AN: Another exciting adventure!! Again, as a constant reminder, I do not owe these people. They are their own. They just let me lead them to different avenues as it suits me.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Cameron, but that's just not possible."
Cameron didn't appreciate the comment and wanted to glare at him. She was reading her paper she had written to be published to some fellow physicians at the hospital, as required, and was getting mixed results on her case she pulled from her time at Princeton-Plainsboro. And now this guy was doubting her work. "I assure you it is both possible and probable."
The same doctor smirked. "Well, I would highly doubt you would write something you didn't believe in. I'm just stating your informational source needs to be fired. The way the patient was diagnosed was both extremely unconventional and extremely unlikely."
"As stated," came a voice from the audience of doctors," by the beautiful Dr. Cameron, it is both possible and probable." He stood as he talked and Allison groaned softly.
The first doctor was not amused. "And you are?"
"Oh, I thought it was strange that there were no nametags." He went down the aisle and rudely leaned over several people to extend his hand. "Dr. Greg House, head of the diagnostic team at Princeton-Plainsboro, nephrologist, former boss and, most importantly, part-time confessor of Dr. Cameron."
The man looked humbled instantly. "Dr. Austin Ashcroft. Dr. House, I speak for all of us when I say we are in awe of your work and feel grateful you are in our presence."
House was not impressed. "You can get the hell off of the kiss-ass train, A.A. I'm not here for you but for my prodigy."
His "prodigy" came up to him, none too happy. "House," she hissed.
His response was putting his arm companionly around her shoulders. "The case Dr. Cameron outlined in her discussion happened under my supervision and I can guarantee the validity of the symptoms, testing, and method of diagnosing the patient." Cameron punched his side but he didn't flinch or seem to notice.
Dr. Ashcroft shut his notebook. "If you're done, Dr Cameron..."
Cameron blushed under House's arm. "I believe I have made my case and reasoning behind my submission."
The doctors all stood and made their way down to House. Cameron stood closer to House as he removed his arm to begrudgedly shake people's hands. She found herself clutching the back of his Def Leppard shirt when the two of them began to get overwhelmed with the ones wanting to talk to the famous Gregory House, M.D.
Ashcroft's voice was very prominent. "Perhaps you will come to a dinner we're hosting, Dr. House."
"I don't give talks," he informed him.
"All you'd have to do is show up, listen, and then eat," Ashcroft assured him.
House grinned at the mention of food and turned to Cameron. "You going?"
She nodded.
"Then, yeah, I'll go. If I'm in town."
Ashcroft smiled. "Oh, it's next Monday. Surely you'll be here that long."
"We'll see."
Cameron lost track of all the doctors who melted under House's power. By the end she thought she would hyperventilate.
House could feel the material at his back tighten under Cameron's grip as a young, handsome doctor came up to him. The doctor held his hand out which House ignored in favor of placing his arm around Cameron's small waist and raising an eyebrow at the man.
The young guy didn't seem to mind and grinned at House. "I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the tongue lashing you gave my father. He's such a pompous ass."
House's expression didn't give much away as he took a gamble. "You must be Brandon Ashcroft."
The doctor smiled impossibly bigger. "You are correct, sir!" He turned to Cameron. "Did you tell him about me, Allie?"
She instinctively moved closer to House so he answered. "She told me enough."
"Well, just watch yourself around Allie. She's a heart-breaker." With that he left them alone.
Cameron immediately whirled on him. "What are you doing here?"
House rolled his eyes. "Duh! Saving your paper from getting the boot. And I'd appreciate a thank you."
She glared at him. "Had they done the research they could have seen I was correct. But, no. Now they are going to take the word of a drug addict who slept through most of the case because he gets credit from other people's work anyway."
"Now, Cameron," he said in his best Dr. Phil tone. "I believe you've let your boss' famousness overshadow your emotional ability to work. How do you feel about that?"
She showed him how she felt with a gesture of one of her fingers before stomping towards the door.
"Hey! Slow down! Cripple in tow."
She didn't turn around. "You found your way here, you can find your way back."
Cameron was halfway down the crowded hallway when she heard House's voice raise above the other noise to clearly state, "I know you're seeing another, Cameron... I saw you with my cane."
Her eyes widened to saucers as she turned and made her now cleared way back to him, who was looking pretty smug. "House! People don't know you here! They automatically think you're being serious!"
"Tends to work to my advantage then, huh."
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she fell in line beside him as they walked down the hall.
"Checking on you. Wilson mentioned it had been two months since you were home and I figured you'd lie over the phone."
"No, I wouldn't," she stated as she held the elevator door for him, joining several others in the car.
"Also, personal curiosity had me checking on the package."
"Pack--oh!" House was being subtle for quite possibly the first time in his life and it caught Cameron off guard. "Fine. So, Wilson's ok?"
House pouted as people moved between them to get on and off the floors. "You like Wilson more than you like me."
Cameron rolled her eyes. "Wilson's nicer."
"So, you kissed him too?"
She was so happy her floor was the one the elevator opened to. She dragged House out and kept his arm clamped in her hand as she led them down the corridor. "No, I've not kissed Wilson and I never will. But something I will do is punch your face if you don't stop embarrassing me here. Things have changed, House. This is my hospital, not yours. They are much more serious here and I will not lose my job because you couldn't keep your mouth shut." She opened a door to admit him into an office with four desks in it. She gestured to a close chair as she plopped into hers.
Referring to her statement House said, "Is that why you haven't complained about Brandon? Because his dad is the head of the hospital and could fire you?"
She raised an eyebrow. "You've done your homework."
"It's better than coming in with both guns blazing."
She had to smile. "Aw, House, you were coming to rescue me."
"What can I say, I'm a sucker for women who should stick up for themselves but don't have the balls to."
"Stands to reason since women don't have balls."
"Wilson told me to ask how you've been."
She laughed. "Tell him I'm fine."
House moved the rolling chair closer. "Have you told the guy?"
She blinked away the sudden tears brought by the sensitive subject. "He said I could either raise the child on my own or he'd pay for an abortion. He even offered to give me the name of a good doctor for one."
"Upstanding guy. I can just guess your reaction to that."
"We could have sold tickets. I think I made up new cuss words."
"Good girl."
They paused talking as two more doctors entered the office, one apparently the one whose chair House had taken. She glared at him, to which he was impervious. "Excuse me," she finally stated.
"Yes?" he replied innocently.
"You're in my chair."
"Are you crippled?" he asked as he twirled his cane in his hand.
"No."
"Then you can stand."
She didn't appreciate that. "Dr. Cameron, you may be able to get away with not working all day because you were supposed trained by the best but I can't."
"I'm sorry, Dr. Shelton."
Cameron turned to address House but he was already talking again. "Supposedly trained or supposedly the best?"
"Just get out of her chair," Cameron pleaded.
"No," House said, stubbornly. "The answer is important."
Dr. Shelton crossed her arms. "I only dispute the training not the fact that Dr. Gregory House is the best."
"Good to know," he said. "Tell me, Cam," he turned to her, rubbing his scruffy chin, "since you reportedly worked under him. What does Dr. House look like? Refresh my memory."
Cameron rolled her eyes but handed him the small mirror on her desk.
"Ah." He studied his image before putting it back on her desk and standing. "I'm hungry. Got any food in this joint?" They left the room, leaving her co-workers behind to figure out if the grumpy man was being serious or not.
Once they were in the elevator on their descent she turned to him. "Why do you have to antagonize people and make their life hell?"
House snorted. "You can't blame me for making your life hell this time."
Before she could answer the doors opened on the floor down from where they got on and Dr. Brandon Ashcroft walked inside. "Ah! Drs. House and Cameron. What an unexpected surprise."
House rolled his eyes. "Yeah, with a hospital this size you'd think we'd be able to avoid the lurking jackasses." He turned to see Cameron offer him a smile.
"And where are you two headed?" Ashcroft asked.
"Down," House answered shortly.
The other doctor frowned. "You aren't the friendliest of men, are you, Dr. House."
"I hate being asked to explain myself."
"Do you find this attitude helps your practice?"
"I'm not paid enough to be nice. That was Cameron's job."
Ashcroft's confused look turned to the girl. "What House is saying is that people come to him for his expertise, not to be his friend. He can afford to be off-the-cuff as long as his knowledge isn't affected."
Ashcroft raised an eyebrow at her. "You sound like you know Dr. House well, Allie."
She wouldn't be baited. "I worked for him for many years."
The elevator dinged and Ashcroft gave her an apologetic look. "My floor. Hope to catch you later."
House waited for the doors to close. "Nice chap to be such an arrogant prick. How good are the reubens here?"
