A deaf 14-year-old named Seth (guest star Ryan Lane) collapses after “hearing” explosions while competing in a wrestling match and is brought to Princeton Plainsboro. When Seth loses vision in one eye and his condition worsens, the team faces an ethical dilemma involving his mother’s (guest star Clare Carey) adamant decision to forego cochlear implants. Meanwhile, House’s (Hugh Laurie) lack of sleep starts to play tricks on his mind, but he finds insomnia may be a gift instead of a burden.