A/N: Hi people. This was just a random idea that popped into my head and I decided to write it. It takes place during the episode "Mirror Mirror" when Chase is running the bets.
"Hey." Chase turns at the voice, smiling as he sees Cameron approaching. He had almost forgotten it was her lunch break. She's probably on her way to the cafeteria.
"Hey yourself. On your way to lunch?" He asks, leaning on the counter. She nods, then looks down at the small slips of paper strewn across the counter. She picks one up and studies it,
"You're running a bet on which one of House's fellows is going to be fired next?" She asks, with a small chuckle. Chase grins,
"You want in?" He asks, earning a head shake from Cameron.
"No, that's okay…well…what are the standings?" she can't help but be a little curious.
"Amber and Foreman are at even money to get fired, then it's Cole, Brennan, Taub, Kutner, and Thirteen." He tells her. She thinks about it for a moment then realizes something and frowns. For the most part the standings are accurate. House can't stand Amber or Foreman, Brennan Cole and Taub are somewhere in the middle, Thirteen is the distinct favorite (though Cameron realizes she still hasn't met her), but Kutner…
He's already been fired once (though he came back shortly after) and Cameron knows that Cuddy disapproves of him (unlike House, it bothers her that Kutner once lit a patient on fire) so why isn't he closer to the bottom of the list? He's second only to Thirteen, surely that's a fluke?
"How did Kutner get so high up on the list?" Cameron asks finally. Chase smiles slightly,
"House is trying to recreate the old team of you, me, and Foreman. Replacing you is his top priority, that's why Thirteen's on the top of the list. Then it was Taub to replace Foreman, but now that Foreman's back he's going to try and replace me first."
"With Kutner?" Cameron can't help but giggle a little bit. She tries to imagine how Chase and Kutner could possibly be alike.
"He's more like me than Brennan or Cole." Chase points out, and Cameron has to nod in agreement, that much is true.
"Is Thirteen really like me?" she inquires. Chase furrows his eyebrows at her,
"You haven't met her yet?" he's surprised. He would have expected her to get as involved as possible in House's team, but she doesn't even know Thirteen, the front runner in House's twisted game? Cameron shakes her head and Chase shrugs, maybe she really doesn't care anymore.
"Huh. Yeah, she's a lot like you, she even looks like you. There's no doubt she's making the team."
Cameron thinks about this for a few seconds, then a smile creeps across her face. House is replacing them with new doctors that are just like them. That means…
"So if Taub is replacing Foreman, Kutner is replacing you, and Thirteen is replacing me that means that Thirteen and Taub have to hate each other." She says, her smile growing with amusement. Chase is quiet for a moment, then picks up on her game.
"Thirteen has to ask House out."
"Kutner has to sell House out."
"Thirteen has to quit and come back."
"Kutner has to get punched by a patient."
They don't realize that their game has turned into personal attacks, but it's too late to stop now.
"Thirteen has to get drugged out and sleep with Kutner."
"Kutner has to fall madly in love with Thirteen."
"Thirteen has to reject him constantly, even though she likes him."
"Kutner has to practically stalk her."
"They have to end up together." Chase says, finishing their twisted game. Cameron stares at him, not sure what to say. She can feel her cheeks begin to heat up with anger. She doesn't know that they won't end up together, but she wants something to argue about.
"Thirteen and Kutner? No way."
"I thought you said you haven't met Thirteen?"
"I haven't, but I've met Kutner. There's no way those two will get together." Cameron rolls her eyes and Chase smirks,
"You wanna bet?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. He's met them both, and there's obvious chemistry, the bets a sure win. Cameron answers almost immediately,
"You're on."
Chase chuckles slightly, "Alright, if they show any indication of a relationship in the next thirty days then I win, if they don't you win."
"What's the prize?" Cameron asks, accepting his challenge. Chase shrugs and they both think for a moment. Finally Cameron shrugs,
"Twenty bucks sound okay?"
Chase nods, "Sure."
Cameron smiles and turns to leave, then hesitates and turns back,
"As far as the betting pool for who's getting fired next, put me down for $100 on Foreman."
It's later now as Cameron rushes to finish in the ER. House is firing someone tonight and she's supposed to meet Chase in the lecture hall where House is going to be. It's at eight o'clock, and it's seven thirty now, but she wants to be done and find Chase in good time. She's walking over to the main desk to grab her last file when she hears someone from an exam section a few yards away.
"Kutner this is stupid, I'm fine, it's just a cut."
Cameron's ears perk up at the voice and she discreetly looks over at the source. She bites her lip to stop herself from gasping obnoxiously. She feels like she's looking at her three-year younger self. Bright eyes, dark hair, sticking with her co-worker, Cameron knows exactly who it is, Thirteen. She realizes Chase wasn't lying when he said they looked alike.
"You cut your arm open on a piece of rusty metal, do you know your chances of getting tetanus?" Kutner's voice is stern, but his face stays soft. Cameron smiles despite herself, it's cute how he looks out for her. She's watching them when a nurse accidentally jostles her and she comes out of her trance, slightly embarrassed. Walking to the nurses' station she grabs a file and looks down at it. Where the name was written there is a dark scribble, someone's made the name completely illegible. Next to it "Thirteen" is written. Cameron chuckles slightly, enjoying the irony of grabbing her counter part's file out of all the ones on the counter. She glances over the page then grabs some antiseptic and gauze, heading back over to where Thirteen and Kutner are arguing.
"This is a waste of time. House is going to fire one of us in half an hour and you're more concerned that I could have tetanus?" Thirteen glares at Kutner, the two of them too wrapped up in sniping at each other to notice Cameron,
"Thirteen?" Cameron asks. Both Thirteen and Kutner turn to look at her and Cameron can see the surprise reflected in the younger doctors' eyes as they recognize the similarities. Thirteen composes herself quickly,
"Yeah?"
"Let's see that cut of yours." Cameron says, pulling over a tray and setting down the antiseptic and gauze.
"It's nothing," Thirteen mumbles, shrugging off her lab coat and beginning to roll up her sleeve.
"It's not nothing." Kutner contradicts, and she rolls her eyes. Finally the cut on her arm is visible. It's not too deep, but it's deeper than just a garden-variety scratch. Cameron frowns, the path of the cut is jagged and the skin around it is slightly inflamed.
"How did you get cut?" Cameron asks, beginning to clean the cut with the antiseptic. Thirteen averts her eyes, looking at the floor.
"I cut it on a piece of metal."
"A piece of metal in the hospital?" Cameron raises her eyebrows and Thirteen and Kutner exchange a worried look. Thirteen opens her mouth, but no words come out and suddenly Cameron realizes what the problem is.
"Hey, I don't care if it's something illegal, I worked for House before. I know the crazy stuff he makes his employees do." She says with a reassuring smile. Kutner still looks apprehensive, but Cameron can tell Thirteen believes her. After a couple of moments, she starts talking.
"Our patient with Mirror syndrome was mugged right before he came here, didn't have any identification on him so we had to track down his car. The only problem was his car had been towed, so we had to break into the tow lot. I cut my arm on some kind of rusty pipe." She explains while Cameron wraps the gauze around her arm. When Cameron's done she puts the cap on the antiseptic and glances down at Thirteen's file again looking for the date of her last tetanus booster, but it's not listed.
"When was the last time you were vaccinated against tetanus?" Cameron asks. Thirteen bites her bottom lip and Cameron realizes that Kutner looks concerned.
"When I was five." Thirteen admits sheepishly. Kutner looks up at Cameron who sighs, but keeps up her reassuring smile,
"Okay, well you'll need to get the shot now. I'll be right back." She catches the nervous look in Thirteen's eyes before turning and going to get the booster shot. She walks over and leans on the main desk,
"Brenda I need a tetanus booster." The nurse behind the desk nods and goes to get it. While she waits Cameron watches Thirteen and Kutner. Thirteen looks distressed now, playing absentmindedly with the gauze on her left arm. Kutner is talking to her, trying to calm her down. He says something and she smiles, a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. Cameron thinks it's cute, and then she remembers her bet with Chase. She looks away from them and frowns, he was right. Still, he doesn't have to know that.
Brenda comes back with the tetanus booster and Cameron returns to Thirteen and Kutner, now talking in hushed voices. When they see her they fall silent and Thirteen's eyes get big as they fall on the needle in Cameron's hand.
"Okay, this is probably going to hurt a little bit." Cameron warns, rolling Thirteen's sleeve up a little more, revealing her shoulder. Thirteen looks away as Cameron holds up the needle and then pricks it into her skin. She winces; slamming her eyes shut, and with her unharmed arm reaches out and grabs Kutner's hand. Cameron is slightly shocked, but stays on task, injecting the medicine then removing the needle and placing a band-aid over the puncture wound.
"There, all set" Cameron says as Thirteen opens her eyes, looking rather ill. She never did understand how someone who hates needles can be a doctor.
"Thanks." Thirteen mumbles, blushing and dropping Kutner's hand. Cameron realizes he's blushing too. She holds back her smile until she's turned away, walking back to the counter. Chase was right, but they were still cute together. And he hadn't witnessed what she just had, so she didn't need to tell him right?
She drops Thirteen's file into the complete pile and turns around, nearly slamming into Chase. He's smirking and Cameron frowns,
"How long have you been here?"
"Long enough" He holds out his hand and she sticks her tongue out at him, fishing a twenty dollar bill out of her pocket and handing it over. He laughs, and takes her hand, leading her out of the ER.
"Come on, I've got to see if there are any last minute betters." He says. Cameron nods, but her thoughts are elsewhere. If Thirteen really was her counter part, and Kutner Chase's, then that meant she had to like him all along, right? She looks up at Chase for a moment before he looks down at her and smiles curiously.
"What?" she holds his gaze silently for a second then smiles, resting her head on his shoulder with a content sigh.
"It's nothing."
A/N: Awww Chameron-ness! LOL please review and I'll try to update all my stories soon.
-Remy
