Disclaimer: I don't own the main character within this fic. I only claim the plot and the craziness of my muse:) A/N: This is my first attempt on House M.D fic. I'm sorry if I crossed the in-character line or if I made spelling or grammar errors. English is not my first language and I worked with no Beta.
=== FIFTEEN YEARS ===
She is giving a lecture on immunodeficiency diseases in front of approximately fifty graduate program students. Her hair is in its natural color, the same color I see the first time we met. Her body is not as slim as I remember, but it's still a little breathtaking to see her movement as she moves closer to one of the display. I recognize the display as a thyroid with cancer. Good boy, I proudly praise myself; I still get the kick on this medical thing.
The lecture takes another hour before she ends it with a smile and a promise to see the students again next week. I stay still on my spot, waiting for her to acknowledge me. It won't be hard to notice me among the in-haste students with all their laptops, bags, and books.
She gasps, inaudible but visible to my eyes. I count to ten before she moves toward me. Half smile and hesitate eyes greet me first before she comes near enough to my side.
"You look old and wrinkly," I say something first because I can't bear to hear her say something about long time, how am I doing, or what happened or something else as cheesy as those.
"Nice to meet you too Doctor House," Her smile is everything but mockery but I can't help myself from my snarl.
"Save the title Cameron, I'm not a doctor anymore." I roll my eyes and start to move toward the door. The corner of my eye catches her hands that trying to help me push the wheel chair. I snarl again, "I can move these wheels on my own woman! You don't have to pretend that you care."
"Wow," She lifts her hands up, "Ten minutes of your sudden visit and I'm already a pretender. Nice diagnosis Ex Doctor House."
I bit my smile at her remark. She doesn't forget how to deal with me yet. She lets me wheel myself all the way trough the hall as she being greeted by several students and colleague. She says nothing as I make my way outside the building. She even stays silent when I make a stop near a Hotdog stand and order a huge chili-dog.
I wait for her to ask something or say something or do something as she always did when we're still working at Princeton Plainsboro. Allison Cameron that I knew has this vigorous intensity of asking and prodding until someone react to her but this Allison Cameron that stand beside me is too placid and too calm that she frightens me.
"How are your boring husband and your boring kids?" God, I can't believe I fall to this boring conversation opening.
"They're fine." She shoves one hand to the pocket of her blue blazer while the other brushes a strand of hair from her face. Her eyes scan around the small park. Someone who is sitting on a bench waves to her and she waves back. The sounds of me biting and munching the spicy meat are the only activities around us for nearly ten minutes.
"Go on! Ask!" I encourage her to end damned stillness.
"Ask what?" She looks up to the blue morning sky above us.
"I don't know, how I ended up with this wheelie things maybe." I shrug and throw the hotdog wrap to the ground. She bends down to pick it and throws it properly into a garbage bin near the hotdog stand.
"Will you answer me with the truth if I ask?" She leans to the railing behind us and exhales deeply.
"I will, to prove it I'll answer it right now." I flex my hands and look up to her. "In one of my trekking to Himalaya, a stupid beginner climb before me, slipped on his heel and landed on top of me with his fifty pounds luggage. My already limp leg was broken in three places, and I somehow unabled to walk since then." My eyes meet her eyes and a flicker of worry in them lit up my ability to form the next sentence. "Now that I've told you my sad story, can I cry in your arms?"
"Please," I hold out my hands to her and purse my lips suitably. I do not expect her to hug me but she does. Her arms around my shoulder and her body hover over my wheel chair. It's only last for a mere second, though. She straightens herself up and pats me in the back.
"I'm sorry for your misery House, but why are you here?"
"I want to compares the number of your wrinkles with mine." She doesn't have any wrinkle yet. fifteen years almost did nothing to her complexion; her skin still looks as smooth as fifteen years ago. I just want to make her snap at me.
"I need to pick up my daughter in an hour House," She gives her wristwatch a glance.
"Tell Chase to do it. Threat him with the possibility of no nookies for tonight if he says he can't. That's what wives usually do to husband right?"
She sighs, "Chase is in Sydney."
"Wow, was it a divorce that I missed?" I wheel myself close to her. "Does this mean I still have the chance?" The mockery in my tone better shield the genuineness in my question or I never use it again.
"Why are you here House?" She sighs deeper but I refuse to surrender.
"I want to know your daughter better before we become a family." I try to look straight-faced while rolling the wheels back and forth as a trick to annoy her.
The trick doesn't work or maybe it works too damn well. She slings her purse to her shoulder and moves toward the parking lot. "Nice to meet you again House."
"Come on Cameron, you're an old woman with no fun." The hotdog guy glares at my shout. Maybe he has a thing for Cameron.
She doesn't turn back and I'm afraid that she'll never turn back for the rest of my life. I'm sixty eight years old now; there are not too many things in my life that can be dealt with sarcasm, humor and wit anymore. Cameron is one of the rare people who understands me or at least never stop to try.
"Hey Cameron, You're leaving a poor disabled Grandpa here." I try again.
She doesn't even stop her stride.
"Allison, I'm dying!"
She stops abruptly as if there's a wall in front of her.
"Help me please, I'm dying" I, Gregory House, truly beg. The helpless sound of me sounds so helpless even in my ear.
She turns around and I believe if I'm the main character of my favorite soap opera I'd be crying.
TBC
So, is it worth to be a multi-chaptered fic?
Thank you for reading and please tell me what you think:)