AN- This is a stand-alone one-shot of Cameron's first case. Chameron(ish) and inferred Hameron. I own nothing. I'm worried House, Chase, and Cameron seem OOC but this takes place before the start of the series. I just had a cute drabble that wouldn't leave my head. Lots of foreshadowing for the series.
"Where's House?" Allison Cameron frowned early during her first week of working for the World-renowned Doctor House. "We have a patient…"
"He'll be here later… he usually doesn't show up early…" Robert Chase added. "Told him we didn't need someone like you…"
"He should be here" She frowned, choosing to ignore his comment. The blonde man just laughed. The brunette narrowed her eyes, not wanting him to laugh at her. "Is that funny to you?"
"Look, you're new… this is your first case with House. He'll be here. He doesn't listen to others… for the past three days you were just working on paperwork and making coffee…" Cameron suddenly looked at him curiously. She'd been trying to figure out her coworker's accent for the past few days and he always seemed in awe of the woman. "For now, we just wait. You've got questions?" the man stretched out on the couch and Cameron blinked. "Let's make it a game, okay? You ask a question, I ask a question. We figure out what's wrong with…" he trailed off as he picked up the woman's file. "Holly"
Cameron blinked and sighed. "Fine. We'll wait for House and then…"
"House doesn't talk to people… that's why he's got gophers" Chase shook his head like it was obvious. The woman stared at him, was this real? "I'll talk to Holly and then you can ask me your questions…"
"Where are you from?" Cameron asked, sliding next to Chase.
The blonde smirked as he looked into her brown eyes. "I'm Australian… I moved around for a bit…then I got the fellowship in America so I packed up and now I'm here. My turn: Why'd you want the fellowship?" She could hear the confusion in his voice and his tone was incredulous.
Her brow furrowed and her eyes searched the room. "I needed a change." He opened his mouth and she cut him off with a sigh "Couldn't stay. I needed to get out of where I grew up… So I moved to New Jersey. How long have you been here?"
"Fair enough" Chase said as he looked at the file. "I've been here a year and a half…Immunology, huh?"
The woman laughed. "Is that your question?"
"Is that yours?" Chase challenged with a smirk. "House probably figured we'd need an immunologist…"
Cameron looked at Chase. "Can we get a nurse to do a blood draw?"
"You can try…but House doesn't trust anyone…"
"Then why'd he hire us…?" Cameron began to question when Chase smirked.
"Nope! You got your question." He looked at her. "We'll have to do everything."
"That's not fair! My questions relate to our job…"
"Hey, you agreed to the terms" Chase said and she conceded. "You draw her blood, I'll prep her for an MRI. Yes, House wants us to do that… but since he's not here… We'll let the tech take care of her… Why'd you become a doctor?"
The woman's face darkened a moment. She blinked back tears. She couldn't talk about her husband… no… She sighed "I wanted to help people… to save lives." Chase scoffed and shook his head. "And what? You don't?"
Chase laughed and shook his head. He sighed. "I became a doctor because… it was what was expected of me… it's the family business" He mumbled under his breath. Cameron gave him a questioning glance and he reluctantly continued. "Look up Doctor Chase… The only one who'll show up is Rowan chase... Robert Chase is just an afterthought...My father is a rheumatologist… world renown…"
"I think I read something of his in med school… he developed—"
"Yeah, yeah" Chase groaned. "He wanted me to be a doctor… I flat out refused…. Until I grew up and ran out of options…"
"So Medical school wasn't your first choice?" Cameron asked.
Chase looked at her. His blue eyes were curious as he challenged "Was it yours?"
"Touche" Cameron laughed.
"STOP FLIRTING" House snapped as he walked in. They were children caught red-handed reaching in the cookie jar. "Tell me about our patient…"
"We weren't…" Both said quickly, both getting back to work. Their guilty expression betrayed their words.
They didn't really plan for it, but their question game became a secret. When they were working in the lab, they'd ask questions of one another and anytime House wasn't around. In fact, they turned bolder, daring the other to answer when House left them for a few moments so one would eventually be caught by their boss.
"Did you grow up with pets, Cameron?" Chase asked with a smile. She'd refused to be Allison to him because they were coworkers, nothing more. She smiled, they'd just left the patient's room. They just got done asking her about her job as a Veterinarian and hearing about dogs and cats.
"The summer I was twelve my brother and I sort of had a dog…" She laughed and he smirked.
"Sort of?" Chase laughed. Her smile was enchanting and he bite his lip, reminding himself she was his coworker.
She laughed as she continued. "She was just a scruffy old mutt… but she was ours. At least for a few days… I got to name her" Cameron added proudly. Chase laughed. "Tink…"
"Tink? What, wasn't house-trained?"
"NO!" Cameron said, protective of that dog, even if it was just a memory. "Tink… as in Tinkerbelle… From Peter Pan"
"Like that princess?" Chase teased
"Fairy!" Cameron laughed. "Tinkerbelle is a fairy!"
Chase chuckled. He loved listening to her laugh. He smiled, listening to her go on and on about that dog and her childhood. She adored her parents and her family. Her older brother… was much like other older brothers… she claimed. They'd tease and fight and were each other's best friends. Chase liked how she lit up when she was happy.
A few days into the case, he looked at her as they walked in at the same time. "Good morning beautiful…." He joked. She had make-up on this morning and her hair was in a bun, not just pulled back.
Her faced darkened and her eyes were dangerous as she glared at him. He faltered a moment, struggling to recover. "I have a meeting with HR today… the Dean…" she spat and disappeared down the hallway.
"Good luck with Cuddy" Chase said awkwardly. He hadn't meant to offend her.
He noticed after her meeting, she'd wiped off the make-up and her hair was in a messy knot. "Look… I'm sorry…about…"
"Don't" Her voice was still venomous. He silenced, feeling like a scolded child. She glanced over the syringes and the medication. They worked in silence and Chase was worried he'd screwed up.
A few hours later, Cameron spoke suddenly "Am I good enough to be a doctor?" Her voice seemed fragile and Chase stared at her.
"I-I…" He knew she was waiting for him to say something. He couldn't see to make his brain work. "You're good enough that House chose you" Chase said eventually.
She seemed to consider that. Chase wanted to ask her what was on her mind, but he didn't want to anger her again. "Am I too pretty?" She whispered then blushed "I-I'm sorry… that was two questions…"
"We're still playing?" Chase frowned in confusion. Cameron laughed and rolled her eyes playfully.
"You're cute when you're confused" She said simply. Chase stared at her and she winked.
"You think I'm cute?" He managed, feeling like they were in high school again.
"Two questions!" Cameron said loudly and Chase laughed. "Am I too pretty? House-House said when I first… when I interviewed… He said… said I was too pretty and nobody would take me seriously…"
Chase laughed with relief. "Well, don't flatter yourself… he calls me pretty" Cameron laughed, skeptically. "I think he hired us to talk to patients while he does the non-patient stuff… people trust good looking people" Chase shrugged. Cameron shook her head and laughed. "You liked that House called you pretty? He's too old for you…" He teased.
"You jealous?" Cameron challenged and Chase felt his face grow hot.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Cameron asked as innocently as she could.
Chase studied her, curiously. "Why? It's a bit of a nosy question…"
"Just making conversation." She shrugged, passing by him to go run the labs. "Does my curiosity bother you?" she seemed amused and he knew she was teasing him.
"That's the point of the game… to find out about each other…No girlfriend… Do you have a boyfriend?" Chase asked. He'd been wondering that since she'd walked in the first day and House mocked him over his staring.
Cameron blinked and tugged at her hair that was falling loose. "I'm currently unattached…Now, who is being nosy?"
"Maybe sometime we can go out after a case...?" Chase asked. House was at a loss for the case. They were stuck.
"Are you asking me out? I don't date coworkers" Cameron said quickly. "Though drinks after work... as coworkers, nothing more."
"Well I don't drink.." Chase said, shaking his head. "That surprises you?" He asked seeing the look on her face
"Why don't you drink?" She pressed. "Besides you are the one who asked me out..."
"Who said I wanted to date you?" Chase teased, a hint of a smile on his lips. She seemed at a loss for words for barely a moment but she was quick on the draw, he'd have to give her that.
"Well, you're mean." Cameron retorted but by the smile she gave him, she was just teasing.
"If you think I'm mean…. You won't last too long around here… House is much meaner than I am" Chase answered and she smirked.
"You think I'm mean, pretty boy?" House frowned and Chase's eyes grew wide.
"YOU SET ME UP?!" the blonde hissed to the brunette who laughed.
"To show you how mean I am, we need to figure out why she's sick… nothing in our tests were conclusive…" House began, pointing to the whiteboard.
"Did she say anything about her history or her environment?" Cameron asked.
"She was lying. Go to her house!" House said.
Chase frowned. "I'm not getting arrested for you… My visa…" But he knew it was pointless to argue so reluctantly he agreed to go.
"You'll go. Search her house. Test everything… find out!" House sent them off. The two shared a look and weren't sure whether to laugh or complain.
"So we're really going to break in?" Cameron frowned. As she studied the front door of Holly's house, she sighed. Chase raised an eyebrow.
"What, worried about getting arrested?" Chase smirked. She laughed
"Now we have all the time in the world for our game..." Cameron said simply. Chase smiled nervously. "You said your dad was…"
"Off limits" Chase said, looking around. "We'll use this" He said holding up a large rock. Cameron watched him throw the rock at the window, breaking some glass. But it did get them inside.
Cameron pursed her lips as she surveyed the damage. "You've got to get better at that... at least she doesn't have an alarm or we'd be toast. Fine. So no questions about your family… and no questions about my past before Jersey." She said simply, walking in. "Why do you want to date me?"
"I don't… I just figured we can be friends because we'll spend lots of time together… especially in jail" Chase shrugged as he started opening up drawers.
"So we just look for drugs and toxins and stuff?" Cameron asked.
"That's what House sent us to do. Since that was two questions... Don't complain!... Relevant to the case or not, there were two questions. Why are you so defensive about your looks?"
Cameron sighed. Her mind went back to the hell that she'd experienced in the last year and a half. Her husband always called her beautiful. Every day when she'd come to visit him. Her eyes were glassy and she shook her head. "Please don't ask me that…" Cameron whispered.
Chase pretended to be just looking in Holly's desk instead of watching her while he was searching the desk. "Are you wearing perfume?" He asked suddenly.
Cameron blinked. "It's probably my shampoo… I-I like the fruity ones…I think this one is mango..." She mumbled, embarrassed. "I'm sorry…"
Chase smiled. "Don't be… It smells pretty… your hair smells like flowers…"
She blushed. "Speaking of perfumes and shampoos… let's search her bathroom…" She frowned seeing it was locked. Chase smirked and hit the door with his shoulder. He broke it off the hinges just enough to jam it open.
"We're in" He smiled, triumphantly. She laughed.
"You should really be wearing gloves for that" Cameron said, watching Chase in the lab. He was taking samples of the perfume and the shampoos and conditioners and soaps. House hadn't come in yet so it was just the two of them running analyses.
"It's shampoo… It's not poison." Chase frowned. "Don't worry…"
But in that moment he dropped the bottle with a cough. Cameron glanced at him but picked up one of the bottles of lotion. She froze and looked at Chase when she heard gagging and choking. "You okay, Chase? Robert?" She jumped up when his body wobbled. "Chase! HELP!" She yelled. "Robert… do you have?"
"Ep" He managed.
"Allergies?" She barked and he nodded, patting his pockets. She looked around desperately for his bag. "Epi?" She was in allergist-mode now.
"Lost it" He coughed. Of course. She groaned and bit back her frustrations.
"Call a code!" Cameron yelled, seeing a few lab techs walking around. "Help!" She snapped at two lab techs. The three got him breathing and they pumped him full of epinephrine as soon as the nurses ran in.
Chase closed his eyes and he woke up in the ER. Cameron was sitting on the chair next to him. "Oh thank God" She whispered.
"Thought you weren't religious…" He mumbled, annoyed by the oxygen tube. It had been one of his questions yesterday.
"You are. You told me that." She said simply. "What the hell?"
"Allergies…. You stayed?" Chase blinked.
"Obviously!" Cameron snapped. To which, he wasn't sure. "You shouldn't be alone… I was worried about you… What are you allergic to?"
"Strawberries. Can I get up yet?"
"No! Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't need to know" He frowned. "Why can't I get up?"
"You had an allergic reaction!" She nearly yelled. "Why are you arguing with me?"
"Because I'm fine! Why are you here?"
"I care about you!" She yelled, then blushed as she added "You're my coworker" She said. "How do you lose an epi-pen?"
Chase frowned. "We're not turning this into our game…" Chase shook his head. "Go back to work."
"No!" Cameron frowned. Chase glared at her insistence. "If you weren't so damn idiotic we wouldn't be here!"
"If you weren't so damn stubborn, you would be checking in with Holly" Chase glared. Cameron frowned and pulled away.
After a few moments of silence the two looked at each other again. "I'll probably be here for a few hours yet… just to make sure I'm fine…so you can ask me questions" Chase sighed.
Cameron seemed to relax. "I'm sorry for snapping… I-I…" seeing him look so weak, it brought back bad memories. "Does it hurt?" She asked softly.
"More annoying than anything…You stayed..." Chase admitted and looked at her. "You know you don't have to, right? It's not like you're my girlfriend... You're just my coworker..."
"Is this a date?" She asked and he froze. She laughed and smiled "Teasing... you deserve it for scaring me earlier..."
"I don't date coworkers..." Chase said parroting back her own words. "Is House in yet?" Chase asked with a sigh.
Cameron shook her head. "You know House… he won't be in until later…So rest up while you can… anything else you're allergic to?" He couldn't decide if she was teasing or not…but then she winked and he laughed.
"You're mean" He whined
She laughed. "If you think I'm mean…. You should talk to House." They laughed a bit and the questions turned to unimportant ones.
"Sir!" They heard a nurse say quickly. Cameron tried to peek behind the curtain when they heard a loud angry voice. Cameron sighed as she glanced towards Chase.
"WHAT THE HELL?" House yelled "I got a page that my doctor was in the ER?!"
"Spoke too soon…" Chase mumbled as the curtain burst open. Cameron groaned.
"Sir…" the nurse tried to get the man away. House stared at his two employees. His eyes searched them both.
"Chase had an allergy attack" Cameron said simply. Chase stared at her. House frowned.
"He didn't die, did he? Looks fine to me…" He barked to the nurse. "Look at his O2 stats…. He's fine!"
"Told you" Chase said, smug.
"You shut up! Don't be an idiot!" House snapped. "You two… don't die before I come in or you're both fired."
Soon the three doctors were back working on their case upstairs. "House didn't know about your strawberry allergy?" Cameron demanded.
Chase shrugged. "You think he cares? You saw how he was. Cuddy knows… I have an epi-pen…"
"That you lost!" Cameron retorted and he sighed.
"Yeah, okay… fine… but I have a new one… Cuddy knows. House doesn't care so why bother telling him?" Chase asked.
She sighed and looked at him. "Good point… Guess it's a good thing he hired an immunologist, huh?"
Chase laughed and Cameron smiled to herself. "Do you think House will forgive my idiocy?" Chase joked.
Cameron laughed. "I think so… as long as you don't let it happen again. What'd you learn today?" She teased with a smile.
"To listen to you, Doctor Cameron, because you're always right…" She laughed.
"I was going to say wear gloves and a mask whenever working with shampoo… or at least check the ingredients…" Chase grinned. "But that too…" Cameron laughed.
She smiled to herself as she got ready for bed. She would really enjoy working for Doctor House and alongside Doctor Chase. That night, she threw out all her strawberry shampoos and conditioners.