Ep 5. Damned If You Do

House, M.D. is a medical drama series that follows the life of Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant but misanthropic doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating rare medical conditions. In season 1 episode 5, titled "Damned If You Do," House finds himself caught between two patients when a nun, Sister Augustine, becomes ill.

Sister Augustine is a devout nun who works at the local church, and she comes to the hospital with a cough and fever. House diagnoses her with pneumonia and starts her on antibiotics. However, things take a turn for the worse when Sister Augustine goes into allergic shock and starts having seizures. It turns out that she was taking an herbal remedy that contained ephedra, which caused the reaction. House wants to treat her with steroids, but Sister Augustine refuses because it goes against her religious beliefs.

Meanwhile, another patient, a young woman named Tracy, arrives at the hospital with a strange illness that no one can diagnose. House takes an interest in Tracy's case, and begins conducting tests and running experiments to figure out what's wrong with her. He eventually comes to the conclusion that Tracy has a rare blood disease that requires a risky and experimental treatment.

As House tries to convince Tracy to go through with the treatment, he becomes more and more frustrated with Sister Augustine's refusal to take steroids. He believes that she is being foolish and putting her own beliefs ahead of her health. However, as he spends more time with her, he begins to understand her perspective and starts to respect her decision.

The tension between House and Sister Augustine comes to a head when her condition worsens and she experiences a seizure in front of House. He realizes that the only way to save her life is to give her the steroids, despite her objections. In a dramatic scene, House holds Sister Augustine down and injects her with the medication, against her will.

In the end, both Sister Augustine and Tracy are successfully treated and leave the hospital. House must come to terms with his own beliefs about religion and ethics, as he grapples with the difficult choices he had to make to save his patients. Overall, "Damned If You Do" is a thought-provoking and emotional addition to the first season of House, M.D.