To anyone asking questions about Erica Church and the like, I honestly can't tell you much about her or whether she'll return. I just make it up as I go along. I must say, though, that your reviews do make a difference, so keep reviewing! Thanks a lot and enjoy!

P.S. I had a slight complaint recently about Chapter Two and the Dead Poets Society spoiler I neglected to warn about. To that person, I'd like to say that I am SOOOOOO sorry! And that the problem has been fixed so that it will not happen again. ;)

House sat in the chair behind his desk in his office, head tilted back, eyes closed and hand holding a package of ice to his head. The vicodin did a pretty good job with most of his headache, but his body was adapted to the vicodin's numbing powers, so it really didn't do much better than a regular aspirin would have. Did he still feel that it had been worth it? Even if the head butt had knocked him out and put him in a coma for the rest of his life, the answer still would have been yes. Besides, he had endured worse pain.

It was during these thoughtful meanderings that House vaguely noticed the sound of his door opening and footsteps on his carpeted floor. He finished his thoughts, brought these details to the front of his mind and opened his eyes to see Cameron standing on the other side of his desk. She gave him a bemused, exasperated, amused sort of look and he just shrugged in response. "Please don't ask."

"Then please don't tell." She replied as she took a seat across from him. "Don't the pills help?"

"That's the problem with a dependency, after a while it takes more to do more." Cameron blinked and gave him a strange look.

"That is the first time I've ever heard you admit that."

"Everyone knew it, what would have been the point?" Cameron gave a thoughtful smile and shrugged. House waited, knowing that she'd come to the point of her visit, if she had one. Sometimes she just came to sit, like Wilson did.

"How bored are you?" She finally asked. Her visit was at least partly business.

"Just hand over the file and I'll let you know after I fall asleep and drool all over it." She smiled lopsidedly and coughed a Wilson-like laugh as she put the file in his hand. The thought occurred to House, not for the first time, that Cameron was slowly becoming like another Wilson to him. At least if he kept thinking that it would help keep his mind off of other things that he wouldn't admit it was on. The last thing he wanted on his mind was the thought of him and Wilson and flamingos and coconut cream pies and handcuffs and casino waiters. Crazy rumors. House cringed thinking about it. Cameron noticed and smiled curiously. House caught her glance and gave her a dismissive look. "Ever heard that rumor about me and Wilson?"

"The one with the flamingo? Please don't tell me that's true." She joked. House chuckled.

"No, but I was briefly reminded of it, thus the face." She stared at him. "I have a bizarre thought process." He offered. She cleared her throat and indicated the file in his hands.

"Well?" House glanced down at it and then threw it back to Cameron.

"He needs a chiropractor, not a diagnostician."

"Did you even read the file? How does someone hurt their back by just running?"

"The diaphragm expands, aggravating an older back injury, which aggravates the muscles in his back," Explained House. "Do an x-ray to be sure, but otherwise give him some codeine and refer him to a good chiropractor."

"What if he needs surgery?"

"Then his chiropractor will refer him to a doctor who is not me." House leaned back in his chair again and replaced the ice package on his head. Cameron still stayed and sat and watched. The silence was starting to become irritating, simply because it wasn't one of those 'nothing to say' silences. Cameron wanted to say something and she wasn't saying it. "What?" Growled House finally without looking at her.

"I heard something about you today."

"If it's about that old woman and her dog in Colorado the charges were dropped. No one can prove I did anything." Cameron ignored the response.

"A patient came out of the clinic without complaining after being treated by you." She informed. House took the ice off his head and slowly leaned forward, looking at her. "Rumor goes that she looked positively radiant when she left." Cameron raised a teasing eyebrow. House shook his head. Crazy rumors. "The fact that every other patient after that didn't leave without having something to say about how horrible you treated them definitely raised some questions."

"Are you implying that I slept with a patient?" He asked, slightly amused and very curious.

"I'm implying that there is a rumor that says you did."

"And?" Did she believe it, he wondered.

"I am inclined to believe that rumors are a bunch of crap," She started. "However, most are at least founded on some amount of truth."

"Are you jealous?" He teased. Actually, there was a real question in there somewhere.

"What happened?" She asked, ignoring him again. House leaned back and shrugged.

"It just happened to be the first time I ever enjoyed treating a patient." He said.

"A patient?" She inquired. "Not the illness?"

"She thought like me and she understood me." He said, ignoring her question in return, but offering an explanation. He didn't feel like to needed to, but it was what she wanted. "And she only looked radiant because everyone else by comparison looks like the devils wrath after they leave." Cameron let out a soft giggle. House suppressed a wince as he felt his heart constrict. Damn giggling fool. If he could make her cry she'd go back to sniffling. If he made her go away it would solve his problems all together. Well, not all of them.

"The nurse said there was no treatment." Stated Cameron. "She was wasting your time."

"She had a bad bruise on her face, and her story amused me." He said. "Besides, coming to see me got her neighbor off her back."

"Sounds like you cared about her."

"Oh my, is my humanity showing?" Cried House sarcastically. "How embarrassing!" Cameron rolled her eyes, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere. She sighed and stood to leave.

"So, send the kid to a chiropractor?" She asked, reverting to the original subject.

"After the x-ray and the codeine." Confirmed House. "And please find me something interesting." Cameron looked at him and flashed him a smile before heading for the door.

"Study yourself for a while. I'm sure you'll find plenty to keep you busy." As she disappeared around the corner House burst out in laughter. He knew what she meant, but the mental image it created was too much to take, especially when the words had come from Cameron.

Again I'd like to thank my friend Ije. He really did seriously hurt his back while running, which is somewhat of a medical mystery. The explanation thought up by House in this story is the only explanation that the doctors could think of to explain what happened to Ije's back, and it's only a guess. He's a great source of inspiration for me and he deserves recognition.