It’s all about the little things. Last year, Wilson gave House a Christmas gift, but he never opened it. Thus, he uses it as a ploy to whet his team’s curiosity about his life, as it makes them think this gift is from a mysterious woman House is trying to ignore. House tells them to forget about the present because they need to focus on their new patient, a 16 year-old girl by the name of Natalie.
 
Natalie was singing in a choir concert when she spastically blurted out “Mr. Henderson’s stupid,” before she fell to her knees and began to throw up. After some inconclusive tests at Princeton-Plainsboro, her classmates are called in. Unwillingly, they inform the team that they gave her some shrooms, making them think it could be any number of illnesses, but probably some kind of fungal infection.
 
Meanwhile, Thirteen is continuing her drug trial with Foreman. The woman she was apprehensive about talking to last week has dropped out. So, Thirteen decides to pay her a visit to find out why. The woman says that Foreman was rude to her and she didn’t want to spend her limited time left with him, which causes Thirteen to confront Foreman, asking him to apologize to the woman. He disagrees, stating he did nothing wrong, which prompts Thirteen to say, “You’re not acting like House. You are him.”
 
Intrigued by a comment from Wilson about why he never receives gifts from patients like other doctors, House freely volunteers in the clinic. He is excessively nice to a patient, saying preposterous things (for him) such as, “If you can’t be nice, why be a doctor?” Turns out the patient is unknowingly pregnant and refuses to believe that, since she claims she is a virgin. House, the strident man we know and love, returns.
 
Natalie’s liver is failing. Cuddy has some kind of strange connection with her and is very concerned. After a few more wrong diagnoses, the right one is discovered. Natalie recently gave birth, but was able to hide it due to her heavier size. She somehow got eclampsia, which permanently damaged her heart and liver. The poor high school student has only days to live.
 
Cuddy is able to locate the baby girl where Natalie left her three weeks ago. The baby is being looked after by drug addicts, who obviously cannot give her the care she needs. Explaining this, Cuddy is able to bring the baby back to her mother. All adults involved agree the baby must go up for adoption. Immediately, Cuddy calls a lawyer. She will be a foster parent at first, but then will be able to adopt the baby.
 
At the end of the episode, Thirteen and Foreman apologize and make up with a kiss.
 
 
 
Spoiler Alert!
 
 
 
Alert the media: I actually laughed out loud, more than once, during this episode! I loved the elaborated fabrications this episode had to provide. Wilson could have told Taub and Kutner that it was his gift to House from the get-go, but, instead, he made up a whole prelude about Irene Adler, a patient from 2001 for whom House made a last-minute Wegener’s diagnosis. House, Wilson said, fell for her, but it was too soon after former girlfriend Stacy for the relationship to mature. Irene was “the one who got away.” The details alone in this story are hilarious.
 
But, what really got the cackles out was House’s “virgin pregnancy” declaration. Obviously the woman cheated on her fiancé. But, to get a gift from a patient and prove Wilson wrong, House made up the virgin pregnancy. Now that’s funny.
 
When I first learned the title of this episode was “Joy to the World,” I immediately thought it would have something to do with the baby Cuddy almost received. Although it didn’t, the episode did end with Cuddy getting a new baby, which is awesome, since it’s all she ever wanted.
 
Foreman and Thirteen kissed. Now, when House and Cuddy kissed it was an “OMG” moment for fans who had sensed their chemistry since season one. But, with Foreman and Thirteen, I am more confused than anything else. Personally, they appear to be an unlikely pairing. The writers probably feel like it would be awkward writing a romantic scene for Chase and Cameron now that Jesse Spencer and Jennifer Morrison have called off their engagement and need a new couple. However, I think they need to keep looking.
 
The test results are in: laughter cures lupus!
 
Rating: B+