Chapter 9

Author's Note: Ok, so I haven't been able to figure out why my story has disappeared. I'm trying to contact the moderators but haven't heard anything yet so I'm just going to update again and see if it works. I apologize to all my readers though! Thanks so much for your support.

Staring at the pill bottle in her hand, Cameron laughed at the irony of the pills; Vicodin 24 tablets, take one every four hours and no more than six daily. Prescribed by Dr. M. Pryhitka.

Laughing softly to herself she popped the top and took one with a large swig of water from the bottle beside the bed. She lay back in the cocoon she created with pillows and an extra blanket from room service. Closing her eyes she took the largest breath she could muster with her aching ribs and waited for the pain meds to take effect.

Much later that evening, Cameron was startled awake by a loud pounding on the door. Immediately her eyes flew open and her heart started racing. Had the gunman found her?

Her breathing was quick as she carefully pulled herself up and to her feet. Shivering in her thin nightgown, she realized the power had gone out and the winds were howling again. Painfully, she shuffled to the door and looked through the peephole. She couldn't see anything in the darkness but jumped back, terrified when someone started pounding on the door again.

She nearly wept with relief when she heard the familiar voice. "CAMERON! Open up and let this cripple in out of the rain!"

She opened the door, revealing a wet and wind-blown House. He came inside and she shut the door, visibly shaking in her flimsy nightgown from the cold. "House, what the hell are you doing here? You scared the shit out of me!"

He ignored her and switched on the flashlight he was carrying and shone it around the room. Do you have any candles?

Cameron searched around in the dark until she found a few small candles in the bathroom. She lit them with the the hotel book of matches and the room was bathed in a dim, flickering light.

House tried not to stare at her body in a state of undress. The silky, peach-colored nightgown came way above her knee and was sleeveless, revealing her firmly toned arms. Despite the large number of purple bruises that marred her perfect skin, she was beautiful.

Cameron, realizing she wasn't wearing much, grabbed her robe and gingerly shimmied into it, pulling the sash around her body.

"Did I wake you?" House asked to break the uneasy silence. He looked at her tired eyes and mussed hair and realized he probably had. He hadn't mean to come so late but Wilson didn't know where she was staying and he had to go through the phonebook before he found the place she was in.

"Yeah, its 1am. I fell asleep around nine I think." Cameron eased herself into the armchair, gesturing for House to sit in the other.

House noticed her wince and regarded her seriously. "So I heard from a little bird that you flew the coop and signed out AMA. May I ask, are you crazy?" House sat down, "I understand the need to escape the clutches of that hospital but seriously, did you really think you could manage without the morphine and sponge baths?"

When Cameron stayed silent, House tried again. "I mean, I can't do anything about the morphine but I could help you out with the sponge bath."

"HOUSE!"

"Bingo," he thought, "Button pushed." He studied her, waiting for a response.

"I just didn't want to be on display for the whole staff to see me. I don't want them to think, Oh, poor Dr. Cameron. She went and let herself get beaten up." Cameron brushed a lone tear from her eye, "I just wanted to get out of there and deal with this privately."

House nodded, understanding her reasoning. He was shocked to realize that he actually felt his heart go out to her a little. "It wasn't your fault you know. These things happen especially in that neighborhood at that time of night. From what I heard, you actually defended yourself quite well."

Tears gathered in her eyes and she hastily tried to sweep them away, not wanting House to see her this vulnerable. Try as she might, sobs started to rise in her chest and she turned away covering her mouth with her hand. She had her image to protect, to keep up in the "boy's club" at work and right now, she needed some air before she started to really cry. She got up and started to pace the room.

House watched her trying to cover up her inevitable breakdown for a second before getting up to stand behind her. Hesitantly, he put his hand on her shoulder, trying to gauge what her reaction would be.

She surprised the both of them when she turned around and buried herself in him, her hands grappling for his shirt and holding on for dear life. She lost her battle with her emotions and started to sob loudly in his chest.

It took House a minute to process her holding him before he gently put his arms around her and held her close. He hadn't been this close to anyone in a long time, probably since Stacey, and he liked the feeling.

Cameron was racking with sobs, her tears soaking his shirt as she struggled to breath through the onslaught. Her heart was pounding and every sob caused pain to shoot through her ribs, forcing her to emit loud gasps.

House rubbed her back in circular motions. "Its okay. Its okay, you're safe," he whispered to the top of her head, hoping to calm her down some but knowing she needed to get it out of her system. She cried and cried, shaking from the force of her tears and he knew she must be in awful pain. He continued to whisper soothing noises and rub her back.

After about ten minutes, Cameron started to calm down and stop shaking. Her tears slowed and she hiccupped. She loosened her grip on House and pulled back, not looking at him in the eyes. "I'm sorry House, I don't know what came over me." She started to turn away when he grabbed her arm and made her look at him.

"Don't," he said softly, "don't apologize. Just shut up." He studied her face with concern, noticing that even in the candlelight, she was very pale. Her face was tear-streaked and swollen, her eyes closing slightly. "Come on," he helped to the bed and laid her back under the covers, keeping her robe on. "You need to rest. Did Pryhitka give some pain meds?" He looked around the room.

Weakly, Cameron pointed to the dresser across the room. "I haven't had any since 8:30, I think I can take another."

He limped over to the dresser and studied the label. He smiled when he saw Pryhitka had prescribed vicodin. He took one out and grabbed her water bottle. "You know, you have to be careful with these, they can be habit forming." He handed her the pill and water, watching as she drank it down.

"Thanks," she replied, not really noticing his comment. She lay back and reached for his hand lightly, "Thank you House, for everything." Her grip fell away and she was asleep within seconds.

"You're welcome." He whispered and limped over to the armchair and settled himself in for a long, sleepless night.

T.B.C...