Jim Dunnagan

Jim Dunnagan was a clinic patient in the Season 6 episode Moving the Chains. He was portrayed by actor Trever O'Brien.
Jim came to the clinic and waited for Gregory House to see him. He claimed to have problems with his eyes, but on examination, Dr. House found no problems. Jim then explained he was in the army and had planned to be discharged at the same time his child was born. Instead, he was being sent back to active duty. He asked Dr. House to make up a medical reason why he wouldn't have to go back. However, Dr. House told Jim that although he had been screwed over, he would be back in plenty of time to raise his child. Jim was angry because he thought Dr. House would understand and that's why he waited for him. Dr. House wondered why he would care one way or the other, and Jim said he figured Dr. House had become disabled when he served in Vietnam. Dr. House was insulted - he was several years too young to have served in Vietnam. He told Jim that if he really wanted out of the army, he should either shoot himself in the foot or go to Canada.
However, a few hours later, Dr. House was informed that Jim was admitted after being wounded in an "accidental" firearm discharge. He came to see Jim and saw his foot bandaged up. He called him an idiot and asked why he hadn't chose Canada instead, to which Jim replied that becoming a deserter would still leave him unable to see his child. House told him that the wound would probably take a week at most to heal.
Later, House came back and noted that Jim had developed an infection due to the wound. He warned him that this could cost him his leg, and that one of his toes had already gone gangrenous and would have to be removed, but he would be fine once he was put on antibiotics. Jim thought he was in the clear, but House said that the loss of a toe still wouldn't get him discharged, and at best would just get him moved to a support role that requires less mobility.
The next time House saw Jim, he saw that his leg was missing from just above the ankle. He realized Jim had refused treatment and chosen amputation, which would keep him out of the army. As he was wheeled away by his wife, Jim gave House a look of contentment, clearly preferring to live with the missing foot rather than risk being killed or maimed even more severely in combat.
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:Clinic Patients
Category:Season 6