Wednesday, 10th January, 2007

[doctorhouse-md.livejournal.com]

"Got a new case," Cameron announced, stepping into House's office. House looked up at her from his desk. "A pregnant woman, 36 weeks gestation," she continued. "Presented in clinic with band pain around the upper abdomen, epigastric pain, blurred vision, vomiting, malaise-"

"What smells like pre-eclampsia, sounds like pre-eclampsia and looks like pre-eclampsia?" House interrupted. "Oh, wait, I know this one. Pre-eclampsia."

Cameron stopped in front of his desk. "No hypertension, no proteinuria, no history of hypertension. First baby. No history of pre-eclampsia during this pregnancy, either. Onset of the symptoms occurred yesterday within an hour after eating lunch." She slapped the file down onto his desk.

"Pre-eclampsia can be asymptomatic."

"You call having symptoms 'asymptomatic'?"

"Prior to the onset and diagnosis of pre-eclampsia, yes," House retorted.

"It's not pre-eclampsia. Ran a blood panel. No antiphospholipid antibodies."

"HELLP syndrome."

"No evidence of hemolysis, either," Cameron replied.

"Ran a liver panel? Ran a test for thrombocytopenia?"

"Still waiting on the liver panel. Platelet count a little below normal but nothing substantial."

"A little below normal," House mimicked.

"As in not below percentile range."

"But almost."

Cameron shrugged.

House gave her a look. "You're boring me. Go away." He picked the file up and thrust it out at her. "Take this boring file with you."

"Is there something going on between you and Cuddy?"

At first, House didn't catch onto Cameron's question, not expecting such an abrupt change in conversation. But then he gave her another look; a carefully masked look of incredulity. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"There's a rumour going around."

"It's a hospital. Rumours spread like unquarantined disease."

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