Dude, I'm getting so lazy, it's not even funny. Anyway, I don't know if any of you guys have noticed, but I'm just totally trying to avoid the team having a case. I know little about medicine and am way too lazy to look up some stuff. Heck, if I was reading, I'd rather read about the actual characters, and not some weirdo sciencie shit where I have no clue what the fuck is going on. I'm just assuming you guys feel slightly the same way.

Disclaimer - I do not own House M.D. or any of its shmecksy characters.

Chapter 7.


House rudely dragged Wilson down to the hospital's cafeteria. Wilson, of course, was forced to treat House for his lunch. House ordered his usual Reuben while Wilson just ordered a coffee. They sat down at a table where House immediately started to gobble down his sandwich.

"Ack!," House screamed.

Wilson quickly looked at House.

"Pickles," House spat.

Wilson simply shrugged his shoulders and picked at his nails.

There was an unusually strange silence between the two friends while House ate his food. House was curious as to why Wilson wasn't nagging him about his late arrival with Cameron today at all. Was he waiting for him to finish eating? Maybe he was waiting for him to start off the conversation. House was not going to give in to this silent torture.

House finally finished and Wilson still had not looked up from his nails. House couldn't take it anymore.

"Like, O.M.G.! We should like totally both go get manicures and talk about our feelings!," House said in a high-pitched girly voice.

Wilson just looked at him with an unreadable expression and continued on with his nails. House's eyes narrowed in thought and confusion.

"Hmm," House hummed. "Why haven't you blessed me with your mouth of wisdom yet? Or do you not swing that way?"

Wilson looked up at his best friend with a face that showed extreme seriousness and concern. House straightened his posture a bit at Wilson's expression.

"What's up, Jimmy?" There was no trace of sarcasm in House's voice.

Wilson sighed, "Someone's eventually going to get hurt, House."

House took in his best friend's words and sensed the great amount of concern in it. House looked down at his empty Styrofoam tray and fingered its edges lightly. House nodded.

"So I take it you two slept together last night?," Wilson asked.

House nodded again in silence. He hated these serious conversations with a passion.

"Is it just a fling, House? Or is this a serious thing? Because either way, someone's going to get hurt. If it's a fling, Cameron, being the emotional stuffed animal that she is, would be extremely offended. And if it's serious, then well…," Wilson trailed off.

"She isn't Stacey."

"True, but are you sure you're willing to open yourself up to someone again? Intentionally make yourself vulnerable to someone?"

"Do you not want me to be happy?," House replied snarkily.

Wilson rubbed his hands over face in frustration. "I'm just making sure that you really want this. Just trying to help you get yourself out of something you're not sure of before anything gets too serious."

"Thanks, but I think my conscience is working. I don't need a backup."

Wilson smiled. Maybe House really did want this. Whatever 'this' was.

"Well in that case, I'm happy for you. Hopefully Cameron's fluffiness will rub off on you."

House grabbed Wilson's coffee from his hand just before he was about to take a sip from it, and took large gulps of it.

Wilson sighed, "So… Was she any good?"

House slammed Wilson's now-empty coffee cup onto the table. House grinned devilishly, got up, and walked away.

"I guess that's a 'yes'!," Wilson yelled after House.

Wilson smiled to himself as he watched his friend limp off with a little extra jump in his step.


House closed his eyes in relaxation as he urinated in the little boys' room. Who knew taking a leak was so relaxing. Being the only one in the bathroom was a plus. The only person he didn't mind being in the same bathroom with was Wilson. House thought that Wilson had earned that much of a privilege for sticking by him for all these years.

The bathroom door flew open as Cuddy angrily came in. House mumbled something under his breath inaudibly and opened his eyes.

"House!," Cuddy yelled.

"Geez, woman. I'm right here. No need to scream, ya know."

"Why the hell were you extremely late today?," she asked.

House zipped up his jeans and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

"I do believe I already had this conversation some time earlier today."

"Not with me you didn't. And did you know you are very behind on your clinic hours?," Cuddy asked ill-tempered.

"No, I did not. I also did not know that you were a man, being in the men's bathroom and all. I've always suspected," House replied.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Clinic. Now."

"But, Mom!"

Cuddy walked out of the restroom without another word. House actually felt like he wanted to go to the clinic today. He felt like he needed to avoid Cameron, because being seen with her too many times may start rumors and ruin his reputation. He might go from sarcastic bad ass to lovey dovey softie.


Dr. Cameron decided to get back on track with her clinic hours after her absence last week. She couldn't just continue doing House's paperwork or help out at the Immunology Department. She was way behind on her hours anyway. She was surprised that Cuddy hasn't badgered her about it yet. Maybe she was cutting her some slack, pitying her. Cameron hated being pitied upon, but after her frustration and exhaustion from her father's death, she felt as if she needed some kind of break.

"Dr. Cameron checking in," Cameron told the nurse at the nurse's station.

"Thank god. The clinic's been incredibly busy today," the nurse said in relief as she handed Cameron a patient file with a wide smile.

Cameron wasn't sure if the nurse was smiling like that because she had heard of rumors of her and House arriving late together, or because of more sympathy for her father's death.

She was able to see the pity hidden in the nurse's expression. She quickly realized that the whole hospital probably already knew about her father. She simply smiled lightly in response.

Cameron looked around at the waiting room. There were several people standing, and those who were lucky enough to get a seat were sitting shoulder to shoulder with other awaiting patients. She turned around towards the waiting room, but stopped when the nurse called after her.

"Dr. Cameron! I'm afraid all the exam rooms aren't vacant at the moment, but Exam Room 2 should be empty quite soon. The patient only wanted a simple check-up and they've been in there for quite some time," the nurse explained.

"Oh, I'll go check up on them and see how much longer it'll be," Cameron kindly responded.

The nurse nodded.

Cameron walked to the room. She stuck her head in the door, only to find a patient putting his shirt back on from the check-up.

"Hi there. Sorry to interrupt, but are you being helped by any doctors?," Cameron asked politely.

"Why, yes. I believe he is." House came from behind the door. House was completely out of Cameron's line of vision.

"Jesus Christ!," Cameron jumped into the room in shock.

"Present," House said while raising his hand.

Cameron rolled her eyes.

"Now," House faced the patient, "I suspect you have some breathing problems, so here are some yummy pills for your tummy to enjoy."

House wrote out the prescription and handed it to the man who closed the door behind him as he made his way to the pharmacy.

"Gosh, I don't even get a 'thank you'. People nowadays!," House joked.

Cameron shrugged her shoulders.

"So, I'm guessing that the file you're holding is an extremely interesting and outrageously difficult case?," House asked in hope.

"Nope. Sorry."

"Hmm. Then that file must be yours. Need a physical Dr. Cameron? I'd be honored to actually do my job for once."

Cameron forced a smile. House had noticed that this smile had been forced and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Not interested, huh?," House asked.

Cameron shook her head in the negative.

"Weird. You so would have been into that kind of thing last night," House stated nosily, trying to figure out what was up with Cameron.

Cameron sighed. She looked House in the eyes.

"You've been avoiding me," Cameron stated.

"Oh."

House shifted a bit and went to sit on a nearby stool. There was no way he could take this conversation while standing.

House continued, "Well, um, you know. Rumors can travel quite quickly in this hospital."

Cameron bit her lip. "Are you saying you're afraid of being seen with me?"

House thought about her question for a moment. Was he really afraid of being seen with her? Or was it his reputation that he was just trying to maintain? God, he felt like such a selfish bastard right now. If people thought that he went soft, he would be ruined. No one would listen to him or take him seriously.

"No. Nothing like that," House finally responded.

"Then what is it?," Cameron asked impatiently.

House just gazed at the floor, unable to think of a response that wouldn't offend Cameron and make him seem like the bad guy. He couldn't think of anything. Cameron towered over House for once. She looked down at him expecting some answer. When none came, she shook her head in disappointment and went for the door. However, as her hand grasped the door knob, House placed his hand on hers, stopping her in her tracks.

"Look, I can't talk about it here. Can you just come by tonight?," House asked with a serious expression.

Cameron stared at House's hand. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to see him anymore.

"Please?," House begged.

Cameron thought more about the situation. She finally had something, whatever something was, with House and she couldn't just let that go.

"Fine."

Cameron opened the door and walked out of the exam room.

House sighed in the empty room. He never begged for anyone. He had always picked on Cameron and treated her like garbage, but he did like her. Actually he liked her a lot. He couldn't just let her go like that.