Resignation (House)

"Resignation" is the twenty-second episode of the third season of House and the sixty-eighth episode overall.

Plot

Nineteen-year-old Addie (Lyndsy Fonseca) coughs up blood during martial arts practice and her condition soon deteriorates. House surmises that her body is "confused" and thinks she has an infection, though none can be found. He clings to the diagnosis more stubbornly than usual, and behaves oddly in other ways, too.

House meanwhile notices that Wilson is yawning and recognizes it as a symptom of antidepressant use. In an effort to get Wilson to admit to using it, House doses a coffee with amphetamine and then tricks Wilson into drinking it. Later on, we see Wilson experiencing all the effects of amphetamine as he cannot focus, cannot sit still and talks extremely fast. As he winks at a patient he is giving a breast exam to and measures his own pulse to 185 bpm, he realizes he's been dosed. He confronts House about being depressed and House demands some of his antidepressants to prove that he is not depressed. Wilson refuses to give him antidepressants and then takes some of House's Vicodin to counteract the amphetamines.

Addie's condition is rapidly deteriorating and House and his team all think that she might be dying. During House's visit to Addie's hospital room to break the bad news, he proceeds to tell her what she is dying from. However, to House's surprise, Addie does not want to know what she is dying from because she says it does not matter any more. House turns to leave the room but, still baffled by why she does not want to know what is killing her, he again asks her if she is sure. She confirms that she is and also notes that House seems happy despite her situation.

Upon confronting a withdrawal-experiencing Wilson, House realizes that he himself has been drugged with antidepressants in the coffee he had been getting from Wilson, who wanted to prove that House is depressed. After talking for another minute, House realizes what is wrong with Addie and races back into her room. He commands her parents to leave the room, and he tells Addie that she tried to commit suicide. Although she denies this at first, she eventually admits that she swallowed drain cleaner either in capsule form or wrapped in bubble gum. The scarring allowed bacteria to travel into the artery. He promises Addie not ever to tell her parents what she did, in exchange for her not to do it again. Knowing that her death and their knowing that she actually wanted to die would be too devastating for her parents, she agrees. However, House tells them anyway and they resolve to help make her life happier.

Meanwhile, Foreman makes his resignation official. Chase asks both Foreman and House for the reason for his resignation. Both refuse to reply, leading Chase to believe that both are ashamed of the reason. Cameron remains quiet, believing that Foreman will tell her the reason when he is ready. Foreman tells Cameron immediately, unlike Chase, and Cameron tries to convince Foreman that he is not a jerk like House, but she is unsuccessful at this. While the surgery for Addie is going on, Cuddy calls Foreman to watch. She tries to show him that he could turn into a lot worse things than House. However, Foreman simply remarks that "it isn't worth it", meaning he does not want to develop an anti-social, egotistical personality in order to save lives. All doubt that Foreman truly wants to resign.

For clinic duty, House treats a patient whose girlfriend is a vegan and nutritionist, Honey (Piper Perabo). When House informs both of them that the patient's bowel problem is due to high fat from fast food, Honey becomes outraged with her boyfriend. House goes as far as to get her to submit a job application to him. The episode ends with House meeting Honey in a bar. She realizes that their meeting is not a job interview, rather more of a date, and House immediately tells her about his rotten personality. Instead of being repulsed, she does not seem to mind it because House was upfront and honest about his flaws.

References

External links

• TV.com episode page