"Chase," called Cameron from the living room door. Her husband was paying bills over the computer and answered without looking up.
"Just a minute honey." Chase hit a few keys on his laptop.
"Please, Chase, help me," pleaded Cameron.
Chase turned around, surprised at his wife's tone of voice. "Ali, what's…" Chase watched in horror as Cameron grabbed onto the doorframe weakly and started to fall.
Chase rushed forward and caught Cameron just before she hit the floor. She was pale and sweaty. Chase could feel her heart beating really fast, which worried him. "Ali, honey, what's going on?"
"I can't breathe Chasy." The use of his nickname put a small smile on his face for a few seconds before he felt Cameron's breathing get laboured.
"Okay, it's okay Ali. Just hold on." Chase picked up the handheld phone from the coffee table and dialled 911. "I need an ambulance," he said after a few seconds. "My wife is having trouble breathing and her heart rate is too fast… Thank you." Chase put the phone down and quickly unlocked his front door. The paramedics were just around the corner and he wanted to stay with his wife.
A few minutes later, Chase opened the door and let two paramedics in. He watched as they gave Cameron a quick check-up, and loaded her into the ambulance. He climbed into the back of the ambulance quickly and Cameron grabbed his hand. Chase could tell that she was scared.
Chase pulled a chair up to the bed in the emergency department. His wife was barely conscious and they had been waiting for a doctor for over an hour now. A nurse had come in a few minutes ago to increase the oxygen that Cameron was receiving, but it was having absolutely no effect. She was still having trouble breathing.
"Chase, what are you doing here?" asked someone from the doorway. "Oh."
Chase looked up. "House?"
"Sorry it took me so long to get here. Apparently there are no on-call doctors tonight. Cameron?" asked House.
Cameron turned her head but didn't wake up.
"What happened Chase?" There was a tone of care in House's voice.
"I don't know. She was having trouble breathing and her heart rate was increasing far too quickly. We've been here for over an hour and she's still getting worse. Please do something."
House gave Chase a sympathetic smile and then focused on Cameron. Despite the large amount of oxygen, she was still breathing weirdly. House changed the oxygen mask to a nasal cannula and began to examine his former employee, the only one who ever stood up to him.
"Cameron, open your eyes please." House got no response.
After waiting a few seconds, House grabbed a pen light and checked Cameron's eyes. She was conscious but House suspected that she wouldn't be for much longer. After a quick check of her heart rate and blood pressure, House made a decision. Until he could get blood work done, he had no idea what was going on. He wanted to minimise the danger to Cameron.
"Chase, I want to put Cameron into an induced coma until I can figure this out." House looked at Chase.
"What? No, can't you do something else?" asked Chase.
"Do you want her to go into a coma by herself where we won't know if she'll wake up?"
"Of course not. Okay, do what you need to." Chase sat down again, holding his wife's hand. "Come on Ali, wake up. Show House that he's wrong."
House silently worked, knowing that Chase was terrified. He didn't blame him; he'd be scared if it was someone he loved lying in the bed instead of Cameron. A few minutes later, House watched as Cameron's heart rate slowed down to a normal rhythm and her blood pressure returned to normal. Her breathing evened out and she slowly fell into a coma. House replaced the nasal cannula with a throat tube and left to make arrangements for transferring Cameron to the intensive care unit.
A few hours had passed since Cameron had been moved to the ICU and Chase hadn't moved since. He was starting to get sore but it didn't bother him. His wife was still in the coma that House had put her in. When he had asked House, Chase had been told that Cameron would be brought out once it was clear what they were dealing with. House had assured Chase that it wouldn't be much longer. The blood test had been sent to the top of the pile and that had been almost four hours ago. The blood test would be complete in less than half an hour. Once she had been moved to the ICU, House had put Cameron on an IV. She had also been given medication in the hopes that it would help her breathe properly. But that wouldn't be measurable until she woke up.
House walked in while Chase was lost in his thoughts. Instead of disturbing the young man, House quietly wrote something onto Cameron's chart and began to wake her. It didn't take long, and by the time she was awake, Chase had just noticed what was happening.
"Ali? Hey honey," smiled Chase.
Cameron grabbed onto Chase's hand. House had taken away the tube from her throat, but she was scared and her husband provided some comfort for her.
"Allison? How are you feeling?" asked House, slightly concerned at the confused look on her face.
"I want to go home."
"I figured, but you aren't well. You need to get better first."
"What's wrong with me?"
"You were poisoned. What was the last thing you ate before you went home last night?"
"Lunch, with Chase. Why?"
"I'm thinking that someone did this to you on purpose. Does anyone hate you?"
"Everyone in my department."
"Why?"
"I'm their boss. They always hated me, right from when I first started at Immunology."
"Anyone in particular?"
"Rosa, she doesn't like me, and she's worse than the others. She always tries to hurt Chase and I."
"Hurt you how?"
"She tries to break us up, destroy or marriage."
"Did she have access to your food?"
"Possibly. I can't be certain. You think it was her?"
"I do. Is it okay if I call the police?"
"Of course. House, thank you." Cameron gave him a small smile while House started the antidote.
"You're welcome. Now, this isn't too bad Cameron, but I want to keep you under observation for twenty-four hours. I think you'll be fine in a few hours though. Let me know if you need something. Chase, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Okay." Chase kissed Cameron and then followed his boss outside the room. Cameron followed him with her eyes and then fell asleep, allowing the medication to do its job.
"First, take tomorrow off Chase. Stay with your wife. Secondly, I lied to Cameron. She will be fine but not by tomorrow. She'll need medication for at least the next couple of days. You'll have to take care of her at home."
"She won't need to be here?"
"No. I know you won't let anything happen to her. You love her after all."
"Thanks House. You saved her."
"I'm just doing my job."
