It's My Life (House)

[Dr. Chris Taub]

After Taub had had his conversation with Cuddy in the cafeteria, he had made up his mind to go talk to House himself. Taub didn't give Cuddy too much information on the situation because if House had found out she knew (which was bound to happen since they were a couple) that could only make matters much worse than they already were.

Taub stood outside the door of House's office. It was empty right now. Maybe that was a sign---a sign that this conversation should wait until another day...No. Taub couldn't leave. If he didn't get it done with now, he'd just keep on finding excuse after excuse to put it off.

He opened up the door and stepped inside. Taub ambled over to House's desk and looked down at the scattered papers across the top, and then his eye landed on the red ball that House loved to throw around. Taub picked it up and idly tossed it from hand to hand, as he waited for his boss to come back from wherever he was. "Probably with his girlfriend," Taub muttered to himself, chuckling.

[Dr. Gregory House]

House saw Taub standing in his office and paused at the door for a brief moment, considering turning and heading for Wilson's office to annoy the other man some more. Then he shook his head and walked in. He watched Taub toss his overlarge red tennis ball and listened to the smaller doctor mutter.

"Yeah," House said, sharply, hoping to see the other man jump, "I just came back from a booty call. She told me she misses you." He made his way around his desk, shifting his cane from one hand to the other and sat in his chair. Setting the cane against the desk, he pulled open a drawer and rummaged around, looking for his Nintendo DS.

"What's up? Kill any patients lately?"

[Dr. Chris Taub]

Taub did, indeed, jump. And in the process he dropped the ball. He bent over to pick it up and placed it back on House's desk, doing an act of kindness even though he thought House didn't deserve it. "Tell Cuddy I miss her too," Taub said, without even thinking about it.

He rolled his eyes at House's question. "I came here because I need to talk to you," Taub started...as if that wasn't already obvious.

[Dr. Gregory House]

Watching Taub pick up the ball he dropped and placing it back on his desk, House very carefully did not react. "Zeouch," he uttered as he pulled out his Nintendo DS and shot a look up at Taub's face. "Who said it was Cuddy?" He said, not really asking. Bored already of the conversation. He turned his game on and leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable.

"Well, you can talk. I can't promise I'll listen. Make it quick, my minion. Maybe if you're really super nice, Cuddy will let you lick her shoes."

[Dr. Chris Taub]

"Dr. Fraser said it was Cuddy," Taub replied. Okay. No, she hadn't actually said it but it wasn't hard to extrapolate it after Taub had mentioned it at the bar the other night. He had to place the blame somewhere. Taub didn't want House knowing that practically everyone already knew...Then there was no way he could use the information to his advantage.

Taub took a seat in the chair in front of House's desk. "I'll start talking as soon as you put that away," he said--'that' being House's Nintendo DS. Taub's days of backing down and passively taking all of House's shots were over.

[Dr. Gregory House]

"If Doctor Fraser said jumping off a bridge in Brooklyn was fun, would you do it?" House inquired, his forehead wrinkling in his expression of mocking the lab coat monkeys.

At Taub's ultimatum, however, House made a face. He then weighed the pros and cons. He was slightly interested in Taub's sudden behavioral change, considered maybe it was something he could listen to and then later ridicule and taunt Taub for it. House shrugged. "Okay," he said, turning it off and sliding it into a drawer. He mimed locking it and throwing away the key, smirking. "Start talking."

[Dr. Chris Taub]

Taub shrugged his shoulders at House's question. "Depends on how high the bridge is and if there's a truck driving along that'll help break my fall."

House was actually going to listen to him...Now was the time to get a little nervous. Just because Taub was older and had more experience than the other members of the team didn't mean he had the right to challenge House. Then again, someone had to do it, and Cuddy had supported Taub's hiring partly on the fact that she thought he would do just that---help keep House in check.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "You need to start treating us with respect, House," he said. Taub really didn't care about Thirteen and Kutner but, for some reason, it felt easier to talk if he was there for them too, instead of just for himself. "I know---I know it's not in your nature, but there's only so much we can take before we start to doubt our abilities and question our judgments and decide to leave you for good."

[Dr. Gregory House]

House smirked, "aw, that's so cute. How long did you practice that speech? Did you do it in front of a mirror? I only ask, 'cause that was some pretty flawless execution there.

"No, wait, here's a thought. Why don't you do something to make me respect you instead of being a whiny bitch at me? You should have learned this in kindergarten when you learned water conservation and saying numbers forward and backwards. Respect is earned. Until you earn my respect, you either sink or swim here.

"I'm not here to hold your hand or baby you. You had that way back when you were interns. You're doctors now, learning how to diagnose from the best. You jumped through my hoops and proved that you wanted this fellowship. Have the guts to carry through.

"Now get out."

[Dr. Chris Taub]

Taub had to grudgingly admit that House had a good point there, and he felt that House had let him off easy--except for when House called him a whiny bitch, that is.

He remained sitting there silent for a minute, letting House's words really sink in. "Thanks for listening, House." Things may not have gone the way he wanted them to but getting House to listen had been a start...a major start.

Taub stood up and headed towards the door. Before leaving, though, he turned back around to say one more thing. "For the record, I didn't want this fellowship. There were just no other job prospects for me out there. What I said about the leaving part...don't think that I haven't been looking around and won't leave the first chance I get."

He left the office, leaving House to ponder his last words. Taub hoped he meant enough to him for House to want to keep him on the team.

[Dr. Gregory House]

"Well," House muttered to himself long after Taub had left, "that has an effect on the MRI." He leaned back more comfortably in his chair and ruminated on this interesting set of circumstances. Thinking about how he could manipulate and exploit this to his own entertainment. This wasn't the first time one of his fellows had their season of discontent, Cameron coming to mind. Surely wouldn't be the last.

Then he let loose with a short chuckle, shaking his head. "He's still a whiny bitch."