Wilson's Heart (House)

"Wilson's Heart (House)"

"Wilson's Heart" is the sixteenth episode and season finale of the fourth season of House and the eighty-sixth episode overall. It aired on May 19, 2008. It is the second and final part of the two-part fourth season finale, the first part being "House's Head".

Plot

In the second part of the two-part season finale, House remains inhibited by injuries sustained from a bus accident that has also left Amber Volakis rapidly deteriorating from a mysterious condition. Clues inside House's head hold the key to Amber's condition, and House's friendship with Wilson is tested beyond limits as murky memories from the bus accident the night before threaten to change their lives forever. House suffers a seizure during a deep brain stimulation treatment after it succeeds and he recalls the symptom which he saw in Amber before the bus crash. House also remembers the events that led up to him and Amber being on the bus: he got drunk at a bar and the bartender took away his keys so House called Wilson for a ride, but he was on call so Amber came instead. House boarded the bus and Amber followed him as he forgot his cane. She took the pills moments before the bus crash due to the flu she had (which explained a few of her other unconnected symptoms, like sneezing).

The symptom House recalled was that Amber had taken a heavy dose of flu pills moments prior to the bus crash. The crash trauma caused such extensive anatomical and physiological trauma (especially the blood loss and shock from her leg injury) that she suffered acute renal failure. This damage to her kidneys made them unable to adequately filter out the amantadine the pills contained, and the tachycardia degenerated into v-fib while being transferred in the ambulance. House agrees to cool her into protective hypothermia in an attempt to buy them more time for a proper diagnosis. However, during the testing, Amber develops liver and neurological damage (multisystem organ failure). Wilson suggests kidney dialysis, however House tells him during the memory of the moments leading up to the bus crash that when unfiltered, amantadine binds to proteins in the kidneys and there is nothing they can do to save Amber. He begins to cry and throws himself into a seizure. After his seizure, House falls into a coma.

Chase rewarms and wakes Amber so she and Wilson can say goodbye. Thirteen, Kutner, Taub and Foreman agree to say goodbye to Amber. Amber tells Wilson that it is "time to go to sleep" and when questioned by Wilson about how she could not be angry for how she got to this point, Amber tells him anger is not the last feeling she wants to experience. Wilson turns off the life support and Amber dies in his arms.

House has a vision of Amber in his coma on an all-white bus with her bruises from the crash gone and wearing normal clothes. House at first believes he is dead, however Amber corrects him. House indicates to Amber that he wants to stay with her on the bus (and actually be dead) because he knows Wilson will hate him for his inadvertent role in her death. He also says that he wants to stay on the bus because his leg is not in pain, he doesn't want to be miserable and most importantly doesn't want Wilson to hate him. Amber, using a Rolling Stones line quoted often during the series, tells him he "can't always get what (he wants)". House, walking without the aid of a cane or a limp, exits the bus as Amber's face fades.

Back at the hospital, Thirteen discovers she has inherited Huntington's disease and House awakes with Cuddy at his side. Taub crawls into bed with his wife, Kutner watches TV alone and Chase and Cameron meet Foreman in a restaurant. Wilson visits House but the two do not speak. He returns home and finds the note Amber left him in their bedroom saying she went to pick up House and would return home soon, causing him to break into tears. House lies awake in his hospital bed staring blankly into space with Cuddy holding his hand.

Critical reception

The episode increased ratings from the previous week, with 16.358 million viewers tuning in.

Soundtrack

An acoustic version of Massive Attack's "Teardrop," the show's opening theme, can be heard in the middle of the episode in a short montage, by José González.

The song "Re:Stacks" by Bon Iver is used during Amber and Wilson's final moments together.

The song that plays near the end of the episode when House and Amber are on the bus is "Light for the Deadvine" by People in Planes.

The song that plays as House exits the bus until the end of the episode is "Passing Afternoon" by Iron and Wine.

External links

• "Wilson's Heart" at IMDb