House lent against the wall, keeping a silent vigil over Cameron's dimly lit room.
It was late and everyone had gone home save for a few of the late night nursing staff, so there was no chance of any one commenting on his strange behavior. No matter how hard he tried to distract himself, even opting for clinic duty much to Cuddy's shock, he couldn't shake the conversation with Chase that still lingered in his mind. The man was an idiot but unfortunately partially right; Cameron did see something in him, he just didn't know what it was.
He'd asked her once, a few years ago, why she liked him but the answer was just as evasive now as it had been all those years ago.
Easing the weight off his bad leg, he glanced at his watch. Two hours had passed and he was starting to get restless, there was only so much 'coma watching' he could take and while he didn't mind the chance to unwind, he was still expected to turn up at work tomorrow not sleep through the entire day.
Clutching his cane tightly a soft moan halted his movements and his gaze snapped to the bed. They'd been expecting Cameron to wake up anytime now, her vitals had improved and physically she was doing well but until now she hadn't given any indication of coming out from the coma.
"Cameron?" He lowered himself to the seat beside her bed, curling his fingers around hers, "If you can hear me, squeeze my hand."
After a tense moment he felt the soft pressure and let out the breathe he'd been subconsciously holding, "Good girl, now how about opening those eyes?" He winced at the gentle tone that found it's way out of his mouth before quietly shrugging it off. The chances of her even remembering it once she woke up were slim anyway.
'House?'
His name rasped out of her lips, barely audible, and he reached for the glass of water beside the bed. Holding it firmly with his free hand, he waited until her eyes opened fully before bringing the glass to her mouth.
"Easy..." He let her take a few sips before returning the water to it's previous position, "How are you feeling?"
Cameron blinked, slowly absorbing the question.
Fuzzy was the first word that came to mind to describe exactly how she felt. Her body ached, she was extremely tired and sore but confusion was definitely the most prominent feeling. Resting her head back against the pillows, she coughed slightly trying to clear the scratchiness in her throat. "What happened?"
Realizing he still had hold of her hand, House chose to ignore the fact she'd avoided his question and let go, running his fingers along his thigh. "You made a new eight legged friend who said hello by sinking his fangs in."
Cameron frowned trying to make sense of the words. "I was bitten by a spider?"
"Either that or you injected his venom into your foot." He raised an eyebrow, trying to lighten the situation. "I'm really hoping you didn't do that, kind of a hard fetish to explain."
Her mind started reeling, taking in all the new information. She knew she'd had the flu but a spider bite seemed unlikely, especially since she couldn't remember being bitten in the first place. Glancing down at her her leg she tested it's movement, wincing as pain shot up her right side.
"Yeah, you probably don't want to do that." House gestured with his hand over the area. "It's going to be sore for a couple of days. You could get a cane, then we could match." He pointed to the wooden aid and Cameron suppressed a small smile, slightly intruiged.
Something seemed different about him.
Her forehead creased trying to work out exactly what it was but she couldn't place the feeling and deliberately lead her mind back to an easier topic. "I went in to anaphylactic shock? I'm not allergic."
"Didn't need to be." He offered, relieved that he was dealing with another doctor and and not a patient. "The venom attacked your immune system which was down because of the flu. If you hadn't been sick, you would've been fine."
There wasn't one sarcastic quip in the explanation and Cameron caught his gaze with widening curiosity. Obviously her condition had been serious enough to warrant him worrying but while the thought of asking scared her, she needed to know how close it had been. "How bad?"
House closed his fingers over the top of his cane, twisting it awkwardly. He rarely backed himself into an awkward silence, usually shattering it with a smart remark, but once again he held his tongue reaviling the answer.
Cameron swallowed, deciding not to push the matter. "At least tell me Foreman wasn't the one to figure it out?"
"Hardly," He puffed out a breath, "That man can't even find his socks in the morning!'
Cameron chuckled slightly, knowing it wasn't true. House's team was good, if not the best and she felt a little more at ease knowing they would've worked tirelessly to find out what was wrong with her. "So I take it I have you to thank then?"
"Don't worry," He shrugged his shoulders casually, "I'll deduct it from your pay."
"Youdon't pay me anymore." She raised an eyebrow, wondering if he'd forgotten the fact that she no longer worked for him but his next words caught her off guard.
"That could change."
A second of silence passed and then he coughed, not allowing her time to question the offer. Truthfully, he'd make room for her on his team in a heartbeat but there was no way he'd ever make her privy to that information. If she wanted to come back, she'd have to ask.
"You should get some rest, do those bags under your eyes a favor."
Cameron smirked as he pushed on his cane and stood up. Whether he was serious or not about her returning, she was exhausted and could question him about it later. Right now all she wanted to do was sleep.
"Night House."
He paused by the door, turning back to see her eyes already half closed. Feeling as if he out to give some sort of response he let a standard, 'Sure, whatever' roll off his tongue, before leaving.