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Chapter Sixteen - Human Pin Cushion

Chapter Sixteen - Human Pin Cushion

The procedure room was a mix of grey and yellow. A patchwork of tile, with the smell of disinfectant. It was quiet here, when compared to the rest of the hospital she'd seen thus far. The heavy metal door was closed over and muffled the rest of the world outside. This was an older part of the hospital House had explained. Hence it's more macabre and dated look and while he hadn't needed to take her here to do his next test, he had figured it was one of the quietest places he could find for her. It was way up there on his list of hidey holes to eat lunch, or so he said. She wondered if he was being kind or trying to freak her out further. He kept watching her.

It had taken 40 minutes and what seemed to Arin to be a ride around the entire hospital, before they had finally settled here. And now she found herself alone in the room with House, lying on her side hugging a pillow with her knees up to her chest. The only sound coming from him clanking around and their breathing.

She considered what was about to happen to her and instantly felt as if her throat was constricting. So instead she refocused her attention on the large clear bag Cameron had hung on her new silver stand. A drop of liquid slowly splashed into the channel collection part of the system. It vanished into the tube running down the side of the slightly stiff bed she lay on and into the IV line in her left arm.

Her gown still covered her front, but the sterile air on her back was cool and gave her skin goosebumps. She swallowed and tried to stop herself shaking. Part of her mind telling her that House, situated behind her, could see her pants, or rather Zen's boxers. She tried to ignore the fact that this was not the worst part of the situation.

For his part, House managed to remain professional and resisted the urge to make commentary about the boyfriend's underwear. Or at least as professional as he ever got. There was no way he would succumb and start using the patient's name as Cameron had. Arin Rae had forever been nicknamed whether she liked it or not. Besides, She had only protested mildly by rolling her eyes each time he used it. As his patient lay under the calming effects of the injection and surprisingly hypnotic bag of saline, he paused to consider. He'd purposely trekked her through the hospital, trying to elicit some kind of response. He'd gone on until his leg burned, but had only succeeded in making her look mildly paler. No freak out; bummer. With care he prepped the instruments needed to carry out the LP.

"Do I have to do this," she asked interrupting his reprieve without moving, hugging the pillow slightly tighter.

"Sorry, Kiddo, but I need some positive test results so I can diagnose what's wrong with you. Don't worry, I'm a pro. Just lie still and I'll make this as painless as possible." It was a lie of sorts, LP's were notorious for being one of the most painful diagnostic tests going.

Arin took a deep breath through her nose. The bed under her smelled of cleaning fluids and cotton. Alone in the very quiet room with him she was struck by how gruff his tone was actually at points. The lack of noise made her feel slightly calmer, slightly more in control. Then there was the short stubby syringe House had slid into the tube in her arm. With a promise that it wouldn't make her drowsy; just relaxed.

She swallowed again, rather than going dry this time her mouth almost felt like she had too much moisture. It was the sort of feeling you get before a really bad bout of vomiting. She cast around for something to say "I thought that an LP was notorious for being one of the most painful diagnostic tests there was?" she asked and swallowed again, "I'm scared." That last part just sort of fell out of her mouth before she could stop it. She was glad she couldn't see House's face.

House frowned as he sat down on the rolling stool and slid back into place behind her. It was not the first and it certainly wouldn't be the last time he heard a patient say they were scared. Yet he had not expected to hear it from this one. Which was ironic, given that she had iatrophobia, thus he himself and everything around about scared her by default. However, given the tone she'd used, he suspected that she hadn't meant to say it out loud. Why couldn't she have said this in radiology when he had Cameron on hand to deal with her?