"... sure," said Wilson. "Just keep in mind that the first few weeks aren’t a test of how tough you are. It’s biology. You listen to your body or you end up back in a hospital bed faster than anyone wants."

House added, "And like I said, the show can adjust. You get a few dramatic hospital scenes, we call it method acting, everybody wins."

Then he added, too offhand to be casual, "And for the record, RSVP or not, you’re still my date. Unless you’ve got a better offer."

He didn’t look at Nyx when he said it, just sipped his coffee like the conversation was about the weather.