Honeymoon (House)

House (TV series) episode
episode_name = Honeymoon
episode_no = HOU-122
airdate = May 24, 2005
writer = Lawrence Kaplow & John Mankiewicz
director = Frederick King Keller


season = 1
diagnosis = Acute intermittent porphyria

Honeymoon is the twenty-second and final episode of the first season of "House", which premiered on the FOX network on May 24, 2005.

Plot

House agrees to treat his ex-girlfriend Stacy's (Sela Ward) husband Mark (Currie Graham), who refuses to believe there is anything wrong with him. According to Stacy, Mark is suffering from abdominal pain, paranoia, mood swings, and regression, and has passed out twice. Several other doctors have already cleared him. House's team also believe he is fine, and do not understand why House believes Stacy. Wilson thinks he is trying to win her back.

All the tests are negative. As a last hope, House orders an exploratory surgery. After spending hours watching the video, he finds abdominal epilepsy, which indicates a neurological problem. The team suggest Alzheimer's disease and Encephalitis. Cameron tests for Alzheimer's and finds nothing. Meanwhile, Foreman and Chase search Stacy and Mark's home, and find a bottle of amphetamines, which turn out to have been confiscated (Mark is a high school guidance counselor). They also note that he has switched from mountain biking to yoga, which Chase suggests could indicate back pain, but House dismisses as a symptom of "getting older". House and Foreman test Mark's memory, but find no problems. House grills Mark about Stacy, to which he gives a long, rambling answer about how they honeymooned in Paris. Stacy is furious, and House admits he doesn't know what is wrong, but refuses to give up.

Mark develops paralysis in his arms and legs. House decides to treat Mark for Guillain-Barré syndrome, whilst Mark starts showing paranoia. His throat appears to close up, but as Cameron is about to intubate, House notices Mark's O2 stats are normal and concludes he is suffering from a panic attack.

House confides to Wilson he is developing feelings for Stacy. When he talks to her, he finds out they never honeymooned in Paris, even though the brain scan showed he was telling the truth. He realizes Mark is delusional, and comes up with a diagnosis: Acute intermittent porphyria, which implies that the switch to the indoor activity of yoga was relevant, as a symptom of the disease is sensitivity to light. Unfortunately, the only way to confirm AIP is through a urine sample made during the attack. Since there is no way to predict when this will happen, House wants to give Mark a drug cocktail that could set off an attack. Despite Stacy's agreement to the treatment, Mark refuses the test. In private, House confesses to Stacy he's not sure he wants him to live, and that he feels she is trying to do to Mark exactly what she had previously done to him (as told in the previous episode). Despite his team's attempt to stop him, House injects Mark with the cocktail. He goes into convulsions and House is able to confirm and treat AIP.

Stacy admits she is still in love with House, but cannot be with him, and she believes Mark is there for her more. Cuddy tells House she is considering hiring Stacy, to which he replies that he has no problem. In the closing scene, House attempts to walk without his cane at home while listening to You Can't Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones.

Notes

*Chase complains that Short Hills is two hours away from Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital, when it would really be less than an hour away.

External links

* [http://www.fox.com/house/ FOX.com-"House" official site]
* [http://televisionwithoutpity.com/show.cgi?show=151/ Television Without Pity-"House" recaps]
* [http://epguides.com/House/ House Episode Guide at epguides.com]
* [http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/house/100213/ TVGuide's Page: Full list of House Episodes]
* [http://www.housemd-guide.com/ House M.D. Guide]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412142/ "House M.D." IMDB Profile]