Knock Knock. Cameron didn't move from where she was curled up in a corner of the couch. She was trying desperately to drink half a bottle of vodka so she didn't have to think about Caitie Marsh any more. Knock Knock.
"Just go away!" she yelled in annoyance.
"I can't. Cuddy sent me here and if I spend less than ten minutes here she'll know. She knows all y'know. She probably followed me over here. Stalker." House muttered the last word.
"So sit in the hall," Cameron shot back. She poured more vodka into her shot glass and slammed it back. Greg House was the last person she wanted to see at the moment.
"But it's cold!" House whined. He had now taken to rhythmically thumping his cane against her door.
"Quit it," Cameron snapped.
"Quit what?" House asked innocently. Thump, thump, thump.
"Thumping! Quit thumping!" Cameron yelled. "For the love of Christ," she muttered under her breath.
"Let me in," House had decided he was not above infantile whining. Cameron got up and went over to the door. She wrenched it open. House was standing perfectly still with a smirk on his face.
"If you don't fu-" Cameron was about to tell him in no uncertain terms to go away when the alcohol took over and she lost her balance. She was surprised when all of a sudden she was pressed flush against House. 'Damn his reflexes are quick' she thought to herself.
"Now, now Doctor Cameron. Did medical school and your teenage partying days teach you nothing? When you drink on a empty stomach it doesn't take nearly as long for the alcohol to go to your head," House scolded playfully. He released Cameron from his tight grasp. Grabbing her hand instead House pulled her over to her couch and he sat her down. He grabbed the vodka bottle off of the coffee table before she could and put it down beside the couch so she couldn't get to it without first getting him out of the way. He may have had a bum leg but he could easily beat her with his upper body strength. "How does Chinese Food sound to you?" he asked.
"Why?" Cameron asked. The booze was now beginning to make her sad.
"Hmm I don't know. I just always thought those words were stupid," House replied sarcastically. He groaned internally when her bottom lip began to quiver. "Cameron-" he stopped. "Allison. I know you haven't had lunch today because we were so rudely interrupted by Caitie Marsh's heart monitors. I'm willing to bet my next pay check that you haven't had anything substantial to eat since breakfast. Now I'm going to order Chinese and I'm going to stay here and make sure you eat something," he told her. 'Oh, crap' he thought when he realised that Cameron had buried her face in her hands and was crying softly. House gingerly placed his hand on her back, she flinched but didn't move away. House got a little braver and began to rub her back in a way he hoped was comforting.
Cameron couldn't hold back the tears at House even saying Caitie's name. She put her hands over her face and felt the tears start to fall. As House finished his tirade Cameron thought he'd probably say something sarcastic because she was crying. Like he did when he caught her crying about her husband while she was re-calibrating the centrifuge. She almost leaped out of her skin when she felt his large hand come to rest gently on her back. She couldn't do anything but cry at that moment and so she didn't move and House began to rub her back gently. It was comforting. More than she'd ever admit.
When House saw that Cameron wasn't any closer to stopping crying he reached over her and gently moved her to rest against his side with her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her gently. She let out a sob and wrapped her own arms around his waist. House tightened his grip. 'Oh god. This feels good.' House thought miserably. 'Now I'm going to want to do it again. Lousy crying. Stupid Cuddy…' his mind was distracted from it's feverish ranting by Cameron's voice.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"What for?" House asked, too caught up in what he was feeling to be an ass to her like he usually did.
"Crying. I know you think I should toughen up," Cameron pulled away from House and wiped her cheeks. She sat stiffly, staring straight ahead.
"She was a baby. She had a little personality and everything. That always makes it harder. I don't expect to be emotionless after this," House said quietly and seriously.
"What about the other babies that time? The infected teddy bears? You told me to toughen up then. What makes Caitlin Marsh so different?" Cameron snapped feeling angry.
"They were just babies. Caitlin had a real vibrant little personality. And she called me pretty," House reverted back to the old House at the last bit. Cameron laughed giddily and House remembered that he had been going to get her to eat something. She was tipsy. "Ok, Miss Vodka Shots. Food. Chinese?" he asked.
"Sure. I'll be back," Cameron got up, fell back down and then proceeded to giggle uncontrollably. "I think I'm a wee bit drunk," she grinned hugely.
"No. I thought this was normal for you," House said with a very put-on wide eyed innocent look. Cameron giggled again before she got up and left the room. House rolled his eyes and ordered Chinese on his cell phone.
"Yes I will!" Cameron said firmly.
"No, Allison, you will not," House countered in exasperation.
"I'm going to pay for half of dinner," Cameron said stubbornly.
"No you're not," House sat back, adjusting his leg. "And I could argue with you all night."
"Ugh fine," Cameron was feeling better after her dinner and the coffee House had made her.
"Good girl," House praised. " Ok you've got the day off tomorrow because you went crying to Cuddy. Some of us aren't that lucky. I need to go and sleep before tomorrow," House got up and grabbed his cane. They walked to the door quietly and stood awkwardly.
"Thank-you. For stopping me getting wasted," Cameron said quietly.
"Eh. Can't have you hung-over when you get back on Friday," House snarked, an awkward lilt to his voice.
"Well I guess I'll see you on Friday then," said softly.
"Yes. And if you're hung-over…" House threatened, his sarcasm firmly back in place. Suddenly Cameron leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "See ya," she whispered before she shut the door.