He may not understand how many, but he does know that he's been given more than a few, and that in each case he's broken the terms of his probation. She's an idealist. It's why her working for House is so insane, and also why, he suspects, she's never completely given up on him as keeping some kind of compassionate soul buried under the bitter genius. Chase isn't sure how far he agrees with that yet, but it leaves him feeling like his own case can't be beyond redemption.

"People are going to keep screwing up. As long as you're spending time with humans and not the robots in the operating theatres, the one thing I can promise you is that's going to happen to you a lot. But... the ones who keep trying. Who want to do better, if they can. Aren't they worth letting back in, even a little?"

It's been months, and it's taken monsters to bring him to the point of being able to ask this. To be sure he can't just step back completely and give her the peach she so often seems to want from him. It could just be another flaw in his nature.

"Even if it's just getting a drink together once a fortnight and talking about patients behind their backs."