The Unforgettable and Traumatic Year at Princeton

Chapter I: Forgive, but Never Forget

House was limping down the hallway on his way to the pharmacy to get more Vicoden when Foreman began to approach him.

"Dr. House I was-"

"Not now Foreman. Why don't you watch basketball or something," He finally reached his destination to find his friendly little pill bottle already waiting for him on the counter. "You know, I love it when you have your favorite friend in the world waiting for you on the counter first thing in the morning," Foremen shot him a strange look. "Oh come on Foremen! Whether it's a striper at a bar on a counter with her legs open, or my personal favorite…magical little pills, it truly is amazing what medicine can do these days," he opened the cap within seconds, dropped it into his hand, and downed the pill as he tilted his head back. "You were saying?"

"Yes, a friend is coming into town tonight and I was wondering if I could get off early." He looked House straight in the eye, trying to mask how truly intimidated he was around House.

"Early…hmm…wait a minute, I'm confused. Where in any medical book does it say people stop getting sick around the time you need to leave to sleep with some girl?"

Foremen lifted his arms and dropped them back to his waist again. "Fine, I won't leave, I'll do my job. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be at the clinic?

"Wow I'm just so fascinated on how much you know about my schedule at the hospital!" he said as his eyes got bigger.

Foremen began walking away. He walked into the lab and gave a big sigh, but it didn't seem to shake Chase or Cameron. They were totally engrossed in looking through the microscopes at different cells dominated by deadly viruses that were becoming immune to almost every treatment on earth.

"Well, what's the status of Ms. Climan?" Foremen said as he approached Chase and Cameron. Chase began to laugh hysterically.

"House is giving you problems again isn't he? I tell you, you must really like him to get all upset when he doesn't let you see your girlfriend for the fourth night in a row." Foremen gave him a look of complete surprise.

"You don't think Dr. House pushes us? Shreds our dignity down until there's nothing left? His methods of practicing medicine are completely uncalled for."

"I think he's a medical genius. He's better than all of us. Who are we to judge such a mind as his?"

"Oh be quiet Cameron, your just defending him because you like him, and you know he likes you back." Foremen shoved Cameron out of the way to look at the slide.

"We went on one date, that's all nothing more and nothing less."

"But you do know he likes you right?" Foremen looked at her, laughing at her school girl blushes.

"How could you know? House doesn't tell anybody his personal business let alone his feelings."

"Oh come on Cameron. Don't you see the way he looks at you?"

"And how do I look at her exactly Dr. Chase?" House came in limping towards his group of brilliant young medical minds. "Oh yes, I'm sure I check out her ass just as you check out other girls asses Dr. Chase." Cameron gave a faint smile, and then tilted her head back down to Ms. Climan's chart. "Spare me the time, I know she has AIDS; and it didn't take me hours bent over looking under a microscope." He went over to Cameron and took the patients chart. "Cameron, your good with people and emotions, well better than us emotionless men, ask her who her sexual partners were in the last two years."

"Two years? Why the last two years? It could have been lying dormant in her body for over ten years.

"Because, it was in the last two years she started having repeated cases of pneumonia, influenza, and look at that…even mononucleosis and encephalitis. It's a wonder she is still alive."

"Yes Dr. House" and with that Cameron left with the patients chart clutched in her hand. She was just outside her room when she saw her weak and frail; extremely white 37 year old body lying on the bed with a scared look on her face. Cameron took a deep breath and pushed the door open. "Hello Ms. Climan I'm Dr. Cameron."

"I know who you are, I remember you over my body when you incubated me."

"Yes Ms that was me. Umm, is it okay if I have a seat next to you?"

"Bad news coming, I can tell by that horribly hidden scared look on your face." She said with a smile.

"Yes, I would like for you to write down on this piece of paper all your sexual partners in the last two years. If you could please write their full name and way we could contact them." She began to hand over the pad of paper and pen when she saw the shocked look on Ms. Climan's face.

"Why would you need to know my personal business?"

"Well, um, Ms. Climan…" she began to look down at the tile floor. "I'm so sorry," Cameron's eyes were so sad, she almost started to cry. "I'm afraid you have AIDS. I'm so sorry I have to be the one to tell you." Her eyes began to water now, and she couldn't help but shed one tear.

"Please, don't cry. I'm afraid that list of yours is going to be quite short, I only made love to one person…and one person only…" she began to hesitate, and than she too began to show signs of sadness and signs of being lonely. "Here's the information you need to find him." She wrote down the name, and closed her eyes. Deep down inside, Cameron could tell she was crying.

Cameron began going back to Dr. House's office, with nothing but pain and suffering filling her heart. Her face looked pained, as if someone has just died. She walked over to House, and gave him the one name.

"Oh come on Cameron. Was she really that weak?" his sarcastic tone annoyed her. In a bitter voice she replied,

"By her word, that is the only person she has been with."

"All throughout your years working with me, what have we seen time and time again? Patients lie, I don't know why…damn I rhymed. She embarrassed, try again tomorrow, maybe by than she'll be feeling more truthful." He spun around so his back faced towards her. Foremen and Chase were not surprised with his reaction. They were, however, surprised with Cameron's reaction.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to have some emotions towards patients. That woman over there is dying and there is nothing we can do for her. The look she gave me when I told her was absolute sadness," House turned back to face her. "And I believe her; I believe she only slept with one person." She stormed out of the room. Chase and Foremen turned toward each other in complete shock. They looked over to House, and they saw something they thought they never see, pain and regret.

Foremen and Chase went back to the clinic, seeing patients with made up problems.

"I told you Mrs. Goldman you don't have a sexually transmitted disease. You are allergic to poison ivy. That is why you have a rash." Chase began to grow weak of his persuasion. This was the third time she came in this week.

"Is it Herpes? I want to know so I can treat it. I know its just red and bumpy, but what if it gets worse?"

"It's bumpy Mrs. Goldman because-" Dr. House came in.

"Chase go next door, we have a four year old who stuck some immense object up where the sun doesn't shine." He looked over at Chase, and Chase immediately left. But he was again confused. He hated coming to the clinic, he hated seeing people. Why was he here? Dr. House sat down and stared Mrs. Goldman right in the eye. "Your husband is a doctor, correct?"

"Yes he is. Did he get the STD from one of his patients?"

"For the fifth and final time you are allergic to poison ivy. You don't have Herpes, HPV, or any ugly sore on your body. It's bumpy because you scratch it. Here this should take care of it." He handed her a lotion bottle.

"But this is lotion…Calamine lotion?"

"Yes, great for poison ivy, now go away and don't come back unless you are certain you're dying, you're wasting my time."

"Why are you so cranky?" he just stared at her and didn't even respond. She left, and he was alone. To comfort him he took out some pills and swallowed one. He got up and left. As he opened the door Cameron was standing right there. They just looked at each other. She began to walk away, and all he could do was stand there. He began to limp back to his office. But before he could even get close to his office, Cuddy began to approach him.

"What are you doing? You have clinic duty."

"Cuddy, I've tried and tried but I can't handle hypochondriac people who think once they see a red spot on their body their life is over."

"Get back to the clinic now, I'm not going to tell you again." She starred right in his eyes. He turned around and limped back to the clinic, or so she thought. He slyly looked over his shoulder, making sure Cuddy was no where in sight. He limped back in his office and grabbed a bag if Cheetos and a Coke. He then went to the place were he knew no one would bother him, the gynecology lounge.

Once he got there, he sat down in the chair and turned on the T.V to his soap opera. Once he turned it to the appropriate channel, the usual soap opera music came on. Not even two minutes into it, his good friend Dr. James Wilson came in the room. Not one bit surprised where he was.

"Cuddy is looking everywhere for you."

"Wilson, how's oncology doing?"

"Fine, I heard about the fight you and Cameron had. I've never seen you act this way before. Want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what? How incredibly gullible she is? She believes every word that comes out of a patient's mouth, even though time and time again we've seen lie after lie after lie." He concentrated hard at the TV, trying to escape Wilson's looks.

"Don't you think it is possible that this woman has only had sex with one man?"

"You're the husband, tell me. Haven't you or your wife ever lied to each other about sex?"

"Okay, good point, but still-"

"Don't worry; the man is coming in tomorrow. We can ask Mr. Monogamous about his side of the story." They both smiled. All of a sudden House's beeper was going off. Quickly he went down to Ms. Climan's room. Nurses were running all over the place, Cameron was right by her side trying to calm her down. Chase came running up to him.

"She's having an allergic reaction to one of her cocktail," he was running out of breath. "Her throat is closing up."

"Well what do you know another allergic reaction today Dr. Chase."

House limped over to the cabinet and got out his handy tools ready to incubate her. He thrust it open and began going down her throat. Her eyes were nothing short of being terrified. But Cameron was there repeating the words "Your going to be okay" or "It's alright don't worry". But this constant mantra didn't seem to help very much. For a moment though he was distracted by Cameron and the way she was soothing her. Once the throat was open everything began to fall into place.

"Oxygen," he put out his hand. He put one hand on her head, and began furiously pumping oxygen into her lungs. Her eyes began to close.

"No! We can't loose her!" Cameron shouted. House began pumping faster and faster, until the unthinkable began to happen. That horrible constant sound of flat lining began to ring throughout the room. "No! House help her!" Everyone was in shock, not only of the flat lining, but of Cameron's reactions. No one has seen her like this before. They have never seen her close to a patient, well, closer than usual.

"Get ready for the paddles," said house. Foremen quickly got them and handed it to him. "Charging…CLEAR!" Her chest went up, but there was no reaction. "Charging…CLEAR!" still no change. "Charging…CLEAR!" everyone was expecting House to stop, but once he saw the look in Cameron's eyes, he kept trying. "Charging…CLEAR!" and all of a sudden the beeps everyone was waiting for, finally came up on the monitor.

Cameron, look relieved got up from holding her hand and went over to House, and hugged him. "Thank you so much" she whispered in his ear. He didn't really know what to do, so he just stood there, while she hugged him.