"Are you looking for House?"
Wilson turns round abruptly as the Dean of Medicine's sharp tone cuts into the silence of the clinic's office. Nodding his head at her in greeting, he follows her back out out into the main waiting room- the office occupied only by a single aging nurse and the wafting odor of her cheese and pickle sandwich- and falls into step beside her.
"I'm looking for Cameron."
"Ah, so you're looking for House?"
"I guess so. Have you seen her around?"
"No, I was under the impression House's team had a case. However, neither Cameron nor any of the others seem to be keeping too keen an eye on the patient... You would think with Vogler's warning that they'd be a little more on the ball...Try paging her."
"I have, but there's no response."
Cuddy's brow furrows as a series of emotions pass over her features in quick succession. The first is irritability that the young brunette should be so careless as to ignore what could be an important medical alert. The second is confusion as she finds the idea of Cameron being quite so lax with her professionalism unlikely. The third is concern; this last expression matching Wilson's uncannily.
"That's not like her."
"I'm sure she just mislaid her pager or something... If you see her though, tell her House is looking for her, and that it's pretty... Well, it's pretty urgent."
"...Dr Wilson, is there something going on I should know about?"
Wilson shakes his head slowly, honey-brown eyes avoiding the Dean's uncomfortably. Such behavior would normally arouse greater suspicion in the dark brunette, but she has about a million other things to be doing, and getting caught up in one of House's twisted little games is not about to become one of them. Sighing, she reaches for a chart that lies atop the Clinic's long countertop.
"Fine. If I see Cameron, I'll send her to House, and if you see House, send him down here; he was due to clock in half an hour ago."
The oncologist nods curtly before hurrying off towards the elevators to continue his peculiar search.
"Cameron?"
House barges into the female locker room to a shrill yelp and an incredulous glare.
Neither of these are bestowed upon him by the brunette in question and this irks him greatly. Returning the disapproving scowl of the young, semi-clad woman he recognizes vaguely from the ER, he limps further into the narrow locker room in the direction of the showers. The nurse hurries after him angrily, pulling her top on over her head as she goes.
"What do you think you're doing!"
"Getting my rocks off, want to join?"
"You can't go in there!"
"I seem to be managing alright so far."
"Hey!"
"What is your problem!? Ok, fine! Go in there and find Cameron."
"What? Who?"
"Dr Cameron. Brunette, skinny, temperament of a kicked puppy-"
"-What?... Fine, wait here!"
She offers him one final glower, hazel eyes rolling irritably as she marches into the steam filled shower room. A moment later she reappears, huffing loudly as she stalks past him back towards the lockers.
"No one in there."
"There has to be. Maybe you just didn't look hard enough-"
He drowns out her waspish reply, sticking his head round the door to investigate for himself. He slams his cane angrily into the wall when he sees straight away that the nurse had been right; not a single pair of feet visible from beneath the raised doors of the shower cubicles.
"-Damn!"
"See, I told you! Now get out!"
Snarling at the young woman as she ties her hair into a prim bun, he storms past her, cursing the hospital for its size.
Outside in the hallway he digs into his jeans pocket for his pager, sending the brunette yet another 911 message but becoming all the more sure this will fall into the senseless void that has gobbled up its predecessors.
Just go check her car, she's got to be there... Where else is she going to be?
An unwelcome image of Cuddy's office turned Vogler's begins to form in his mind but he battles it swiftly away, refusing to accept that the young brunette could be so stupid. She couldn't possibly be dumb enough to allow herself to be bullied into... That... Just for the sake of a job.
"Maybe not for hers. But what about for Foreman's? Chase's?... Yours?"
"Fuck."
Turning away from the elevators that lead to the car park, the graying doctor limps back up the hallway from which he originally came, knuckles white as they grip his cane.
The Chairman smiles broadly as he beckons his hand to welcome in the young brunette, dark eyes roaming her slim frame intently as she closes the door behind her and stands with her hands clasped in front of her stomach.
"Dr Cameron, what a pleasant surprise..."
Green eyes flicker up at him warily, the young doctor walking tentatively forwards into the room to stand before the Chairman's desk. Vogler raises an eyebrow, leaning forwards to regard her with a slow smile.
"And what can I do for you today?"