Disclaimer: If roses were yellow and violets were green, Gregory House would still be as mean. Nope, I don't own House :)
Help was what Alison needed, and fast. A little over two months ago she found out that she was carrying another life inside of her, another life that hadn't been her choice to make. She hadn't told anyone and it was a choice that she regretted daily. The father was a well respected doctor, one that everyone knew and respected so if she did tell anyone, chances are they wouldn't believe her. The real kicker was that three months ago he had proposed to her and she hadn't accepted.
But she couldn't think about that now, she had a job to do. After finishing her normal morning routine she drove to the hospital, wondering what the day would bring.
As soon as she walked into the conference room she was greeted with the sight of Eric Forman drinking coffee and reading the paper. What an exciting life she led.
"Morning Cameron," he said to her as she hung up her coat.
"Morning," she mumbled back to him. Turning up late was unusual for her, normally it was the other way around, him hanging his coat up while she sat at the conference table drinking coffee and reading the paper or a medical journal; but today she had overslept, a mistake she was surely going to pay for later.
"Do we have a case today? Or is he going to send us down to the clinic again like last week, you know I think I caught something from one of the snot ridden kids that I had to look at," she grumbled.
If asked, Alison would describe herself to normally be a level headed, fairly easy going person. But, having a baby grow inside of her was not conducive to level headedness. Thanks to the baby she now found that she had a quick temper, which then took ages to deflate.
"No case. He isn't even in yet, but what do you expect; he's House. Now that you mention it, you have been looking ill these last couple of days, are you sure that you want to work today? You could take the day off and I could cover your shift?"
Alison thought back to her last sick day that she had taken off and suppressed a shudder, she had become his own personal kicking bag for the whole day as he was on holiday too. Determined not to let the thought bother her she decided to keep her mind busy, and listed all the obscure infectious diseases she could think of.
"No, I'll manage," she said with a forced smile, "what would happen if House and Chase don't turn up? You wouldn't be able to manage. But I wouldn't recommend coming near me today," she said.
He laughed, "well, the offer will be on the table until House gets here, and yeah; don't come near me. Eww nasty germs!"
"Forman you work in a hospital. Grow up. Stop acting like House," she snapped.
He looked over the top of his paper at her, his face set in a shocked, yet somewhat amused expression. Alison didn't blame him for his shock though, as at the moment smallest things annoyed her greatly. She made her way over to the coffee machine – still listing obscure infectious diseases – to begin making the coffee House would surely demand as soon as he walked through the door, when Forman decided to voice his worries.
"Cameron, do you really think that we are turning into carbon copies of House?"
Alison turned around to face him, and she looked at him, really looked at him; his mouth was set into a thin line and his brow was furrowed. He really was worried that they were 'turning into carbon copies of House'. Forman's worry unnerved her, he was normally the one who reassured all of them, not the one who needed the reassuring.
"Forman... Eric, he has been our boss for three years, of course we will be a bit like him, but don't forget who you are. House can't change that. You never know, we might be rubbing off on him," she said, nearly laughing at the thought of House coming in every morning, greeting them with respect then tottering off to do his own clinic hours.
"Wishful thinking Cameron," he said chuckling, the frown disappearing from his face, "wishful thinking."
"I suppose it is," he sighed, "but wishing for him to be a little nicer can't hurt, can it?"
"No, I suppose not," she said and it was her that chuckled this time.
Forman picked up his paper and started began to read it from where he had left of, while she turned around and continued to make the coffee. Pouring a mug for Forman, but not one for herself. No one seemed to notice that she had made a switch from coffee to fruit juice, but if they had, they hadn't said anything to her for which she was grateful. The last thing she needed was baby's father asking incessant questions about her new drinking habits and the cause of them.
When the coffee machine beeped Alison jumped a mile high. She turned around to look at Forman to see if he had noticed, but to her relief she found he was still reading his paper. Alison let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when he said nothing. Another thing she didn't need was anyone questioning her readiness to jump at the slightest thing.
As she passed the conference table, she set a mug of coffee in front of Forman and received a thank-you nod in return, then carried on to her desk where a mountain paperwork awaited her.
The rest of the day passed in a quiet ease, neither of them seeing Chase or House, and neither of them caring.
So, who do you think if the father? Review and let me know :)