The Right Stuff (House)
Encyclopedia
"The Right Stuff" is the second episode
of the fourth season of House
and the seventy-second episode overall.
), is flying in on a United States Air Force
mission when she sees lightning and the landscape suddenly turns into strange colors on her. It turns out she is in a simulator and complains to the designer after crashing it.
Cuddy tells House he will have to narrow down his forty applicants, so he immediately fires an entire row. Cooper pages House and offers him $50,000 to secretly cure her problem, which she describes as seeing sounds (synesthesia
). She wants to keep it off the books so NASA
does not find out and disqualify her as an astronaut applicant. House is intrigued and agrees, and has her present her symptoms to his applicants. He then splits them up to run various tests — and wash his car. While talking to his applicants in his office, House thinks he sees Chase walking past the doorway. House orders Cooper into a hyperbaric chamber where Applicants 6, 18, and 24 attempt to flush out excess oxygen
, but she collapses with a heart attack. They try to defibrillate, but it starts a fire in the oxygen chamber, setting off the sprinklers
.
Later, they determine the attack was not caused by the treatment. House then sends them to run tests and look for infectious substances in the cafeteria. House tells Wilson that he saw Chase, but Wilson says Chase is in the Mayo Clinic
in Scottsdale
, Arizona
, and suggests House is feeling repressed guilt. House is not amused. Meanwhile, the oldest applicant, Henry, has one of the other applicants do a test that House assigned to him.
The applicants check in with House who orders thyroid
tests. Cooper's temperature starts going up. The applicants inadvertently reveal they broke into her house, and she starts hearing vision again while concerned that they are going to out her. Cooper panics and has a psychotic attack, locking herself in the chapel. She eventually bursts out and they sedate her, but Cuddy notices and wants to know who Cooper is. House thinks he sees Cameron walk through the lobby.
Cuddy goes to the applicants for answers and they have to admit they do not know much — until one of the applicants squeals. Cuddy insists that House document everything. After figuring out who squealed, House goes to the chalkboard and tries to figure out how to test Cooper without having to document them for Cuddy. House gives them an hour then goes to Wilson to find out why Cameron is there. Wilson says she is in Arizona
where she and Chase are engaged, and contends that House is going to choose people he cannot stand. House picks up on the idea of stress and suggests that they stress Cooper's liver
. As he is leaving the room after having been fired, one of the applicants (Kal Penn
) suggests they get her drunk. House likes his idea, and decides not to fire him. He decides to use some of the other applicants as a control group to see how quickly Cooper gets drunk.
After seeing his Brigham Young University
class ring, House recruits a Mormon applicant, who initially objects on a religious basis, but then consents after arguing back and forth with House. House takes a couple of drinks, after which he believes he sees Foreman outside. House goes outside, while Cooper has breathing problems but refuses treatment. Cuddy interrupts House's pursuit and wants to know why he has ordered irrelevant tests, points out Foreman is working in New York City
, and notices he has been drinking. He returns to the room to find they have taken her to the physical training room so they would have an excuse for giving her oxygen as part of a cardiac stress test
. House determines she has lung cancer
or tuberous sclerosis
, and tries to order a biopsy
. However, Cooper does not want a surgery that will leave a scar, so House tries to figure out a way to do it without causing scars. One of the applicants, Taub the plastic surgeon, proposes they suggest she undergo elective breast augmentation
so they have a reason for the scars.
Cooper undergoes surgery and they biopsy the lungs, finding cyst
s. Chase shows up to suggest a diagnosis, Von Hippel-Lindau disease
. After removing the cysts, House confronts Wilson who admits that Chase and Cameron are still working in the hospital (although Foreman is in New York). House visits Cooper and says he called NASA and told them of her condition, as she posed a risk.
With Cooper diagnosed, House dismisses most of the applicants, and tells the rest to come back the next day. He confronts Henry and observes he has never been to medical school
. The man admits he worked in the Columbia med school
admissions office for 30 years and audited all the classes, but never got a diploma. House suggests that Henry could work as his assistant.
House goes to see Cameron in the E.R., and she reveals she's been working there for three weeks, and that she was the one who gave House's pager number to Cooper. House says he did not actually tell NASA, and lied about it to keep anyone else from telling them, reasoning that Cooper's knowledge of her risk will make her more careful. Cameron is skeptical of his reason for doing so, suggesting instead that he was not willing to kill her dream. Cameron walks away.
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
of the fourth season of House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
and the seventy-second episode overall.
Plot
A pilot, Captain Greta Cooper (played by Essence AtkinsEssence Atkins
Essence Uhura Atkins is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Dee Dee Thorne on the UPN sitcom Half & Half and as Yvette Henderson on the The WB sitcom Smart Guy...
), is flying in on a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
mission when she sees lightning and the landscape suddenly turns into strange colors on her. It turns out she is in a simulator and complains to the designer after crashing it.
Cuddy tells House he will have to narrow down his forty applicants, so he immediately fires an entire row. Cooper pages House and offers him $50,000 to secretly cure her problem, which she describes as seeing sounds (synesthesia
Synesthesia
Synesthesia , from the ancient Greek , "together," and , "sensation," is a neurologically based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway...
). She wants to keep it off the books so NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
does not find out and disqualify her as an astronaut applicant. House is intrigued and agrees, and has her present her symptoms to his applicants. He then splits them up to run various tests — and wash his car. While talking to his applicants in his office, House thinks he sees Chase walking past the doorway. House orders Cooper into a hyperbaric chamber where Applicants 6, 18, and 24 attempt to flush out excess oxygen
Hyperoxia
Hyperoxia is excess oxygen or higher than normal partial pressure of oxygen.In medicine, it refers to excess oxygen in the lungs or other body tissues, which can be caused by breathing air or oxygen at pressures greater than normal atmospheric pressure...
, but she collapses with a heart attack. They try to defibrillate, but it starts a fire in the oxygen chamber, setting off the sprinklers
Fire sprinkler
A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected...
.
Later, they determine the attack was not caused by the treatment. House then sends them to run tests and look for infectious substances in the cafeteria. House tells Wilson that he saw Chase, but Wilson says Chase is in the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and suggests House is feeling repressed guilt. House is not amused. Meanwhile, the oldest applicant, Henry, has one of the other applicants do a test that House assigned to him.
The applicants check in with House who orders thyroid
Thyroid
The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid , in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage...
tests. Cooper's temperature starts going up. The applicants inadvertently reveal they broke into her house, and she starts hearing vision again while concerned that they are going to out her. Cooper panics and has a psychotic attack, locking herself in the chapel. She eventually bursts out and they sedate her, but Cuddy notices and wants to know who Cooper is. House thinks he sees Cameron walk through the lobby.
Cuddy goes to the applicants for answers and they have to admit they do not know much — until one of the applicants squeals. Cuddy insists that House document everything. After figuring out who squealed, House goes to the chalkboard and tries to figure out how to test Cooper without having to document them for Cuddy. House gives them an hour then goes to Wilson to find out why Cameron is there. Wilson says she is in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
where she and Chase are engaged, and contends that House is going to choose people he cannot stand. House picks up on the idea of stress and suggests that they stress Cooper's liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
. As he is leaving the room after having been fired, one of the applicants (Kal Penn
Kal Penn
Kalpen Suresh Modi , best known by his stage name Kal Penn, is an American film and television actor, producer, and civil servant....
) suggests they get her drunk. House likes his idea, and decides not to fire him. He decides to use some of the other applicants as a control group to see how quickly Cooper gets drunk.
After seeing his Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
class ring, House recruits a Mormon applicant, who initially objects on a religious basis, but then consents after arguing back and forth with House. House takes a couple of drinks, after which he believes he sees Foreman outside. House goes outside, while Cooper has breathing problems but refuses treatment. Cuddy interrupts House's pursuit and wants to know why he has ordered irrelevant tests, points out Foreman is working in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and notices he has been drinking. He returns to the room to find they have taken her to the physical training room so they would have an excuse for giving her oxygen as part of a cardiac stress test
Cardiac stress test
Cardiac stress test is a test used in medicine and cardiology to measure the heart's ability to respond to external stress in a controlled clinical environment....
. House determines she has lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
or tuberous sclerosis
Tuberous sclerosis
Tuberous sclerosis or tuberous sclerosis complex is a rare multi-system genetic disease that causes non-malignant tumors to grow in the brain and on other vital organs such as the kidneys, heart, eyes, lungs, and skin. A combination of symptoms may include seizures, developmental delay, behavioral...
, and tries to order a biopsy
Biopsy
A biopsy is a medical test involving sampling of cells or tissues for examination. It is the medical removal of tissue from a living subject to determine the presence or extent of a disease. The tissue is generally examined under a microscope by a pathologist, and can also be analyzed chemically...
. However, Cooper does not want a surgery that will leave a scar, so House tries to figure out a way to do it without causing scars. One of the applicants, Taub the plastic surgeon, proposes they suggest she undergo elective breast augmentation
Breast augmentation
Breast augmentation denotes the breast implant and fat-graft mammoplasty procedures for correcting the defects, and for enhancing the size, form, and feel of a woman’s breasts...
so they have a reason for the scars.
Cooper undergoes surgery and they biopsy the lungs, finding cyst
Cyst
A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct membrane and division on the nearby tissue. It may contain air, fluids, or semi-solid material. A collection of pus is called an abscess, not a cyst. Once formed, a cyst could go away on its own or may have to be removed through surgery.- Locations :* Acne...
s. Chase shows up to suggest a diagnosis, Von Hippel-Lindau disease
Von Hippel-Lindau disease
Von Hippel–Lindau is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic condition in which hemangioblastomas are found in the cerebellum, spinal cord, kidney and retina. These are associated with several pathologies including renal angioma, renal cell carcinoma and pheochromocytoma...
. After removing the cysts, House confronts Wilson who admits that Chase and Cameron are still working in the hospital (although Foreman is in New York). House visits Cooper and says he called NASA and told them of her condition, as she posed a risk.
With Cooper diagnosed, House dismisses most of the applicants, and tells the rest to come back the next day. He confronts Henry and observes he has never been to medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
. The man admits he worked in the Columbia med school
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, often known as P&S, is a graduate school of Columbia University that is located on the health sciences campus in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan...
admissions office for 30 years and audited all the classes, but never got a diploma. House suggests that Henry could work as his assistant.
House goes to see Cameron in the E.R., and she reveals she's been working there for three weeks, and that she was the one who gave House's pager number to Cooper. House says he did not actually tell NASA, and lied about it to keep anyone else from telling them, reasoning that Cooper's knowledge of her risk will make her more careful. Cameron is skeptical of his reason for doing so, suggesting instead that he was not willing to kill her dream. Cameron walks away.
Trivia
- The first doctor fired (#23) is played by Kathryn Adams, who appeared in the previous two episodes: first as a first-year med student who suggests Botox to House, and then as an ER nurse who cooperates with House because she heard he had a job opening. Ironically, House asked her to send him her resume both times.