Or maybe not that he feels obligated specifically to House, as much as he feels that one is obligated to be there for one's friends, even if that means doing something that violates an outside ethical code. Or maybe the obligation comes from the fact that he knows House better than anyone, and thus he knows how House's unconventional genius works, and therefore has an obligation to support him because he knows House can work minor miracles even when he seems to be going against conventional wisdom. Who knows? But I love thinking about it. *g*