Chapter Eleven
Sitting down at the round table, House took his spot across from Cameron and Chase and Stacy and her co-worker, Brent, sat down near House. As if on cue, Stacy and Brent lifted their briefcase to the table and took out some papers.
"Hi Cameron," Stacy said in her professional tone. "This is Brent, he'll be representing you. I thought i'd tag along and help out if I can."
Cameron shot House a look. At that moment, she would've rather have gone back and faced Christopher herself then sit in a room with Stacy. Sure, she didn't actually have a reason to hate Stacy but women were enemies until something made them friends. She wasn't about to befriend the woman who broke House's heart. House held Cameron's gaze as Brent went on about their course of action. After about twenty minutes, the group dispersed and while House walked out Stacy and Brent, Chase stayed with Cameron.
"How pissed are you?" Chase asked casually as he broke up some food in small peices for Cameron to eat.
"What do you mean?" she answared while eating the peices of food as he handed them to her.
"Please, Cameron. I know you better than you think. House just called the girl he use to love for years to come and help you."
"She's a lawyer, Chase." she said sternly.
While Chase fed Cameron at the table, House stood outside the door leaning on the wall, while Stacy did the same against the opposite wall.
"
She looks terrrible," Stacy whispered.
"What, did you think the desperation in my tone was code for 'come over, let's bang'?"
"Grow up, House. She can't stay here."
"She can't go home!"
"You said her boyfriend is a cop. You don't think he's not going to be able to find her? And when he does, you know as well as I do, that it will be worse then! The longer she stays hidden, the angrier he gets!"
"I'm not sending her back into the lion's den!" he said nearly flailing his arms.
"House," Stacy said sternly, "she cannot stay here!"
"Then what do I do?"
"You've always been a genious, Greg. Think of something," she huffed and walked away.
House stood there, alone in the hotel corridor staring off at the wall. After a few moments, he walked back inside to see Cameron and Chase on the couch watching T.V.
"I gotta get going. My shift starts soon!" Chase said getting up and giving Cameron a peck on the cheek, which didn't go unnoticed.
Chase gathered his stuff that was strewn about the room and said a brief goodbye to House before walking out the door. House slowly limped over to where Chase had been sitting not long ago. Cameron sat with her arms tightly around her knees. House glanced over at her a few times and she would pretend to not notice.
"Looks like you and the wombat are getting close again," he said with a hint of anger.
"Looks like you're starting to become an ass again," she quipped.
"If you have something to say Cameron, then just say it!" he almost yelled fully well knowing where the conversation was headed.
"Stacy? You called Stacy to help me?!" she said in as loud a voice she could without breathing too heavily to make her ribs hurt even more.
"She's a lawyer, Cameron! She's not even going to be YOUR lawyer. I called and asked for legal advice on how to continue from here and she's helping. That other suit is going to be attending to you!"
"I thought you hated her?" she asked almost sadly.
"I thought you didnt!"
"Look what she did to you when you put your life in her hands, House".
"Touche," House said playing with his cane. "She isn't your medical proxy, she's only a lawyer helping out the lawyer who's going to be helping you".
"You told me that if you stayed friends with an ex, than either you were never in love," she looked at him coldly, "or you still are".
Cameron stood up as fast as her body would allow her and walked over to the bed and laid down. Throwing all of the blankets over her she curled up into a ball and tried her hardest to fight off tears. House stare off blankly thinking about her words. He knew he wasn't in love with Stacy. What he didn't know was why Cameron was getting emotional over the thought. He stood up slowly, walking over to the TV and shutting it off. He limped over to the door and locked it then shut off the lights as he made his way over to Cameron. He took off his coat and his shoes and slowly sat laid himself down onto the bed next to a curled up Cameron. He stared up at the ceiling and she held the blankets over her face.
"I'm sorry," he said so softly it almost came out as a whisper. "You were in trouble and you needed help. I thought," he stopped and hesitated, "maybe I could help you."
"I know," she choked out.
"You need to get better Cameron."
"I know."
"I want to help you get better. Stacy is merely a stepping stone to you getting better. Don't worry, i'll be there when we get to stomp over her to the finale."
She let out a small laugh which made House smile. It always amazed him how easy it was to make her smile. She coughed a little as she attempted to roll onto her back and then onto her opposite side, facing him. House rolled over to his good side, facing her. Her eyes were red and puffy.
"What are you doing here, House? You're never interested in the treatment. You're only interested in the diagnoses."
"Well if you die, Cuddy will force some other doctor to do my paperwork for me. You just happen to be my favorite peice of lobby art in the hospital. I don't want someone else taking your place," he said not thinking about his words. They were kind, something House was not.
"I'm not sure if that was a compliment or if you really just hate change that much that my death would inconveinance you, but thanks."
"Welcome," he sighed, "don't get all sappy on me, Cam. You should go to sleep, you need to build up some strength so tomorrow when I try and force feed you, you can try and defend yourself," little did she know, he wasn't actually joking.
Not listening to his previous statement as she was falling in and out of sleep she went began yawning out, "remember that night at my house? That night I asked you to hold me?"
He nodded and tried to not smile when he remembered, "yeah."
"I haven't slept that good in so long. Can you please just hold me again? It's hard for me to fall asleep if I don't feel safe-"
"And you feel safe when I hold you?" he was suprised, no woman had ever said that to him.
"Mhm," she could barely make out as she rolled over facing the wall and began to drift off.
House looked at her body for a moment before moving a little closer to her and pulling her towards him. He nestled his face into her wispy hair. He placed one hand on her stomach so he could try and monitor her breathing. House wouldn't admit it out loud but not only was he going soft for her but he hadn't slept well since the night at her house either.