Chapter 12
PPTH—Diagnostics
Cameron and Chase continued to pour over the faxed report and the additional test results from Cold Harbor. As with their counterparts in Michigan, their frustration only grew with each passing hour.
"We've tried everything! What is this?" he declared in frustration.
"Then there's something that we're missing," she told him pointedly. Hearing a knock at the door, she looked up.
A fifty-something heavy set man with grey hair walked into the suite. "Drs. Chase and Cameron, correct?"
"That's right," Chase answered while looking the man over.
"I'm Dean Wyngate. Pleased to meet you both." He frowned while shaking their hands.
"But?" she wondered.
"But there are some matters to be discussed. Do you mind if we do so now?" Wyngate informed them.
"Umm sure. We do have a case but…," she noted.
"That wouldn't happen to be the case for House would it?" the Dean asked.
"It is. Is that a problem?" she queried.
"Since House—for once—went through proper channels, it's fine this time. I would rather see you give more time to our case though," Wyngate responded.
"The patient there is dying, Dean Wyngate," she reminded him.
"And we have other patients suffering here," Wyngate rebutted while shaking his head. "Quite the shame really."
"What is?" She bristled.
"House would rub off on you both."
The two fellows exchanged tired looks at each other, not wanting to be the one to say what was on both of their minds.
Wyngate stood and straightened his coat. "I am closing this department immediately. And there is the new fraternization policy. No relationships among faculty or staff here are allowed." He handed them two memos apiece. "For your records."
"You can't do this!" she protested.
"I have and the Board approved it. In this case, it's either your relationship or your jobs. If you choose to leave, I'll support you however I can. If you choose to stay, you know what you'll have to do," Wyngate announced.
Cameron looked to Chase who nodded back without hesitation. "Then we resign. Bad enough you drove House and Cuddy out of here, we're not going to cave. You'll have our letters by tonight."
"I see. Dr. Chase?"
"I'm with her, Dean Wyngate," he concurred.
"Very well. Clear out your things because you're terminated effective immediately. I'll send my apologies to Cold Harbor. Let me know so I can support you in your search," Wyngate told them before leaving.
"What a bastard!" she groused.
"Great. What's House going to do? What are we going to do?" he wondered feeling panic.
She squeezed his hand supportively. "First we're going to talk to Wilson. Then we'll speak to House and Cuddy." She smirked wickedly.
"Now what?" he asked, knowing she had a House-level scheme of her own brewing.
"Just follow me," she instructed as they headed out of the office.
Wilson's Office
Even as Wyngate dropped the ax on Cameron and Chase, Wilson studied the specs on a particularly difficult case. House would've stolen this case from the rest of us for the sheer challenge! He brooded over his friends' situation, feeling his guilt over the fact he didn't do more to help them. As a Board member, he needed to stick with policy. As a friend, he might have tried to do more. What should I have done? He examined the new fraternization policy and shook his head.
Cuddy's words from the standoff with Vogler echoed through his head. If you vote with this, it'll be the last free vote you'll take.
Before his self-incriminations could continue, there was a knock at the door. "It's open. Come in."
"Wilson, we had news. Thought you'd like to know," Cameron announced as she and Chase walked into the office.
"I…see." Wilson fussed with his hair. "Please take a seat. I take it this is over Wyngate's new policy?"
"We resigned because of it," Chase replied. "It was our jobs or the relationship."
"Wyngate's shutting Diagnostics down too," she added.
"Really?" Wilson rolled his eyes. "Wyngate was targeting you both. Several of us had suspected as much."
"And you went along with the policy anyhow?" she queried sharply.
"I voted against it of course. It passed 6-4 with one abstention. Let me speak to the other Board members…."
"Don't bother. It won't matter. Dealing with Vogler taught us all that," Chase admitted. "We need to focus on the case."
"Case?" Wilson asked as he accepted the folder from Cameron. "This is House's father!"
"Yeah. House is working on the case up in Cold Harbor. Since we're booted out of our offices and Wyngate yanked our privileges..." she explained.
"This is a problem. You can't work on it from home because there are no lab facilities. It'll take you at least a day to drive there. And it's too late to get a flight up there," Wilson presumed while picking up the phone and dialing House's cell.
"Sorry not taking calls from Judases now," House snapped.
"House! I'm calling about your father's case and the team! They've been cut off," Wilson informed him.
"Wyngate wouldn't move that fast. Yeah right," House doubted. "Try again, Wilson."
Cameron took the phone. "He's right, House. We were given the break up or be fired speech due to no fraternization policy. We were trying to figure out what we could do next. Any updates on your father?"
"Way to go. Couldn't you have played it out for a little while, Cameron? Do something extreme like lie?" House retorted sarcastically.
"The case, House. Your father," she insisted.
"Stuff's spreading to his lungs. Cuddy and Hadley are doing the MRI right now. Smear test came back negative," House reported. "Let me have Wilson back again."
"He wants to talk with you," she indicated while handing the phone back to Wilson.
"Yes?" Wilson asked.
"You can really earn some brownie points on this one. See if the lovebirds want to fly out here. Meantime you can do the consult," House proposed.
Wilson sighed, presuming that Wyngate would disapprove of any activity in that regard. Still he felt the obligation to help at least in that way. "Fine. Until Cameron and Chase get there. I'll be in touch. Hang in there, House. I'll let Cameron talk to you again."
She took the cell. "Fly out there? House, you know how much that is?"
"Planes, trains, automobiles….all that stuff. Just get out here," House concluded before hanging up.
She handed him the phone back. "So much for packing up our stuff." She looked at Chase. "We need to get out to Michigan ASAP."
"We don't have that much in the office. We can be on the road in a couple of hours if need be," he told her.
She weighed the options in her mind. "Fine. Let's grab what we can. We'll throw a suitcase apiece in the back of my car and go."
"This is a brave thing you're both doing," Wilson pointed out.
"It's House. As much as I hate to say it, we need him as much as he needs us," she retorted before shrugging.
Chase rolled his eyes behind her, not really wanting to admit that point aloud.
"Take care," Wilson expressed. "Stop by when you get back." He shook their hands.
The couple nodded at him before taking off.
And now House's team. When is this going to stop? Wilson mused dark thoughts at that point.
