Good evening, "House" fans! Tonight we wrap up Chuckles'
original (and copyrighted) four-act script for the series. Here are the first
three parts:
I want to pass along some more info on the top-notch
"House" convention she's set up for next year in Los Angeles, so I'll
do my best to get that up here when we come back to Princeton this summer.
But let's get a move on; looks like our star patient is about to flatline… and everyone's getting the shakes. Next
week, a return to Moe's Tavern.
This
script is Copyright © 2006 by Christine Roberts, and is registered with the
Writers' Guild of America (WGA).
HOUSE
"Keeping Secrets"
Written by Christine Roberts
Cast
Dr. Gregory House
Dr. Allison Cameron
Dr. Robert Chase
Dr. Lisa Cuddy
Dr. Eric Foreman
Receptionist
Nurse
Volunteer
Betty Loud
Kevin Loud
Scott [no last name]
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INTERIOR BETTY'S ROOM – DAY (DAY 4):
Betty is lying on the bed. House and Cuddy are on each side of the bed.
Kevin is watching. Chase and Foreman enter. The blood pressure monitor reads
zero.
VISUAL EFFECTS:
The heart is weakly beating and then stops.
CHASE (V.O.): What's happening?
HOUSE (V.O.): We've got cardiac arrest here.
BACK IN ROOM
FOREMAN: I was called in for something else.
HOUSE: She went into cardiac arrest just now.
CUDDY: I've lost her. No pulse. Nothing.
The EKG monitor shows a flat line, and the blood pressure monitor is
blank.
KEVIN: You can't give up – do something!
CUDDY: Get him out of here.
House watches as Foreman pushes Kevin out of the room.
KEVIN: If she dies, I'll be coming back for you, House!
Foreman closes the door and heads back to the bed.
HOUSE: Get me a defibrillator.
Chase exits and brings back a defibrillator. He hooks it up while
Foreman puts a bag and mask over Betty's mouth and then begins pumping air into
her mouth. Then Chase hands House the controls; House takes them, and Chase
stands next to the machine.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Clear!
House places the ends on Betty's chest and Chase turns the control knobs
on the machine.
We hear a ZAPPING noise and Betty's body jumps. House looks at the
monitors.
HOUSE'S POV:
The monitors haven't changed.
INTERIOR HOSPITAL HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS
As we see Kevin looking into Betty's room and watching everything. Cuddy
rushes over and closes the blinds.
INTERIOR BETTY'S ROOM – CONTINUOUS
HOUSE (CONT'D): Damn it. Okay, everybody – let's try it again.
HOUSE (CONT'D, to Foreman): Ready?
Foreman removes the bag from Betty's mouth.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Clear!
We hear a ZAPPING noise and Betty's body jumps again.
CUDDY: It helped a little. I can feel a pulse.
HOUSE: Okay, give me another one.
Foreman removes the bag again.
HOUSE: Clear!
We hear the ZAPPING noise and Betty's body jumps again. House looks
at the monitors.
HOUSE'S POV:
There is a flat line, and then a BEEP sound is heard and pulse line is
shown.
FOREMAN: That's it, girl.
CHASE: Welcome back, Betty.
CUDDY: Good work, Doctor.
Chase and Foreman react.
HOUSE: What? Surprised I got a compliment? You're right; I should be
getting more.
Then House exits.
INTERIOR CLINIC – WAITING AREA – DAY
There is a receptionist at the desk. House enters.
RECEPTIONIST: Oh, good, doctor – you're here.
HOUSE: Doctor House has entered at 10:30 AM. I'll be in my office since
–
RECEPTIONIST: You have a patient in Room One.
HOUSE (CONT'D): – you don't have any patients for me to see.
RECEPTIONIST (CONT'D): Dr. Cuddy called and wanted me to remind you to
find Betty Loud's cat.
She then hands House a folder.
HOUSE: Great. What is this one in here for?
RECEPTIONIST: He says he has headaches.
HOUSE: How ironic. I'm getting one too.
House then exits.
INTERIOR CLINIC – EXAM ROOM #1 – CONTINUOUS
The room is dark as House enters, turning on the light. SCOTT, in his 20's,
reacts to the light.
SCOTT: Can you turn that down?
HOUSE: What? The light?
SCOTT: Yeah, the light. It's too bright.
House switches the light back off.
HOUSE: Better?
SCOTT: Yeah; they're always too bright. I've been like that since I was
four.
HOUSE: What happened when you were four?
SCOTT: I died and then came back.
HOUSE: You've got to be kidding. One of those out-of-the-body
experiences.
SCOTT: I don't know what happened. My doctor said I was clinically dead
for a minute. Ever since then, I've had problems with bright lights.
HOUSE: If kids died and came back, they would have more than just
sensitivity to bright lights.
House thinks about it and then gets up.
SCOTT: What about my headaches?
HOUSE: Take some ibuprofen.
INTERIOR HOUSE'S OFFICE – OUTER OFFICE – DAY
Chase, Cameron, and Foreman are gathered around the table. There are
some symptoms listed on the whiteboard: "sensitivity to light";
"loud noises"; and "sensitivity to medicines".
CHASE (to Cameron): We started Betty on those beta-blockers.
CAMERON: That should help.
CHASE: Has anyone seen her cat?
CAMERON: The last I heard, it was on Floor Two.
House then enters.
FOREMAN: So who is this new patient we are working on?
HOUSE: Nobody.
CHASE: You mean you called us in here to go over someone you just made
up?
HOUSE: Nope. We're still doing Betty Loud.
FOREMAN: I don't remember Betty complaining about any of those symptoms.
HOUSE: Foreman, your memory's going.
CHASE (to Foreman): Remember, she wouldn't tell us anything.
CHASE (to House): Wait a minute. If she wouldn't tell us anything, then
where did you get these symptoms?
HOUSE: From Scott, a male in his twenties.
CAMERON: Now who the hell is Scott?
HOUSE: A patient I had in the Clinic today.
FOREMAN (surprised): You were at the Clinic? Today?
HOUSE: Yes, I was. (BEAT) What is everyone looking so surprised for?
Everyone knows why.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Now, back to our patient. This Scott was mentioning that
he has sensitivity to lights...
House then underlines "sensitivity to light".
HOUSE (CONT'D): …since he was four years old.
CHASE: So some people are sensitive to lights.
House feels like he isn't getting anywhere.
HOUSE (annoyed): He's been experiencing this ever since he died.
FOREMAN: Are you telling me your Scott died years ago?
HOUSE: Yep. Which is why he has this problem now.
CHASE: You were clinically dead years ago.
HOUSE: Yes, but I wasn't a kid.
CAMERON: What does this have to do with Betty?
HOUSE: If you let me finish my story, I'll tell you.
Everyone is paying attention now.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Picture, if you will, a kid maybe five years old.
While House is talking we move to:
VISUAL EFFECTS:
We see a COMPUTER-GENERATED PICTURE of a child. We enter the body and
see all the vital organs working.
HOUSE (V.O.): Everything is fine, and then something happens.
CHASE (V.O.): Like a heart attack.
The heart lights up.
FOREMAN (V.O.): Grand mal seizure.
The nerves light up.
HOUSE (V.O.): Exactly.
HOUSE (V.O., CONT'D): Okay, let's say a heart attack.
Now the heart is lit up and we have a CLOSEUP of it. While House
continues to talk, we follow the process on the organs and see an inside detail
of what happens inside the child's body.
HOUSE (V.O., CONT'D): Now: when the heart stops, there is no more oxygen
to the brain.
FOREMAN (V.O.): So if this person isn't given oxygen immediately, then
the person dies from it.
CAMERON (V.O.): Which can give anyone hallucinations…
HOUSE (V.O.): Follow me, Cameron. This is a five-year-old, not an adult.
What would be different for a kid?
CHASE (V.O.): Your time is shorter.
FOREMAN (V.O.): Their bodies are still growing, so something like that
at an early age could have repercussions on their systems.
HOUSE (V.O.): Thank you, my neurologist. So if it affects their eyes
during development…
CAMERON (V.O.): …giving them sensitivity to light.
HOUSE (V.O.): Exactly.
BACK IN ROOM
HOUSE (CONT'D): Now try Betty Loud. She dies during this period.
HOUSE (to Foreman): And what does she have already?
FOREMAN: Epilepsy.
HOUSE: So now she wouldn't just have sensitivity to light like this guy
Scott does –
CAMERON (interrupting): – but be sensitive to medications.
Now House underlines "sensitivity to medicines".
CHASE: So in order for her to have sensitivity to loud noises, it would
have to affect her hearing during development.
HOUSE: Exactly.
FOREMAN: So she told you she had these problems?
HOUSE: Not yet.
CAMERON: What do you mean, not yet?
HOUSE: I haven't talked to her about this.
FOREMAN: Then why are we even having this discussion?
HOUSE: When I was over at Betty's apartment, I turned on the light and
she reacted like it was way too bright. Then of course she had her aura
after that.
FOREMAN: It has already been proven that some epileptics are sensitive
to bright lights and loud noises.
HOUSE: And when do they start having these problems?
FOREMAN: Most of them when they are kids.
HOUSE: And what happens when they have seizures?
FOREMAN: If it's a grand mal, they can have their oxygen cut off.
HOUSE: For how long?
FOREMAN: A few seconds or –
HOUSE: Long enough to cause sensitivity.
FOREMAN (CONT'D): – longer, causing sensitivity…
HOUSE (CONT'D, to Foreman): I knew there was a reason I invited you
here. Now I've just got to go figure out if my theory is right.
INTERIOR HOSPITAL HALLWAY – DAY
House is outside of Betty's room. He looks in.
INTERIOR BETTY'S ROOM – CONTINUOUS
We see Betty is asleep in her bed. Kevin is sitting in a chair, watching
the TV. House enters, taps Kevin on the shoulder and signals for Kevin to leave
with him. House exits, followed by Kevin.
INTERIOR HOSPITAL HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS
House is outside and Kevin enters.
HOUSE: Let's walk while we talk; I don't want Florence
Nightingale waking up.
KEVIN: Okay. What did you want to talk about?
They begin walking.
HOUSE: Has your sister ever been classified as clinically dead?
KEVIN: Sort of.
HOUSE: I figured I would have better luck getting information out
you than her. Now: how can you be "sort of" dead?
KEVIN: It's my understanding you have to be in a hospital to be
classified as dead, don't you?
HOUSE: Not necessarily.
KEVIN: Well in that case, yes.
HOUSE: When?
KEVIN: The first one.
HOUSE (interrupting): First one. How many times has this happened to
her?
KEVIN: She's had so many I lost track.
HOUSE: When was the first one?
KEVIN: Just after she was born.
HOUSE: In the first few minutes?
KEVIN: Our mom said it was the first few days. The doctor didn't want to
do CPR or anything, and just said Betty didn't want to breathe, and left her
like that.
House reacts and then rushes back into Betty's room.
KEVIN: What's the matter?
HOUSE: I gave her the wrong medicine; it could be killing her.
Kevin then dashes to Betty's room.
INTERIOR BETTY'S ROOM – CONTINUOUS
House quickly enters, followed by Kevin. House looks at the monitors.
The blood-pressure monitor shows 50/20, and the EKG line is slowly moving.
KEVIN: How is she?
HOUSE: She's unconscious. Go get a nurse.
Kevin exits. House quickly disconnects the IV. Kevin returns with a
nurse.
HOUSE (CONT'D) (to nurse): Page someone from my team here, stat! Plus I
need an epinephrine injection.
The nurse exits. House looks at the monitors. The BP monitor shows
51/23. The pulse line is slowly moving.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Where the hell is everybody?
Just then Chase and Cameron enter.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Oh good. Which one of you has my injectable?
CAMERON: I have it.
HOUSE: Give it to me.
Cameron hands it to House. House takes it and injects the medicine into
Betty's thigh. Then he looks at the monitors again. The BP monitor shows 60/30,
the pulse still moving slowly.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Get me another one.
CAMERON: You're supposed to wait a bit to see if there's a reaction
before administering another shot.
HOUSE: If I needed a lecture, I would have called for Cuddy. Now who has
another one?
CHASE: I do.
HOUSE: Give it.
Chase is reluctant.
HOUSE (CONT'D): Do you want to go over to Kevin and tell why you killed
his sister?
Chase turns to Kevin, who has an angry look on his face.
CHASE: No.
Then he hands the injectable to House. House takes it and administers it
into Betty's thigh. House looks at the monitors again.
HOUSE'S POV:
The BP monitor is now at 65/36 and slowly rising. The pulse line is
increasing now.
HOUSE: See, people – I was right. She was suffering from sensitivity to
medicines.
KEVIN: That's why she was having a problem with the antacid you gave
her.
HOUSE: Yep, and we didn't see it at the time. We thought she was having
a cardiac arrest from all that weight she'd lost.
KEVIN: How did she become sensitive to the meds?
HOUSE: I think the two of us need to go for a walk.
House and Kevin exit.
INTERIOR HOUSE'S OFFICE – INNER OFFICE – DAY
House is walking over to his desk. He begins to sit down and has an
unusual look on his face. He looks around the room.
HOUSE'S POV:
There is no one in the room besides him. House then looks down at his
leg.
HOUSE'S POV:
The missing cat is sitting next to him.
HOUSE: Let me guess – you came in here to get away from Cuddy. I come
here for the same reason.
Just then Cuddy storms in.
CUDDY: I've got security people, doctors, and all sorts of staff looking
for one cat, and what are you doing here? Nothing.
HOUSE: I found the cat.
CUDDY: Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it.
Then the cat MEOWS.
CUDDY (CONT'D): What was that?
HOUSE: What was what?
CUDDY: I heard a cat. Are you hiding the cat?
HOUSE: Why would I want to hide a cat I threatened to neuter?
CUDDY: Where is he?
HOUSE: Over here by me.
CUDDY: Hand him over. Never mind; I'll get him myself.
She walks over to House and looks down.
CUDDY'S POV:
The cat is between House's legs.
CUDDY (CONT'D): Can you hand him to me?
HOUSE: But would that take away the fun.
CUDDY: You make me nauseous.
She then grabs the cat and exits.
HOUSE: No goodbyes.
INTERIOR HOSPITAL HALLWAY – DAY
Betty is sitting in wheelchair being pushed by a volunteer, while Kevin
is walking with them.
BETTY: I have a hard question for you.
KEVIN: Okay, let's see how hard it is.
BETTY: What made you think I needed to go see a doctor?
KEVIN: The weight you were losing.
BETTY: What do you mean? I was enjoying it. I could have lost a lot of
more weight if I didn't lose that bet, too.
KEVIN: Let me ask you this: if you didn't see the doctor from the bet,
when would have you gone?
BETTY: When I started having those auras.
KEVIN: When was that?
BETTY: At my apartment, when Dr. House was there.
KEVIN: Pretty much when you were dying, then.
BETTY: Yep.
KEVIN: That would have been too late.
BETTY (sarcastic): I know that now.
They look at each other and smile…
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FOUR
