Twenty Three minutes and Twelve Seconds
A House fan fic by phoenixgirl23
DISCLAIMER: House is the property of FOX and David Shore. Troy is mine, however.
AN. Ok, so another little explanation. I know I said at the end of "Endless Love" that the next one I posted would be the sequel to "The Exception" but I got a brainwave for this story. This is what happens when you're writing 6 fan fics and a novel simultaneously.
I also recently updated my profile, so check it out.
Good news! I read an interview with David Shore and he said JM's leaving is not for good. (Fingers crossed) I hope so, I'm not watching it if she's gone for good. Then I've been reading other articles about her leaving, from people who don't care. But I got really mad when I read one that said JM was the weakest link and can't act. Anyone who has seen her in STAR TREK cannot say she can't act. I cry every time I watch the 7 or so minutes she's in it, and if you watch the DVD with the commentary, they say it there too. So everyone else can suck it.
Last part, I promise. I felt this story, Cameron's husband, has to be told to understand who she is now. I've read a few husband stories, and I don't think this is like any of them, none I've read anyway. I tried to keep it as true to the info we've learnt on the show as possible, and I promise- Hameron is in the end. Originally the story started with his death, but I think to feel her grief, you have to see how they fell in love.
Feel free to offer CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I get a lot of it, and as long as it's said nicely I don't mind. A lot of people don't really like the happily-ever-after stories I write, so I'm taking the opportunity to experiment. Some of them may not work out, but I'm trying.
Chapter One- Knowing
February 6th, 1998
Troy Cameron opened his eyes blearily, blinking against the sunshine streaming through the hospital window. It took him a moment to realise the grogginess he was feeling was not the usual morning grogginess, but something more. This morning, he became fully aware for the first time of the truth that his brain had been attempting to hide from him for weeks now- his body was giving up, giving in to the disease inside him.
He swallowed hard, realising his chest felt compressed, shallow, as though something were standing on it. He could feel his heart thumping loudly, too loudly against his rib cage and he forced himself to concentrate on taking even breaths. Troy was oddly calm as he imagined his breathing regulating, until he turned his head to see the time and laid eyes upon his wife, dutifully sleeping in the uncomfortable chair next to his bed.
A soft smile crossed his face as he watched her sleep, the exhaustion obvious on her face, and her brow, even now creased in worry. He couldn't believe it had been a year since he met her. It had been a normal night, a 'study break' with Joe and some of the guys in a steakhouse off campus. They had been goofing around, teasing Joe about his relationship with Jenna, as college guys did when their friend had been with his girlfriend since they were thirteen.
"Hi, are you guys ready to order?"
Troy had glanced up, grinning to face their waitress and had been utterly and completely unprepared to see her standing there. Joe, as best friends did, could see Troy was clearly interested and leapt in.
"Hi, how you going?"
"Good thanks," she had smiled politely.
"I'm Joe, and these fellows are Troy, Brad, Mike and Pete," he introduced them, who all grinned and waved.
"I'm Allison," she replied.
"Hi, Allison. That's a nice name. Busy night?"
"Yeah, it's Friday," she'd said tiredly.
"Thank God. I'm sure you've got great plans for the weekend, right?"
"Not especially. Do you need a minute to order?" she repeated, clearly not in the mood for conversation.
Pete looked around the table and shook his head. "No, I think we're good. Can I get a steak, medium rare with potatoes and a soda, please?"
The others placed their orders, and Allison left them with another polite smile. When she had disappeared from sight, Troy glared at Joe.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Just introducing the two of you. She's cute, you were eyeing off her legs, I'm helping my best mate," Joe shrugged casually.
"And how does you acting like a moron and trying to make conversation with her help me?"
Mike grinned. "Isn't it obvious? We'll hang around, when she leaves you can catch her and apologise for the embarrassing behaviour of your friend Joe."
And bizarrely as it seems, the plan went exactly like clockwork. Pete, on his way to the bathroom, heard her mention that she was getting off work at eight, so they discreetly left just prior to that. Troy had nervously hung around on the street until he saw her walking passed, and hurried after her, trying to act casual.
"Hey, Allison, right?"
She whirled around startled, her gaze wary as she recognised him. "Yeah."
"I'm Troy, I was I just in there with the creepy guy trying to make conversation with you," he'd continued and she smiled slightly.
"I remember. A shift's not complete without some college guy trying to come on to me."
Troy grinned, feeling slightly more hopeful. "I sympathise with you then. I probably should have tipped more to make up for it."
An awkward silence fell, and, sure that she was about to make an excuse and leave, he sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry about my friend. He has this brain disorder where he thinks he thinks because he came out of the womb married, it's his job to pair everyone else up. He saw that I thought you're pretty, and went to work."
She had laughed at that. Blushed furiously, but laughed too. "My sister's like that. Drives me nuts, like if you're over twenty and not married, you should just send yourself to a convent."
Troy was truthfully surprised at that. "You're over twenty? Seriously?"
She shrugged. "Barely. I turned twenty-one just before Christmas," she'd explained and Troy had nodded.
Troy suddenly became aware that it was freezing, and motioned to the cars passing by on the street.
"I'm sorry, you've just finished work, I'm sure you have plans," he apologised and she shook her head.
"It's fine. I was just planning on doing laundry and doing some reading," she shrugged, smiling.
"Well, would you like to go get some coffee first before your exciting evening; or is the thought of laundry just too thrilling?" he'd teased and she'd laughed and agreed.
They'd gone for a cup of coffee and spent three hours talking. Her about how she hadn't been sure what she wanted to do with her life, until M*A*S*H had inspired her to choose medicine; Him about his family, how his mom had been hit by a car one day when he was twelve, and how his dad had died two years ago from a heart attack.
"I can't even imagine life without my parents," Allison had confessed, somewhat embarrassedly.
"I'm ridiculously close to my mom, and my dad... gets me. He always has, even when I don't understand why I'm doing something, he does."
Troy had smiled softly at her. "My dad was the same. All the time while I was growing up, he'd play Irish folk songs, and tell me stories and myths, about the history of the Irish. And by the time I reached puberty, I couldn't care about the magic and the greatness about my Irish heritage. But at his funeral, my uncle chose this song to play that my dad sang to my mom at their wedding, Wild Mountain Thyme, and ever since that moment, I've never been prouder of my heritage. And I celebrate it every chance I get."
Allison grinned. "I've always loved the Irish. I'm actually a big Westlife fan, and every time I see a rainbow, there's a fraction of a second, I think about chasing the end of it to see if there's a pot of gold. Ever since I was a little girl."
Troy had grinned charmingly. "Well, one day we'll have to track down that pot of gold."
When they were going their separate ways at the end of the night, Troy walked her to her car and took a deep breath.
"So, this is going to sound like a really embarrassing college cliché, but my band's playing tomorrow night."
She laughed. "You're right, it does sound like a college cliché. Where are you playing?"
"Uh, the Irish pub over on Jackson. O'Connell's? I play there every couple of weeks. If you're free?"
She nodded. "Sure, I might swing by. What time?"
She had been there, of course, along with a group of friends and she had invited him along to a movie afterwards. The girls had picked Titanic, which Troy didn't mind when Allison cried quietly on his shoulder as the boat sank.
"So now you know what type of person I really am," she laughed as they were saying goodnight. "I cry at every sad, happy and sometimes scary situation in every movie."
Troy grinned as he turned to face her. "Well, I kinda like a girl who cries. Especially happy tears. I don't think people cry enough happy tears."
Allison smiled shyly at him. "Spend enough time with me, and you'll know differently."
"I'd like that," he'd murmured, and kissed her softly.
Little did he know, there would never be enough time.