CHAPTER TEN

House turned sharply back around to look at her, and found Chase at her side, his hand running over her cheek, forehead, his soft voice asking her name, where she was, etc. House couldn't move. He looked at the two and realized that maybe he did lose his chance to be with her. He berated himself for giving up on her – hell, not ever giving her a chance.

He took one small, tentative step toward the bed, taking out the small pen light in his pocket.

"Cameron, what's your name?" Chase asked, his voice shaking as if he were holding back tears.

"You moron! You don't ask someone their name and tell them their name," House said as he gently got close to her and ordered her to follow the light, up, down, side to side. Her reaction time was perfect and she never took her eyes off of House, totally ignoring Chase.

"Cameron, do you remember what happened?" House asked.

"Hmmphhh, ummm…" Her voice was shaky and deep. She swallowed hard and her face contorted in pain because of the air tube that had been down her throat during surgery. "Mmmm chesss tight," she mumbled.

"You spent almost six hours in surgery. They had to remove your spleen because of internal bleeding and you suffered a concussion. You're going to need more surgery on your leg – it's fractured," House told her, then continued. "What's your first name?"

She hesitated a moment and finally answered. House continued with the questions and he was satisfied there was no long-lasting effects from the bleeding in her brain and the concussion. "What is the last thing you remember?"

She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Dinner…" she turned to Chase and continued, "with you and Foreman." She turned back and looked at House, reaching out for House with her right hand. "I guess you had to work late."

Whatever contentment House had about her coming around evaporated, as if a cold front came through the room and sucked all the air out, leaving him barely able to breathe. He looked at Chase but tried to hide his apprehension, which he looked right through.

"I wanna go home," she muttered, "Sleep in our bed." House could no longer hide his trepidation.

"Cameron, you have your own place," Chase finally spoke.

She nodded her head and squeezed House's hand. She tried to smile but the many stitches in the corner of her mouth stretched and it hurt her, but she was able to whisper. "What's he talking about?"

Chase noticed House nod at the IV, then up at the bag of fluids, which included the morphine drip. He took it to siphon the morphine to be released with the fluids, which he did.

"Gre…, we live togetherrrr…" Her voice trailed off, she closed her eyes and was asleep in moments.

Chase looked up at House, frown lines exploded over his eyes and stretched across his forehead.

"Oh, god," Chase said under his breath.

House slowly pried his hand free of Cameron's and nodded toward the door, indicating to Chase to follow him out. A minute later the two men stood out in the hallway, Chase leaned against the wall.

"She does have brain dam…" Chase started to say but House cut him off.

"We don't know that. It could be from the anesthetic."

"House! She thinks she lives with you! Apparently that's brain damage!"

"I'm not getting into this with you right now," House replied sternly.

Chase took a step closer to House. "You knew we were together. And you kissed her."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You've said that before. Don't you think you are taking your stress over Cameron out on me?"

"Hell, no! I care about her! You don't! You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself! You'd only hurt her."

"Like I said, I'm not getting into thi…"

Chase took a step closer, their noses only inches apart. "I will NOT let you hurt her!"

"I'm not going to hurt her because I'm not with her."

"House, everyone knows how she feels about you."

"Felt. Felt about me. She made that perfectly clear. Besides, seems she's chosen you, anyway."

"What's going on out here? You two lower your voices," Cuddy said as she approached the two and tried to separate them. "How's Cameron?"

Neither men spoke. They just stared at each other.

"House, Chase, in my office," she demanded. "Now."

"I can't. I've got a headache," House answered cockily.

"See! That's what I mean! She's lying in there in critical condition with…and you can't even pretend to be worried about her. She doesn't deserve you!"

"Well, if you knew anything, you'd know there's nothing we can do now. She will come around on her own. All anyone can do for her now is to give her time."

House walked away but Chase called out to him, "She may not have that much time!"