Sorry I've been delayed on the updates. School had just started, so I'm very busy. Anyway... I hope you like this chapter, it's kind of a filler, but I'm thinking of finishing it all up in the next (just to be safe) 10 chapters or so. I know, it's sad, it's kind of dwindling down. But I do want to do a sequel, so maybe I can churn out those 5 chapters in a couple of months (I know it sounds bad, but I do have school work and my job to attend to). Then, it will be thanksgiving break or something, and I'll have time to set up a nice expositon for a sequel. I also have another fic idea brewing in my head... sigh what a time for me to get inspired! But, here I am, rambling again. Go ahead and read... then you know... REVIEW!
Chapter 21- Discovery
"That looks interesting." Chloe entered the lab to find Cameron running gels in an attempt to occupy herself.
"Fascinating, really." Cameron looked up from her microscope. "Are you really here to watch me run monotonous tests?"
Chloe picked up one of the test tubes on the tray next to Cameron. "Nope, checking out the equipment." Cameron raised an eyebrow, Chloe replaced the test tube. "Giving Robert some privacy while he apologizes to Foreman."
Cameron's mouth twisted into a suspicious smile. "Apologizing? To Foreman? What!"
"I've applied a series of conditions to my forgiving him. This is one of them."
The machine near Cameron beeped but she ignored it, opting to question Chloe further. "What are the other conditions?"
Chloe smirked. "There were three. Expensive dinner, apologize to Foreman, and... well we already took care of the third one last night."
Cameron turned back to the computer to check the test results. "I see." Her tone hinted that what Chloe had just admitted was a bit of an overshare. "Well, about that dinner, you should make him take you to Il Giardino. It's pretty much the most expensive place in Princeton. Unless you want to make the exceedingly long drive up to New York."
Chloe laughed at Cameron's reaction. "I don't know about New York, but I do think the boys have had enough time to play, what do you say we ditch this pop stand and head back to the conference room."
Cameron closed the program she was using to test the leftover samples. "That sounds like a plan."
The girls entered the room laughing like they had been friends forever. House also entered from his office. "I thought the rule was: no swapping embarrassing stories about other people unless I was around."
The girls stifled themselves a bit and each took a seat. Chloe at her desk, and Cameron at the glass table.
House continued. "Well, unless you two have anything else you'd like to share, I'm going to the clinic."
All of the ducklings immediately sat up. "Wait, you're going to the clinic? On your own free will?" Foreman asked.
House popped 2 Vicodin. "Only out of desperation. The cases you've been bringing me have been so boring, I have no choice. Also, I hear a bunch of the girls at Hooters suddenly got food poisoning." With that, he limped on his way. Foreman and Chase snickered and Cameron and Chloe rolled their eyes.
Chloe reached down into the box of files and picked out one at random. "This is going to be fun," she sighed.
Cameron smiled empathetically. "Hey, we don't have a case, why don't I help you with all that? It's not like I've never done it before."
"Really? That would be great!" Chloe took a few more files from the box, and carried them to the glass table. She sat down in the empty seat and began to work.
Suddenly, Foreman's beeper went off. He took it out of its holder on his hip and read. "I'll see you guys later. Cuddy's calling me for a consult in the Clinic."
Chase took a newspaper out of his bag and flipped to the crossword.
After a few more minutes of writing, Chloe decided to start another conversation. "So, is it always this exciting around here?"
Cameron smiled. "No, sometimes I get the consult."
Chloe giggled. "No really, I've heard about insane cases that no one else has been able to solve, save for the infamous Dr. House and his team."
Chase looked up from his paper. "So we're just, 'his team'?"
"I'd rather not be directly associated with a sociopathic, manipulative-" Cameron was cut off.
"Is he really like that? Incessantly rude, to everyone? Even to his patients?" Chloe asked.
"What little he sees of them." Chase went back to his crossword. "How do you hear about him?"
"I still have some interest in medicine," Chloe admitted. "It's kind of hard not to hear about his unconventional methods."
"How do you go from the top of your class at UNC, to filling out old paperwork?" Cameron wondered aloud.
Chloe decided to open up. "I graduated number 1 in my class from UNC in 2001. I was only 21. You can imagine, I had no life. I spent all of my spare time taking on extra classes, doing extra work, I just wanted to practice so badly, I sacrificed everything for it. I went to grad school for about a year, and then, my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that had metastasized to her liver and kidneys. There was nothing they could do. By the end of that first year, she had passed away. I felt like I was so selfish, spending all my time at school and none with my mom. It had just been me and her since I was 6. My dad died in a car accident. After I realized I couldn't do anything, I kind of just crawled in a hole and that was it. I decided that I needed a new life. So I got a new apartment and quit school. I had a few different jobs and such. Then about 8 months later I found Robert. The rest, is history."
"Wow, Chloe I had no idea. I'm so sorry." Cameron began to wonder if she should've asked in the first place.
"Hey, don't be, it's not your fault. It's in the past and I'm here now. I'm fine with it all. For now, at least." Chloe returned to the files in front of her.
Cameron sighed and went back to work as well. Chase, however, watched Chloe for a while. He also had no idea of the traumas in her past. As close as they were, they had never quite opened up to each other as much as other couples usually do. They had only been together a short time in Charlotte, and Chase attributed their lack of communication to the time limit. He would have to delve deeper, perhaps at dinner that night.
The rest of the morning went by smoothly. Foreman took on a rotation in the Neuro dept., so he was busy. It turns out House had lost a bet to Wilson, and was stuck in clinic all day long. Eventually Chase completed his crossword and was weaseled into joining the paperwork party with Chloe and Cameron. As the three were deciding what to do about lunch, Foreman walked in surprisingly, with a large cheese pizza to share with everyone. They all spent the rest of the day joking, chatting and filling out papers (except for Foreman of course, who went back to the Neuro dept. after about an hour).
At five, all of the ducklings and Chloe were getting ready to leave. As Cameron was hanging up her lab coat, she sighed and turned to Chloe. "I am so glad that Cuddy hired you. I was getting a little sick of being the only girl around. Now I finally have someone to talk with during boring days like this, instead of running gels or answering House's mail."
Chloe smiled. "That's so sweet! I'm glad I got to work here, it would be horrible to be in some cubicle all day filing and initialing papers all by myself until my arm fell off."
"You should come over and have ice cream and girl talk with me. It'll be fun," Cameron invited.
"I would," Chloe started, but then she took hold of Chase's hand. "But Chase owes me dinner tonight. Maybe some other time, I'd really like to."
"Okay, we'll talk tomorrow. But I'll see you guys later, bye!" Cameron grabbed her purse and left the conference room.
Chase made his way to the door and opened it for her. "Ah, the third condition. Well, do you want to go now, or do I need to rent a tux for this one?"
Chloe walked out, followed by Chase. She thought for a moment, and then decided to take Cameron's suggestion. "Let's go home and you can reserve us a table at Il Giardino."
"Il Giardino? You are certainly milking this for all it's worth," Chase concluded.
"Would you expect anything else?" She replied.