence. I seriously doubted I could do anything there and, honestly, unless I saw a real change in the Australian's behavior, which I seriously doubted would happen, I had no interest at all in fixing anything.

Unable to continue the train of thought, leaving the idea stored for later, suddenly appearing behind me. "Fortunately?" House asked exaggeratedly offended, "so that's how I find out about the little trust my employees have in me?" he added, putting a hand on his chest, pretending to be hurt.

"And you are surprised... why?" I asked ironically.

Tilting his head slightly, pressing his lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right" House murmured, "anyway, come on, you have to fulfill the work responsibilities you dodged these weeks" he added, urging me with a nod toward the lounge exit.

Frowning. "I don't work here" I replied dryly.

Checking his watch. "Yeah well, tell that to all the hours you owe in the clinic" House replied, raising his eyebrows with irony.

"You haven't gone to the clinic in two weeks?" I asked incredulously, feeling the beginning of a migraine.

If House had somehow managed to avoid going to the clinic these weeks, it meant he had a bunch of hours to cover and, unfortunately for me now that I was back, I would be the one to cover them.

Walking slowly toward the lounge door. "I didn't say that, I just said you owe clinic hours" House explained eloquently, "specifically to me, since I had to do part of your job" he added a moment later leaving the room.

"I don't work here" I said frustrated, being only heard by the remaining doctors in the lounge.

Sticking his head through the still open lounge door. "You coming?" House asked with a frown, as if he was tired of waiting.

Sighing, trying to avoid the growing migraine, I slowly stood up.

Smiling with a hint of pity. "Good luck" Cameron murmured, offering me a thumbs up.

Without replying, defeated I left the lounge quickly catching up to House, who had already taken a few steps toward the clinic.

Surely seeing the exasperation on my face. "What?" House asked as we walked through the hospital hallways, "now that you're back from vacation, the clinic is suddenly beneath you?" he added accusingly, raising an eyebrow.

Exhaling frustrated. "Oh yeah, that's exactly what's happening" I replied rolling my eyes.

Smiling broadly, surely enjoying the strange punishment he had given me for going on vacation. "At least look on the bright side, you don't have to make up the hours for the full two weeks, I did a couple of them" House said, with exaggerated excitement.

Defeated, I preferred to remain silent the rest of the way, barely listening as best I could to House's hardly believable story about a patient with sleepwalking who, during her episodes, visited her ex who apparently lived in the same condominium building, who ended up pregnant without knowing it.

House's story was so unbelievable that it was even more frustrating to arrive at the clinic, which was just as I remembered it before the two-week vacation, despite the hospital being between two small towns of no more than twenty thousand inhabitants combined, completely full of people waiting for their turn at the free consultation.

Just by giving a quick inspection of the people in the waiting chairs, I could discern, thanks to the season, the people who were there with clear symptoms of heatstroke, dehydration or food poisoning, which were the majority.

After all it was summer in Texas and the weather during most of the day was hot and humid.

I highly doubted that among all those people there would be a case as interesting as a pregnant sleepwalker.

House continued walking on his own to the office we always used, leaving me as always with the tedious job of starting with the paperwork and calling patients, fortunately behind the desk Fryday, as always, was working completely focused on her own paperwork.

"Nurse, where are the lab results I ordered the other day?" I asked aggressively, poorly modulating my voice.

Raising her face, surprised, surely not having heard me approach, Fryday had a frown, prepared to defend herself, or attack… I had no idea, whatever the older nurse was willing to do at such an aggressive question, died immediately when she saw my face.

Smiling broadly. "Sweet mother of Jesus" the woman said, clearly excited, "you're back, thank God" she added, tilting her head to the ceiling, closing her eyes tightly.

Pointing with my head toward the office where House was. "Was it that bad this time without me?" I asked surprised by the woman's reaction.

"You have no idea honey, maybe I had forgotten what it was like dealing with him without having you for comfort" the nurse said quietly, "or maybe he was in a worse mood because he didn't have you to do his job" she added.

Yeah, it was possibly a combination of both, but more because he had to deal with the patients.

"Anyway, you're back now" the woman declared relieved.

Laughing awkwardly. "Yeah" I murmured.

I didn't know how to take Fryday's joy that I had to take care of House's tedious work in the clinic, after all I understood her relief at not having to deal so directly with House, but on the other hand I would be the most affected.

Apparently noticing my internal dilemma. "Oh honey" the nurse whispered, slightly embarrassed. Shuffling through the papers I recognized as the patients' charts. "I'll send you the most docile patients" the nurse whispered, while checking the faces of the people, surely to match with the names.

Snorting weakly. "Thanks" I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Finding a chart that apparently met the self-imposed mental requirements, Fryday pulled out the documents, ready to hand them over but. "PJ!" a woman's voice, clearly excited, interrupted her.

Dr. Cuddy, advancing from the door of her office, approached me, visibly excited and for some reason relieved.

"That's me" I said, smiling awkwardly at the woman waiting for her to continue.

"No one knew how to contact you, or where you were" the woman said quickly.

Yup, House hadn't told anyone.

Reaching my side, Dr. Cuddy held my shoulder, surely with a little more force than she had planned, as if afraid I would suddenly disappear. "I have excellent news, let's go to my office" the woman added, smiling broadly.

Not understanding what was happening I nodded, walking alongside the doctor, not without first sharing a puzzled look with Fryday.

As we walked toward her office. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything, but in my family we had the chance to go on vacation–" I was explaining to the doctor.

Shaking her head quickly. "Oh don't worry about that, there's no problem at all, in fact I'm very glad you had a vacation, how was it?" she interrupted me, smiling tensely, but still kindly.

"Great" I replied a bit uncomfortable, "but, anyway I should have told someone else besides Dr. House, maybe left a way to contact me" I added embarrassed a moment later, returning to the topic.

Honestly I had no intention at all of doing that, my vacation was a way to get away from the hospital and the heavy atmosphere that had arisen since Vogler's arrival, besides it hadn't crossed my mind that Dr. Cuddy might need something from me.

Snorting annoyed. "Of course House did know where you were" the woman said as we entered her office, "but please don't apologize" she quickly added.

Closing the door behind us, Dr. Cuddy silently offered me to take a seat in the chairs in front of her desk.

Taking a seat across from me. "It's just that, certainly having a way to communicate with you would have been extremely useful" the doctor continued, maintaining an oddly tense smile on her face, "since there was a decision I had to make on your behalf" she added, pressing her jaw for a moment, "but well no use crying over spilled milk."

I'm sorry what?

Before I could ask what she meant. "But first of all, excellent news" the woman said quickly, changing the tense smile on her face to a natural one "Circulation got in touch and approved your article for publication in the next issue" she declared excitedly, opening her arms.

"Great news" I said surprised.

Not more than a month had passed since it had been sent for review, I mean, it was a review article, not an original research article, but still it was surprising how quickly it had been accepted.

"Excellent news" Dr. Cuddy replied, leaning slightly on her legs, "and even better," she added tightening the smile on her face "the national cardiology congress is this weekend and since the hospital had nothing to present, I made the decision to send the abstract of your article."

I'm sorry what?

Smiling broadly, leaning back again in her chair. "And apparently given your profile and how quickly your article was accepted by Circulation, they quickly approved giving you time to present your article" Dr. Cuddy declared expectantly at my reaction.

Yeah... I'm sorry what?

---

Note.

I know that calls for abstracts to congresses (at least in Mexico and at the mathematics congresses I've attended) are issued 6 to 12 months before the event. Furthermore, the article PJ wrote is a review, which is generally not accepted for open submissions.

So, once again, we'll need the power of imagination to make it happen.

---

Author Thoughts:

As always, I'm not American, not a doctor, not a fighter, not Magnus Carlsen, not Michael Phelps, not Arsene Lupin, not McLovin, not Elliot, not Capone and not Tiger Woods.

Another chapter has passed, so new thanks are in order. I would like to especially thank:

11332223 

RandomPasserby96 

Victor_Venegas

I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.

Thank you for reading! :D

PS: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.

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