Burden
Summary: We carry on our backs the burden. Time always reveals. H/C.
Disclaimer: Own nothing.
A/N: New instalment. I thought about this age's ago when I read spoilers. I wanted to explore it further. This is what I came up with. For trivial importance, the summary comes from the song 'Fallen' by Sarah McLachlan. This fic does contain Season 2 spoilers too and is set after Need to Know.
Chapter 1
Typically, things had gotten back to some sort of normality at Princeton Plainsboro teaching hospital. Autumn had set itself up across the state, the brown leaves scattered across wide areas, and a soft chill was evident in the crisp air.
Allison Cameron left her apartment early on Monday morning, stepping out onto the pavement, and shivering slightly as she did up the middle button of her coat.
As her car sped through the empty streets of Princeton, she noticed that this was the first time in a while that she felt content.
These past few months had been exceptionally trying, and not just for the fact that she may have contracted a deadly disease. As much as Cameron hated to admit to herself, Stacy being at the hospital had bothered her. Cameron knew she still harboured feelings for House, and no matter how hard she had attempted to repress them, she still knew that deep down, they would always be there. No, Stacy being at the hospital had affected the entire group. House's mood swings had fluctuated so much that nobody really knew what to expect next. And now Stacy had left the hospital, and nobody knew why.
Yet, Cameron thought as she pulled into the car park, it could be pretty much guaranteed that Wilson knew something of what happened. She could hound him later.
Stepping out of her car and clicking the door shut, Cameron walked towards the entrance of PPTH, pressing the lock button to her car as she went. It was reasonably quiet for a Monday morning. As Cameron stepped into the elevator and pressed the 'up' button, she was taken aback when a long stick, a cane, jammed between the closing doors, making them spring back open again.
Cameron was faced with House, who walked straight into the elevator without noticing her presence and slamming the 'up' button again with his cane.
They stood there for several moments in silence, House still not registering her standing beside him, even though she was looking up at him. He just continued whistling.
Cameron repressed a smirk as she turned her head and faced the door's. She was still slightly resentful at the fact that he had made a joke out of her HIV results; yet finding out that she was OK made him being an ass slightly more forgiving.
'Shouldn't you be sleeping at this time of the morning?' Cameron asked, not looking at House, and staring intently at the wall.
'Hooker woke me up. Had nothing better to do.' He replied, in his usual sadistic tone.
Cameron smirked, knowing full well that the most likely reason of him being up so early would be his leg. 'Did she at least manage to get paid?' Cameron replied.
'I have a tab.' House replied simply, as if this was a very common conversation.
The elevator door dinged open and House stepped out first, looking like a schoolboy who was playing the 'last one there' game. Cameron just rolled her eyes and followed, watching his limping form enter his office.
Walking into her office and placing her coat and bag on the rack, Cameron switched on her computer and picked up the mail on the desk, flicking through them as she walked into the diagnostics office.
As Cameron turned on the coffee jug, Foreman and Chase both walked into the office, arguing over something trivial, as usual.
'No - You can't do it like that. There is a simple method for procedures like…' Foreman was saying as he and Chase sat down at the table.
'What? Teaching Chase how to steal a car? You would know the appropriate method, wouldn't you?' House interrupted as he limped into the office and over to Cameron. Foreman glared at him and rolled his eyes as House took the cup of coffee Cameron was holding out to him and walked over to the whiteboard, Chase chuckling at Foreman's annoyed expression.
… … …
It was quite; no new cases had reached their midst yet, so Cameron spent the majority of her morning sorting and answering House's mail while Foreman and Chase were down in the clinic. House, of course, was narrowly avoiding going to the clinic and was currently lazing around in his office watching General Hospital.
When she finished the last letter, Cameron stacked them evenly, and slightly obsessively, on the end of her desk and walked out of her office and into the diagnostic's room, where House and Wilson were candidly arguing.
'Don't you think it would benefit your status if you showed up to the clinic once and awhile? Do I have to remind you again, that one more patient complaint and your looking at a suspension?' Wilson was saying, rubbing his brow.
'Wouldn't want to ruin my cred. Besides, they won't suspend me…I'll just get a slap on the wrist and Cameron will replace Foreman.' House replied, tossing an M&M into his mouth.
'Talking about me?' Cameron asked, smirking as she walked over to the coffee machine.
'Nope, there is another Cameron who works in this department.' House replied, tossing another M&M into his open mouth.
Cameron rolled her eyes and poured a cup of coffee, before turning walking over to the table. 'Do we have a new case?'
'No, I was just sent on a message from Cuddy to tell House to get his ass down to the clinic. I told her I wouldn't be enough.' Wilson replied, sipping the cup of coffee he was holding.
Cameron nodded in agreement as Foreman walked into the room, smirking slightly. 'Remind me to thank Cuddy later for giving Chase exam room 2. He has to deal with the prostate exams.' He said, walking over to the boiled coffee and pouring himself a cup.
'Allison.'
Cameron turned around, still smirking and was taken aback by the man standing in front of her.
'Joe…'