The last part was a bit short, so hopefully this one will make up for it. Thank you for your continued support. It always makes me smile to get little comment emails in my inbox!
Chapter Twelve
The halls were relatively empty and House thought that he'd be able to make it to his office without seeing anyone. His luck ran out as he turned the final corner and almost ran into Dr. Foreman who appeared to be in a bit of a rush for someone who didn't have any patients.
"Whoa, there sonny. Where's the fire?"
Foreman took a step back and gave House an exasperated look. It wasn't even in the same league as most of House's but he couldn't expect to beat the master.
"Cuddy has us filling in for you down in the clinic and there's a busload of food-poisoned football players coming in."
"Oooh, lucky you! Damn this suspension, that's just the kind of challenge I like." House could barely keep the smug smile off his face.
Foreman ignored the needling and tempered his own attitude with concern. "I heard that they caught the son of a bitch who shot Cameron. That true?"
House had been about to limp past and make a break for it, but he stopped. "They caught him, yeah. Cameron went down and picked him out of a lineup yesterday."
One eyebrow rose. "Cameron went or you took her?" He knew he was treading on thin ice.
Drawing himself up to his full height, House stared Foreman down. "I took her. Are you going to ask me what my intentions are now?"
"No. Not yet anyway."
"Oh, that's good. I'd hate to have to fight you for her," House remarked snidely.
Foreman crossed his arms across his chest. "You may be the most brilliant doctor in the whole damn hospital, but as a human being, she's worth about ten of you. You fuck her over and I will be there to personally hand you your ass."
House regarded the younger doctor seriously. The threat wasn't an idle one made of one part bravado and two parts testosterone. He meant every word he'd said. House couldn't blame him. He could relate. He wanted to kill the man who had hurt Cameron, and Foreman was giving fair warning that he'd do the same.
"Point taken," he said, "but just for the record, I'm not planning to fuck her over although I suppose just plain fucking isn't out of the question eventually."
A distorted grimace appeared on Foreman's face. "Yeah, thanks, you can keep that information to yourself."
Turning serious again, House stared into Foreman's dark eyes. "I plan to. And I expect you to do the same." His voice was pitched dangerously low and Foreman nodded his complicity.
"So, how is she doing?" he asked after their silent agreement was made.
"You can ask her yourself in about an hour. She's up getting the sutures removed and letting Fraser run her through a series of expensive tests."
"She's here? Great. Page me when she comes down. I'll run back up here and let the jocks puke in their helmets for a few minutes."
"Ah, the ever sympathetic Dr. Foreman. Obviously you really need a dose of Dr. Cameron's niceness." He started limping down the hall again. "I'll page you," he said without turning around, "but do me a favor and don't bring Chase with you."
Foreman chuckled. He'd been wondering if Chase was off the hook yet. Apparently the answer was no.
It had been a hellish day, dealing with reporters wanting to know about Edward Vogler's sudden departure from the hospital and reworking budget drafts to subtract one hundred million dollars in funds. On top of that, she'd been trying to keep the clinic running with only two doctors on staff, and deflecting consult requests for House. Damn, she was actually looking forward to his return.
A soft knock at the door and she looked up ready to bite the head off the person standing there. Ten insults and part of her bad mood slipped away when she saw Cameron standing in her doorway looking slightly nervous.
"Dr. Cameron, come in. I didn't know you were in the hospital." She stood up and waved her in, motioning to the small sofa that lined one wall as she walked around her desk to join her.
Cuddy had never been a buddy-buddy kind of boss, and Cameron had never even worked for her directly so their interaction had been limited to patients and the occasional request to relay a threat to House. However, over the past month a very small soft spot for her had formed. She'd respected Cameron's decision to resign and had suspected the real reason behind it. Even if she hadn't seen a few unguarded looks pass between them, House's worsening mood after her departure had given it away. The attack had caused another shift in her attitude toward the younger doctor. It was impossible not to feel something when a person you'd seen and worked with on almost a daily basis for a year was wheeled past you on the verge of death, but again, seeing House's reaction to it was what really made the difference. She'd watched House spend over five years trying to disprove the phrase 'no man is an island', and seeing him actually show some emotions other than bitterness and anger had been a shock, but a welcome one. For that alone, Cameron had earned her admiration and even a sort of distant affection. She poured two cups of coffee from the pot on her filing cabinet and handed one to Cameron before sitting down across from her.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, getting the most obvious question out of the way first. It was surprising how unused to friendly conversation she was. Fifteen years scrambling her way through a sea of male colleagues could do that to a woman.
"Sore, but getting better," Cameron replied, feeling slightly out of her element. "I actually came by to talk about my bill here at the hospital. I know that probably sounds pretty stupid, but I haven't gotten one in the mail and I know it has to be large to say the least. I thought that if I talked to you I could make some sort of arrangement with the hospital. I'm not actually working right now, but--"
Cuddy held up her hand and cut her off. "It's taken care of."
Cameron stared at her, brows knit together in confusion. "What? I didn't have any insurance. How can it be taken care of?"
"Actually you did have insurance," Cuddy told her after taking a sip of too-strong coffee. "I added you back into the system the day Vogler left."
"Dr. Cuddy, I'm not an employee."
"I'm well aware of your status at the hospital. I simply continued your coverage for the next sixty days. Consider it a severance package."
Cameron had already worked out in her head exactly how much she would be able to afford per month and still be able to eat, drive, pay her student loans and keep a roof over her head. The knowledge that her plan wasn't needed came as such a relief that she almost laughed. She couldn't keep the pleased smile from spanning her face. "But wait… there are still the deductibles. They have to be at least a thousand by now."
"Also taken care of."
"By what, the Vogler parting gift?" Cameron said with a grin that could almost be called a smirk.
For a second, Cuddy considered keeping the truth to herself, but she changed her mind a moment later. House was a closed-off, sentiment-free bastard most of the time. Cameron deserved to know when he was actually being nice to her, especially if the rumors down in the diagnostics department were true.
"House," was all she said.
"Dr. House paid them?" Cameron's stomach did that rather annoying flutter and she felt a pleasant blush creeping up her neck.
"He was going to pay the whole bill, on his American Express, no less, and after I finagled you back into the system he insisted on paying everything that wasn't covered."
Cameron leaned back, a bit astonished, but feeling a sense of peaceful happiness settle in her chest. She looked across at Cuddy and tilted her head to one side. "He wouldn't want you telling me this," she said.
"You're right. He probably wouldn't. Then again, he never swore me to secrecy either," Cuddy could smirk with the best of them. She put her coffee down and leaned forward, elbows on her knees. "Allison, I've known him for a long time. He's always been a cynical, egotistical pain in the ass, but he's a great doctor. I have no idea what is or isn't going on between you two, and since you don't even work here anymore, it really isn't any of my business. Even though he's a pain in the ass, for some screwed up reason I still think of him as a friend and I wouldn't mind seeing him a little more content." She paused and sat up straight again. "Let's just say I haven't seen him tossing his credit card around for any other women, and I'm telling you this because I know that dragging his feelings out of him is going to be like pulling teeth for you, so good luck."
Cameron could suddenly hear Chopin's Nocturne in the back of her mind, but that bit of sentimentality was something she was going to treasure and keep to herself. "Thank you, Dr. Cuddy. For everything. I really appreciate it."
"Don't mention it. If you can keep him on an even keel that only makes my job easier. Now you'd better get out of here before he starts searching the hospital for you."
Another little smile. "I'm not sure he'd go to that much effort, but I did tell him I'd meet him in his office."
"Good. Try to keep him out of trouble until his suspension's up. And you know, I hear there's an opening down in his department. Sounds like that could be a good fit for you if you're still looking."
Cameron put her empty cup on the coffee table and stood up. "I don't know if I'm ready for that," she said honestly, "but I'll keep it in mind."
He looked up before she even came into view and he wasn't sure if it was coincidence, or the sound of her footsteps, or that he'd had some kind of 'Cameron detector' installed in his brain without his knowledge. He couldn't remember being that conscious of another person's presence since the age of eighteen when he'd rushed to hide porn under his mattress when his mother walked by the room. And it hadn't even been the good porn.
His blinds were open for a change and he watched her walk down the hall, her stride slower than he was used to, her clothes hanging loosely on her frame. His critical eye noted every change, but he also noted two things that had gone back to normal. She didn't have her arms wrapped around herself as protection, and her eyes were looking straight ahead, clear and purposeful instead of focused on the ground. He saw it all in the five steps it took for her to walk the length of his glass-walled office to the open door.
"Fraser done poking and prodding you?" He asked as she walked into the office.
One of her shy little grins appeared, just small enough that House wasn't forced to look away. He couldn't know that it was caused more by her conversation with Dr. Cuddy than Dr. Fraser.
"He wants to see me again in two weeks, but for now I'm good to go."
That was just what House had been expecting, but hearing the words still caused a surprising amount of relief. "Good. That's good." He found himself nodding because the words "Thank God" would sound ridiculously over dramatic despite the fact that he was thinking them.
"I stopped by the lab and Foreman and Chase weren't there, and they aren't here either. Do they have a patient?"
"Cuddy has them working down in the clinic. I told Foreman I'd page him when you got back."
"Oh, I can just head down there," she replied, but she hesitated when she should have turned to walk out.
On the walk to his office she'd been having a little argument with herself over whether or not to tell him that she knew about what he'd done for her. He'd been less than receptive the last time she'd thanked him for something like that, but that didn't change the deep need she felt to show her gratitude. But was that just a selfish need on her part? Or maybe things had changed since then. Maybe now he would be more open to hearing her.
"Something wrong?"
His words made her decision for her. "No. I…" she hesitated once more before continuing on in a rush, "I stopped by Dr. Cuddy's office on the way here. I wanted to work out how to pay for everything, but she said it was already taken care of."
House feigned disinterest. "What? Ah, right. She told me she was extending your insurance."
Cameron took a step closer to his desk as she looked into his eyes. "Yes, and she told me you paid the rest."
It was easy to break her doe-eyed gaze by pushing back from his desk and standing up, exhibiting a sudden desire to get a folder from the other office. "I did," he said bluntly, never one to mince words when it came to cold, hard facts.
"I know you're not big on being thanked, but I really appreciate it. I figured I'd be living on a pretty strict budget for a while. You really didn't have to do that, and I know you probably didn't even want me to know, but now I do, so…" She was starting to ramble as she followed him through the door into the office that had once been hers.
This was wrong. Completely wrong. House turned away from the shelves and limped back across the room to stand a scant foot in front of her. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him with a questioning look on her face.
"You've got to stop this," he said and his tone was just a hair's breadth away from anger.
Cameron was completely taken aback. Of all the reactions she'd pictured, this one hadn't even been on the distant horizon. "What? What's wrong?"
"This… this little play we're acting out right now, with you the timid ingenue and me the gruff professor you're afraid will tear you apart. If that scenario is the basis for our relationship, or whatever the hell it is we're getting ourselves into, then it's never going to work."
Cameron blinked a few times and bit her lower lip, which was, she supposed, exactly what he didn't want her to do. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "I can't help it… I get flustered around you sometimes. I'm afraid of how you'll react."
A short grunt from House and he took a half-step backwards, considering her words. "Word on the street is that I'm a real bastard, so you were probably right to be afraid, but do you really plan on keeping it up forever? You've put me in my place more than once this week. What changed when you walked in this office?"
"Force of habit?" She bit the bullet and decided to put the truth out in front of him. "I'm still not used to you being nice to me… not like that, and when you are, you try to brush it aside like it's nothing, or pretend it never happened. You did something that I don't think a single one of my pathetically small number of friends would do for me, so I wanted to thank you for it, and I didn't know how you'd take it. If you'll remember, you didn't really care for my gratitude earlier."
"Yeah, well that was different." It bothered him more than he was going to say that she was actually admitting that she didn't expect niceness from him. "For one thing, you worked for me then, and as your boss it was my job to do what I could to keep you employed."
"And now?"
Shit. His eyes wandered around the room, looking at anything but her face. How was he supposed to answer that without sounding like a bad romance novel? "Now you're a woman and I'm a man." Shit. "A man who-" He looked down suddenly as Cameron wrapped her arms loosely around his waist.
"Shut up," she said quietly. "I get it."
He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "Good." He wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "And about the money? You're welcome."
They stood like that quite comfortably for nearly two minutes before Cameron muttered, "I suppose that people in glass offices shouldn't hug."
"Afraid of ruining your reputation? Because being seen with you can only improve mine," House replied.
Cameron tilted her head back and waited for him to look down at her. "Definitely not afraid," she said firmly. "But I'm surprised you aren't."
A little smirk. "Oh, I'm full of surprises."
Of that she was quite certain. She was also certain that despite his words to the contrary, he wouldn't be happy if rumors about them began to circulate. Making jokes was second only to making insults in his line of defensive maneuvers. She stepped out of his embrace but held his gaze.
"I should go down to the clinic."
"Ah yes, the boys will be falling over themselves to get you a cup of coffee and a place to sit."
She rolled her eyes and gave a little laugh. "I think you overestimate their chivalry."
"I think you underestimate your womanly charms."
He turned away quickly as if to avoid the tender look he knew she would give him, but it floated across her face anyway, along with a faint blush.
"It's almost lunchtime. I could probably get one of them to drive me home if you want to stick around here and catch up on paperwork."
"Oh yeah, that's just my favorite thing to do," he replied with mock happiness. "Give me a call when you're ready to go."
"Okay. I'll call you." She paused when she got to the door. "One request."
House had walked back over to his desk. "Yes?"
"You put the top down," she said with a coy little grin.
He lowered himself to his chair and stifled the ludicrous smile that threatened to appear. When was the last time he'd had to fight to keep from smiling? He couldn't remember.
"I think that could be arranged."
Cameron was still grinning as she gave a little nod and walked out of the office and back towards the elevator. House finally let the barest shadow of that smile appear as he watched her go.
The clinic was even busier than usual, and Cameron let herself fade into the background of bustling nurses and agitated parents and irritated patients. It was hard to believe that she almost missed it despite the frenetic pace and the usually boring cases. The cases in the diagnostics department were challenging and satisfying to solve, but clinic work was fulfilling in its own way. There was something to be said for ending a shift and being able to say that you'd sent twelve people out healthier than they'd arrived. She watched as Foreman came out of an exam room with a burly kid in a football uniform. The kid looked slightly peaked, but Foreman made some sort of joke and gave him a pat on the shoulder and the boy laughed and headed out towards the waiting room.
Foreman was looking around for a nurse when he spotted Cameron standing against the wall observing everything. His face broke into a grin and she gave a little wave and walked towards him, meeting up near the nurses' station.
"Hey there, Cam! House said he was gonna page me when you got done with your appointment. Damn, you look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you." He caught himself and quickly added, "No offense!"
She grinned. "None taken. I did look like something a not very discriminating cat would drag in."
He laughed. "C'mon and sit down," he said as he led her to a quieter part of the hallway with some chairs lined against the wall. "Chase is around here somewhere. I'll find him and we can take a break and get some coffee."
Cameron allowed herself to be led to the chairs and laughed inwardly. House had them so pegged. "Looks like it's pretty busy around here. You sure you have the time?"
"What, this? Trust me, they can wait. And frankly if we disappear for a few minutes maybe they'll finish throwing up and I won't have to switch lab coats again." He waited until she was sitting and then gave her shoulder a squeeze, saying, "Sit tight," before heading back towards the waiting room.
He was back within five minutes, with Chase right behind him, and Cameron stood up as they came into view. They were both smiling and looked pleased to see her and she had to admit that it felt nice to be missed.
"Allison, I was going to call you. How are you doing? Dr. Wilson told us that they caught the-"
"They did," Cameron said, cutting Chase off before he could finish his sentence. It was a subject she really didn't want to talk about.
Chase might have pressed the point, but Foreman read her body language and broke the momentary silence with, "Quick, let's get to the elevator before one of the nurses spots us."
A few minutes later and they were seated out on the patio, with coffee in their hands and the warm sun filtering through the potted trees. Another silence had fallen and they looked at each other, both men with questions on their minds, and Cameron half-dreading what they might ask.
"Now that Vogler's gone, there's a rumor that you might be coming back," Foreman was the one to break the silence again.
Cameron took a sip of coffee while she formed an answer in her head. It was still too hot, and burned her tongue. "I'm glad he's out of your hair, but I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. I'm not supposed to work for another couple of weeks anyway."
"And does your indecision have to do with House?" Chase asked with just a hint of bitterness. "Because that's another rumor that's been going around."
She felt herself blushing, and Foreman glared at the other doctor.
"Chase, what the fuck?" Foreman snapped.
"Hey, I'm just asking! He's the one who's been taking care of you, isn't he? Because suspension or not, he'd be all over the hospital if he didn't have someplace else he'd rather be."
Foreman was still glaring at him, and Cameron wasn't sure what her expression looked like but she guessed it was something between wariness and shame despite the fact that she didn't think she had anything to be ashamed about.
"Yes, he's been checking in on me. I didn't want to spend the money on a visiting nurse and since he's been off he decided to take the job on himself."
"And?"
"Chase, shut up already!"
Cameron felt the shame slipping away, to be replaced by indignation. "And, I don't think the rest is any of your business."
Foreman looked smugly pleased at her answer, and Chase rolled his eyes and leaned back, drinking a mouthful of coffee and wincing as it burned its way down his throat.
"He's just going to take advantage of you. You know that, right?"
"She's a big girl, I guess she can take care of herself," Foreman snapped, surprised to find himself actually defending whatever was growing between his boss and his friend.
A grateful smile was sent Foreman's way before Cameron turned to Chase and stared him down. "I know what I'm getting myself into, but I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't treat my life like a soap opera."
"He's twice your age," Chase said incredulously, feeling the need to get in one more jibe.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Actually, he's not, and anyway, you're half my age in maturity, so what's your point?"
Foreman let out a bark of laughter. "She's got you there, man."
Chase rolled his eyes again and took another sip of coffee. Cameron decided to just ignore him. He hadn't always been like this, and maybe he'd go back to his old self eventually, but she didn't have the energy or the inclination to deal with him the way he was now. Foreman launched into the story of Vogler's departure, which she'd heard about only through House's brief mention, and she concentrated on him, letting herself feel a part of the group again. It was something she had missed since her resignation.
When Foreman trailed off in the middle of another story, she looked at him and Chase quizzically, then looked up as a warm hand settled on her shoulder. House was standing there, but his eyes were fixed on the other two doctors.
"The nurses down in the clinic are about to send a search party after you two, and I hear the instructions are to shoot first and ask questions later. Apparently they're tired of dealing with the mob in the waiting room."
"Shit." Foreman looked down at his watch. "I guess our break is over." He stood up and nodded at House before giving Cameron a warm smile. "I'll call you and see how you're doing. Drop by for lunch when you're feeling up to it."
"I will."
"Take care of yourself, Allison," Chase said, not looking at his boss at all.
"Thanks. You too." She couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness that things had turned so strange between them.
When they had gone, Cameron reached up and lightly touched House's fingers as she looked up at him again. "You know, I think you just increased production at the rumor mill."
"And yet strangely, I don't give a shit," he smirked, as he reached down to give her a hand up despite the fact that she didn't really need such assistance. "Anyway," he continued as they walked inside, "they've had bets riding for weeks. With any luck Chase now owes Foreman some money."
