Author: Milady Dragon
Disclaimer: don't own anything but what I create, and what I create in this chapter is Danielle
Author's note: As always, a shout out to those out there reading and reviewing. Thanks much and you're the best! This chapter is a little change of pace, as we find out some interesting things about another of House's "ducklings…"
Chapter Six
Dr. Robert Chase knew something was wrong.
The moment he set foot into the clinic, he could tell. It was in the way the nurse on the desk looked as he entered: her eyes had widened, then she'd ducked her head as if she didn't want to look at him. One of the orderlies clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically, not saying anything. He also got a funny look from another resident on duty, but the woman ducked into an examining room before Chase could call out to her.
What the hell was going on?
"Dr. Chase?"
He turned to look at the too-young candy striper who'd spoken. "What is it?"
She made the same head-bobbing movement that the nurse had. "Dr. Cuddy wants to see you in her office. She…asked us to tell you when you came in."
"Thanks." More like, the nurse had been asked, but she'd delegated it to this kid.
The young Australian left the clinic, not even bothering to remove his coat. Why hadn't Cuddy simply paged him or called him on his cell if she'd wanted him? It was yet another oddity to happen since he's arrived, but the day had started out pretty normally…except for the crappy weather, of course. It was this time of the year when Chase wished he'd never left his native country. Yes, it snowed in Australia, but not quite like this. At least it had cleared up long enough for the roads to be plowed.
He headed up to Cuddy's office, noticing more strangeness on the way. He passed a nurse who was actually crying, and that puzzled him even more. Now, that wouldn't be happening if this were some sort of call down on the carpet. No, he honestly didn't think anyone would be shedding tears if he'd screwed up.
The doors were open, so he just went in, since apparently Cuddy would be expecting him. And she was, sitting at her desk with her hands folded on the blotter, looking at him as if she was going to be the bearer of bad news.
Chase realized that was exactly what she was.
Foreman was there as well, standing in front of the desk, watching him as he entered. While his fellow resident didn't look too concerned, there was an air of expectancy exuding from him.
Of course, the first that crossed the young doctor's mind was that this had something to do with House. That he's caused some sort of trouble, pulled some shenanigans that were likely going to get them all into hot water.
But, if that were the case, where was Cameron? And House himself?
"Come in, Dr. Chase," Cuddy invited, motioning him forward.
Chase hadn't even been aware that he's stopped moving. He jerked forward, suddenly not wanting to hear what she had to say. He came to stand next to Foreman, trading a puzzled look with the other doctor.
"I think you should both sit down." Cuddy pointed to the two chairs in front of her desk.
Chase took the hint and sank down into the proffered seat. Foreman was a little slower to accept, but he too sat.
"There isn't any easy way to say this," the dean began, "so I'm just going to come right out with it." She took a deep breath. "Dr. Cameron was in an accident last night."
Chase's heart stopped. He opened his mouth to speak, but Foreman beat him to it, asking if she were there in the hospital.
Cuddy shook her head. "No, Dr. Foreman. She's not here. I'm afraid she was…killed." Her voice choked on the last word.
Now Chase knew his heart would never start beating again. Allison was…dead? That couldn't be true. Just yesterday he'd spoken to her, trying to convince her to trade some clinic hours with him because he wanted to spend a rotation in the neo-natal unit. She'd been so…alive, trading barbed remarks with him like they usually did.
And he didn't even want to face his true feelings for her. Feelings he'd kept hidden because he'd known how she'd felt about House. He'd been resentful about it, and now he was regretting it all. He should have accepted it; accepted her for who she was, instead of trying to pick fights with her just so he could hide his true emotions.
He'd never get the chance to tell her now. Oh, God…how he'd wasted every opportunity. She'd never know how he'd looked after her, how he'd kept her secret.
But, she'd never trusted him to confide in him. He'd had to put the clues together and draw his own conclusions.
Chase had known what she was, and had kept that knowledge so private even Cameron herself hadn't been aware that he'd known.
He listened as Cuddy explained what had happened. It made Chase mad, because Cameron hadn't even needed to use the bloody car! However he'd known how important it was that she not draw attention to what she could do. But her gifts could have done so much!
If she'd been discovered…what would have happened? Foreman had come so close, that time her friend had been injured in that explosion. That had been Chase's first clue, and after that…well, being one of House's protégé's had taught him something about observation, and in the end he'd figured it all out.
He should have told her the truth. He should have told her he knew she was a Tomorrow Person.
Now it was too late. She was dead, the victim of a stupid automobile accident.
Cuddy offered them each the day off. Foreman accepted, but Chase knew it was just because it was a free day, and not out of any sense of mourning on the other man's part. Foreman did ask what the arrangements were, to give him some credit.
"I don't know yet," Cuddy answered. "Her parents are going to be here later today, and we'll know more then."
Chase declined the day off.
"Are you sure?" she asked softly.
"I'd rather be working." There was nothing like work to push the anger and the other emotions that were bubbling to the surface back down so deep inside he could forget them for a while. It would be later, in the privacy of his own apartment, when those emotions would break him.
He'd deal then.
Chase left the office, letting his feet carry him down to the clinic where he'd first been scheduled that morning. Now all the looks made sense; it had gotten around the hospital gossip chain far quicker than news like that had a right to. They all left him alone, for which he was grateful. He just wanted to forget, at least for a little while.
And he managed, until noon.
He was treating a young woman who was in denial about being pregnant when there was a quiet knock on the treatment room door. He sighed, pulling off his sterile gloves and telling his patient that she needed an ultrasound, then he opened the door.
It was the same volunteer who'd told him to go to Cuddy's office that morning. She was looking nervous, and Chase had to stop himself from pulling a House and being a rat bastard toward her. It wasn't her fault. "What is it?"
"Sorry to disturb you, Dr. Chase," she answered somewhat breathlessly, "but there's someone here in the clinic asking to see Dr. Cameron. The nurse on duty wanted to tell Dr. Cuddy, but she's in a meeting, so I was told to come and get you."
Well, he'd almost achieved forgetfulness over the tragedy, but now it all came back to him in a rush. "All right," he murmured around the sudden lump in his throat.
He followed her to the reception desk. Standing there was a petite woman, with red hair braided over her left shoulder and a dragon-shaped charm hanging from a beaded line woven into that same hair down her right. She was wearing a long, flowing skirt, and what looked like genuine hand-made leather boots. Over the top of it all was the thickest, heaviest duffle coat Chase had ever seen. He wondered vaguely where she'd gotten it, and if he could get one just like it.
She'd been smiling, but her green eyes darkened with curiosity when Chase approached.
He recognized her at once. While he didn't know her name, he'd seen her half a dozen times…in Cameron's company. She'd eat lunch with Allison at least once a month.
This day was apparently one of their scheduled meetings.
"I'm Dr. Chase," he introduced himself.
"Allison done mentioned you b'fore," the woman replied, smiling once more. "I'm Danielle. I'm s'posed to be meetin' 'er for lunch. She busy or somet'in?" She had the oddest accent; it was like French, but something was off about it.
Chase wanted to close his eyes against the pain. She didn't know. It would be up to him to tell her. "Could you come with me please?" He ushered her toward an empty examination room.
Danielle looked puzzled when she saw they were the only ones in the room. "I don' be understandin'. Where be Allison?"
Chase shut the door. "Look, I don't know how to tell you, but…" and he didn't. Not really. He swallowed hard.
The woman was really beginning to look alarmed. "Somethin' done happen to 'er?"
"I'm afraid so." He motioned her to one of the hard stools. "Please, sit down."
"It be bad, don' it? She here? In t' hospital? Can I see 'er?"
"I'm…afraid you can't." Chase knew he had to get it out, to tell her what happened. "I'm sorry, but Allison's…dead."
That didn't feel right at all. Acknowledging something was supposed to make you feel better, didn't it? Those words just made it worse. It was like condemning Allison.
Danielle gasped, tears forming in her eyes. "No."
"It's true." Chase wanted to pull her into his arms, but something made him resist the notion. He was feeling an agony quite like what had to be going on within Danielle, and it wasn't a good sensation at all.
Her breathing hitched as she sobbed. She just kept moaning, "No," as if she could deny the very truth of it.
Chase's heart went out to her. He overrode the instinct not to touch her, and put his arms around her, holding her shuddering body against him. Her weeping was getting his lab coat wet, but he didn't care. He wanted nothing more than to cry with her, but he held himself in check. That would happen later, when he was alone.
They sat like that for a while, and Chase lost track of time. It didn't matter. Danielle needed him, and despite what he thought to the contrary, he needed her as well. He didn't know her, but he could share her grief at the loss of a dear friend. He'd wasted his time with Cameron, he saw that now. He'd been so bothered by her feelings for House, and Chase's own feelings for her, that he'd pushed her to arms' length. He hadn't even been able to share with her that he'd known her secret.
He regretted it all with a passion that was almost frightening.
Eventually, Danielle's sobs ceased. She pushed herself away from him, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her coat. "I can' b'lieve it. I can' b'lieve she be dead."
"She is. I'm so sorry you had to find out like this."
She shook her head. "Ya'll don' be understandin'! I'd'a known if she'd –" she broke off, her hands fluttering in a helpless puddle in her lap.
Chase looked at her closely. He hadn't thought about it before, but was Danielle like Allison? Did she have the same powers? He wished he could check for the telltale belt. But she was wearing that coat, and he'd never thought to check before.
Danielle stiffened, noticing his sudden scrutiny. She stood abruptly. "I be goin' now."
He made to stop her. "Will you be okay?"
She nodded, hurrying out of the room. Chase followed her as far as the clinic doors, then lost her in the crowd that was entering the hospital.
It was then he realized that it was time to make a phone call…one that he should have made a very long time ago.