Disclaimer: See chapter 1
A/N: Things here have been rather hectic lately but I've managed to write two more chapters. I get to spent Sunday putting bunk beds together so I don't know if I'll have time to type up number eight, but here's chapter seven to keep you going. Chapter eight should be up on Monday or Tuesday.
Broken
Chapter 7
Cameron checked the clock. 2:50. She finished sorting House' mail long ago. Now she was sitting in the conference room eating the roll that House had sent up to her from the cafeteria. She was bored. As she finished her roll she pulled the folder that was on the centre of the table towards her.
…
When Eric Foreman found Cameron half an hour later she was standing in front of the white board resting the open file in the crook of her arm. There was a lot of writing on the board along with a lot of crossing out and some sort of colour-coded system marking the symptoms.
"You knew your patient had a brain tumour, right?" She asked when she noticed him standing there.
"Yeah. Wilson just told her."
Cameron nodded, closed the file and sat down. "So it wasn't the drugs causing the kidney failure. I knew it couldn't be, I mean… What?"
Foreman was still standing and watching her. "Why are you still here?"
"House is giving me a ride home when he's done… I… I think he's… worried about me."
Cameron was expecting some sort of comment from Foreman, but none came. Instead he pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down. "He is."
"He is?" Cameron had said it, but she barely believed it. Part of her wanted House to worry about her, but part of her kept on arguing that he'd never feel that way about her.
Foreman nodded. "Yesterday he was really angry because he had to work the clinic. He kept on going on about how Cuddy should be more worried about her doctors."
Cameron was sceptical. "You sure he wasn't just worried about catching something."
Eric was silent for a moment. "He was talking about you."
Cameron got the feeling that he wasn't telling her the full story, there was something about the look in his eyes as he spoke.
…
At three-thirty House decided it was time to call it a day. If Cuddy asked he'd just point out to her that Cameron needed a ride home and that he was the responsible adult who'd appointed himself chauffeur.
He found her in the conference room. Before Foreman and Cameron noticed him he took a moment to read the white board. Cameron's attempt to crack the case. She'd been on the right track.
Cameron had a strange feeling that she was being watched, House was quietly opening the door.
Foreman turned to see what Cameron was looking at. "You off now?"
Cameron looked at House who nodded. "Yeah. My doctor wants to make sure I get home safely. Apparently I'm a little loopy now."
Foreman raised an eyebrow and glanced between House and Cameron but they were already on their way out through the door.
…
In the car Cameron turned to House. "Why are you doing all this?"
House looked at her for a long time. The car keys were in his hand but he couldn't make the movement to put them into the ignition. There were so many reasons why he'd been doing this and for once annoying Cuddy wasn't one of them.
"House?" He swallowed. "You've been staring at me for about five minutes now."
He shook his head, finally put his key into the ignition and started the car.
They drove all the way back to Cameron's apartment in silence. Cameron was surprised to find that when she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car House did the same.
"House. Where are you going?"
"I wasn't kidding earlier when I told the taxi girl that you had sustained a trauma." Cameron turned around to frown at him. "A guy tried to kill you today! It doesn't seem to have sunk in yet. Those kinds of things are usually traumatic. In case you've forgotten I saw you the day before last, you weren't exactly at your best."
"I'm dealing with it House." She let herself into the building and pushed the door to behind her, but House was close behind her, he reached out his cane and caught the door before it closed. "House are you following me?"
"No. I'm just going to visit a friend who happens to live here." He kept on walking straight past Cameron who had stopped dead.
"Friend?"
"It's a figure of speech."
"I -"
"Cameron." His voice had a warning tone to it.
…
Inside her apartment Cameron took a seat on the couch and rubbed her temples. House planted himself in the armchair and once again began flipping through the channels on TV.
"House. You're confusing me. One minute you're pushing me away from you, the next you won't leave me alone for five minutes."
"That's a lie. I didn't come near you for a good two hours earlier on."
"It's been a stressful day for me. I'm going to bed." He looked at her and put down the remote. "Can you leave now?" She added in case he hadn't got the hint.
…
"Beer. Bottle. Off. Piano!"
Wilson glanced round at the piano he was leaning against. He quickly removed the bottle and buffed the surface with his sweater sleeve. Avoiding his best friend's death glare Wilson asked "How's Dr. Cameron?"
"You heard about today?"
"How could I not?"
"The bastard tried to kill her. Right there in Exam Two. I mean the guy's obviously an idiot, but… you should have seen her…" Wilson nodded, the knuckles of House's right hand were white from gripping his cane so hard. "She doesn't want my help."
"Cameron." A nod. "She said that?" Another nod.
A pause.
"Well, not exactly that."
"Well what then?"
"She keeps on asking why I'm doing this."
"And?"
"I don't know what to say."
"The truth is usually a good place to start."
House snorted. "This is coming from the guy who gets through women quicker than most guys get through socks." Wilson's beer bottle hovered over the polished piano. "I don't know what the truth is."
"Pardon?"
"I mean, part of it's because she was in such a state two days ago… and maybe part of it's because Cuddy says I'm the wrong person to be watching out for her." James rolled his eyes. "But there's something else as well."
James Wilson realised that at this moment his friend was being deadly honest with him. He saw that he had two choices; he could be a good friend, or he could use this sudden confession to his advantage. He'd pay for it later, but it would be worth it now.
"You really like her?" It was a simple statement but House couldn't meet his eyes. "You've got to tell her."
House knew there was no point in denying it. "I'll get over it. Besides, she's not interested in me. She's moved on. I missed my chance."
"There's no harm in talking to her."
"She always follows me around at work with that knowing look in her eyes, until I put her down and then she just looks hurt. I can't talk to her. Her last boyfriend beat her up. She's not going to be looking for anyone else for a while. Especially not the guy who verbally abuses her at every opportunity. House suddenly looked lost and small.
"She's a strong woman House."
…
The strong woman in question was on the phone to her best friend at that moment.
"Maggie, you didn't know what he was into. Of course it's not your fault."
"Let me come over. I feel so bad about this."
Cameron had to stop her friend, she didn't want to be see like this. It would make Maggie feel ten times worse.
"My boss has been keeping an eye on me."
"The emotionally unavailable older man?"
"Uh huh."
"Don't do this to yourself again Al. Just give it time, you'll find a decent guy."
Cameron hated it when Maggie went down this route. Why did she always have to be the voice of reason? Before long she made her excuses and hung up. She was pretty sure that things between her and House would get interesting when she finally went back to work.
