Patrick Obyedkov, a respected pianist, suffers a painful involuntary muscle contraction in his left hand during a piano concert. The case attracts the attention of
Gregory House, who learns from Patrick's father that Patrick suffered severe
brain damage from a bus accident that also killed his mother. House is intrigued as to why Patrick, who had no musical training at the time of the accident, could suddenly play the piano after suffering a severe injury. While trying to deduce the origin of the brain rewiring responsible for Patrick mysteriously gaining musical abilities, House and his team must stop the deadly bleeding that is quickly threatening his life. Patrick's condition worsens, and House presents a difficult option to Patrick's father: either perform a
hemispherectomy, allowing Patrick to live normally but not play the piano, or to continue as he is and never live a normal life. Patrick's father, after overcoming his anger at the suggestion, opts for the surgery. After the procedure, Patrick loses his ability to speak, though House says this will return. While the father is talking with House about his son's recovery, Patrick buttons his shirt, a task which he had previously been incapable of doing. Meanwhile,
Allison Cameron (
Jennifer Morrison) discovers that House has been in contact with a hospital in Massachusetts and suspects that House may be looking to take a new job there. When
Lisa Cuddy contacts the hospital, she learns that House has been in contact with a
brain cancer specialist — not as a job applicant, but as a patient for a
clinical trial. When confronted by his team, House denies the gravity of the situation and resents their interference, and they are forced to contend with the possibility his condition may be more serious than he is letting on. Near the end of the episode, the team discovers that the medical file sent to the hospital in Massachusetts did not belong to House, and he intended to trick the doctors at the university into implanting a "cool drug" into the
pleasure center of his brain, possibly in order to get over the
pain in his leg. ==Awards==