Perils of Paranoia

High-flying prosecutor Tommy collapses in court and is admitted to Princeton Plainsboro, where a suspected heart attack and an anxiety attack are both ruled out. His symptoms remind Adams of a case where a prison inmate was poisoned but Tommy is paranoid about his food and does all his own cooking. His wife, Olivia, also protests her innocence.

House sends Adams and Park round to Tommy’s house to look for a possible toxic source and Park discovers a secret door – to an arsenal of guns! It seems Tommy is more paranoid than they’d thought. Tommy’s condition worsens; he begins to develop skin lesions and his fever starts to spike. The team treats for sclerosis but Tommy starts to hallucinate, convinced he’s being attacked by bears!

Various diagnoses are discussed, including schizophrenia and auto-immune disease, but Tommy starts to struggle for breath and it seems he has a swelling in the throat. Chase performs a tracheotomy but Tommy is still struggling to breath – there’s something else blocking his airway…

Meanwhile, Wilson accuses House of owning a gun but his friend denies it, so after several attempts, Wilson eventually traps House in his own bathroom while he searches the apartment. Finally, Wilson finds an automatic pistol but House claims it’s a prop from a magic act and Wilson has to admit defeat.

House stares at the weapon with its blocked barrel and suddenly understands Tommy’s problem. His trachea is blocked by a pseudo-membrane growing across it as a result of diphtheria which, in rare cases, can cause all his other symptoms. An anti-toxin will sort him out.