Charity Case (Episode 3)

We now know that episode 3 is called 'Charity Case', it was written by Sara Hess and will be directed by Greg Yaitanes.

Speculation time:

This time I found it easier to get a piece of paper and a pencil and write down what came to mind when I thought about what 'Charity Case' could mean in terms of episode content. One important piece of the puzzle was provided by Michael Ausiello via TVLine.

October 17th refers to Charity Case. This is my theory:

First I thought about the title: Is it really as straightforward as it sounds (unlikely)? Is Charity the name of the patient? (if so it could mean something all together different from what it implies). Is the patient a VIP?.... It lead me to think that the patient could be connected somehow to the new DoM. 

Scenario: 

House is back at PPTH (we know the writers want to get back to the medical side of things). The new DoM forces House to take on a charity case, basically work for free, as House is unlikely to agree to do any sort of charity (more or less use his talent and simultaneously punish and humiliate him- I'm thinking Foreman or Vogler here...). House has no choice if he wants to work again. PPTH is probably the only hospital that will take him back with a criminal record. 

The patient has Huntingtons......AND another disease. The symptoms of both diseases interlink making it difficult to differentiate the symptoms and diagnose the secondary illness. House calls in Thirteen. She feels both guilty and proud for euthanising her brother. She agrees to come in because perhaps, in a small way, helping someone else can make up for being powerless to save her brother ("The Dig"). 

Her knowledge of Huntingtons (notably because of her mother) helps her understand the effects of the secondary disease more clearly. Eventually she helps House diagnose the disease. It is extraordinarily rare to have the combination of the two (that's why they need House). It means that somehow the medication needed to treat the secondary disease helps postpone the symptoms of Huntingtons appearing (adding a few years to the patient's life perhaps). 

Thirteen feels like she has redeemed herself inspite believing (knowing) what she did was right (her brother). It's "bittersweet" because her disease will continue to progress without any extra time to "live life". She leaves again without telling anyone. Not even House knows this time. If it's the last season, as Ausiello said, she won't come back. If not, we may see her again and House may have to keep his promise ("The Dig"). 

Note: Take the "medical" side of my theory with a pinch of salt, what I say may not be medically accurate.