Disclaimer: Nada es mio.

A/N: I haven't written chapter 11 yet, though my muse has a plan, but I thought I'd post 10 anyway. This is my favorite chapter, I think...well, one of my favorites anyway. I hope you enjoy it, too, because I had so much fun writing the dialogue. I advise you to not sit around anyone who will think you're weird if you suddenly burst out laughing (read: don't read this in a library). Melissa practically embarrassed herself while beta'ing.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed last time. This chapter is for you.

A/N: HAZELNUT WHAT UP. Thanks to the hazelnut coffee that kept Melissa awake awhile beta reading. (Oh, and thanks to Melissa, too, I suppose...)

Cameron groaned and checked her watch again. It had only been twelve minutes since the last time she'd looked at it, but she felt like it had been an hour. She rubbed her eyes with her good hand and sank down onto a chair in the break room. She wished she had managed to get more sleep the night before.

Even after House had left, she hadn't been able to fall asleep. She had lain in bed for hours, unable to fall asleep even though the pain in her wrist had been dulled by the extra Vicodin. The guilt she felt over taking the extra pill hadn't helped, and she wished she could believe her insomnia was related only to guilt. But she knew that wasn't true. She knew the real reason she hadn't fallen asleep again: she had been a coward and hadn't let herself. She hadn't wanted the nightmares to return.

There was a sharp intake of breath and then she heard a worried voice. "What did you do to your wrist?"

Cameron looked up to see Sipho, his wide eyes full of concern, staring at her. "Oh, hi, Sipho," she said tiredly. "I just…I fell."

His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to her. Gently placing his hand on her shoulder, he said, in a tone of utmost gravity, "It's okay, you know. You can tell me. Is it Danny? Has he been hurting you?"

She was momentarily stunned by Sipho's serious demeanor, and then she began to laugh. "No – Sipho, of course not!"

He laughed, too, but continued softly, "There is something, though, right, Allison?" She didn't answer, and he kept going. "I know there is. There's a new doctor with a cane walking around, yelling orders at the nurses. No one seems to want him here, but no one is telling him to leave, either. And no one wants to tell me where Mary is."

Cameron froze. She didn't want to talk about Mary, least of all with Sipho. He kept one hand on her shoulder, but used the other to pick up her injured wrist gently. Trepidation filled her as he placed her wrist in his palm, but he didn't touch her further; instead, he examined her wrist and the ACE bandage closely using only his eyes.

"It's not broken," he said slowly. "If it were broken, you'd have a cast. But it looks pretty swollen…" His eyes trailed over to her other wrist. "It's definitely bigger than your right wrist. You say you fell, and maybe you did; you can sprain your wrist while falling. But…" He looked up into her eyes. She knew he wouldn't miss the dark circles. "…you're not sleeping," he whispered.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth at his youthful intuition. "No, I'm not," she confirmed quietly.

Cameron could see the pity welling in his eyes. "Is it because something happened to Mary?" Unable to speak, Cameron just nodded. Sipho nodded solemnly back, and then met her gaze. "Will you tell me what happened?" he asked softly. "It's okay if you – if you don't want to, or – can't. But if you could…I really want to know. I can guess…" His voice trailed off as his eyes took in the bags beneath hers again. "I trust you, Allison; I know you wouldn't lie to me. And I know Mary was your friend. So I'm asking you, please, to tell me what happened to her." He paused before adding, "She was my friend, too."

She sighed. It still amazed her that, despite being only twelve years old, Sipho had such a way with words. He was very convincing, very sincere, very easy to trust. She opened her mouth to speak, but then remembered she was, essentially, talking to a child. Sipho might have been mature for his age and a gifted speaker, but she was still about to tell him that his friend had been shot to death over a crate of medicine. If she were working for House…But you're not working for House anymore, a voice in her head interjected. Sipho's asking you like a man, so you should talk to him like the man he is.

"Allison?"

She swallowed and reached out her good hand to grasp Sipho's free one. She looked him straight in the eye, and then began quietly, "I'm sorry, Sipho, for not telling you the whole story before. I injured my wrist when I hit the ground…but I didn't fall. I dove to the ground."

"Why?" Sipho's whisper could barely be heard.

"Mary and I had gone to get the latest shipment of TB medicine…This was right after your last visit to the clinic. We got the medicine all right, but on the way back, we were attacked." Sipho gasped, but she ignored him, and continued, "I don't know who did it. I just heard the gunshots and yelled at Mary to get down. And she…" Cameron swallowed hard, but the lump in her throat wouldn't go away. Tears welled in her eyes and she shook her head to clear them, but they wouldn't go away. She blinked and they began sliding down her cheeks.

"And she didn't make it," Sipho finished quietly. He looked up at Cameron. "I'm so sorry that happened to you," he said. "That must have been really scary." His tone was even, but she could tell he was fighting to keep it steady. "You were very brave – you are very brave, I mean." He gently reached up and brushed a tear away from her cheek and then kissed the now-dry spot.

"How touching."

Cameron and Sipho both jumped. She hadn't realized they were being watched, and she groaned when she saw who had been watching them. House was standing about five feet from them, leaning against the wall and drumming his fingers on the top of his cane.

Sipho gave Cameron a meaningful look that clearly said, That's him. Cameron sighed. "House, this is Sipho," she said wearily. "Sipho, this is Dr. House. He was my boss before I came to work here."

House's eyes narrowed. "You let a five-year-old's lips get that close to yours, but you won't let mine near you? Never took you for a cougar. Look out, kiddies! Dr. Cameron is on the prowl."

Sipho's eyes widened. "I didn't kiss her," he said defensively. "Not that way, anyway. And I'm not five – I'm twelve."

"No one asked your opinion, Simba."

"It's Sipho," he corrected indignantly.

"Don't you think I know that?" House rolled his eyes. "I called you Simba because I was making an allusion. That's a fancy word we first-worlders use to make references intended to be misunderstood by uneducated third-worlders."

"House," said Cameron sharply. "Shut up." Turning to Sipho, she said, "Just ignore him. It's easier that way."

But Sipho wasn't so easily deterred. "I know what an allusion is, and I'm not uneducated. I have been studying hard and practicing my English every day so I can become a doctor someday. I suppose that means I want to be just like you. But I can only hope I never turn out to be as much of an ass."

His retort seemed to have taken House aback, for he didn't say anything as Sipho walked up to Cameron and wrapped his arms around her. "I should go now," he said, loud enough for House to hear him. More quietly, he said, "I will be back soon. Nomzamo's appointments are going to be happening more frequently."

She hugged him back, and murmured, "I'm sorry about House."

Sipho shook his head, and she was surprised to see he was smiling. "Don't worry. I'm glad for any chance to get one-up on an American doctor. And when I find the cure for AIDS, that'll show them all." He pulled away from her, gave a small wave to House, and then turned in the opposite direction and walked back to the busy clinic.

"You know that's never going to happen, right?" House muttered once Sipho was gone.

"What's not?" Cameron asked absently.

"Doogie Howser finding a cure for AIDS." Cameron opened her mouth to retort, but House cut her off. "Not because he's not smart enough, even though I doubt that he is. He's just not going to live that long."

"What are you talking about?" snapped Cameron irritably.

"Have you really been out of differential this long?" House scoffed. Cameron ignored the jibe, waiting for him to continue. "It's obvious. Your kid's going to die of TB before you've even packed your bags to return to the States."

A/N: Dun dun dun...Please review!