Chapter 9
"House? You busy?" Wilson stuck his head through the doorway to House's office, but when there was no response from the figure lying in his office chair with both feet propped on his desk, he moved farther into the office and yanked on the ear bud connecting House to his iPod. House's response was immediate as he opened one eye to peer up at his friend. "Oh, you "are" awake."
"Yeah, I'm awake. What you just witnessed was called ignoring someone. It isn't quite as effective if I sit here talking to you."
"Well, since that isn't working for you, then you can answer my questions." Wilson took the seat on the other side of House's desk. "Did Cameron have a visitor today?"
"You know she did–or you wouldn't have asked. So, you've got some interest in my staff's visitors now? Foreman's father came in a few weeks ago–I didn't see you in here asking about him." House continued to watch Wilson from his supine position on the other side of the desk; his hands folded on his abdomen.
"Yes, but I know Foreman's father. So do you and everyone else in this department. I take it this visitor was a bit of a surprise, even to Cameron herself. Chase said she almost fainted."
"She turned a little green–but she didn't faint." House sat up in his chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his desk. "Is that all Chase had to say?"
"He said the kid called her "mom."
"Yeah, that's what I heard too. But she said we were hearing things. She claims it's her brother."
"Do you believe her?" House gave him a look that told him he thought Wilson was a nit wit. "No, of course you don't. You don't believe anyone. That was a stupid question."
"If it is her kid, she must have had him in high school. He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen." House picked up his cane and began to twirl it as he leaned back in his seat again.
"I know. I saw him. He looks like he packs a hell of a punch too. It wouldn't have taken much and he would have had you laid out on the floor."
The cane stopped twirling as House eyed his friend. "You saw that, too?"
"That's what caught my attention, old buddy. It's not every day I walk down the hall and see you and Cameron getting hot and heavy on your desk. It's no wonder the kid got upset–whether she's his sister or his mother, that isn't something anyone likes to see happening to a loved one, especially when you're that age." Wilson smiled at his friend's discomfort.
"If you saw everything, then why come in and hound me? You already know all the answers."
"Oh, I know the answers to questions that scene brought up. But as far as the kid, I was just curious as to your thoughts."
"You know the answers to what questions." House asked suspiciously.
"Oh, like why I would be walking down the hall to see my best friend about to push his employee down on his desk and make love to her."
"Sex, Wilson. Call it what it is. And that answer should be quite obvious. She got hot–I responded. Nothing extraordinary about that."
"Other than the fact that it isn't "just having sex" with Cameron–or you would have done it long ago. She's got her hooks into you so deep, you'll never be able to "make love" to another woman without thinking of her first."
"And you know all of this, how? Through your infinite knowledge of human nature and more importantly, of my shriveled little heart. Well, you can put your mind at ease, Wilson. It was sex–pure and simple. Just the same as Paula on a Saturday night. Only this time–I wouldn't be paying a fee."
"Whatever you say. But that doesn't answer the question about the boy. I thought you would have checked all of this out long ago. I mean, there are no secrets around you. You know everything about each of your staff members. You know Foreman's police record–or lack of such-- almost as well as he does. You practically know what prayers Chase said at bedtime in seminary school. The fact that you don't know whether this boy is Cameron's son or her brother amazes me."
"Amazing or not–you're putting too much importance on my knowledge of Cameron's personal life. It's none of my business whether she has one kid, twelve kids or no kids. The only thing that concerns me at this time is that she isn't here working, like she's supposed to be."
"Right." Wilson leaned back in his chair, crossing his ankle over his knee. "That's why, when you found out she was seeing Chase, you ran straight to Cuddy like a third-grader tattling on a classmate."
"Someone had to tell her. Can you imagine if a janitor had actually walked in on them in that closet? He would have been traumatized! We would have lost one of our best janitors. Next thing you know, we'll have janitors quitting all over the place–it would be total chaos!"
"So your solution was to "have sex" with her yourself–and instead of the janitor's closet, do it in front of everyone in your office."
"No, my solution was to ask her about the kid. She got mad and one thing lead to another and. . ." House shrugged his shoulders.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Do?"
"About Cameron. About the fact that she might have a son. And the fact that at this point, you've managed to make both of them so angry with you that they thought it was a good idea to use you as a punching bag."
"What makes you think I'm going to do anything?"
"Because I know you House. If anything, this will drive you nuts until you find out how this boy is related to Cameron. And if I know you as well as I think I do, you're not going to rest until you make sure she's not so angry that she can't even stand to be in the same room with you."
House stood up and walked to the other side of his desk. "Wilson, I don't care if she's so pissed that she shoots steam out her ass every time she comes to work. All I care about is that she "comes" to work and does her job. If this kid is going to prevent her from doing this–then it's a problem. If he goes back to Idaho, or Iowa, or wherever in the hell she come's from, then there won't be a problem, will there?"
House turned and started out the door, hearing Wilson's comment follow him down the hall.
"Keep fooling yourself, House," Wilson called after him. "Some day you'll wake up and see what's going on right in front of your nose."
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled.
House got into the elevator, heading down to the clinic to put in some much sought after hours that Cuddy had been hounding him about the past two days. He knew it was getting bad if he went there to avoid facing Wilson's accusations. If his infatuation with Cameron was that obvious to Wilson, he'd have to do something to make the man reconsider his observations of his coworkers. He just wasn't sure what that option would be yet. And as far as the boy's relationship with Cameron, it was driving him nuts. How could he have missed anything as important as that when he researched her past. Well, he'd figure a way to solve that puzzle as well.
Right now he needed to go treat some kids with snotty noses just to get his mind off of the kiss and embrace he had shared with Cameron before that little punk came in and interrupted them. Just the thought of it, made his hand shake as he leaned on his cane. The memory of her tongue slipping into his mouth in response to his kiss; the touch of her hands on his face and neck, pulling him to her; and the feel of her gorgeous bottom in his hands. . . Jeez, he needs to find some case of matted conjunctivitis or pus-filled strep or bulging otitis media, or anything that would take his mind off of the hot-headed beauty that was his employee.
