FRIDAY

House sits up. He took four of the Vicodin last night. He pops a few more. Then he dumps the rest in the toilet and tells his cellmate that he's saving them from contraband charges. He knocks on the door and says he needs to go to protective custody.

As the guard leads him through the cafeteria, House sees someone drinking coffee. Suddenly, he decides he doesn't need Protective Custody and goes to the clinic instead. These are very patient guards, aren't they? House tells Adams, "It wasn't the food. It was the heat." The current answer is: Mastocytosis. Caused by hot liquids. Sykes says it's usually a skin disease, but Adams says it can hit any organ. He rejects bloodwork as a test, because Mastocytosis might not show up. House's proposal is: five aspirin! Sykes thinks that's crazy because if the patient does, in fact, have Mastocytosis, the aspirin will send him into anaphylactic shock. And the ACLU would characterize this as performing unauthorized experiments on prisoners. House says that he's a moron and a coward. He'll do it himself! Sykes doesn't take this at all well, and throws House out of the clinic, saying, "If I ever see you in here again, I will write you up and they will revoke your parole."

Adams stops House in the hallway. "Dr. House. Did you get all the Vicodin you needed?" She knows about exit taxes. He says he needs twenty. She hands it over right there in the hallway where anyone can see. But she won't let him into the clinic to help the patient. Whose name is Nick. Thank you! Nick it is, then.

House limps up to Mendelson and shows him a handful of pills. Mendelson tells him, "I knew if you'd learn nothing else in here, you'd learn that the smart thing is to fall in line." House looks around at all the people in there. He does love an audience. He nods a little, "You're absolutely right." He throws the pills into the air, which causes a slow-motion riot. Mendelson hits him a couple of times. House smirks, "Thanks for taking me to the clinic." Mendelson tells his goon to take him out. But he's only a couple years from going home, so he doesn't want to do Goon Work right now. Mendelson pushes him into it. House is held down. The goon gets a shiv. But then! House's cellmate whacks the goon from behind with a chair, and then starts hitting Mendelson. A lot. He's dragged off and SWAT comes in.