When House reached his office, by all outward appearances, nothing seemed to be amiss. Well aware of the three sets of eyes studying, following and analyzing his every move through the glass partition that separated his office from the ducklings, he refused to acknowledge their existence and kept his back turned to the conference room.

He had nothing he wanted to say to them and had no inclination to listen to their opinions on his current plight. Foreman's sarcastic smugness, coupled with Chase's feeble attempts at indignation he could easily avoid and turn to a quick advantage, but the thought of having to deal with Cameron's sugared sympathies while her eyes looked on him with pity spurned on his actions and hardened his resolve.

He propped the cane against the side of the desk, leaned over retrieving his backpack from underneath and threw the few items he considered important; the PSP, his Ipod, and a few medical journals before setting it on the desk, not bothering to clear a space. He listened to the dull thumps fade as the red and grey tennis ball bounced across the floor and rolled to a stop beside the bookcase not wanting to consider the implications.

Quickly zipping his leather jacket he shouldered the pack, threw a cursory glance towards the outside, and was instantly reminded that he had caught a ride with Wilson that morning. He resigned himself to the idea he was now forced to use public transportation, and silently cursed the grey, gloomy, winter weather, not only an indication of his present mood but his current outlook as well. He left his office without a backward or sidelong glance.

+house md+house md+

Cameron was the first to speak as House disappeared down the hall.

"Wonder what that was all about?"

"We'll find out soon enough." Foreman replied as he filled his coffee cup.

"You're not even the least bit curious?"

Foreman shrugged, sipping the hot liquid and turning back towards the table. "If he'd have wanted us to know, he would have said something."

Cameron glanced quickly at Chase, who chose to keep his head down, pencil poised over the crossword puzzle in front of him, seemingly oblivious to the others. She leaned back folding her arms and stared curiously at Foreman.

"Look, whatever they do or did to House, we are going to find out one way or another—" he began setting his mug on the table as Cameron interrupted.

"I can't believe you don't care." she stated emphatically, leaning towards him as he took the chair opposite her.

"I do care, because whatever happens to the ass—" Cameron cringed at the name as Forman continued. "We all get caught in the fallout. Whether we hear it through the rumor mill or from Doctor Wilson—" his words were swallowed as Wilson stepped into the room.

"Hey." Wilson stopped half inside the room with one foot still in the hallway and held the glass door ajar, his eyes already taking in the empty office across the way.

Chase looked up from his book and Cameron confirmed Wilson's suspicions.

"House already left."

Wilson only nodded, a look of resignation quickly masked as he turned to the three doctors.

"Doctor Cuddy has your clinic hours posted, and is asking if you won't mind helping out in the various departments for a few weeks. Each of you may take a week off, staggered of course, if you wish." He paused; his eyes flickering back to the empty office.

"They suspended him?" Cameron asked. Wilson shook his head and held up his hand as both Cameron and Foreman began questioning him.

"He's attending the Inter-Continental Medical Symposium." Chase let out a low whistle. "Then he'll be taking two weeks of personal vacation." Wilson finished quietly.

"So they didn't suspend him, just forced him out for three weeks?" Foreman put their thoughts into words.

Chase earned a glare from Cameron as he questioned Wilson. "I thought one needed an invitation to attend the symposium, and wouldn't it have made more sense to suspend him?"

Wilsons jaw clenched even as he let go of the door, his foot stopping it and keeping it open as a small escape, even as he began to rub the back of his neck. He was saved from answering Chase as Cameron spoke up, and quickly bit back his own response.

"He's one of the leading diagnosticians in the world, and I can attest to the fact that he usually has an open invitation to any conference he chooses to go to."

Chase shook his head, eyes riveted on the pencil twirling back and forth in his hand. "I just meant, I don't see why they decided to have him disappear. It's not like this will blow over quietly if House's reputation and previous actions are anything to go by."

"You don't get it," interrupted Foreman. "He did everything he could to save the patient without resorting to anything illegal for once, and you are still unwilling to give the guy a break. What's with you?" Foreman spat at him.

Chase eyed Foreman casually. "If it had been any of us, we would already have been fired." he replied, leaving Foreman staring at him open-mouthed, knowing the younger man wouldn't admit House was in the right.

"If it had been any of us, the patient wouldn't have lived as long as she did." Cameron stated quietly.

"I'm just saying, House isn't always right and sometime he's going to take the fall for it."

"Get over Vogler." Cameron's look dared Chase to continue arguing. Instead he opted to close the puzzle book, using the pen as a place marker and walked over to the coffeepot.

Wilson sighed and turned to leave, the tension in the room was beginning to overwhelm him, better to let them argue it out amongst themselves. There was still quite a bit of fallout from Vogler's short term as chairman of the board, but before he could lose himself in those thoughts Cameron's voice broke through.

"Doctor Wilson?"

"Yes?" He paused momentarily, holding the door and waited.

"They're not going to fire him. Are they?"

Wilson shook his head, his hand moving from his neck to his forehead, the steady dull ache behind his brow was slowly building in intensity. "No, Doctor Cameron, House isn't going to be fired." At least he hoped the outcome wouldn't prove his words differently, but he wasn't going to trouble them with his own thoughts.

Wilson walked away not caring to listen to the rest of the argument that would ensue, now that he had delivered the news about House, he headed towards the elevator intent on stopping downstairs to talk with Cuddy before his next consult. He pressed the elevator button, watching as the dull white circle lit up underneath his fingernail and released it only when the doors opened and the small circle darkened again. He leaned back against the wall staring at the ceiling, wondering what if anything could change in three weeks with House not there.