Locked In

S5 E19: We find ourselves inside the mind of Lee (guest star Mos Def) as he awakens after a bicycle accident in New York unable to move or communicate verbally. From his unique perspective, we hear Lee's inner thoughts as House, injured in a motorcycle accident, occupies the hospital bed next to him. House takes notice of Lee as his doctor writes him off as being brain-dead and begins to arrange his organ donations. However, House confirms that Lee is not brain dead at all, but rather has "locked-in" syndrome – he is completely conscious but unable to let anyone know. As House develops a system to communicate with Lee by having him blink once for "no" and twice for "yes," he is intrigued by the case and tries to figure out what is causing Lee's condition, much to the disdain of the presiding physician. When House gets Lee transferred to Princeton Plainsboro, the team is on the case to try to save Lee. As we learn more about Lee and his family, we also see House and the team through Lee's unique perspective, lending insight into their not-so-transparent relationships. When Lee loses his ability to blink and continues to fall ill, the team must race to find the key to unlock his condition. Meanwhile, Wilson suspects House is hiding something from him when he refuses to divulge why he was in New York when he got into his motorcycle accident.