"The clinic again?" Elion was worried about missing the final treatment for Rebecca and that this might cause him not to receive any reward.
That would not be beneficial. Although he had extra days of life and this continued to increase little by little as he helped patients with their illnesses, there was no better reward than saving a life that was on the brink of death.
Without those rewards, which were like drugs to ease the pain, Elion would suffer more episodes of pain.
House noticed Elion's resignation just by looking at his face.
He had come to the conclusion that Elion got headaches from dealing with patients who were difficult to interact with, and that each person who came seeking a diagnosis from him was a special case.
That was why House wanted to shape Elion in this kind of work environment. He needed to make Elion understand that being a doctor was not as simple as it seemed.
As his direct superior, Elion had no choice but to go to this clinic.
"What? You don't want to do consultations? Or do you think going to outpatient consults underestimates your abilities?"
"It's fine if you don't want to go. However, you won't participate in the next diagnostic meeting for one of the many rare cases we have…"
Before House could finish speaking, Elion intervened decisively:
"Of course I won't refuse. Even you, as a great doctor, are subject to mandatory consultations, so how could I, an intern, refuse such an attractive suggestion?"
House was left speechless for a moment and looked at the others in confusion. Was this some kind of joke? He thought Elion would throw a tantrum or argue about his participation in this case, but he did the complete opposite of what an arrogant intern would do.
"But after the X-ray, may I tell Rebecca the final diagnosis? I haven't spoken to her yet, so it would be incredible to meet the patient myself. Gaining experience is always good for an intern, right?"
House found Elion's request somewhat strange, but he did not refuse.
This kind of errand work was usually done by interns.
It would be even better if Elion were willing to do more. After receiving House's promise, Elion nodded and turned to walk toward the elevator at the end of the hallway.
For his own situation, this was the best possible outcome. He could not miss the next opportunity to diagnose a patient!
It was important to know that almost all cases sent to the diagnostic department were life-threatening!
If we talk about where more people could be saved in a short period of time and with the best chances of success, the diagnostic department was undoubtedly the best option.
Therefore, he knew he could not be excluded from the diagnostic meeting under any circumstances!
…
Watching Elion walk away, Foreman inexplicably felt a sense of crisis.
As long as the hospital was not expanded, all positions would remain permanent.
If Elion continued to perform exceptionally well, then someone in the diagnostic department would inevitably face the possibility of losing their job.
Thinking about this, he could not help but ask the question that had been lingering in his mind:
"House, is it really ideal to give so much responsibility to an intern?"
House looked at Foreman, seemingly reading his mind.
"Of course not. I don't trust anyone. I only trust my own judgment."
"If you're worried about being replaced, don't be. What I need is not an outstanding doctor, but someone with special talents, like you."
Hearing the implied meaning in House's words, Foreman was surprised at first, but then showed an ironic smile.
At sixteen years old, his special talent had been breaking into other people's houses and stealing food for his family.
Unexpectedly, House did not value his ability as an outstanding graduate from a prestigious university, but rather this "special talent," something House would do.
This genuinely made Foreman feel that House was a complete idiot.
Unlike Foreman, who was worried about his own position, Cameron was more worried about Elion and his work at the clinic.
"But isn't it underestimating Elion to have him face patients alone? After all, he's still an intern. If he misdiagnoses a patient, the problem could be serious."
"What if I go down and supervise him?" After saying that, Cameron tried to walk toward the elevator.
But a cane soon stopped her from moving forward.
"No, there's no need. You said it yourself, he's an intern. It's quite normal for them to make wrong or inaccurate diagnoses. Don't worry, I'll review the records afterward."
"As long as his basic narrative skills aren't a problem, I'll correct his mistakes." After saying that, House added, "Alright, now take Rebecca to the radiology department. I'll be waiting for your good results in the conference room."
Understanding House's meaning, Cameron had no choice but to take Rebecca to the radiology department for an X-ray.
On the way to the radiology department, seeing Cameron still lost in thought, Chase could not help but speak.
"Cameron, everyone needs a moment to learn how to stand on their own. A bad experience while being alone will further motivate Elion to learn or consider new things."
"That's right. Failure is what makes people learn from their mistakes.
Allowing him to adapt to this lifestyle in advance will only benefit his future career.
If he can't even do this, then he's not fit for the medical profession."
Cameron sighed softly.
"That makes sense, but isn't House going too far?"
Chase smiled and shook his head.
"Don't you understand yet? Even though he spoke casually, he wasn't the type of person who would joke about a patient's condition. The reason he didn't want to see patients was simply because he thought patients were ignorant."
"A childhood cold that could be cured in 30 seconds requires 30 minutes to explain to the mother that it's just a common flu. That kind of diagnosis annoyed him. So I bet that's the kind of trouble he's putting Elion through."
"Even if a misdiagnosis happens later, it won't cause major problems; he's completely capable of correcting it after reviewing the outpatient records."
Cameron nodded and said, "I hope so."
…
On the other hand, the first patient Elion met while sitting in the outpatient clinic was a child.
A ten-year-old boy with his mother by his side.
One of the patients House least wanted to see.
After a brief inquiry and a routine auscultation by Elion, he was quite sure that the child in front of him was suffering from a very common type of asthma.
In a child with mild asthma, symptoms can be controlled with the continuous use of inhaled anti-inflammatory steroids.
There is even the possibility that as people grow older and their immunity improves, they may fully recover.
However, this requires long-term use of anti-inflammatory medication.
Nevertheless, his mother clearly had a different opinion.
"Dr. Whitmore, I now have serious doubts about your medical qualifications. I don't trust your judgment; I need to see Dr. House."
"Please, ma'am, my diagnosis is correct. You must trust me."
"Impossible! Dr. House must have another way to cure him, instead of simply telling him to keep using an aerosol inhaler! Do you know that using medication can hinder his growth and development?"
"My son is only ten years old; there's no need for him to take such a strong medicine! There must be a way that won't affect his growth and development!"
Elion shook his head helplessly.
"Have you considered the possibility that your son could stop breathing if he doesn't use the medication? In this situation, are you sure you want to refuse the use of a powerful medicine?"
"Furthermore, asthma reduces the amount of oxygen he inhales, which poses a greater risk than the medication might. The consequences of oxygen deficiency in the brain during growth and development are probably even more fatal."
"I recommend starting the medication as soon as possible to avoid the possibility of suffocation and increase the chances of a full recovery."
Even with Elion's explanation, the child's mother's face remained full of distrust.
"Are you threatening me? Believe it or not, I'll sue you! It's normal for you to be so young and inexperienced that you can't think of other solutions."
"But we can't rule out other options! There must be another way. I'll wait here until Dr. House arrives; otherwise, I won't leave!"
Elion, who had not shown symptoms before, began to feel his headache coming on.
"Damn it…" Elion muttered unconsciously, earning a sharp glare from the woman in front of him.
"Did you just curse? My husband is a lawyer—believe it or not, you'll get into trouble if you don't do what I say."
"Yes, ma'am, calm down. You're scaring your son."
"Are you telling me to shut up?"