Allison Cameron paced down the halls of PPTH, her arms stacked like bookshelves with patient files. Although the shooting had only happened two days ago, the hospital was back in full swing; fighting to keep as many patients as possible. But, with a huge part of the building shut down for repairs, everyone had been rotated to different rooms or floors.
It wasn't the blonde doctor's job to assign the black print names to sickly faces but her ER was closed - the risk of treating new people in the middle of the chaos would have to wait a few days - and she had time to spare. Staring down at the last two files, she smiled triumphantly. It gave her somewhat of a buzz to know the hospital had thirty less people to worry about because of her,
'Owen Goss…' She murmured the name on the top of the second last file, quickly scanning the rest of the details to find out where he might have been placed.
'Room 302,' a nurse, clad in the pink scrubs that Allison didn't mind not having to wear for a few days, answered her musings. 'I'm bringing towels up there right now. Want me take it up for you, Dr Cameron?'
'Thank you Angela; that would be great.' She smiled warmly at the other woman before flipping open her last task. Her smile faltered as she realised who's it was.
Remy Hadley needed dialysis for a week but the hospital had kept her overnight for the past 48 hours to check the drugs she had taken didn't corrupt her system. If all went well, she should be released later today. Cameron didn't know her particularly well, but it hurt her to see the other doctor like she was. Something about Thirteen's fragile body lying limp in the hospital bed had brought unexpected tears to her eyes. Since then she'd checked up on the doctor often (perhaps too often) but each time she'd been either asleep or on the verge of it. The blonde closed the file and sighed - it was none of her business. Nothing to do with Thirteen was her business.
'Who does that belong to?' Angela asked, noticing the doctor's change in expression. Allison looked up, having not released the nurse was still beside her. She hesitated briefly before answering - a behaviour House and his lack of trust had influenced.
'It's...er, Remy Hadley.' Angela nodded in understanding.
'House's new fellow.' It was more of a statement than a question; House and his team's infamous scams were common gossip across the hospital. 'You know where her room is don't you? I've seen you there a couple of times.'
'Yea, I know where it is.' Cameron paused, debating whether to ask Angela if she could pass it along. 'I don't know whether I should take though. I… I feel as if I'm getting too involved.'
The nurse rolled her eyes in exasperation as Cameron trailed off in embarrassment.
'You're a doctor; it's your job to get involved! You shouldn't listen to House you know. Caring is not a bad quality Dr Cameron.'
Once last eye roll and Angela hoisted the pile of towels further into her arms and hurried off, presumably to room 302. Allison grinned as the woman rushed off; she'd always treated the nurses well and they never failed to reciprocate the gesture. With that she started off in the opposite direction.
As she slid the glass door open, Cameron eye's widened in shock at the scene in front of her. Thirteen sat crumpled on the floor besides the hospital bed, head in hands and breathing heavily.
'Thirteen!' the blonde rushed to the other woman's side, worry clouding her features.
'Hey, Thirteen, I need you to talk to me,' She lifted Remy's head, pressing her fingers to her pulse spot. The brunette's face was ghostly pale and her eyelids drooped as she fought for air. Cameron felt her own heartbeat quicken as Remy's breathing became shallower.
'Help,' the blonde mentally tried to focus past her fear, 'I need to get help.' She began to move hastily towards the call button but was stopped suddenly, by a tug on her lab coat. Trembling fingers gripped the white material as Remy opened her mouth in attempt to speak. She was immediately cut off by a strangled cough and Cameron returned to her side, moving an arm round her back for support.
'A...Asthma.' The young doctor managed between gasps and realisation hit Cameron like a train. It took less than five seconds to grab an inhaler from the nearest drawer and hold the cool plastic to Remy's lips.
'It's alright, just breathe. You're alright.' Allison slipped an arm back around her thin frame, gently pulling her to the bed. As the younger woman's breathing began to slow, her grip on Cameron's lab coat loosened. Taking this as a sign, and knowing the other doctor enjoyed her personal space, Cameron moved away slightly, placing the inhaler on the bedside table.
'Are you alright?' she asked tentatively, unconsciously letting out a sigh in relief. The brunette nodded slowly, staring at her knees as cool air filled her lungs. Cameron watched her shoulders begin to rise and fall more evenly and as the panic subsided, the blonde's logical mind kick-started into action.
'When was the last time you had an asthma attack?' There was a pause before Cameron was given a reply.
'Years ago. Thank you but I'm fine now.' Even though her voice was still hoarse, Remy's tone held less emotion than someone who hadn't been able to breathe just a minute ago should have.
'You might not be fine. Anything can trigger asthma,' the blonde stood up, scowling slightly at the younger woman's lack of interest in her health. 'This could be an indication of another lung problem. It should have showed up on at least one of your tests though.'
Thoughts racing, the older doctor began to pace the room, her doctors instincts fuelling a flurry of ideas. 'Allergies might explain it. Nothing's changed in the last two days and a reaction wouldn't be this delayed though…Strenuous exercise but, well; you're in no shape to exercise right now.'
'Gee, thanks.' Remy retorted though her sarcastic comment was completely ignored by the blonde doctor as she continued to muse to herself.
'Has anyone other than me and the nurse's been in here? They could have brought in spores or animal hairs.'
Cameron stopped, hands on hips and eyes squinting in concentration. They scanned the room for inspiration for a few moments before landing on Remy, trapping the brunette in an uncomfortable stare down. The blondes gaze hardened as she leaned forward. Remy flinched as the doctor's cool hand pinched her eyes open wider.
'Dr Cameron, what are you doing?' Annoyance coated her words as she looked in confusion at her colleague.
'Smoking can bring on asthma attacks,' she explained shortly, still trying to examine her pupils. She stopped momentarily, looking Thirteen dead in the face, 'Remy, you haven't taken any drugs have you.'
The brunette looked at her incredulously, wishing she had the right to be offended by the assumption. However her reputation was well-known and she knew couldn't blame the older doctor for a valid medical question.
'Look it's none of my business, but if you're using then it could be causing all sorts of problems right now.' Allison continued, taking the silence as an agreement. 'You would need to tell me-'
'It's not drugs, Dr Cameron.' the brunette interrupted the other doctor quietly.
'You can talk to me Remy,' Thirteen cringed at the use of her forename, trying to figure out why she liked the sound of it. It usually sounded rusty and unfamiliar on the rare occasions it was ever mentioned anymore, but as it rolled so easily of Cameron's tongue, she found it oddly comforting.
'I'm not on drugs, Cameron. It was a stress induced attack.' Remy pulled away from Allison's grasp, casting her eyes downward in - away from Cameron. The blonde's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, stepping back from the other doctors hunched figure. It was then that the little details became apparent. Like the red rims around the brunette's eyes that might not have been caused by the asthma attack, or like the way, although her breathing had eased considerably, her shaking hands still gripped the edge of the bed.
Pity (that she knew the other doctor would resent her for) ached through her body as she remembered the trauma Remy had just been through.
'That as well as she has Huntington's.' the blonde thought, sadly, before sitting down on the bed, mirroring Remy's position. Slowly she turned her head to look at the other woman.
'What happened?' Her voice was soft and the question was genuine but Cameron saw the way the younger woman tensed, almost defensively.
'Nothing.' It came out harsher than intended, and Remy could feel the other woman nearly flinch - a symptom of being overly-sensitive.
'It doesn't matter,' she tried again, 'I was dreaming and when I woke up I was having the attack.'
Despite the formality, Cameron heard her voice waver. Tears threatened to fall from the younger woman's eyes as she felt the blondes hand come to rest on her shoulder.
'You want to talk about it?' There was a long silence before Remy took a deep shuddery breath and shook her head. A tear escaped, sprinting a trail down her cheek and the brunette hastily brushed it off.
It was then he urge Cameron had been trying to resist for the past 48 hours overtook her and she couldn't help but pull the other doctor into a hug. Remy stiffened momentarily but as Cameron's arms held her tightly, she melted into the embrace.
'You're okay now.' the blonde whispered softly in her ear, gathering the trembling woman into her arms and moving them both further onto the bed. It was a strange feeling; having the brunette close to her, but the warm fluttering in her stomach was quickly pushed aside by concern as the younger doctor collapsed into her chest, grabbing two fistfuls of the lab coat as she bit back sobs.
Cameron's warm touch and comforting words had broken Remy. She was exhausted, alone and terrified. That as well as her hormonal imbalance from the drugs she had taken and the drowsiness caused by the pain medication they'd had her on, was too much. All she wanted was someone, anyone to hold her and tell her that it would be alright; to tell her the nightmares weren't real; to tell her it was okay that she was dying.
She had no one, other than the people she only ever seen drunk or naked, and the contact Cameron offered was something she so desperately needed, but didn't know how to ask for.
They lay there for a while until the brunette's breathing became slow and relaxed.
'Thank you.' a small smile grace the blonde's features as the younger doctor mumbled drowsily, struggling to resist the comforting thought of sleep.
'I'm here for you Remy.' she replied quietly, even though the brunette was probably too far into her dreams to hear. Tenderly, she pressed her lips to the sleeping form's forehead, letting them linger there for a moment as she inhaled the scent of the other woman's shampoo.
'Cinnamon,' she thought, enjoying the warmth of Remy's body against her own.