Cuddy sat on the couch in her living room, musing about Cameron. She had put such a brave front all the while she had been in the exam room, calmly giving her statement and not once flinching when the policewoman examined her body. It was not as if it was the first time she had come across a victim of attempted rape, but it was the first time the victim was someone Cuddy actually appreciated. Cuddy had never let anyone or even Cameron know about that. Cuddy admired the fact that despite Cameron's early crush on House, she would not approve of absolutely anything House wanted to do with a patient. She would not agree with House's unethical methods but she would eventually cave in if it really was their last resort to save the patient. Cuddy massaged her temple in a languorous way. Her head was throbbing. If she had been that rattled by the events, what must Cameron be going through? She had to find out if she was okay. She supposed a phone call would be correct enough but somehow it did not feel right. She had to see her in person she decided. The problem was she did not know where she lived. Picking up her phone, Cuddy dialled a number from memory.

-!-

Usually when he was tired from a backbreaking day at work, Chase's reflex was to rush home and hit the hay. But today he was in no mood to go home. He had left his car in the car park at the hospital only and had chosen to walk. A sudden cold breeze ruffled his hair and he dug his hands deep in his pockets. It had not been too hard to leave Melbourne. By the time he had left, his mom was already dead since long and he no longer had any contact with his dad. He would miss his friends but he could always visit them when he travelled back there for vacations. What he had missed the most the first few months here had been sunshine. Here it was constantly raining or snowing and on the rare times the sun came out, the natural iciness around somehow always outmatched the warmth of the sunshine. But he had grown accustomed to the cold; learning to like it even as it always managed to invigorate him whenever he was feeling the blues for some reason. But today the cold seeping through his skin, almost causing his blood to freeze, was anything but welcome. It only served to remind him of the awful events of the day; how he had frozen in horror upon seeing Cameron crouched in a corner with her mobile phone to her ear and a bronze statuette tightly clutched in the other hand. Images of the day gushed forward in his mind… Cameron's call when he was in the lab, being breathless as he raced into that house, covering Cameron's trembling, aching body with a long coat he had brought with him, hugging her tightly as she almost collapsed out of relief, the police's arrival there… Of all the persons Cameron could have called, House, Foreman, Wilson, Cuddy, anyone, Cameron had called him for help. Him. To say that he had been touched and humbled was so much of an understatement. No one had ever requested his presence for help or even sympathy, not even his dad as he lay on his death bed. Chase knew right then that no matter what happened after their fellowship was over he would keep contact with Cameron. Her friendship meant a lot to him. But right now he decided he had to be by her side. Chase raised his hands to hail the first cab he came across.

-!-

A mug lay untasted on the kitchen table to which Foreman was seated, the steaming hot coffee contained in it long gone cold. Unlike Cuddy or Chase, he was not reflecting on today's events. Instead he had gone down memory lane back to the past two and a half years. He reminisced how he had liked Cameron instantly upon his arrival at PPTH, how he had felt bad upon learning that she had quit after the whole Vogler episode and how he had sprung from his seat to hug her when she had come back to work. Back then Foreman liked to consider as his little sister. That's why Foreman had warned House to nip any budding relationship, should there be one, between Cameron and him on their date since Foreman knew no matter what happened House would eventually end up hurting her in one way or the other. Foreman surprised himself into speculating whether his early life would have been any different if he had had a sister like Cameron; instead of his brother Marcus abetting him to continue with the thefts and violence, maybe a sister like her would have gently but firmly prodded him to give up his delinquent behaviour. Foreman prided himself on the fact that despite his early law-breaking offences, when given the chance he had cleaned up his act, gone to medical school and become a doctor – saving lives instead of threatening to take them. Somehow though, he had reverted to his old self. When, he had no idea. Although his offence had not been as life-threatening as his previous transgressions, he conceded for the first time to himself that he had indeed stolen Cameron's article. He cringed at the recollection how he had pushed her away by pointing out that they were not friends but mere colleagues. How had he become this cold-blooded to be willing to trample his friendship with her in order to satiate his ambition? He was also cognisant of the way a criminal mind worked. If it had not been for Cameron's combative grit with her smashing a lamp on his head, the bastard could have indeed succeeded in raping her and once done, he could have decided to finish with her in another moment of madness. For some reason, this last thought propelled him to his phone.

"Hey."

"Hey can you tell me where Cameron lives? I…I wanna go see her."

"I'm in a cab right now going to her place only. Pick you up in ten minutes okay?"

"Thanks."

-!-

Wilson did not have much of a violent streak in him. None actually, especially none directed towards women. This probably was due to his loving grandma. He had grown up on her firm belief that no respectable gentleman would ever lift his hand on a woman and that, once his grandma had added with a laugh, there was no conflict which could not be solved by just slamming the door and leaving. Wilson knew he must have caused mental weariness to some of his partners in his numerous affairs and marriages. But inflicting physical pain on a woman was inconceivable to him. And today, Cameron had almost been raped. Wilson liked Cameron. In his mind, Cameron had been the only one who had loved House unconditionally. Wilson had sincerely hoped at one time that House and Cameron would end up together. But after Cameron came back after her resignation, House being the paradox that he is, gifted her a corsage and wrecked their date on the same night. Wilson shook his head. And he like a fool had cautioned Cameron not to hurt House should he open up about his feelings. The ringing of his mobile phone halted his musings.

"Lisa."

"James, you know where Cameron lives?"

"I do. You wanna go see her now?"

"Yes."

"Leaving my hotel room right now. Pick you up okay?"

"Thanks James."

"No problem."

-!-