We arrived home a couple of days ago, and I finally finished the next chapter today. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 28.

They sat side-by-side on the sofa. She leaned toward him. "This is much more comfortable than ours."

"But it doesn't open up." He faked a frown.

She opened her eyes wide as if in alarm. "Whatever shall we do?"

He caught her mouth with his lips, then forced it open.

Slowly they undressed each other. Luckily neither was wearing much. She stood so he could help her out of her slacks and then didn't sit down again. House slipped a finger under the elastic around her hips and slid down her silky red panties. She turned, and he stood, too, and unhooked her bra then deposited gentle kisses on each shoulder and along her collarbone. When she faced him again, he kissed each nipple and laved it with his tongue.

She removed his briefs and caressed his hips with her palms.

Before things got much further, he took her hand in his and they walked to the guest room. Her suitcase sat in a corner out of the way. He tugged off the bedclothes and gently pushed her onto the bottom sheet.

Their hands roamed again, caressing, coaxing, enticing, exciting. "House I missed you, I missed this. Don't ever stay away from me again."

"Stop talking."

But before he prevented her from speaking, she said, "Take me now." That was all she had to say.

"My pleasure." His eyes blazed with passion.

They'd done this so many times before, yet each time felt like the first, both familiar and beyond any expectations. Skin touched skin. Shivers and tingles spreading through them as their bodies heated up along with the ratcheted excitement, the pleasure, the rapture.

They finally joined, developed a rhythm, soaring together as always, yet reaching new heights of ecstasy. Racing hearts, unquenchable longing finally sated. Unable to speak, Cameron still thought, if this is what happens when we're apart for a few days, maybe it's not such a bad thing. But then again, she knew how hard it had been.

Making that moment last as long as possible, they slowly came back to earth. She snuggled against him, not wanting to move, to lose that closeness. Legs remained tangled, while syncopated heartbeats and breathing slowed to almost normal.

He kissed the top of her head, then an ear. "Guess that was what you wanted."

"You too, if I'm not mistaken." Her heart felt light, as if it could float away.

In the morning, they were both ready for another round. This time they took it slower, savoring each touch, each caress, no longer so frantic. But before long, kisses became more urgent, leading to more stroking than caressing, more rubbing than touching. House whispered words he probably never said before, and they were met by responding murmurs from Cameron. Fingers were followed by lips and tongues.

Their efforts grew wilder as searing kisses sent shivers through their most sensitive spots. Cameron's screams alternated with purrs and then she shouted his name. House grinned.

But eventually, life had to intrude. They rose together, took turns using the bathroom, then showered together before dressing for the day in jeans and t-shirts. House scrounged in the refrigerator for something for breakfast, settling for leftover Chinese food, while Cameron made them both coffee.

They drove to the hospital, eager to see how a new day found Wilson, but were greeted by a distraught Jessica and an empty hospital bed. All the pleasurable feeling evaporated in an instant.

"He seemed so fine, but then about ten last night, his speech began to slur and his eyes closed. He still hasn't woken this morning. The doctor's already been in, the young one. They've called Peters since he rarely comes in on Saturdays." She shook her head. "The one who examined him said it's probably a slight relapse, but he couldn't be certain of anything without some tests. They've taken him for a CAT scan." She glanced at her watch. "About half an hour ago."

Cameron took her hands, then slipped an arm around Jessica's shoulders. "It could be another hour, maybe more. Have you had any breakfast?" She watched Jessica's slight head shake "At least come down to the cafeteria with us for some coffee."

"Not great coffee," House warned.

"I want to be here when James returns." Jessica pulled back.

"We won't be long, don't worry. You'll be here." Cameron gently dragged her toward the door. "We'll be gone fifteen minutes, twenty tops."

Reluctantly, she went with them.

When they reached the cafeteria, Cameron left her sitting at a table with House and went to get coffee for each of them, some eggs and toast for Jessica, and a cheese Danish for House.

Jessica picked at her food, although she drank the coffee.

House finished her eggs and toast, of course.

They returned to the still empty room in twenty minutes. Almost an hour later, Edwards, who'd first agreed with House's desire to have Peters consult, wheeled Wilson in. With the help of an orderly, he shifted the patient onto the bed. "Peters will be here soon. He's examining the results of the scan."

"And?" House stared at him. "Post-concussion syndrome?"

"Let's wait until Dr. Peters tells us what he thinks." Dr. Edwards took one more expressionless look at Wilson and then left.

While they waited for Peters, Cameron made a delayed call to Detective Cullen. She told him what Anthony said, but without the conclusion she and House had inferred about Sheila's death. He could decide for himself whether he suspected Danny, the electrician who'd pulled Anthony from the wreckage, of destroying the hospital to mask killing his former girlfriend.

House and Jessica spoke in hushed tones, and House listened with one ear to what Cameron said on the phone.

"What did you mean by post-concussion syndrome?" Jessica asked.

House shrugged. "Sometimes after a head injury, the patient continues to have problems with concentrating and with memory. In Wilson's case, he's just sleeping again. The good thing is he's not having convulsions and when he was awake yesterday, his speech wasn't slurred."

"So this is normal?"

"It happens. Unless the scan shows something wrong, I wouldn't worry about it." Whether he'd take his own advice was another story.

Cameron finished with Cullen and reported, "He's taking Anthony's information about Danny and Sheila quite seriously."

"Good." House smiled slightly.

"What about them? I don't understand." Jessica blinked.

"The man who rescued Anthony was seeing the woman who died, but they broke up a few months ago," Cameron explained. "He might have both motive and opportunity to have caused the explosion."

"Don't forget, he's an electrician and would know how to rig something like that," House pointed out.

Cameron's gaze drifted to Wilson, but he hadn't moved. "I'm going to find Peters."

"Edwards is already watching for him."

But House couldn't dissuade Cameron from heading for the nurses station to ask where Peters was. Instead, she ran into Chase there.

"I heard you were here," the young blond doctor smirked. "Couldn't keep away?"

"I'm here to see Wilson." She didn't have to explain herself to him.

Chase hesitated. "How is he?"

"That's what I'm out here trying to find out."

Chase nodded. "Guess you finally got what you wanted all along, the big guy's attention."

"Chase, I don't have time for your jealousy." She sighed and started to turn away.

"But it's true, isn't it? You and House are together?"

She smiled. "Yes, we are." She was tempted to cross her arms, but decided she had nothing to defend.

Peters and Edwards approached, so she had a good reason to turn from Chase. "What did the scans show?"

"There's no additional damage. He's just taking longer to recover from post-concussion symptoms." Peters waved a folder. "I'm convinced that a bit more patience is all we need."

Chase drifted away, and so did Edwards. Cameron and Peters entered Wilson's room. Peters repeated what he'd told Cameron.

"But how much longer?" Jessica cried. "He was awake and now he isn't again."

"Your friends can tell you the symptoms can persist for days, weeks, even months." he sighed. "We know Dr. Wilson was alert the last time he was awake. That's the best sign."

Jessica didn't appear convinced. Her phone rang but she was too distracted to answer it. She finally looked at the caller ID as the sound died. "Bart."

"Why don't you call him back?" Cameron suggested. "He and the rest of House's team are probably anxious to hear the latest."

Jess made the call, and told her brother, "There's nothing to report. James still hasn't woken again." She turned to Cameron. "He says everything's been quiet at the clinic."

Cameron hadn't really thought about it after she left for New Jersey. "Tell him I'm glad he volunteered to cover for me this weekend."

As Jessica ended the call, a commotion in the hallway penetrated to the room. The door burst open and a very angry doctor came in.

"Dr. Fielding, I didn't call you about this case." Peters glared at the intruder.

House had told Cameron about his earlier run in with the doctor who headed the trauma unit.

"If you'd called me in on this case sooner, Dr. Wilson would be well on his way to a complete recovery by now," Peters went on.

"I don't answer to you, Peters. I'd received reports that Dr. Wilson's condition had deteriorated. No doubt your surgery worsened the situation." Fielding looked like he wanted nothing more than to take Peters down a peg.

Peters shook his head. "If his condition had deteriorated, we wouldn't be standing around here, talking about releasing him."

That was news to Cameron. She hoped Peters meant it, although he hadn't said anything earlier.

"Yeah, he has no intention of spending another night in your crummy trauma department bed." House had to have his say.

Fielding looked from one of them to the others, but finding no encouragement, he left.

Once he was out of earshot, Jessica asked, "Do you really intend to discharge James?"

"Perhaps after one more night, but he can spend that in my department. As the wounded from PPTH have been released, we have more beds available. I'll make the arrangements to have him transferred as soon as I leave here."

"Thank you, Dr. Peters." Cameron smiled at him.

"I always enjoy sticking it to Fielding, the pompous a..." He looked at the two women and refrained from using the word.

Fifteen minutes after Peters left, two orderlies entered with a gurney to move Wilson. House, Cameron and Jessica followed them to the service elevator that took them up to the fifth floor. There, the pace of doctors, nurses and orderlies going about their work was much slower. The room they took Wilson to had a better view of the town and, in the distance, the university.

The minute the orderlies deposited Wilson in the bed, his eyes opened. "Where am I?"

Jessica brushed a hand across his furrowed forehead. "They moved you to a room in another department so the head of the trauma department would leave you alone."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Who are you?"

Jessica moaned. "James, it's me. Jessica."

He shook his head, then rubbed the temples as his gaze scanned the room. "House? What are you doing here? What am I doing here?"

"You had a head injury. We're at Princeton General." House swallowed. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Happened? You left." Then he seemed to catch sight of someone else. "Cameron? What...why…?"

Cameron walked closer. "Jimmy, House and I came when we heard you'd been hurt."

Wilson turned back to House. "Did you say Princeton General? Why not PPTH?"

House blew out some air through closed lips. "Because PPTH blew up."