DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HOUSE. CHAPTER EIGHT
DUTY CALLS
Cameron arrived home past 1 in the morning, and was relieved to find David was already asleep in their bed. She decided that, in order to avoid waking him at all costs, she would just sleep on the couch. She was tired and really didn't feel like being interrogated about why she was not home at a normal hour. 'He should be a cop,' she thought, 'not a DJ.'
The couch was lumpy. That must have been the reason why she couldn't get to sleep. It couldn't have had anything to do with her reliving the brief encounter she had with House in the lab. And it couldn't have had anything to do with her feeling...guilty...about staying at work late to help House read over resumes. And, it couldn't be that she had to think of the most plausible explanation as to why she was home late, right?
At some point in time, however, she must have fallen asleep because at 6:30, she woke to find her husband sitting on the chair across from her reading a newspaper.
'You're up early,' she said quietly as she was still trying to wake up fully.
'You got back late last night,' he said, not angrily, but more like stating an observation.
'Yeah, I'm sorry. We were working on a really difficult case and we were stuck in the lab until about midnight running tests,' she explained...lied.
'Why do you let him do all that stuff to you? You've worked there, how long? Less than a week? And, you have yet to come home at a decent hour.'
'I'm not a teenager, David. I don't have a curfew,' she defended. 'Part of my job requires me to stay until the job is done. And, if it means saving a life, then I would gladly stay.'
'Fine,' she said, almost condescendingly. 'What did the dude have anyway.'
'Um, he had some weird form of pneumonia.'
'It took you until midnight to diagnose pneumonia?' he asked incredulously.
'It was a complicated case.'
'Um-hmm,' David grunted. Cameron could tell he wasn't really interested.
'I have to get going,' she said standing up to find that she had fallen asleep in the clothes she work the day before.
'Well, before you head off to your job,' he said somewhat angrily, 'can you at least fulfil your wifely duties and make me a cup of coffee and some breakfast.'
'Wifely duties?! I am not your slave. This is the 21st century, not the 1800s! I don't have be subject to your every whim,' she thought. She felt like saying. 'Sure,' she actually groaned. David was too absorbed in his article to pick up on the frustration in her voice.
She wandered into her bedroom to find some new clothes and into the bathroom to shower and change. When she looked in the mirror, she saw the mascara that she had neglected to remove the night before had smeared under her eyes, leaving behind gorgeous black circles under her eyes. Again, she groaned.
After preparing for work, she saw that it was nearly seven and she needed to be at work in an hour. She wanted to get there earlier, however, so she could enjoy the peace of being alone in the conference room. She tried to think of something she could make for breakfast quickly. Cereal. She poured the coffee that had been brewing into a mug for David and dumped some milk and cereal into a bowl.
'Cereal?' David questioned when she handed him the meal. 'That's it?'
'Sorry. I have to be at work and I'm running late. If you want something else, go make it yourself.'
'How can you be running late before 7:30?' he asked, but Cameron was already out the door.
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Cameron walked directly into the conference room, like she was running away from something...or someone? If she hadn't felt to guilty, she would have told her husband that he was being an ass. Then she thought, 'I shouldn't feel guilty. All I did was work overtime. No blame in that, right?' Still, she wanted to get away from him because, there really was no denying the fact that her husband was an ass.
'I think Cuddy must have lied to you about the hours you are required to work,' House's voice said from the doorway between his office and the conference room. A startled Cameron literally jumped out of her seat upon hearing the unexpected noise. 'Nice jump,' House teased.
'Shit House! You scared me half to death!' she said, still recovering from shock. Why is he here?
'You don't look very dead.'
'What are you doing here...early?'
'This is my happy place,' House said sarcastically. Cameron rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. She noted that he was wearing the same clothes as last night.
'You never went home, did you?'
'I told you, this is my happy place. Why would I want to leave? So, what are you doing here this early?'
'I always am here at this time. You are just always late.'
'I don't know why anyone would voluntarily come to work this early and then stay as late as you do.'
'It's a happy place, right?' Cameron retorted. Grabbing her laptop out of her bag, she took a seat and began to work. Or made it look like she was working.
House half-smiled, then returned to his office.
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'What is your bet on when House gets in today?' Chase asked. He arrived at work around eight.
'Wow. You guys must be really into betting around here,' Cameron stated, still focusing on the emails on her laptop.
'20 he's not here until nine,' Chase offered.
'Deal,' Cameron said. She shook his hand and smiled innocently.
'Good morning,' House bellowed as he entered the conference room. 'Can I get in on your bet?' he asked, faking excessive sincerity.
'Wha-' Chase started. 'You knew he was here. You can't bet then!'
'We shook on it,' Cameron maintained.
'But-' Chase stammered.
'Dr. Cameron!' House said, this time faking shock. 'Did you really do such a horrible, sneaky thing like betting when you already know the answer? Impressive.'
Chase groaned as he pulled a crisp 20 dollar bill out of his wallet and reluctantly handed it to a smiling, teasing, Cameron.
'Well. I just thought that I'd let you know that we don't have a case today, so my clinic hours are free for whoever wants them.'
'We have our own,' Chase objected.
'Thanks for volunteering!' House said throwing Chase a name tag reading 'Dr House.'
'Come on. I'll go with you,' Cameron offered. The two exited the room and heading to the dreaded clinic.
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'What time did you schedule that interview for?' House asked Wilson at lunch.
'Tomorrow at one. I can't believe you actually did your work. It was such an un-Houselike thing to do.'
'Ah, but you see, I made Dr. Cameron do most of it. That is very Houselike.'
'You made her go through your job applications?' Wilson asked surprised.
'I'm amazed that would come as a shock to you,' House said, reaching over and stealing a bag of pretzels from his friend. By now, Wilson had given up on hoping to eat a full meal. Still, he rolled his eyes to show his displeasure.
'Well, at the rate you are going, you are going to owe four different people 100 bucks.'
'Please. When have I ever lost a bet?' House challenged. 'Besides, she offered to do it.'
'What? She actually offered to be your secretary?' Wilson was still incredulous.
'Yep,' House said, making a show of eating a single pretzel. 'And, I will soon be 400 dollars richer.'
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At around 2 p.m. Cameron was officially bored. Now, she could see why House hated the clinic and did everything in his power to avoid it. So far, she had diagnosed two people with colds and one person who was surprised his stomach ached after a night of eating nothing but sushi. She also diagnosed one person with a hangover and three people with STDs. She desperately wished House would page her saying 'We have a case.' Or even, 'Come do my paperwork,' would do.
Chase flagged her down after she emerged from an exam room.
'Hey! Have you eaten lunch yet?' he asked.
'No, I've been way to busy saving people from runny noses and crotch rot.'
'Fantastic,' Chase groaned. 'Anyway, I was going down to the cafeteria and wanted to know if you want to come.'
'Sure. I am dying to get out of here!'
In the cafeteria, the two traded stories of particularly dumb clinic patients. Chase also told some stories about House that had either been passed down from previous fellows or events he had actually witnessed.
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'Leaving so soon?' House asked. 'It's only six? Don't you usually stay another...four hours?'
'I need to go home,' Cameron said.
'You'll miss all the fun!'
'Sorry I have to miss out on the joys of sorting mail. Unfortunately, I got in trouble last night for staying out late.'
'Did your parents ground you?' House asked.
'Yeah. I'm not allowed to leave the house except for school for a whole month. I tried telling them that they are being unfair, but parents just don't listen! They don't get me at all,' Cameron said dramatically, playing along with House.
'Too bad.'
'Goodnight, House.'
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'Wow! It's nice to see your face when there is still a trace of daylight out,' David said with ample sarcasm.
'I didn't have a case today,' Cameron stated before walking into the kitchen and grabbing some leftovers to eat.
'Again? It seems like you have no cases ever.'
'We just solved one yesterday.'
'Yes, saving the world from lung crap. Wonderful.'
'Look. I like this job, and I like my boss. If we don't get a case, I am fine with that.'
'What is so special about him. I heard he is a total ass.'
'He's a great doctor. And, he's really not so bad.'
'Really?' David said, 'I heard from several people that he hates all people.' Cameron could sense that he was now in the kitchen with her.
'What, are you stalking him or something?' Cameron asked.
'No, I'm not. I have an idea,' David said with sudden enthusiasm.
'What is it?'
'Invite him for dinner.'
'Dinner?'
'Yes.'
'House?'
'No, your other boss. Is that a problem?'
'No. It's just...he's not really...he doesn't seem to be the type of person who enjoys eating dinner with practical strangers.'
'Well, he knows you. And, you definitely seem to like him. I want to know what is so appealing about a misanthropic ass.'
'You don't even know him and you are already trashing him. This is why I don't want to invite him. I can see a total verbal war going on and lots of my-horse-is-bigger-than-your-horse arguments. Doesn't exactly make for a peaceful dinner.'
'I promise I'll be on my best behaviour,' David stated as if he were a child. That really annoyed Cameron. She continued to stare at him, telling him 'no' with her eyes. 'Why not? Unless there is another reason that you don't want him to come?'
'What are you insinuating?'
'Come on. Just one dinner so I can meet the guy that made us pick up and abandon our old lives.'
'Fine. But don't be surprised if he says no.'
Cameron walked into the bedroom, abandoning her food on the kitchen counter. She would clean it later. She saw this dinner as a disaster waiting to happen. Knowing her husband, he would act like he always does in public: a perfect gentleman who is devoted to his wife. Knowing House, he would see right through the act and stir up trouble. Then, they would argue about God knows what. Then, bitter words would be thrown from mouth to mouth across the table. Then everyone would leave unhappy. House would probably have some witty thing to say about David the next day at work. David would probably scream at her for giving up the life they had in Minnesota to work for House. Then, David would weave some sort of elaborate conspiracy about why Cameron actually liked House, and knowing David, it would leave her defending herself once again. No, she did not want House and David dining together.
Then, there was the fact that it would feel awkward for her. It would be awkward to sit next to her husband knowing that she never felt an electrical shock run through her body when David approached her. But, House merely looking over her shoulder at test results was enough to give her goosebumps and twist her stomach into knots. It would be awkward the next day at work when House psychoanalysed her and her feelings for David when both she and House knew he would be right.
But, it was her wifely duty.
A/N: Please review. Pretty, pretty please with sugar on top. And a cherry.
The next chapter should be up pretty soon! There is going to be a bit more drama in the near future.
