A/N: Don't own House MD
OK, here I'm with the next chapter of this humble story. See, it didn't take long for me to update. Thanks to all of you who took the time to read, and more so to those who left their comments in a review. This chapter is extra long... and there are two reasons for that. First, I needed all the events that transpire here to happen before the next chapter. And second, I'm afraid the next update is going to take a little while 'cause I have to finish some paperwork for my college application.
That's why this chapter is my longest yet, and I really hope you like it. So let's get this show on the road!
TEARDROP
"So?" The female voice asked.
"So what?" House asked back, trying to sound indifferent but he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Don't play fool with me Gregory... Who is Allison?" The woman demanded again, this time using a tone of voice that shall not be ignored.
"A doctor, an immunologist really, she works for me," House answered with a sneer.
"And what is your relationship with this Allison?" she asked, amused. "Romantic? Platonic? Younger, naive doctor falls in love with older, crabby mentor?"
House was terrified of how close she had hit on the target. Where did this woman get that kind of insight? He had to throw her off, and fast. "Ugly as a cow, but she gets the job done."
A bemused laugh was all House heard for a few seconds. "That's the best you can come up with? I know you are lying to me Greg," she said, catching him immediately on his lie. "The reason is why?"
"And what makes you say that?" He demanded. House could fool anyone; his parents, Cuddy, even Wilson, but not her. Never could, and by the looks of it he wasn't going to start now.
"By the way you said her name," she answered, completely serious this time.
"I think you're making a misunderstanding here," House defended himself. "Tell me how is that you, allegedly, figured out I was lying about..." he hesitated, just for a second. "Dr. Cameron? Come on, you could barely hear me over the phone."
"Oh dear!" she exclaimed happily. "Greg, I may have not heard anything about you for five years, but I do know you like the palm of my hand," the woman paused for a second, House braised himself. "The reason I know you're lying is because I have never heard you say a woman's name like the way you called this 'Allison'. Not even when you told me about 'Stacey' while the both of you were together," that wasn't called for but still House felt a sting in his heart. "And since when are you on 'first name' basis with your subordinates?"
"But... Well that's..." the diagnostician began to complain.
"And that tells me is that she isn't ugly at all as you so hastily told me," the female voice interrupted him. "Quite the contrary, I believe she must be a gorgeous woman."
"So what are you trying to say? That I'm superficial?" House asked, feigning indignity.
"Oh God! Yes of course!" She answered between giggles. "But I'm sure she's a great person too. In fact, if this lady was able to put up with you for more than a month I may start to think she must be a saint."
Actually it had been two years, almost three, so Cameron must have been canonized by now. "I guess you'll never know, huh?" House commented nonchalantly but froze one second later. What? Why did I say that? Now this is going to come back to bite me in the ass.
"Is that a 'dare' Gregory?" She asked, amused. "You know better than try to challenge me, you always end up biting the dust," the woman made emphasis in the 'always' part. "I'm thinking that going down tomorrow to your work for a visit is a splendid idea."
House wished he hadn't opened his big mouth right then. When was he going to learn that he couldn't speak without thinking twice, better make that thrice, while talking to this woman? Anything he said could backfire in the most horrible way, and this one was now at the top. He blamed the lack of sleep, plus the long arduous shift trying to keep a young girl alive. And of course, the vivid memory of a certain cheerful immunologist was clouding his better judgment.
"Laura, I think you shouldn't bother coming all the way here for just a visit," House said trying to sound as calm as possible. But in reality he was panicking at the outcome of her just showing up at his place of work.
"Nonsense!" The woman scolded him. "I want to meet everyone that works with you, particularly this Dr. Cameron you're so fond of. And besides, I think that a bunch of prestigious doctors could do a great deal of promotion to the event I'm organizing."
"Is there no way I can change your mind on this?" He almost pleaded. "I can babysit you anytime you want..." It was the last effort to dissuade her, but he already knew it was futile. Once Laura set her mind on something she was like a pit-bull biting down on his crippled leg, she just wouldn't let go.
"As tempting as that sounds," Laura said briskly. "I've made up my mind, Greg. I'm coming down tomorrow so you better be prepared for it. I want the tour, sightseeing, gift shopping, complementary lunch, meeting the locals... the whole package."
"The horror... The horror!" House mocked but cursed inwardly. Tomorrow was going to be one heck of a day; and it all started because he blurted out one simple name, that had a nice ring to it nonetheless.
House still had to figure out what kind of demon possessed him at that moment. To call Cameron by Allison... it was just not him at all. If Wilson only knew, he would laugh at him and babble one or two of those lame jokes of his, no doubt of that. And then his best friend would push him to pursue the last chance for everlasting happiness, no doubt of that either. Yet again, House blamed the exhaustion for his continuous mishaps, but this one had been monumental. And she noticed it too; Cameron froze at the same instant the words left his mouth. What was the meaning behind that?
The reasons why would Cameron care for an angry, misanthropic son of a bitch were beyond him; she was practically a stuffed animal made by grandma. But the diagnostician had to admit that something had changed inside of him. Just by being around her House felt intoxicated, every contact with Cameron sent shivers down his spine. They way sometimes she looked at him could make his heart race in a rampage. House was starting to lose control of the situation and he didn't like it. He had to do something before matters could get out of hand.
"Oh and by the way," Laura's voice snapped him out of his brooding thoughts. "That 'Good job today' line? Yeah, that was really smooth Don Juan. I think I'll have to teach you a thing or two about picking up women; seems to me that you're a little rusty on that department."
"Is this the moment that I'm supposed to laugh? Because I left my sense of humor in my..." House stopped mid-sentence as he was interrupted by the buzz of his cell phone. After quickly glancing at it he bolted out of the chair with sudden worry in his face.
"Shit! I gotta go!" was the last thing House said before hanging up the phone. He grabbed his cane and hurriedly started to limp out of the office.
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Cameron was making her way down to the CV-ICU. She was still feeling the aftershock of House calling her by 'Allison'. It was the first time he had ever used her first name and it cut her to the core. Cameron was overwhelmed by a myriad of different emotions; her heart went on a racing pace threatening to burst out of her chest.
"Why would he do that?" Cameron thought out loud.
She couldn't believe the effect it had on her just hearing House utter her name in that husky voice of his. It had sounded... so right. And it seemed he did it unconsciously because House looked as shocked as she was. So if this wasn't one of his snarky jokes, or a test to see her reaction (a singular 'Cameron, I love you' popped in her mind), or just House being House. What else could it be? Was she excited about the possibility of the crabby doctor finally giving a glimpse of his real feelings for her? After almost three years of playing cat and mouse? Cameron had moved on, or so she thought. House made it very clear for her during that date from hell that he wasn't interested in her, romantically speaking. And after the Stacey Warner debacle... well let's just say she was over him. But after almost a year after that, a thin crack appeared on the walls he put around him; and Allison was touched.
But, there was one little problem, fine, more like a mammoth kind of problem. Now Cameron had a steady relationship going on with Chase. Robert clearly, truly loved her; but Allison couldn't bring herself to have the same feelings for him. Of course, she liked him, she cared for him, he was a good friend, but she didn't love him the same way he loved her. Cameron thought that eventually, given some time, she could really reciprocate those feelings. But that went down the drain the day House feigned brain cancer. Right until the moment they all found out he was faking it, she had been devastated. That was how much he meant to her. Old feelings were flaring up and by the way House was ogling at her a few minutes ago... it was like adding fuel to the fire.
Cameron soon realized she had to sort out her feelings STAT. It wasn't fair for Chase to be with him while she couldn't give him everything he deserved and even more. It wasn't fair for Cameron to be in a relationship when there was the possibility she still had romantic sentiments for her boss; strong, deep and authentic sentiments. It wasn't fair for House to end up old, alone, in pain and probably in a madhouse just because he was as stubborn as an ass. But above all she had to find out what House felt about her, this time for real. She had to know. Allison wouldn't survive unscathed if he decided to dodge the bullet with his abrasive comments, yet again.
"Hey are you feeling OK?" Foreman asked out of the blue.
Without realizing it, Cameron had made her way to ICU. Foreman's concerned question dragged her out from her thoughts. "Yes, I'm fine. Why?" She still was a little bit flustered.
"Well you seem like you just saw a ghost."
"No, I'm fine, really," Cameron chuckled, trying to put her emotions in check. She walked next to the patient's bed and grabbed the chart. "I'm tired, that's all."
"Weren't you going to check up on House?" Foreman kept pressing on the matter. "What did that jerk do now?"
"It has nothing to do with House," Allison lied while she hid her face behind the chart. Of course it had everything to do with House; she was falling for her boss all over again. "He seemed more dead than alive, though."
"Yeah I thought the same thing this morning," Foreman agreed. "The man looked like he didn't get any sleep."
Cameron nodded. So House said. She began to wonder what he did the night before. House hadn't been drinking as she didn't notice the usual symptoms of a hangover. He just seemed tired, really tired.
"Yeah well, what House does in his free time is none of my business," Cameron shrugged.
"By the way you said it sounds like it is your business," Foreman replied. "Are you sure there is nothing going between you two?"
"Well that..." Cameron didn't have the chance to finish as one of the monitors started to emit a loud, beeping alarm.
Both doctors glanced at the patient lying on the hospital bed. She was bending over in pain grasping her abdomen; a moment later she started to cough blood into the oxygen mask strapped to her. The blood pressure began to rise dangerously, anymore higher than that and there could be irreparable damage. An artery could rupture or her heart could collapse under the strain. A nurse rushed into the ICU room and immediately started to prep the defibrillator.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Foreman asked in frustration as he was trying to remove the oxygen mask of the patient so she wouldn't choke on the blood. Another alarm flared up. "She's in V-Tach! Hand me the paddles!" He ordered to the nurse that was standing by.
Cameron ran to the medical cabinet and started to prepare an epinephrine shot. "PAGE HOUSE!" She yelled as panic began to creep through her body.
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Wilson was lying on his bed, as comfy as possible. After a long nap, lots of water and a proper dinner he was feeling much better. James had a little problem with his coincidence, tough, as he left the hospital in such short notice. He had to cancel all of his appointments, including an important board meeting. But he didn't regret it. A day off was called for, away from the burdens of work, of cancer, of House. His best friend was that, his best friend; but sometimes just dealing with him was like a full time job. Let's just said Wilson was glad that for one day he didn't have to worry about someone stealing half of his food.
But nobody could ever forsake House from one's thoughts so easily. Wilson still was puzzled about the woman shrouded in mystery. Not even House's own mother could make him go to the airport to pick her up. It seemed to James that House was ready to spill the beans that morning, but changed his mind on the last second. Was she family? Old friend? An ex perhaps? Or maybe a professor from his days of college? The possibilities were endless and just thinking about them were making his head hurt. I guess I'm not completely recovered of that hangover after all.
The oncologist was lost in his thoughts when the phone began to ring. Surely it was House, wanting to continue his battering. By now House must found out it was Cuddy who was drinking with him last night. He couldn't wait for House's trademark jokes about the future Mrs. Ex-Wilson.
James picked it up after he let it rang three times. "Look House, if you want food I have some leftovers from my last Chinese takeout," surely a day without House was not meant to be. "So, if you wanna come by to have a go at it you know where my spare keys are. I'll be sleeping."
"Eeh? It's actually Lisa..." Cuddy said, embarrassed.
It took a few seconds before Wilson could realize what was going on. "As in Lisa Cuddy?" James asked, dumbfounded.
"Mmm... Yes Wilson, as in Lisa Cuddy, M.D." She stated the obvious with a soft laugh.
"Lisa... Hi... How are you?" He managed to mutter. Wilson was caught completely off guard.
"I've seen better days, how about you? Are you feeling OK?" Cuddy asked, genuinely concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine," Wilson answered. "Look I'm sorry I missed the board meeting but..."
"That's not why I called you," she interrupted him. "And you don't have to apologize for taking a day off. You hardly leave the hospital; you're our head oncologist and a board member. You work twice as everyone else and let's not mention you're also House's best friend. I think you can take a day off now and then."
"OK, I guess you got a point there," Wilson said, a little more relaxed. "So, what can I do for you?"
"Actually I wanted to apologize," Cuddy said softly. "It seems I fell asleep in your office, and you took me home."
"Lisa, don't worry about it," he said honestly. "You know I have to deal with a very drunk House on a regular basis. Compared to him you were delightful, really." In fact it had been more difficult than he was letting her know, just for the fact that she was a woman and he was pretty shitfaced too.
"Mmm, yeah, thank you anyways," Lisa replied. "And thank you for last night. I didn't have that much fun since... well since I hired House."
Wilson chuckled. "I know House is a pain in the ass but you're happy to have him around."
"Yeah he knows how to make things 'a little' more interesting," Cuddy paused, and somehow Wilson knew she was blushing in the other side of the line. "And speaking of interesting... I woke up this morning tucked in my bed and wearing my pajamas. You know anything about that?"
Some of House's evil ways must have rubbed on Wilson because he decided right there to have a little fun with Cuddy. "What you mean?" He asked as innocently as he could.
"You know… did you…" she murmured, more embarrassed than ever.
"Did what?"
"Oh come on Wilson! You know what I mean!" Cuddy almost yelled. "Are you really gonna make me say it?"
Wilson couldn't contain the laugh anymore. "Don't worry Lisa. You got changed all by yourself… In the middle of the kitchen for like an hour," he heard her sighed in relief.
"Well, thanks again Wilson," she said. "I guess I was right. You are a gentleman, even though House said otherwise. But I think I'll have to learn how to handle my drink."
"As you so eloquently sang it," Wilson cleared his throat. "Some will win, some will lose, some were born to drink the booze."
Cuddy laughed full-heartedly. "I'm pretty sure it goes 'some were born to sing the blues'."
"But that's the way you sang it last night," Lisa Cuddy was left speechless. Wilson thought that he was indeed rubbing some of House's preying on the weakness thing. "Look the important thing is that we both had a great time," he decided to give her a rest.
"Yes you're right," she agreed happily. "I wouldn't mind doing it again. But next time more singing, less drinking."
"Yeah I wouldn't mind that either."
"OK see you tomorrow James," she began to say goodbye. "Eight hundred hours, sharp. One day off is reasonable, two is pushing it."
"Right," he laughed. "Good night Lisa."
"Good night."
Wilson hung up the phone. Only a few seconds later something like a cold shower washed over him suddenly. Wait a second! Did I just set up a karaoke date with Lisa Cuddy?
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House barged into the CV-ICU as fast as his right leg let him. He appraised the scene in a matter of seconds. Foreman and Cameron were checking on the patient's vitals, one of the two nurses was putting a new blood bag in the pole connected to the IV lines and the other nurse, House thought he had see her the day before, was rearranging the defibrillator. He noticed blood splatters all over Foreman, the bed and on the patient. Also, it didn't escape to him that Cameron's hands were shaking faintly.
"What happened here?" House demanded.
"Well, she bent over grasping her abdomen, afterward she started to cough up blood and her blood pressure spiked to the roof. She entered V-Tach after that," Foreman recounted the prior events. House could see he was exhausted.
"We managed to stabilize her," Cameron added.
"But her blood pressure was still high," Foreman continued. "We put her in Alpha Blockers and Diazoxide. Now is normal but her heart can only take much."
"OK," House entered one of his deep meditations. "Now we have severe abdominal pain, coughing blood and high blood pressure… What does that tell us?" He said more speaking to himself than everybody else in the room.
House began to prance around the room, using one of his hands to caress his jaw. "Take her down and do an MRI and CT-Scan," he said after a minute or so.
"We've already done that," Foreman debated. "Nothing strange came up."
"Yes, but that was before she coughed up half of her blood," House said as a matter of fact. "And the blood pressure is a symptom she didn't have before. Send me her EKG for the last three hours up to my office." He ordered to one of the nurses.
"Okay," Cameron acknowledged as she started to detach the hospital bed.
"Not you Cameron," House stopped her. "I order you to go home and get some rest. I'll expect to see you early tomorrow with some fresh ideas."
"I'm fine, I can stay," she protested.
"No, you're not," House looked at her with a serious countenance. "Do as I say."
Cameron sighed deeply and quickly walked out of the room. Once she was out of sight House continued. "Foreman, stay with the patient until the wombat gets here, after that you can head home too. I'm going to call Chase; he should be well rested by now."
"I think Cameron is pretty shaken up," Foreman commented. "Want me to check up on her?"
"No, I'll go see how she's doing."
House left the room before Foreman could even mutter a single word.
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Allison Cameron was in the locker room, face buried in her hands. She was breathing heavily, trying to regain her composure. After the events of a single day Allison was stressed and felt hopeless. Three cardiac arrests were too much for a 21 year girl. Her strained heart definitely couldn't take anymore; she was bordering the line of needing a transplant. But given her current condition she probably wasn't going to qualify. If they didn't find out soon what the young girl had, the next day could probably be her last. Or maybe House could lie to the Transplant Committee in order to get a position for the girl in the list of potential recipients. Is not that he hasn't done it before.
The doctor was starting to feel the toll it had on her psyche that kind of job. Juggling with people's lives. She did it for almost three years and she thought she could handle it. 'The only thing that matters is what you think. Can you do the job?' House's words replayed in her head; he asked her back when Foreman joined the team. Cameron thought he was dodging her questions about why he hired her. Now the immunologist knew better. House was asking if she was going to be able to hold her ground.
Tears were threatening to flee her green eyes. She was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, and in that moment she felt truly lonely. But Cameron forced the tears back as she noticed a well known gruff scent flooding through the locker room. And in a matter of seconds she recognized the characteristic limp of Gregory House. Of all the people who could have showed up… It was him and him alone.
She felt him stop just a couple of feet away from her. Cameron lifted her head and looked at the reason why she had to keep up. House was staring at her with his deep, blue eyes. Cameron gave him a weak smile. It was all she could manage in that moment. Surprisingly, he gave a few more steps and sat beside her. House left the cane leaning against the bench and reached for the bottle of vicodin in one of his pockets; popped the cap and dry swallowed two pills.
"Long day, huh?" House asked casually.
"Yeah," Cameron replied softly.
"So…" House muttered, surely he was having trouble trying to figure out what he really wanted to say. "Are you feeling OK?"
Allison just couldn't believe the words she was hearing. House showing concern for another human being? This was the end of the world. "Yeah," was all she said, this time because Cameron was too shocked to even form a coherent sentence in her head.
"Oh well, this isn't fair," House complained, with his best childish tone.
"What isn't?" Cameron asked with an honest smile. She was feeling relieved all of the sudden.
"I came down here, all worried about my employee, and all I got is a lame 'yeah' for an answer," he said, this time changing to his mocking voice.
"House, I assure you, I'm fine," Allison said as she stood up. The proximity with House was starting to make her feel lightheaded.
Cameron began to walk away but suddenly, before she could get too far, House reached out and took her hand with his. Allison stared at him in disbelieve. He slowly stood up and closed the distance between them with a single step. House winced in pain as he shifted his weight to the left leg. Cameron could feel how the touch with his hand was sending raw heat through every inch of her body, melting away any self-doubt, fear and pain. His piercing eyes, like an ocean of clear blue waters, were staring intently at her emerald ones. They weren't icy or harsh as they normally were but warm and flickering with excitement. Why couldn't he always look at her like that?
"Are you really?" He asked with his husky voice, still holding her hand.
But Cameron didn't answer. She was lost for words. Unconsciously, she placed her free hand on his chest, just above the heart. His eyes wandered off from hers for the briefest of seconds, but they returned clearer and more committed than ever. House was letting down his shields in that instant, letting himself get caught in the moment. Cameron slid her hand from his chest to the back of the neck pulling him closer to her. House trembled slightly under the casual caress and she grinned with the response. Allison leaned forward and breathed softly into his ear and then she grazed lightly her soft porcelain cheek against his rough one, setting skins on fire in the process.
House held her hand tightly in his and placed the other on her waist. They locked eyes once again, electricity flowing between them. Cameron started to lean forward, slowly, searching for his mouth. She closed her eyes… heart beating strong with anticipation. Allison felt House leaning toward her, lips just millimeters away from founding each other.
But before mouths could clash, the sound of the door to the locker room being open reached their ears. And just like that the moment was gone, they both pulled apart hastily. Cameron was breathing heavily; memories and sensations of mere seconds ago were betraying her mind and body. She quickly glanced at House; he seemed to be struggling to regain his self-control as well. He gave a few steps back and managed to grab his cane before Foreman came in sight.
Cameron saw Foreman arching an eyebrow; he was looking at them curiously, putting together the pieces of a puzzle in his head. "What's going on here?"
A/N: So here it is. What do you think? Let me know ASAP! I really hope you enjoyed the ride. And before all of you come bashing at my door for interrupting the kiss, all I have to say is that please be a little more patient. This two are going to be smooching sooner rather than later. Tee hee .
And speaking of the future. I've already outlined the next three chapters. All I have to do is find the time to write them down. But let me assure you that things are going to start heating up... Finally, a tease for the next update. Brace youselfs as the mystery woman will be playing a visit to PPTH. What are going to be the reactions of Wilson, Cuddy and the ducklings? Well, stay tuned to find out!