Trust

Cameron ran to House's side and pulled his arm away. Sure, she liked the guy (heck, she'd practically been in love with him for the past two years), but she had a duty to this little girl, to her patient.

House stared at Cameron. It truly amazed him how her backbone had slowly been growing over the past two years. When he had first met her, she would let anyone walk right over her. Now she was a strong and independent woman. He liked it. "She's not contagious, Cameron," he repeated himself.

Cameron knew it was best not to argue with House's points. He always ended up being right in the end, and right now, his point seemed pretty solid. Even she believed it. "It doesn't matter if she's contagious or not," said Cameron. "We have an ethical duty to keep her in containment until her condition has been diagnosed."

"What if I can't diagnose her condition without taking her out of containment?" quipped House.

Cameron stared at him in shock. "Then you're not the brilliant diagnostician I thought you were."

"You'd let this little girl die just so you can abide by the CDC's arbitrary laws?"

"The CDC's laws are not arbitrary!" shouted Cameron. She let go of House's hands. "And I'm not letting her die; I'm just trying to do my job without getting sued. I guess that's something you wouldn't know much about, though, is it?"

It was at that moment that Martha decided to step in. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Cameron decided it would be best not to reveal House's record of lawsuits. They'd most certainly be on the next ride out of Morgan City, Louisiana. Not to mention, Elizabeth would probably be doomed. Cameron stormed out of the room without answering the question.

"What was she talking about?" asked Martha.

Chase and Foreman looked at each other, but neither said a word.

"Nothing," said House quietly. He sealed Elizabeth's plastic and limped out of the room.

"Where is he going?" Elizabeth sat up straight in her bed. "He can see my skin! I want him to look at it!" She was shouting at the doctors.

"Lizzie, dear, please calm down," said Martha quietly. "Maybe he can look at it through the plastic."

"Who are you trying to kid?" cracked Elizabeth. "You don't even believe me!"

"I didn't say that, Elizabeth," said Martha a bit too quickly. She stood up straight. "Dr. Connor just seems to believe that those blue strands you found were just lent."

Elizabeth cackled. "You think I'm crazy?"

"I didn't say that, Lizzie."

"Go ahead," whispered Elizabeth. Her anger was turning to sorrow. "You think she's right about me."

Chase quickly stepped in and saved Martha from having to respond to her daughter's statement. "Dr. Connor is considering psychological conditions?"

Martha looked away from her daughter and up to the two remaining doctors. "Ever since Lizzie insisted that the strands were coming from her skin, she's been considering it."

Chase and Foreman looked at each other.

"We'll be right back," said Foreman.

&&&&&

Chase and Foreman exited the Mattock household to find House and Cameron arguing in front of the SUV. Well, to Chase it was arguing. To Foreman, it was a battle. House and Cameron were at a battle of wits to see who could come up with the best retort the fastest. He'd experienced many of them with House, and he knew that House liked them. Was House enjoying this? Did he actually like fighting with Cameron? Or was he just trying to push her away?

"House," interrupted Chase. "Martha says that Connor is considering psychological conditions."

House stopped his battle with Cameron and gave his attention to the boys. "Of course she's considering psyche conditions," he said nonchalantly. "But it's not psychological."

Cameron looked up at him. She walked over to stand in between Foreman and Chase so House would pay attention to her. "You think their real?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You really think that this little girl is pulling bluish strands… out of her skin?" Foreman tried to confirm the point. Every time he said it though, it sounded weirder and weirder.

House looked directly at Cameron. "Since when are you so eager to call our patient a liar?"

"Since when do you actually believe them?" Cameron snapped.

House didn't respond with a snap, but rather his proof and evidence. "Foreman ordered a psyche evaluation for Klein Levin's, right?"

"Yeah," said Foreman.

"She's not insane," said House. "Her evaluation came back normal, didn't it?"

"That doesn't mean that these conditions aren't psychological," said Cameron. "It just means that she doesn't have Klein Levin's."

"The test isn't specific per disorder," said House. "If she passed one evaluation, she can pass them all."

"Well maybe she's faking it," said Cameron.

"She's faking sanity?" House said rhetorically, but he kept the possibility in the back of his mind. He was always open to new ideas and causes, except for when he was fighting with the person that was providing them.

Cameron didn't respond. House had gotten her once again. She'd have to work up on her skills. "So what else explains blue fibers?"

"Nothing," said Chase. "There isn't anything in the body that's blue."

"Blood is blue when it's not oxygenated," said Cameron. "Could they be made of blood?"

"No," said Foreman quickly. "They'd become oxygenated when they reach the surface. Just like when a person bleeds after being cut."

"What about veins?" Chase asked.

"Same concept," said House. "Chase is right. There's nothing blue…"

Cameron sighed. "It's got to be environmental. Maybe it's a toxin or a fungus."

House considered it. "The kid is feeling bugs…," he said mostly to himself. "Maybe she's not crazy after all."

"You're thinking an infestation?" asked Foreman. "Wouldn't the dermatologist have found that?"

House shrugged. "Not all doctors are as brilliant as you and I, Foreman."

House walked back into the house, and his ducklings followed suite. They walked quickly to Elizabeth's room; Martha was still there waiting with her daughter.

"Do you know what's wrong?" she asked hopefully.

House didn't answer. "I need to see her skin."

"House, we've been over this!" retorted Cameron.

House glanced at Cameron before looking over at Martha. "Get Connor on the phone," he said. "I want Elizabeth's nurse and tutor here tomorrow at the same time as well."

Cameron nodded and pulled out her cell phone as Martha gave her the numbers of Elizabeth's nurse and tutor.

"And make it a late meeting," said House. "I like to sleep in."

&&&&&

Cameron walked into the motel room and sat on the bed next to House. "I'm sorry about earlier."

House smirked. Maybe he was wrong about her having grown a backbone. Still, he couldn't deny that he liked her. What was it about her? One minute she was a strong and confident doctor, and the next she was a sweet and caring teddy bear. Maybe that's what he liked so much about her. She was a puzzle. She was complex, and there was more to Allison Cameron than met his eye. "You don't have to apologize."

"I wanted to."

"Why?"

Cameron looked at him. "Because I felt bad about yelling at you," she said. "Do I need another reason?"

House didn't respond. Sometimes he wished he could feel bad about yelling at her, or anyone for that matter. The truth was, though, that he didn't, and he wasn't likely to change.

"Are you okay?" asked Cameron. House was being too quiet for her liking, and to her quiet meant angry.

"I'm fine," said House.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "House, if we're going to make this work, you're going to have to trust me," she sighed. "Trust me enough to tell me what's wrong."

House looked at her. She looked sad and distressed. As much as he wanted to comfort her, he still didn't feel like he could trust anyone. It had nothing to do with her; he'd just been hurt too many times. He wasn't sure if he was ready to open up to anyone again, and he wasn't sure when he would be. All he did know was that if he would ever open up again, it would be with the woman sitting right next to him.