Title: Only a Little Blue
Rating: PG-13 (just to be on the safe side: harsh language, sexual references and sexual situations)
Summary: Just another day at PPTH when Cameron receives a mysterious phone call and House wants to know who, what and why...
A/N:This is my first posted House fiction so comments are extremely helpful. Please no flaming, but constructive criticism is always wanted.
Part 1
She was late. Late, late, late, late, late.
Dr. Allison Cameron jogged up the steps of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital with a coffee in one hand and her briefcase in the other. As she walked in, a couple of nurses and doctors greeted her, but in her haste, she just nodded at them.
As long as House wasn't in yet, she was fine, Cameron determined. She ran to the elevator just as the door was closing.
"Excuse me I-" Cameron cut herself off at the sight of her very smug boss stopping the door with his cane.
"Dr. Cameron." He drew his words out. "How nice of you to show up today. Late night?"
She had the dignity to glare at him. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes."
"You're an hour late," House commented as she stood rigidly by his side.
"Due to your often tardiness, I don't think you should reprimand me for being late once," Cameron said stiffly.
House rolled his eyes at the young doctor. "Cameron, relax. I'm not going to fire you."
As soon as he saw her shoulders drop slightly, he added, "You're just taking my clinic hours."
The elevator door slid open and House shuffled out, leaving an annoyed Cameron behind.
She blinked, shaking her head slightly and then started after him. "All because I was an hour late?"
"Well that and I really don't like the clinic, gives me the heebie-jeebies." House gave a mock shudder as he pushed the door to his office open.
Foreman and Chase were already sitting at the table, sipping their coffees. They glanced up as the newcomers walked in, looking surprised to see a harried Cameron.
"Hey, you're late," Chase said, the surprise evident in his voice.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," House said sarcastically and tossed a file on the table. "Cuddy managed to corner me in the men's room and gave me this."
Foreman immediately grabbed the file and leafed through it. "Fourteen-year-old girl admitted last night with complaints of: coughing, shortness of breath, stiff joints, weight loss, rash, sensitivity to light, pain in the eye and blurry vision."
House scribbled the symptoms on the whiteboard and scoffed. "This is what Cuddy assigns me? I'm shocked and appalled. I thought she knew me better than this."
Foreman shuffled the papers together and slipped them back in the file. "Berylliosis is possible, exposure to beryllium metal."
House tapped his cane against the leg of the table, silent for a moment. "Interesting…but no. Chase?"
The Australian sighed. "Rheumatoid arthritis."
"And just as likely, aliens could have kidnapped her and sucked her brain out," House retorted and stared at the whiteboard. "Talk to the parents. See if they've been out of the country recently."
"Think it's a parasite?" Cameron finally spoke up.
"Or little green fellows. Chase, Foreman, go," he said to the other two doctors.
Both doctors stood up and left the room. Cameron looked up at House, annoyed. "Do I not count?"
"Of course you do," House said as he limped into his office. "You're on clinic duty. Here, borrow my lab coat if it makes you feel better." He tossed the never used item at Cameron who caught it.
"House, just because-"
"Ah!" He cut her off, holding his hand up. "Go!"
"Hou-"
"You were late ergo clinic duty," House told her as he sat down in his chair.
Cameron's jaw clenched as she spun on her heel, exiting his office. House watched her go for a minute and then fished into his pocket for his Gameboy.
"Level 10, I'm gonna kick your ass."
Cameron sighed loudly as her fifth patient of the morning left, sniffling loudly. While she didn't hate clinic duty like House, it was rather mundane compared to their cases. Her stomach rumbled loudly, remind her that she'd forgone breakfast since she'd woken up late.
Another sigh exhaled from her mouth and she rubbed her head. Maybe now would be a good time to take her break. She could check in on their patient and get some food.
Shuffling the papers in her hand, Cameron stood up and walked out of Exam Room 2 and handed the nurse the file. "I'm going on break," she announced and the woman nodded tiredly.
Cameron made her way up to House's office and peered in. The office was empty along with the room. Her brow creased. Huh, she wondered, usually this early in day House was still in his office watching TV or doing something equally useless.
She walked to the patient's room and paused outside the door. The young girl, Caitlin Winters, if Cameron remembered correctly, was sitting up while Foreman listened to her chest.
The teen was thin and pale, her eyes swollen slightly. Inflammation, Cameron noted. Even from a distance, she could tell the girl was having trouble breathing. She stepped into the room and Foreman looked up.
"Hey Cameron, where've you been?"
She rolled her eyes. "Clinic duty."
Foreman frowned. "I thought you the day off."
"I do, but House doesn't," Cameron answered and then turned to the girl with a warm smile. "Hi, I'm Dr. Cameron, and I'll be another one of your doctors today. How are you?"
Caitlin let out a ragged breath. "Not that good." She eyed the female doctor curiously. "How many doctors do I have?"
"Four," Cameron answered, "we're the diagnostics team. We take on special cases-"
"The ones nobody else can figure out?" The girl finished, her face sad.
Cameron's smile faltered. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." She glanced around. "Where are your parents?"
"My mom just went to get a drink and call my grandma," Caitlin answered.
"Well, it was nice to meet you Caitlin, I'll see you later," Cameron said, trying to sound cheerful.
Foreman walked her to the door. "Cameron, why are you taking House's clinic hours? That's kinda sad…even for you."
She bristled. "I didn't volunteer. It's for being late."
Foreman shook his head. "That guy will stoop to anything to get out of clinic duty. Hey, have you seen Chase?"
Cameron shook her head no. "I better get back. Later."
She walked out of the room and to the cafeteria where she bought herself yogurt, water and a banana. It was nearly empty and she easily found a deserted table to eat in peace. Her only hope was that House wouldn't decide the cafeteria was a good place to hide from Cuddy and come in.
Swirling her spoon thoughtfully, her mind reviewed the girl's, Caitlin, symptoms. Something was nagging at her mind, something essential. She frowned and peeled her banana, chewing slowly.
"Excuse me." Cameron looked up to see a woman no older than her late thirties standing there with a coffee. "Are you Dr. Cameron?"
Cameron nodded, a little wary.
"I'm Anita Winters," the worn looking woman explained, "Caitlin's mother."
"Oh," Cameron said, "Hi. How did you know…?"
Anita gave her slightly puzzled smile. "Some man told me you were one of Caitlin's doctors. I was getting something to drink and I thought maybe I could sit with you…" she trailed off.
"Sure," Cameron replied, gesturing the chair across from her. "Sit down."
Anita sat down slowly, setting her coffee with supreme carefulness on the table. Cameron recognized this. It was the movement of someone putting all their energy into remaining calm, in control for their loved ones. She could help but flash Anita a sympathetic look. "How are you?"
Anita let out a short bitter laugh. "My daughter's in the hospital and no one can tell me what's wrong." The woman stared down into her coffee and then looked up again. "I just want her to be okay," she whispered fearfully.
"Dr. House is very good at what he does. Your daughter's going to be fine," Cameron said reassuringly.
Anita's gaze drifted over the doctor's shoulder. "I hope so."
After excusing herself, Cameron hurried back to the clinic, internally cursing herself. The clinic had paged her and that was when she realized she'd been gone nearly half an hour longer than her break permitted.
"Dr. Cameron, you have a patient in-"
"I know, I know," she cut the nurse off, trying to hold back her irritableness.
She raced to Exam Room 2 and opened the door, pasting a toothpaste smile on. "Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Dr.-"she stopped at the mouth-dropping sight of House sitting in a chair, listening to the patient, a middle-aged man, list his symptoms.
House blinked, feigning surprise. "Oh, hello Dr. Cameron. Are you here for my consult?"
"Consult?" She echoed faintly.
"I was just talking to Mr.…" House looked down, "Greenman about his very concerning cough."
"It's like a hacking noise, with wheeze," the man added helpfully.
Cameron ignored the man. "What are you doing here? I thought I was covering your clinic hours today."
House shrugged. "Cuddy found me. Promised me her naughty version of the gold star." He rubbed his hands together gleefully. "I hope it involves spanking."
Cameron rolled her eyes at the disgusting, purely House comment. The man, however, perked up with interest. "Spanking?"
House turned to Mr. Greenman. "I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. My colleague and I have discussed your symptoms and reached an explanation."
At House's grave expression, the man paled. "B-but she's only been in here for a minute."
"I know," House replied, "it only took two seconds to figure out your 'hacking cough with wheeze' is a cold. Now leave."
Mr. Greenman stared dumbly. "A cold? But-"
"No buts, unless you're me and Cuddy in her office. You're fine. Go be free." House motioned to the door with his hand. Slowly the man hopped of the table and left, looking bewildered.
"Why are you here?" Cameron repeated firmly after the door shut.
"Because," House replied as if she were a five year old. "I saw you with the patient's mother."
Cameron tensed. "I was on break and Ms. Winters found me-"
"No," House corrected, grabbing his cane to stand up. "I found you and sent Ms. Winters. The woman's hiding something and I want to know what."
"So…you're sending me?" Cameron asked doubtfully.
"She trusts you," House conceded. "More than Chase or Foreman. And way more than me since I've only talked to her once to say 'that's Dr. Cameron'."
"Okay, I'll go talk to her," Cameron agreed, frowning slightly.
"No, god Cameron, I don't want you to talk to her, I want her to confide in you," he said, emphasizing the difference. "I want to know what she won't tell us, because it's most likely what will save her damn daughter's life."
Cameron's jaw visibly clenched, her eyes cold with fury at his callousness. "I'll see what I can do," she said shortly.
"Good." House hobbled over to the door opening it for her. "Go find something juicy."