This story takes place somewhere between the events of season 3. Since I'm still watching Season 3. I decided to keep the original team. So, no blonde Cameron and no new team.

Chapter One

Vicodin

Vicodin is commonly known as a painkiller. It has a high psychological dependence and low to medium physical addiction. It is used to manage pain and most commonly prescribed for relief of mild to moderate pain of acute, chronic or post-operative types. Known side effects are allergic reaction, weak breathing, seizures, clammy skin, severe weakness, dizziness, hyperventilation, unconsciousness, yellowing of eyes or skin, unusual fatigue, bleeding, bruising, constipation, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, muscle twitches, sweating, hot flashes, itching, tinnitus, hearing loss, decreased urination and decreased sex drive. Vicodin also has depressant effects on the central nervous system. However, some of the less mundane effects can be desirable effects that are sought after by some. Those effects include euphoria and drowsiness, as well as slowing the pulse. It may also cause stomach ulcers, although this is assumed to be due to the addition of other analgesics.

All this is very known by Dr. Gregory House, who swallows again a pill dry. It's the 20th this day, he guesses, but he's not sure.

There are just a few things more painful in live than watching a loved person fading away, leaving. Seeing the bodies part until there's nothing more than sadness and loneliness.

This is what's going through his mind lately. But let's start from the beginning:

It all started a few months ago, on a cold and rainy day in September. There was this patient Cuddy knew for some incomprehensible reasons. He was some kind of a VIP for her since he was rich, an artist and therefore a potential victim for her donation plea after he was healed. But Cuddy hadn't to actually "work" with him. House had, and his team too. And that patient was so beyond all bearing that even Chase started to like House more.

"This is just too much..." Cameron groaned while sitting at the office table. "He already has been here for a week and we still didn't find out what's wrong with him..."

"Except that he could be House's evil twin." Forman added dryly.

"Now I feel offended."

House limped into the room and stopped, looking puzzled at his three employees.

"Why are you all looking so tired. Does our patient give you a hard time?" he asked sarcastically and made it then over to the counter to get some water for his next vicodin. He anyhow managed not to swallow it dry when Cameron is watching him.

After he retched the pill down he thought for a second of actually cheering his team up, but this was just too piffling for him, so he hobbled over to the white board, took his pen and looked awaiting. "Any new theories?"

A silent sigh came from Chase and House immediately chose him to be his first informant.

"Chase? It is not my fault that this takes you all so long. If you just would think a bit faster, you'd have gotten rid off this guy already!"

Chase didn't even bother to roll his eyes. "All test were negative. Nothing wrong with his lungs, liver, heart, stomach, brain or other bowels. Although I'm sure there has to be something wrong with his brain." The last sentence came out too dry to be taken honest.

"Have you had a look on his feet?" The scruffy doc just asked and lifted his brows.

"No." The Australian answered in his typical dialect.

"So, then you haven't examined all of him. Go, do the tests again."

"But we did them already three times!" Cameron objected. This was the point House turned his attention to her. He hasn't noticed how tired she looked and it took him a few seconds to snort at her comment.

"Then do them again until you have some good ideas and theories to come up with!" With that he left the room through the glass door into his office.

Cameron, Chase and Foreman just watched him leave, each of them feeling annoyed by their boss and this patient.

HHHHHHHH

"Don't you have some other sheets?!"

Cameron winced at the volume the voice of that patient could reach and closed her eyes.

"These are hospital sheets. Every bed here has them."

"I don't care what sheets these are! I want other! I hate white sheets! They dazzle my eyes!"

'I need an aspirin' the young female doctor thought to herself and then tried to smile her best smile, even if she's yelled at.

"I'll see what I can do.." she just replied and left the room as fast as possible.

It was already dark outside and Cameron's inner clock said something like midnight, but she knew, it only felt like that.

In the corridor she stopped and leaned against the wall to take some deeps breaths and calm down. That patient just made her feel sore.

"Did you do the tests again?" a voice ripped her off her dull and she opened her eyes lazily.

"Did you?" House asked again and Cam shook her head in reply. "He wants other sheets first. No other sheets, no tests." Her voice was calm and she eyed her boss wearily. Cameron knew, this was no excuse to him but this time she didn't care. Her head ached like hell and her shoulder just were stiff like a stone. House looked her over and sighed.

"Get some rest, I'll take care of this buffoon." With that he hobbled on into the patient's room. Cameron waited until her boss disappeared into the room, then she turned and decided to pour herself a coffee.

HHHHHHHH

For the ducklings it was the best for this day to go home. Since quitting time had been a few hours ago already, all three of them gathered together their belongings and started to make their way out of the hospital as suddenly a harsh voice called behind them through the corridor.

"Where the hell you think you going?!" House limped after them as fast as he was able to and stopped behind his three employees as they turned around.

"I haven't dismissed you yet." he snarled.

"Well, it's almost ten and we're going off now. Since there ain't anything we can do before that nerd gets his sheets together..." It was Chase who spoke first but immediately stayed quiet after the look House gave him.

"There are still some tests to be done," the Caneman stated and laid his eyes on Cameron who looked the most tired of all of them. "You'll be staying with the patient and continue your work after he's ready." With that he turned and was about to leave.

"Why me?!" Cam shouted behind him. "I already had enough of this guy for today. I'm sure the most useless test can wait till tomorrow!" She didn't actually mean to say those words, but was too tired to hold her spirit back. It was just not right of House to make her stay, since it wasn't necessary. The guys beside her winced at her outburst as House turned to them again, anger in his face.

"None of these tests are useless!" His voice raised and his fingers clung around the handle of his cane. "And since it was you I told to make the test again, it's you who'll be staying as long as you haven't done them!"

"Sonofabitch" Cameron muttered behind her breath, silent so that House couldn't hear it. But if she had said it out loud she would have seen the devilish smile that caught his lips as he left for his office.

HHHHHHHH

After a few hours Cameron came into the meeting room, thinking a bomb's ticking in her head. One could actually see the headache in her face. Frustrated she sat down on the table and took her head in both hands, rubbing her temples. Now the pain wasn't only in her head, it has spread out into her shoulders and back, that were still stiff. Her empty coffee mug was standing before her and shortly she was thinking about getting it refilled and hoping the coffee would ease her tired head and back. But Cameron just sat there, thinking about coffee and not getting it.

"Done the tests finally?" a voice asked from the dark conterminal room. Cam startled a bit and turned her head to see House standing in the glass door, leaning on his cane and holding a beer bottle in his other hand. He sounded much calmer now, his tone deep and sleepy.

"No." was all Cameron answered, rubbing her forehead. She expected a sarcastic or insulting comment coming from him, but he stayed silent, watched her and then limped over to the coffee machine to get him some.

"Why you still here?" The female doctor asked, not changing her position.

"Wilson all of a sudden left his hotel after some cockroaches crawled over his bed and is now staying on my couch. Wonder what he does when he meets my buddies." House took a sip of his coffee and came over to the table Cameron sat on. "I decided not to want his company tonight."

Another silent moment passed away and it seemed that House couldn't stand any quiet second in this room.

"You look horrible." he stated unimpressed and leaned on his cane again.

"Well, thank you, Dr. House. But I'm only taking compliments between nine and five." Cameron knew that he meant in an innocent way, but she was not in the mood to pick up his play.

"Want a pill?" he resumed.

"I've already taken one."

"Not one of these." House pulled out his bottle of vicodin and put it down in front of her.

"That is vicodin. You're really offering me one of your famous pills?" Cameron faked a surprised sound and shoved the bottle away from her.

"Since you've already taken some kind of painkiller and that apparently didn't do his work, yes - that's my offer."

"I won't take any of your damn drugs, House." She even turned her head away to make sure he'd get her point but House didn't care about that gesture at all.

"Come on. One pill won't kill you. It'll make you feel better and with any luck bring you a bit euphoria you obviously need."

"I won't take a drug pill only because I may seem a bit down. That's your business." she refused once more.

"You're repeating yourself." he snarled and turned to leave the room. "I bet it's going to be a long night since you won't find any sleep because of the headaches." House almost closed the door behind him as Cameron's voice stopped him.

"House!" she bawled out and looked at him. Maybe he was right, Cam thought to herself. He mostly was and since she was so keen to trust him in everything he does, why not now? She wasn't better as any patient she convinced that he was doing the right thing. And those headaches were killing her.

"Give me one."

If Cam would have been a patient of him, he'd first make sure that her organism would tolerate the med, but since she was a doc for herself, House didn't even think about it twice and limped over to her to pop a vicodin into her hand.

"Don't swallow it dry." he stated with a small smirk on his lips and watched her as she took the pill into her mouth, got up and filled her mug with some water to wash the drug down. He maybe watched her a bit longer as to make it not strinking to her and Cameron tilted her head a bit.

"Where you making sure I'd take the pill and not throw it away?" the brunette asked and actually smiled a bit at him. House raised his eyes to meet hers. A few seconds they looked at each other, feeling the weird tense in the room that's always there when both are alone and locked their eyes.

"If I want to use your drug-taking against you someday, I'll have to be sure you really took it." he murmured with a smirk, then turned around and made a second attempt to leave the room.

"I'll take care of that patient. You go home now and get some rest. I need you fresh tomorrow." and with that he closed the door behind him finally.

HHHHHHHH

On her way home, Cameron could feel the Vicodin doing it's effects and finally the headache disappeared and her back didn't feel that stiff anymore. She sighed and was looking forward to a relaxing night. The young doctor turned her car onto the even at night time busy mainstreet as her pulse suddenly quickened, then fell and a dizzy feeling came over her. The view before her eyes became bleary and then there was only a horrifying crack.

Chapter two will be up hopefully soon. Reviews are very appreciated:) Have to know if I should keep on writing ;)