But even in pain, House can have a Brilliant Idea. He asks Cameron if Abigail's been sick lately. Besides the collapsed lung and the failing liver and pancreas, I'm assuming he means. Cameron says that Abigail has a "history of ear infections," omitting the detail that Chase figured that one out and she totally pooh-poohed it. House tries to think of a clever metaphor, but without Vicodin, he can't. So he just says that the ear infection might have triggered a non-lupus auto-immune disease. He thinks it's Still's disease, and recommends a course of treatment for it; Cameron begs him again to stop his misery even though you know she's enjoying this.

Cameron returns to the hospital, where Cuddy is waiting for her. It's not clear whether Cuddy sent Cameron out to see House after all, or if she just knew Cameron would do it anyway, but Cameron tells her about the Still's disease. Cuddy whines that the disease is almost impossible to confirm, and the treatment is it very dangerous to someone in Abigail's condition if they're wrong. So it's just like every other illness this show has ever featured. I say, go for it! Oh, hold up -- we're only thirty-four minutes into the episode. Better not. Cuddy asks Cameron how House is doing, and Cameron snottily asks whether Cuddy wants to know because she cares about House or because she wants to know if she can trust his medical opinion. "Both," Cuddy says, forgetting to add, "you're fired." Cameron says that House isn't looking good and has even started cutting himself. Cuddy shakes her head sadly: "That's so clichéd!" she moans. "But he's still House," Cameron finishes. That's enough for Cuddy: she orders the treatment.

House is in so much pain that he didn't even bother to button up his shirt before coming in to work. He announces to Wilson that his clever little plan to force House to take Shitter's deal isn't working; there's only one day left on Shitter's deal, and House is totally awesome without his Vicodin: "My pride far surpasses my instinct for self-preservation." Oh, if only his pride surpassed his instinct to cut himself! House urges Wilson to give up. Wilson says that will send House to jail. "I've done nothing wrong," says House. Wilson repeats that House will go to jail. Probably directly to jail, too. He will not pass Go; he will not collect two hundred dollars. House begs Wilson to give him something that will relieve his nausea. He says that he's been puking non-stop, which I'm sure Cameron and anyone else House close-talked to really appreciated. House points out that the anti-nausea stuff is something rehab would give him anyway. But the whole point of this is that House isn't in rehab and Wilson won't do anything to alleviate House's suffering. He goes off to see a patient.