"You win," he admits to Wilson. The stunning admission is not met with the gravity it deserves. I don't think House has ever admitted defeat before. Wilson doesn't quite believe it, and refuses to give House his guitar back until after he's actually done the interviewing. He teases House by saying he heard some "plangent strumming" under his couch, but when House lifts the couch to check (with one arm, in what appears to be an effortless gesture -- someone's been lifting weights over the summer!), there's nothing there. "Wow. This kidnapper isn't just bold -- he's diabolical!" Wilson says admiringly. A resigned and not at all amused House takes the applications from Wilson, who is starting this season off well for me.

House finds Cuddy staring at a blank Whiteboard because she kind of sucks at being a doctor. And an administrator. But we love her anyway! House takes pity on her and also realizes she won't leave his office until she gets him to do his job, so he suggests that Crush Syndrome caused Megan's heart problem. Cuddy orders him to do an echocardiogram to confirm this, and she leaves. Damn, House! Wilson's making you do interviews and Cuddy is making you do work! Without the Cottages around to do your bidding and make you feel superior, you kind of have to take other people's shit.

"Is Crush Syndrome good or bad?" Ben stupidly asks while House does the echo. House is puzzled to see that Megan's heart is fine, while Ben notices that Megan is sweating -- her fever is back. House has a theory, but he won't say it without witnesses around, because he's sure it will cause Ben to hit him, and that can't happen until we're seven episodes deep into the season.

Hopefully, time is not of the essence for Megan, as the whole crew piles into Cuddy's office before House, standing behind Cuddy The Human Shield, says Megan has the DTs. Alcohol withdrawal caused her second fever. Ben refuses to believe this, thinking he might have noticed the person he was living with was a gigantic alcoholic. Liver enzyme tests would confirm the diagnosis, but the results won't be accurate because of Megan's building-related injuries. So House thinks they should just go ahead and treat her to see if it helps. "Hair of the dog," he suggests. Well, if it doesn't help Megan, at least she'll be feeling no pain as she shuffles off this mortal coil. Ben doesn't want to do this, but it's Sally Field's decision. And she says yes.