PaRt ii
K, it's slightly AU because in past episodes, I think we've seen Chase drinking, but in this story, he doesn't drink anymore. Or at least he's not supposed to. . . but I'm not giving anything away!
House couldn't believe he was bribed into going to this stupid party, by Cameron even! But still, there was a lot of things he could do with 100 dollars. Well, actually, there wasn't much these days he could buy with exactly 100 dollars, he thought as he sat in his office.
House wasn't someone to notice emotion, but that day he had noticed that Chase seemed a little detached during work. He figured Foreman said something to him. Just Foreman's face could offend. House laughed at his own joke. He then sighed and stood. He supposed he would go home and get changed for this party thing.
"Oh, boy. If this doesn't kill me, I don't know what will. Maybe this Clinic. . ." he limped out the door.
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Chase blinked his eyes open and pulled his face away from his pillow which was still slightly wet. The room was a little dark and he rubbed his eyes again and looked at the clock.
7:35 pm.
Chase realized what was really going on and remembered what the day was. He scrambled out of bed and got changed. He ran to the door and caught a look of himself in the mirror and paused. He looked like hell – his eyes were puffy and red - and for a split second he asked himself why he was really going to the party.
This was almost a day of mourning for himself. He hadn't cried himself to sleep in awhile. He shook the thoughts out of his head and rushed out the door, locking it behind him. He hoped no one noticed how he looked.
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Cameron stood around the huge ballroom with Foreman, holding a glass of wine. She noted that there were a lot more doctors and nurses in the hospital than she thought. House walked up to them.
"Hey Greg." Cameron used his first name.
"Greetings. Where's my money?" House asked Cameron. Foreman laughed and took a drink of his beer.
"You don't get it yet. What's to stop you from taking the money and leaving?" Cameron sipped her wine as Chase rushed through the door. He spotted his friends and walked over to them, trying to smile and appear as if nothing was wrong.
"Took you long enough? What you do, forget?" Foreman shook his head. But Cameron noticed Chase's puffy red eyes and that his mouth may have been smiling, but his eyes showed the complete opposite.
"You okay?" Cameron asked for the second time that day.
"Yeah. I just fell asleep." Chase answered. House grunted.
"Wine? Beer? Something from the bar?" A man walked over to Chase holding a tray crowded with alcoholic beverages.
"Uh, no thanks. Do you have any sparkling water or something non – alcoholic?" Chase almost blushed. He still felt embarrassed asking that around other people.
"Of course sir." The man walked off returned with a glass of Pellegrino.
"Thanks." Chase felt extremely self conscious and what Foreman asked didn't help.
"Come on. Let yourself loose! It's a party!"
"I. . . don't. . ." It was now or never. "I don't drink. Anymore." He looked around the room. Cameron could tell this topic was making Chase uncomfortable, so she changed the subject.
"Can you believe that guy earlier this morning. . .?"
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A little later when Foreman went following a, what he called, 'hot nurse he never noticed before' and House was across the room talking to Wilson and his wife, Chase turned to Cameron.
"Thanks."
"For what?" she laughed, turning to Chase.
"For changing the subject. Before. I don't like to talk about what. . . well. I just don't like to talk about it." Chase bit his tongue. He nearly gave it away.
Cameron cocked her head to one side slightly and studied Chase, until she finally spoke again.
"What happened?"
"Oh. Well. . . um. . . " Chase began and then mumbled something.
"What?"
"I said 'today is the two year anniversary of the time I almost died'." Chase looked to the floor, trying to conceal the tear drifting down his cheek.
"Oh. . . my. Come here." Cameron led him into a quiet room off to the side and sat in chairs across from each other. "I'm so sorry. What happened?" Cameron felt immediately rude for asking but Chase answered after a moment of silence.
"About two years ago, I was with a party with my friends. I had too much to drink and got alcohol poisoning. One of friends called an ambulance I guess. I wasn't quite sure what was going on. I passed out in the ambulance and woke up in the hospital. The doctor said I was lucky my friend called when she did but that they almost lost me on the way to the hospital – in the ambulance. He made me go to this program and promise to try and watch my alcohol consumption. I figured it was just easier to stop altogether." Chase finally finished with a sigh.
Tears began to well in Cameron's eyes. She had no idea that there was so much pain and torment going on inside of him.
"Why'd you come to the party. You could've stayed home." Cameron moved next to Chase who looked like he was going to burst out crying any second.
"I suppose. . . I suppose I wanted to pretend everything was alright. But it isn't." Chase began to cry again. Realizing what he was doing he stopped crying and wiped his eyes. "I probably sound like such an idiot, huh?" Chase tried to laugh. Cameron looked instantly insulted.
"No you don't! You had a traumatic experience. You are not a fool." She practically yelled. Chase looked shocked by the sudden outburst as they sat in silence yet again.
"Why are you here?" he finally asked.
"What do you mean?" Cameron looked up, tears still running softly from her brown eyes.
"Why are you here?" Chase repeated. "With me." Cameron grabbed his hands and smiled gently.
"Because I care. About you. Nobody should have to live with that. No one should have to hide something like that from anyone. . ." Cameron would've went on if she hadn't felt Chase's lips brush against hers in a tender kiss. He pulled away from her and smiled.
"Can we stop talking about this now. I kind of came to forget about what happened. No bring back painful memories." Still shocked by what Chase did, she swallowed hard and bit her lip, nodding. They got up and walked to the door. Cameron suddenly stopped. She swung Chase around and pulled him in. She put her hand on the back of his head, feeling his soft hair and kissed him back.
Chase's eyes widened when Cameron pulled away and Cameron opened the door and winked at Chase.
"You started it." She laughed and Chase saw her walk away, eventually following behind. He forgot about why he was sad and depressed that day which was, he thought, a good thing. . .
. . . or was it?
Do not despair! This is not the end, but only the beginning! Okay, well, I didn't plan on making this to long, but who knows. If people like it. . . ; ; cough cough ; ; ; ; hint hint; ;
BTW – I fixed some mistakes pointed out to me. Just little ones.
