Author's Note: Stacy's husband's name is Mark. I found it on the Fox website. I have it as Tom in the beginning chapters, but hereafter he shall be referred to as Mark.
Just so that you could know
Some angel is
Stuck inside of me
But I cannot set you free
When Stacy reached House's office, she found it empty. There was a yellow, generic Post-It on the door, though, and she removed it.
"What does it say?" A female voice from behind her asked.
"'Gone Fishin.''"
Cameron smiled a tad, but it did not reach her eyes. The two women, tolerant of one another in civil situations, were now in disputed territory—House.
"So," Stacy decided to start out with a cliché, "look what the cat dragged in."
"Yes, look. I didn't know they allowed rats in the hospital," Cameron retorted.
"Aw, well, apparently they need all the doctors they can get. Poor Cuddy. Shame the quality of doctors has gone down in the past few months."
"Such a shame, too, that the reputation of lawyers keeps declining, don't you think? Have you ever heard the joke that the only good lawyer is a dead one? I find that one especially amusing."
"Taking lessons from House? He doesn't like leeches."
"And he doesn't like snakes."
"Touché. At least I don't give him the puppy dog eyes every time I'm within five feet of him. Oh, yes, Dr. Cameron, I've seen the looks you give him. He doesn't want you. Doesn't that hurt you?"
"At least I'm not committing adultery."
"Whoever said I was?"
"You seem to be thinking about it."
"Well, I'm a human, too, as you seem to be forgetting. Am I allowed to have feelings?"
Cameron didn't have a response, so she changed the subject.
"House needs someone who won't hurt him," a dripping Cameron told Stacy.
"I agree. He needs someone who can give his shit right back to him. He also needs someone who is…dry," Stacy's nose crinkled.
"At least I'm not afraid to get wet. He needs someone to be there for him."
"He needs someone who can give him his space."
"He needs a kindred soul to fix his bitterness."
"He needs a bruised soul to commiserate with."
"He needs someone who's single!"
Stacy stared back at Cameron. She took a step nearer to her.
"You're a little girl. He does not need that."
"And—" Cameron emphasized her point with a squishy step closer to Stacy, "—you're an old woman."
"At least I'm not trying to sleep with him to get the working perks."
"How dare you!"
"Please, sleep with the sarcastic hard-to-work-with boss and that will make him like you better at work. That's not House's style."
"At least I didn't make the wrong decision about his treatment. Maybe he wouldn't be so—angry at the world if you hadn't help screw up his leg."
Before Stacy could come back with another retort, they heard the familiar tapping of a cane from down the hallway. Both fell into silence, as the object of their bickering paced into view.
House was shirtless. Cameron unconsciously felt her eyes drop to his nicely toned stomach and she felt Stacy next to her stiffen. They both saw that his pants were on, but he was missing a belt. His shoes were also missing. He looked up as he turned the corner.
"Oh, shit."
"Greg, what in the name of God are you doing walking around the hospital in your damn birthday suit?" Stacy crossed her arms.
"That's not a birthday suit," Cameron hissed.
"Well,
you'd certainly like to see him in his birthday suit, now
wouldn't you?"
House turned around quickly and started back
down the hall, while the two women locked each other with glares that
bespoke a horrible punishment that they wanted to inflict on one
another. Cameron noticed House was gone first and moved before Stacy
did.
"House!" She yelled down the corridor.
"Not here!" He yelled back.
"Greg, damn it! Get your scrawny ass back here!"
Stacy's voice cut through the air and House stopped in his quick dash down the hallway. He swiveled around.
"I don't care what you two do, but leave me alone. Stacy, go back to your husband, maybe kill a puppy or two. Cameron, go home, maybe you can take in a wounded puppy. I'm busy. I'd very much like to see a catfight from you two, but if you won't oblige, I must leave."
House's eyes fell on Cameron and Stacy. He knew Cameron was thinking about ways to make him admit his feelings for her and he knew Stacy was conniving, like she normally was.
"Fine. I'm going home," Cameron, said in a move that House didn't see coming.
"And I'll go back to Mark."
Stacy turned on her heel and left first. Cameron started walking away slower.
"Dr. Cameron, tell me why you're dripping."
"It's raining."
"And you were stupid enough to think that catching a cold would help treat patients?"
"Why do we, as children, Dr. House, dance in the rain and catch it in our mouths? And why, Dr. House, do we shy away from the rain as adults? No one's here except a few of us, and it doesn't matter anymore."
House stood there looking anywhere but at Cameron's face. He knew the answer to her question. Adults hated the rain because their sins were so many and so heavy that not even the rain could wash them away. Maybe that wasn't the answer, but tonight, with so many of them in the same space and Wilson's blabbering on about sinning, something must have stuck.
At that moment, though, when House looked up to see Cameron walking away, he realized that he needed her and she didn't need him. Stacy was gone—married women were not his territory. Cameron could leave him forever and would find another man…but he…he needed her. Maybe it was the light-free hallway or the rain in her hair or the alcohol that could be smelt on his breath, but something made him look at her and his mouth opened.
"Dr. Cameron, Cuddy's got some dry clothes in her office and a couple bottles of wine. Oh, and there's some strip poker. It's not everyday you get to see Wilson in his heart boxers. C'mon. Plus, Cuddy's kicking Wilson and mine's asses…we need another women, so one woman can lose her clothes."
Cameron looked disgusted and sneezed. She smiled abashedly at House.
"As long as there are dry clothes."
He nodded and started off ahead of her. She jogged up to him and put a hand on his arm.
"Listen, I can be your friend. I can be your girlfriend. I can be whatever you need me to be."
"Need. Funny. I just need you to be you," he told her.
She smiled and let the wet hair fall into her eyes. She took the crook of his arms and the two proceeded to walk down the hallway to Cuddy's office—together.
You said always and forever
Now I believe you baby
You said always and forever
Such a long and lonely time
Stuck inside of me
That night had dawned and found each one of the small contingent of damaged people at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital making their confessions to make-shift altars. Wilson confessed numberless sins to tongue depressors and cotton balls. Stacy chose the beeping monitors. Cuddy liked her wine. Cameron picked the stars. And House dawdled in his memories.
Night, though, now ended with daylight peeking through the blinds of many different offices throughout the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. When night withdrew its claws, new sense of spirit and hope could be found permeating the ranks of the formerly-barely living. With fate and the stars on their side, these people, so tireless during the day, found another tired soul with whom to commiserate. Cuddy and Wilson, broken by too many fights with other people, found solace in wine and each other. Comfort made interesting bedfellows. House and Cameron, broken by bad legs and murderous diseases, found relief from their seemingly endless anguish in the rain and one another. Stacy enjoyed the small pleasure of being with her husband—in sickness and in health.
Yes, the people of Princeton-Plainsboro had started tonight never wanting to see the day again. By dawn's light, each knew that the day would be fleeting and that the glorious night would once again come. And this time, none would be alone.
Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. I really enjoyed writing this and I'm glad everyone else seemed to enjoy it. I'm thinking about spinning off the poker game? Any takers?
