Here's Chapter 3. Thanks to everyone who's reviewing. If anyone has any constructive critism I'd be glad to hear it. I can always improve.
PPTH
Pagers of every doctor in the PPTH are going off. There's an emergency in the ER. The smell of burning flesh is overpowering. Exactly how it happened is still a mystery, but people are now in a rush to save the two men. Taking the elevator downstairs, House walks up. He gags at the smell of the burning flesh.
"What's going on?"
"Those two guys were nearly burned to death in the parking lot. Dr. Cuddy is getting as much help for them as she can."
House left the nurse and searched around for Cuddy. He found her barking out orders. Chase and Foreman were running around trying to fill those orders. The men were going to need blood transfusions and to have much of their dead skin peeled off.
"I saw those guys in the ER. What the hell happened? They look like they've been cooked alive."
Cuddy nodded, "I'm not sure exactly what happened except that they just spontaneously combusted."
House actually looked horrified. He suddenly looked around.
"Where's Cameron? Shouldn't she be down here too?"
Cuddy bit her lip, "She was outside when it happened. She's not here anymore."
The blood drained from House's face. He didn't want to lose any of his ducklings. "Did she get hurt?"
Cuddy shook her head, "No, she's not hurt. She just took off."
The door suddenly was pulled open and the attending in the ER came out. He looked exhausted. The two doctors stared at him as he shook his head.
"We just lost both of them. They had massive burns not only on the skin, but Hopkins' heart was a piece of charcoal. Brown's burns destroyed several of his veins and arteries. He bled to death."
Cuddy heaved a sigh. This day was just getting worse. After all, one of her employees had somehow started a huge fire in the parking lot. And now the victims of that fire had died. Now what Cuddy needed most was answers. What had happened? Why had Cameron taken off? Who were these guys? A quiet voice came from behind her. It was the voice of a once strong man who had lost his nerve. Orville Jamison stood right behind her.
"Are you Dr. Cuddy?"
She nodded. "Yes, I am."
"Ma'am, I'm Orville Jamison. I was one of Dr. House's patients, but I know what happened."
Cuddy looked like she didn't believe him in the slightest. However, she was so desperate for answers that she was willing to look anywhere for help.
"All right, Mr. Jamison, what's going on?"
"That lady doctor, Dr. Cameron, she set those guys on fire didn't she."
Cuddy nodded.
"Those guys were from a branch of the CIA called the Shop. I used to be a member of the Shop long ago. I quit after the case of Charlene McGee. Charlene McGee was a little girl who could start fires with her mind. I think that Charlene McGee and Dr. Cameron are the same person."
Cuddy looked shocked and unbelieving at the same time. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not. OJ then held out his arm to show off the dog bites.
"I got these when I was trying to escape the Shop compound when she was destroying it."
Wilson came into the hallway. He was carrying an old copy of the Rolling Stone magazine. It held several pictures on the cover, but the largest one was of a flame. He flipped it open.
"I thought I'd heard about this kind of thing before. Fires spontaneously coming out of nowhere. I read it years ago in Rolling Stone. It's about a little girl named Charlie who could start fires just by thinking."
Wilson looked up at his colleagues and took in their surprised expressions. Now they knew, OJ hadn't been lying. He had been telling the truth. But could Allison Cameron really be Charlene McGee?
Chase suddenly turned to Cuddy, "We have to go find Cameron. She could be in trouble."
"She's already in trouble, Chase. She killed two men."
Wilson cut in, "She was trying to get away from them, Lisa. They pulled guns on her. It was self-defense."
Chase immediately cut to the point, "Self-defense or murder, it doesn't matter. We've got to find Cameron before they send more people after her."
"Does anyone know where Cameron would go if she needed some place to lay low?"
"She once said that her Great Grandfather had a cabin up in Vermont. Maybe she went there."
"Do we know where this cabin is in Vermont?"
"I remember something about Tashmore Pond."
"I guess that's where we need to go from here. If Hopkins or Brown has any family, they could sue the hospital. We've got to protect ourselves, Cameron and the hospital."
House nodded, but not truly understanding. Nobody understood the whole story because they were missing a key point. They were missing Cameron's part of the story. By the end of the day, House had heard as much of the story as anyone else knew. Two CIA agents had been killed by fire in the parking lot and somehow Cameron had started it. Now his curiosity was peaked. If anyone was going to find Cameron, he was coming too.
Cuddy canceled her appointments for the afternoon along with Wilson. House didn't have any patients beside OJ who was better enough to not need a doctor 24/7. At three o'clock, with maps from MapQuest they set out to find Allison Cameron or whoever she was.
Tashmore Pond
I arrived at Tashmore Pond several hours after leaving Princeton. I hadn't been here in over twenty years. The chain that my Father had put in place was still there. I quickly melted down the lock and drove through. I couldn't stay here very long, but I could stay for a few days. It would give me a chance to rest and think about my next plan.
The cabin was dirty due to nobody occupying it for a long time. I walked in and stood in the doorway. Memories of our winter stay here came back to me in painful rifts. I quickly went inside and found some old candles. I lit a few of them and sat down in Granther's old chair. I thought that they would leave me alone after so many years, but it seemed that I would never be fully safe. As long as the Shop was out there, my life was in peril. They didn't want to test me anymore. They want to kill me.
I went into the kitchen and found some glasses. After washing them, I poured myself a glass of water and sat back down in the chair. After an hour of just sitting in silence, I go and find blankets to sleep under. The couch is old and musty, but still comfortable. I soon fall asleep. I don't awaken until I hear a sharp pounding on the door. How did they find me this quickly?
Strange rage was building inside of me. I had become used to being the quiet soft spoken doctor. This anger wasn't new to me. I had felt it a lot when I was younger, but I hadn't felt it in so long that it felt strangely new. I got up off the musty couch and made my way over to the door. It didn't have a peep hole or windows for me to see who was outside. Lacking any knowledge of the person, I waited for them to knock again. Perhaps the person would just go away.
My wish did not come true when another resounding knock hit the door. Of course they knew I was home. My car was parked outside. I could kick myself for being so stupid. Dad had hidden our Jeep last time I was here, but I hadn't hid my car. Damn!
I stood leaning against the door trying to decide what to do. Should I break a window and escape through the back? Or should I open the door and blast them with fire? If I did it quick enough I could maybe get away. Maybe I should warn them. If they knew what could happen, perhaps they'd leave. Most people would rather run than get hurt. Except for John, people would run from me.
I yell loudly from behind the door, "Whoever you are, I'm coming out. If you shoot me, I'll burn you to a crisp. Don't think I won't. We're at war and I will take causalities."
I then heard the voice outside my door yell in, "Dr. Cameron, please, calm down. It's not the Shop. It's Dr. Wilson."
Wilson! What the hell was Wilson doing outside my Granther's cabin? Hadn't I scared everyone off? I had to know what was going on. What if Wilson had brought the Shop with him? No, Wilson wouldn't do that. Wilson tolerated jerks and freaks amazingly well. After all, he is House's best friend.
I finally get my nerves in order and open the door. Wilson is standing in my doorway. I can see several other people sitting in his car. It looks like Cuddy, Chase, Foreman and House. Why the hell have all these people come here? I don't see or sense anyone else around. The Shop hasn't found me yet.
"What are you doing here, Wilson?"
"We were worried about you." When he said we, Wilson gestured back towards the car.
"I'm fine. You should go. If you stay, you're only getting in deeper. Believe me; you don't want to be involved with the Shop."
Wilson nodded, "Be that as it may, Cameron, we want to help you. Please, let us help you."
House had once mentioned that Wilson had a silver tongue. He could talk anyone into a lot of things. That must be why he is the one talking to me now. They don't want to overwhelm me. They're scared of me. Why shouldn't they be? Everyone else is terrified.
Finally, I step back, "You can come in, but you can't help me. Nobody can help me."
Wilson motioned towards the car and my boss and colleagues started getting out. Wilson followed me inside as I pulled some chairs into the living room. I make sure to put my pillow in my Granther's rocking chair. That chair is mine. I don't like to share it. A moment later, Chase and Foreman walk in. They make their way into the living room and sit down in two of the kitchen chairs. I guess that they want to leave the couch and my Great-Grandmother's rocker for Wilson, House and Cuddy. Cuddy enters next. She's carrying a suitcase. It's one of mine. She must have brought me some clothes and perhaps my toothbrush. I don't say as much, but I'm grateful.
House enters last. He makes him way into the living room and sits in my Granther's rocking chair. Damn the man! Couldn't he see the pillow that made it mine? Never mind, I guess I can sit in my Great-Grandmother's chair. Wilson and Cuddy are sitting on the musty couch. Before I can say anything, House makes his comment.
"Nice house keeping skills. This place looks like hell."
"Sorry, Dr. House, but I haven't been here in over twenty years. I can't clean unless I'm here." I stand up and get water for everyone. They must be thirsty. While I'm in the kitchen, I hear House ask if I can turn up the thermostat. It's cold in here.
I walk into the kitchen and hand out drinks. I then go over and put a log in the fireplace. We don't have a thermostat here. There's no electricity." While I'm talking, the log shoots into flames. Nearly everyone jumps. Even House jumps which makes him curse because it hurts his leg. The fire soon warms up the room and everyone seems more comfortable. The silence is deafening. I decide to break it.
"What are you doing here?"
"We came to help you. The question is, how can we help you?"
I nod slightly, "There's nothing you can help me with. I'm leaving in a few days for somewhere. I haven't decided where I'm going yet."
Chase then asked the obvious, "You aren't coming back to Princeton?"
"No, I can't. The Shop will be flooding the hospital in a few days. I can't be anywhere near there. I'll probably drive across the country and disappear in California or something. I should probably leave the country."
Cuddy gave me a sympathetic smile. She might have been scared of me, but she also felt sympathy. I wasn't just a freak to her. I was an employee who was a benefit to the hospital and someone who had put up with House for over a year. I wasn't just a random security risk.
"Cameron, Orville Jamison told us about the Shop and a little about what happened to you. Was he telling the truth? Is your name really Charlene McGee?"
I nodded, "Actually, everyone called me Charlie. I never went by Charlene except when I was in trouble which was rare. And yes, I do have the ability to start fires with my mind. However, controlling this ability is often the problem. It's easy to lose control."
"How strong is this power?" Foreman was studying me with a friendly, but also scientific stare.
"Powerful enough to be a threat to national security. I can create spot heat of over 30,000°F. I once set cement blocks on fire and they exploded. However, my control has gotten better as I got older. I used to set everything on fire simply by being angry, but now I can decide what to set on fire and when. But it's like a hole in a dam. One little hole lets water out, but soon it cracks and water explodes from it. Once it's broken, it's hard to fix and hard to stop."
"How'd it start?" Wilson wasn't studying me with anything but sympathy. I think he saw my pain which I wasn't trying to show.
"My parents met in college and participated in a study at the university. This study tested a drug called Lot 6. It was supposed to be a mild hallucinogenic drug; nothing serious. However, it was anything but. It caused them to be different. My Mother could sometimes turn off the TV. without being in the room. My Father could push people into doing things and believing things. He once told a man that he was blind and the guy lost his eye sight. However, the push gave him headaches so he didn't use it very often. Then my parents got married and I was born a few years later. But I was different. Ever since my birth, I could light fires. I'm sure it was very hard on my parents to try and stop me from hurting myself and others.
"When I was around six, the Shop found me. They came looking for me at our home and found only my Mother. I was at a friend's house. They pulled out her fingernails and killed her. They then came and took me. My Father found out and chased after me. He found them after the kidnapping and freed them. He blinded one of the men and put the other in a coma using the push. We then ran for our lives. We were on the road for the next two years.
"Occasionally we'd settle down and I'd go to school, but the Shop always caught up. We ran from New York to Albany in a cab. We then hitchhiked to Hastings Glen and stayed the night in a motel. We then hitched again and made our way to Irv Manders' farm. The Shop found us and I set several of them on fire. I killed several of them and hurt the others. I also destroyed the farm house and barn. Irv gave us his Jeep and we came to stay the winter up here.
"We stayed here for that winter, but just before leaving they caught up with us. We were shot with drugs to sedate us and taken to the Shop compound. At the compound we were separated for six months. An Orderly named John Rainbird became my friend and tried to help me. My Dad later formed an escape plan and was able to smuggle me a letter. I then discovered that my friend John was actually an assassin who wanted to kill me. I had been setting fires to get things, but now I wanted to see my Father.
"Our escape attempt would have worked, but Rainbird knew about it. He snuck into the barn and was going to kill my Father and me. My Father showed up and finally was able to push Rainbird into jumping from the loft. It broke his leg, but he still had the gun. He shot my Dad, but I think my Dad also had a stroke. Half of his face was numb and slack. Rainbird then tried to shoot me, but when he did I set him on fire. It also consumed the bullet. He burned up and I was prepared to prevent this from ever happening again.
"I set the entire complex on fire and killed several people. I didn't want to kill them, but I was willing to. I escaped after I was finished. I finally made my way back to the Manders' farm. They took care of me for a while, but soon I ran away. I didn't want to hurt them. I then went to the Rolling Stone magazine. I told them my story and got it published. I went back to the Manders and stayed with them. At fifteen they helped me legally change my name to Allison Smith. I got the last name Cameron from my husband. I went to medical school and here I am today."
By the time I finished telling my story, everyone seemed shocked. It would have been unbelievable except for the fact that I had lit several things on fire. Silence filled the stuffy cabin. The silence began to grow uncomfortable so I stood and brought out a pitcher of water and refilled glasses. My mouth was suddenly dry. Finally, House broke the silence. However, it wasn't in a way that I would have wanted him to do.
"Your parents really screwed you up; didn't they?"
I turned around and stared at him. I knew that House didn't care what people thought of him, but that had just been cruel.
"How can you say that? My parents were wonderful people. They didn't mean to do this to me. If they had known what would happen, they would never have been in the Lot 6 experiment."
I now disliked this man as much as I care about him. A brain cancer scheme was one thing, but nobody insulted my parents.
"You didn't even know them. What right have you to judge them? At least they tried to take care of me. Neither of my parents abused me."
The words had slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. I knew that his Father's abuse was a sensitive subject for House, but so were the deaths of my parents. If he couldn't handle it then he shouldn't dish it out. However, the room was silent. I saw mixed looks on the faces of the others. Some seemed to agree with me and others felt more empathy for House.
"I'm sorry." I quickly muttered. I knew it was too late, but I had to say it. "I shouldn't have said that, but it's not fair. You have no right to attack my parent's memory and I have no right to attack your parents. I'm sorry."
An uncomfortable silence had fallen on the room and I tried desperately to focus on something else. My pain over snapping at someone I cared about and talking about my parents hurt deeply. I stared at the ground and tried to disappear. A moment later I heard a cry of surprise. I looked up and saw House. House had cried out. His cane was blazing with fire. He had dropped it and I ran quickly to pull a fire extinguisher from my car. A few sprays and the flames were gone. I hadn't meant to set the fire, but it didn't matter. My emotions had started the flames.
Wilson quickly stood up, "Anyone hungry? I am. Why don't I make dinner and then we can have a nice meal and decide where to go from here?"
I turned to Wilson, "We don't have any food except what was left behind twenty years ago. You probably don't want to eat that."
Wilson nodded, "I saw a small town not far from here on the map. Why don't some of us go get groceries and then we'll have dinner? House, do you want to come?"
"Yes, cause limping around a grocery store with a damaged cane sounds like lots of fun."
"Fine, never mind. Who wants to come with me? Cameron?"
I nodded again and grabbed my purse. Cuddy muttered something to Wilson about doing damage control with House as we left. Chase hurried after us not wanting to be left behind. I think he didn't want to stay and possibly face the wrath of House and he wanted to talk to me.
The grocery store was very small and didn't have a lot of selection, but it would suffice. We split up and found different supplies for dinner. Wilson had decided on making pasta. It would be easy and quick. I was grabbing fresh vegetables for salads. Chase was finding pasta and Wilson was gathering garlic bread and ingredients for sauce.
The people at the store stood around stared at us with shifty eyes. Newcomers were never really welcome. I had never been to the store before, but my Father came here several times to get me clothes and food. We met back up and headed back to the car. I took shotgun and sat upfront. Wilson was driving and Chase was stuck in the back seat. We got back to the cabin to find Cuddy cleaning and forcing Foreman to help her. House was sitting in Granther's chair obviously not helping. He had found some of Granther's alcohol and was sipping it while watching the cleaners.
We made our way into the kitchen and began to make dinner. Chase worked on a salad while Wilson and I made the pasta. I filled a pot with water and quickly brought it to a boil. It wouldn't take the pasta long to cook. I also heated up the garlic bread. Before long we were all sitting around the kitchen table ready to enjoy a meal. Because of the lack of electricity, Cuddy had found candles and put them on the table. I had lit them and I had to admit that the warm glow of the candles would almost be romantic except for the fact that instead of a couple there were six of us.
Silence filled the air as everyone ate. The pasta was good. Cuddy, being the boss, was trying to start conversation. Foreman was trying to help her while the rest of us sat in silence. I stared out the window wishing I knew what to say. Finally, I could take it no longer and excused myself to bed. I explained that there was a couch, two beds and the rocking chairs. They could figure out sleeping arrangements, but I was taking one of the beds. Bidding everyone goodnight, I hurried down the small hallway and disappeared into my room.
Despite how bad this day had been, I was exhausted and fell quickly asleep. My dreams were again filled with thoughts of my Father and John. I think even House would be intimidated by John.
The Kitchen
Cuddy began to clear the table with Wilson's help until they were sure that Cameron was out of ear shot. She then muttered quietly to the other people.
"What are we going to do? I know that Cameron is a good doctor, but what if she gets upset again and catches someone on fire?"
Wilson shook his head, "She's been upset several times and has never burned anyone before. It seems to come out when she's really angry or as a self-defense mechanism. If she was going to really burn up some stranger, then she would have done it by then."
"I know, but I can't help but worry. Can you imagine how bad the malpractice suit would be if one of our doctors caught someone on fire?"
"Can we please think of Cameron before we think about the hospital? After all, Cameron's a person. The hospital is just a building."
Cuddy nodded. Chase did have a point. Cameron might be a human fire torch, but she was still human. She had feelings as much as anyone.
Foreman's eyes landed on House, "If we can talk her into coming back, will she still have her job? I know her comments were a little below the belt, but yours are always way below it."
Before House could answer, Wilson butt in, "Of course, she will. Remember how hard it was for him to choose a successor when she quit?"
They stood arguing and trying to figure out a solution to Cameron's predicament for several more hours. Finally, Cuddy suggested they sleep on it and went to find a place to sleep.
Wilson took the couch while Cuddy found room in Cameron's room. House called the back bed to himself leaving Chase and Foreman the rocking chairs. It wasn't the most comfortable spot, but it would do.
About three in the morning, House woke up. His leg was hurting more than usual. Probably the long drive and subsequent activities had caused it. He carefully got out of bed and took some Vicodin. He then made his way outside to the outhouse that Cameron had mentioned. It was chilly and House was glad when he was finished. Getting out of the outhouse, he looked up to see Cameron sitting outside on the porch. Despite the fact that she was close by, her eyes seemed to be very far from the present. He wondered what could be messing with her now.
Insatiable curiosity filled into limping over and sitting beside her. His approach did nothing to break Cameron's trance. When House saw her face more clearly he noticed tears streaks pouring down her face. She had been and was crying. Damn! He didn't like being anyone's should to cry on. He was surprised as Cameron's voice broke his silent thought.
"If you're going to fight with me about my parent's ability to raise me, please just go back to bed. I'm in no mood to fight or argue."
House sighed. If their earlier spat was causing her tears, he would probably just go back to bed. He had no time to deal with people who just couldn't let go. Suddenly, Cameron seemed to come out of her reverie again.
"I wish you could've met John Rainbird, the man who betrayed me. He scared people shitless, but I have a feeling that you would annoy him to death. Either that or he'd scare you to death. The man had no real feelings in my opinion. He said that he loved me, but I think he loved the idea of killing me. I know you have emotions. You love Stacey. You know, I was really scared when Tritter was investigating you."
House didn't look very surprised, "You were scared that I'd go to jail and then you'd have no eye candy. Though it does seem that Chase has taken my place somewhat."
Cameron shook her head, "I wasn't scared for you. I was scared for me. Despite the name change, if he dug hard enough, Tritter could have found out about Charlie. I was actually relieved that he wanted to talk about my husband rather than anything else."
House now did look surprised. Cameron was actually being selfish in her own way. She was scared of her secrets being found out.
"I know you think that I'm being selfish, but I can't help it. You do know what it's like to be different, but not different like I am. You deal with pain everyday and I deal with a frightening power that I don't want. Unlikely as it seems, I'd trade you any day. I'd rather be in constant pain than have this power."
"You'd rather be in constant pain and addicted to pain killers than have a power that can be kept inside?"
"How could I not? This power while somewhat controllable has given me nothing but pain; both physical and emotional. I lost my Father and have set my own skin on fire before. I'd rather give it up. Even today, I'm still on the run from the Shop and they don't want to test me. They want to kill me. I'm too dangerous to be left alive. Does that make it easier to understand?"
House looked down at his feet. He and Cameron did have some similarities. Both had a problem that hurt them. Both felt the pain of betrayal. She obviously did understand his pain. Probably more than any other person did.
Beside him, Cameron suddenly stood up. She spoke so softly he almost didn't hear her.
"I need to move my car and Wilson's. If anyone comes up this way, I don't them thinking that someone has broken into this cabin. That would only make things worse. Can you drive Wilson's car?"
House nodded and rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a spare key to Wilson's car. He followed her out towards the cars. She had him follow her to a spot where she had probably once hid their jeep. Finally, both cars were safely hidden. Cameron turned around and looked at him.
Without a word, Cameron suddenly threw her arms around House. It was a tight hug which House hadn't expected. He didn't move for a split second and then he felt Cameron pull him around. What the hell was she trying to do? His horror was realized when he heard not a moment later the sound of a gun firing. Cameron's slight precognition had reared its head. House felt Cameron fall against him as blood ran down her back.
Yelling at the top of his lungs, House tried to summon any of the doctors inside. He quickly felt for her pulse. It was there, but already thready. A moment later the door flew open and Wilson came sprinting out followed quickly by Chase and Foreman. Cuddy hurried out last. House was finding out if the bullet had gone right through or if it was still inside.
All five doctors were so busy trying to help their fallen comrade that none of them noticed the armed man approach. His face was young and smooth. He couldn't have been much older than Cameron or Chase. He held a 9mm Glock aimed at them. His voice was soft, but held a chilling tone in it.
"Get away from her now."
Everyone suddenly glanced up. Unfortunately none of them had thought to bring a weapon besides House's cane, but little good that would against a gun. At hearing his words, House put a protective hand on Cameron's arm. He could see Chase and Foreman doing the same. Cuddy and Wilson had stood up and were trying to stand between the young assassin and their comrades. The man gave them a small cruel smile and laughed.
"You think your pathetic attempt to protect her will stop me. I'm supposed to kill her and I can kill you all too if I must. Stand aside."
"You must think we're stupid. We aren't going to let you hurt her. Not without a fight that is." Wilson held his chin up higher than normal. Everyone could hear the fear in his voice, but that didn't stop him from standing his ground.
The man aimed his gun at Wilson; right against his chest. A voice then rose above all the others. It was weak and failing, but still there.
"Dr. Wilson, please stand aside. I'll go with you. Just don't hurt them."
Cameron had struggled to her feet. She looked dizzy and lost, but still sure of herself.
Chase looked terrified, "Allison, please, they're going to kill you."
"I know. I'm not afraid."
"Good, now get in the car." The man pointed at a small black four door Sedan. She made her way towards it looking unsettled. Opening the back door, Cameron climbed into the car. She looked back at her friends and gave them not a word but rather a look. The look on her face was clearer than any of her words could have been. It said, "Get away while you still can." The assassin shut the door of the Sedan and turned toward the other doctors.
"If you know what's good for you, you will forget about this and her. She is dead to you now."
"You except us to just forget our friend. You're crazy." Chase blurted out. His mouth was obviously ahead of his brain. He seemed to have forgotten who had a gun and who did not.
"If you try anything to interrupt the Shop, you'll regret it." The man turned back towards his Sedan which was holding Cameron.
"Oh, we'll regret it. Is that the best you can come up with? I always pictured you Secret Agent guys as being better at threatening people. Jeez, I think I'm more scared of those the Men in Black from that movie." House sneered at them. He seemed more angry than sarcastic though.
The assassin looked as if he wanted to retort, but his self-control was better than most and he held it in check. He opened the door of the Sedan and climbed inside. The car then took off and disappeared into the night.
