Walter Cofield, MD, was the doctor assigned by Eric Foreman to investigate the incident involving the injury of Robert Chase in the Season 8 episode Nobody's Fault. He was portrayed by actor Jeffrey Wright.
Cofield was the Chief of Neurology at New York Mercy Hospital, but when Foreman was a doctor in training, he was the head of the residency program at Johns Hopkins Medical School. Foreman hand-picked him hoping Cofield would give Gregory House the benefit of the doubt, which would most likely preserve Foreman's job as Dean of Medicine.
However, Cofield was appalled by House's methods, his treatment of his fellows, and House's whole attitude towards the investigation. After speaking to everyone involved, he came to the conclusion that House had to be suspended, which would result in House going back to prison and Foreman being fired. However, just before he ruled, Emily Koppelman came in to tell them that House had correctly diagnosed the patient who had injured Chase. Cofield reversed course and declared the accident was "Nobody's Fault". He was about to leave when House called him a coward for not going with his original decision.
Quotes[]
Dr. Eric Foreman: House is brilliant. I give him the benefit of the doubt most of the time because I've seen what he can do.
Dr. Walter Cofield: Getting House out of prison is the biggest decision you've made as Dean of Medicine, right? And if he's suspended as a result of this hearing, he violates his parole and he goes back. And that probably leaves you as former Dean of Medicine.
Dr. Eric Foreman: I suppose so.
Dr. Walter Cofield: You didn't choose me to oversee this because you thought I could be objective. You chose me because you thought I'd have your back and I'd think twice about making a decision that would get you fired. Eric, I'm sorry, but if your get-House-out-of-jail-free experiment blows up in your face, it's not my job to get you out of it.
Dr. Gregory House: Coward.
Dr. Walter Cofield: Excuse me?
Dr. Gregory House:' You've got, like, 20 pages of notes there. You were expecting to bore us for at least half an hour. You got my parole form in here. You were gonna send me back to prison.
Dr. Eric Foreman: House, stop.
Dr. Gregory House: Good things usually happen. Bad things sometimes happen. The fact that that would-be widow came in just in time to sob all over your soft, mushy heart and the fact that her husband's gonna live does not change whether or not I did the right thing.
Dr. Walter Cofield: What are you doing?
Dr. Gregory House: Taking my Vic-amins.
Dr. Walter Cofield: Were you angry with Dr. House?
Dr. Robert Chase: It was a prank. It wasn't uncommon.
Dr. Walter Cofield: So I've heard. That doesn't mean you couldn't get angry. Might actually contribute to that reaction.
Dr. Robert Chase: May I ask why that matters? Are you trying to prove that I was distracted, that my judgment was compromised?
Dr. Walter Cofield: Who do you think was at fault for what happened to you, Dr. Chase?
Dr. Robert Chase: Again, why does it matter?
Dr. Walter Cofield: You're a smart doctor. You know what happened here better than anyone, and you've worked with Dr. House longer than anyone and I suspect that you've spent every minute since this has happened trying to answer that very question.
Dr. Robert Chase: I don't think it was anyone's fault. I was angry, but I wasn't distracted. And I think that, if there's any chance I'm gonna walk again, it's because Dr. House is a genius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9NfW904KD4
Dr. Walter Cofield: This will be our last round of questions. I've spoken with Dr. Chase. You know he regained movement.
Dr. Gregory House: No.
Dr. Walter Cofield: Are you really this indifferent to the fact that Dr. Chase is hurt?
Dr. Gregory House: We're going off the record because this is irrelevant or are you gonna hit me?
Dr. Walter Cofield: Why don't you go tell the guy you're sorry...
Dr. Gregory House: I didn't do anything wrong.
Dr. Walter Cofield: It's not an admission of guilt. He's your friend and he's not well.
Dr. Gregory House: He's a co-worker.
Dr. Walter Cofield: Co-worker whom you've known for almost ten years who nearly died and who's still scared he may not walk.
Dr. Gregory House: Are you going to have me fired for bad manners?
Dr. Walter Cofield: Let the record show that we are officially convening a disciplinary hearing regarding the events of February 3, 2012 in patient room 209. Dr. House, this recording will be transcribed and published along with all supporting documentation and rulings. Do you have any questions before we get started?
Dr. Gregory House: Yeah. Who the hell are you?
Dr. Walter Cofield: I'm Walter Cofield, Chief of Neurology, Mercy Hospital. I'll be deciding your fate today.
Dr. Gregory House: My diagnostic test worked. It proved the patient had a steroid-induced psychosis.
Dr. Walter Cofield: And that's what you took away from this situation?
Dr. Gregory House: The brain was not a symptom of an underlying disease.
Dr. Walter Cofield: Your colleague was stabbed. Are you telling me you didn't care?
Dr. Walter Cofield: You brazenly defied your boss. Now that happened either because Dr. House has established that that's okay in his world or his prank war distracted you or House makes medicine a game and you just wanted to beat him. Whatever the reason, it boils down to the fact that you may never walk again because House created an atmosphere that promotes recklessness.
Dr. Walter Cofield: Dr. House's process is dangerous, inappropriate, but he is effective. I've decided that I would be doing this hospital a disservice if I did anything to change that process. Congratulations, Dr. House. This unfortunate stabbing incident is officially nobody's fault.
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