New Jersey. Princeton Teaching Hospital.
Two offices—one big, one small—connected by a glass door. This was the legendary setup at Princeton Teaching Hospital, specially designed for the one-of-a-kind diagnostic department of the iconic Dr. Gregory House.
In the larger outer office—or rather, the meeting room—three doctors in white coats lounged around, looking bored out of their minds.
"A childhood iodine deficiency disorder, nine letters."
A handsome white doctor sat there, flipping through a newspaper, tackling a classic crossword puzzle. He mumbled the clue aloud when he got stuck.
"Cretinism."
At the meeting table, a Black doctor sat sideways, one hand on his knee, the other lightly tapping the table, lost in a daze. Hearing his colleague's murmur, he didn't even look up—just casually tossed out the answer.
The handsome white doctor thought it over, pursed his lips, and nodded. Yup, that fits.
Nearby, at the computer desk, a beautiful female doctor was sorting through emails.
Ring ring!
The phone in the small office suddenly blared.
"I'll get it."
The female doctor spoke up, standing and pushing open the glass door between the rooms. She walked into the small office, picked up the receiver, and answered.
"Hello, is this Dr. Gregory House? This is Dr. Adam Duncan from the New York Medical Center."
"Hello! This is Dr. House's office. I'm Dr. Allison Cameron, working for Dr. House. So nice to hear from you, Dr. Duncan!"
Cameron smiled as she spoke, turning to glance at her two colleagues.
The handsome white doctor and the Black doctor perked up the moment they heard "Dr. Duncan," their eyes already locked on her.
"Likewise!"
Adam chuckled over the line. "Dr. Cameron, a brilliant immunologist—House is lucky to have you on his team."
"You've heard of me?"
A little grin tugged at Cameron's lips. 😊
"Of course!"
Adam's voice carried a warm smile. "I keep tabs on all the great doctors out there."
"Dr. Duncan, what can I do for you?"
Cameron laughed lightly. "Dr. House isn't in the office right now, but I can track him down. If I had to guess, he's probably hiding out in Dr. Wilson's office watching TV."
"No need—I'll just call his cell later."
Adam laughed. "Actually, Dr. Cameron, are you free tomorrow night? I'm working on a clinical research project, and my first patient passed away during surgery today. I'd love to pick the brain of a top expert in the field."
"Oh, wow—of course! I'd be honored."
Cameron froze for a second, her heart skipping a beat at the first part, but it steadied as Adam explained. She nodded eagerly.
"Great, it's a date then!"
Adam chuckled, chatted a bit more to nail down the time and place, and then hung up.
House's Office.
"That was Dr. Adam Duncan from the New York Medical Center?"
The handsome white doctor, Robert Chase, leaned in, his gossip radar fully activated.
"Yup."
Cameron grinned as she hung up the phone.
"What's he want with House?"
The Black doctor, Eric Foreman, raised a curious eyebrow.
"Probably to consult on a case, I'd guess."
Cameron gave a quick rundown of what Adam said and shared her theory.
"He knows all the great doctors but only invited you?"
Chase frowned, glancing at the oldest of the trio, Foreman. "What about you, Foreman?"
Being part of the legendary Dr. House's team wasn't just because his rheumatologist dad kept pestering House with calls. Foreman was damn good—knowledgeable, skilled in surgery, and a critical care specialist.
"I don't care."
Foreman tilted his head with a shrug. "He might be hot stuff, but right now, he's just a first-year resident. We've busted our butts for years to become experts in our fields. What, we did all that just to get a pat on the back from some rookie resident?
Nah, I'm not buying it!"
"But he's Adam Duncan!"
Chase couldn't let go of the sting of being overlooked. 😤
"So what?"
Foreman straightened up, resting his hands on the table and fixing Chase with a look. "Let me put it this way: one Dr. House is already more than we can handle. You really want to deal with a younger version of him too?"
"Dr. Duncan's not Dr. House."
Cameron laughed. "Even if he were, he'd be the young, pre-cynical version—before life kicked him down. No sharp tongue, just a warm, approachable vibe. He's easy to get along with."
"Heh."
Foreman let out a sarcastic chuckle. "You buy that? A young House is still House—setbacks or not, it doesn't change the core.
Think about it: if House hadn't had that deep vein thrombosis mess up his leg, forcing him to pop Vicodin every day, he'd still be the same guy. Not much would've changed.
As for Adam Duncan? His skills outshine any legendary doctor at his age. He's a self-made billionaire, drop-dead gorgeous, the whole package.
You really think someone that perfect is all warm and fuzzy?
Nobody's that flawless!
I'd bet his arrogance runs deeper than House's—he's just better at hiding it, that's all."
"At least he's willing to keep it under wraps."
Cameron shrugged. "That's already a win in my book." 😏
"Oh, really?"
Foreman smirked coldly. "Sure, for the average Joe, that's plenty nice. But for people like us? That calculated mask he wears is way harder to stomach than House's in-your-face, sarcastic swagger."
Chase nodded, totally on board with that take.
Doctors in this TV drama world were already the cream of the crop. And young experts like them in their specialized fields? They were the elite of the elite—dragons among phoenixes.
Deep down, they all had their pride. Who's really better than who?
Well… okay, fine. Even the best of the best couldn't quite measure up to a legend at their peak.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have ditched their cushy gigs at other hospitals to come work under House, putting up with his venomous quips and wasted downtime—all for a shot at learning from a legend and leveling up.
Back in the day, they were slammed with work. Now? Unless it's some bizarre, head-scratching case, House couldn't care less. So here they were—three top-tier specialists—stuck twiddling their thumbs, playing games, and sorting emails.
If they didn't know Adam Duncan was secretly full of himself, it'd be one thing. But knowing it and pretending otherwise? That's asking too much.
House is already a legend. They've accepted it, dealt with it.
But Adam Duncan? He's not there yet, is he? 🤔
(End of Chapter)