Chapter 9

Something surprisingly similar to a cane banging against her mattress woke Cameron up.

"Oh good, you're awake," House said when she opened her eyes.

"Wha…?" she asked as she tried to focus on the scruffy face at the foot of her bed.

"We have a patient," House announced.

Cameron blinked, eyes roaming around the room to make sure she was still in the hospital. "I'm your patient," she pointed out.

"Our," House corrected. "You're our patient—one of our current patients, that is. Despite my previous stance to keep our collected mental abilities on one case, you are technically already diagnosed. Hence our new patient," he explained, moving to the whiteboard that was still in her room.

"I'm… not in the team anymore," Cameron reminded him, eyes darting to Chase and Foreman.

"What do you mean?" Chase asked, confused.

"I qu--…" she began to say before House interrupted her.

"If you're talking about your request for a leave of absence," House added emphatically, "Cuddy and I have already discussed that. You're back to work, with restrictions, of course. No labs, no leg work, no dealing with patients...'

"So, basically she's you," Foreman quipped. "Isn't putting her back on duty asking for a lawsuit if anything were to happen? No offense," he added towards Cameron.

"None taken," Cameron replied, still confused.

"I suppose it's legally… risky—but Cuddy has a big heart under those huge knockers, and she knows that Cameron is only going through a temporary disability. She's confined to this hospital, and since we can still use her knowledge as an immunologist and diagnostician, Cuddy agreed to put Cameron back on duty," House explained. "One hundred percent of the pay and only thirty percent of the job. Considering that optimistically, you'll have two extra mouths to feed in fifteen weeks and three days, you are welcome."

"That's not fair," Chase argued.

"Tell me about it," House said with a straight face. "No, seriously, tell me about it. Go fill out a grievance form, and tell me what you really think. Make sure to put it in that basket-shaped inbox under my desk. And don't worry, when you get pregnant with twins, I'll make sure to give you same treatment."

Chase rolled his eyes.

"So back to our newest patient…" House began.

"Is this like our office now?" Chase interrupted.

Cameron sighed. It was going to be a long fifteen weeks.