Chapter 10:
Author's Note: YAY! The story re-appeared! Here is chapter 10, thanks again everyone for the reviews.
PHDelicious: Thank you very much for the helpful input! I appreciate it and see what you are saying, lets see how this chappie goes :)
A loud snore pulled Cameron from her slumber and surprised her. She wasn't usually a snorer. Another snore echoed through the room and she bolted upright in bed. Who the hell was that? The pain in her ribs quickly brought the events of the previous night crashing back to her. House! He was sound asleep, sprawled in what had to be an uncomfortable position, in the large chair across the room. She looked over at the clock, which was still dark and realizing the power was still out, grappled for her watch and was shocked to see it was only 3:30am. The internal arguement started within her; she didn't want him to be sleeping like that, but if she invited him into the bed, would he get the wrong idea?
Her practical side won out. "House?" she whispered into the darkness. No response. "HOUSE!"
He shot up like a cannon and gasped when he put weight on his bad leg. "What! What's wrong!" He tried to see Cameron in the blackness but couldn't make out anything but her figure in the bed.
"Nothing. I just don't think you should be sleeping in the chair like that."
He rolled his eyes, "You woke me from what was going to be an excellent wet dream, to tell me I shouldn't be sleeping?"
"Ew, shut up House. Get into bed, and don't be such a pervert."
"Who says "ew" these days anyway?" He was stalling, unsure how to respond to her invitation. "I'm not sure if I should even try to sleep with you now that you called me a pervert. This could get ugly if Cuddy finds out!"
Cameron snorted, "I highly doubt you'd tell Cuddy that you slept in the same bed as another woman. It might send her into cardiac arrest from the shock."
"Actually, the way I see it, is that she'd have a heart attack from the jealousy!" House enjoyed bantering with Cameron, this could be a new sport. He was however, quite tired and in pain from sleeping the in the armchair, so without further argument he got under the covers. "You know Cameron, Wilson and I had beans for dinner tonight. At least you will stay warm..." House waited for an answer to his immature fart joke but never got a response. He looked over and seeing her sound asleep already, brushed a lock of hair out of her face and lay back on his pillow. "Goodnight again Cameron."
When Cameron awoke again, the dim morning light was seeping through the old curtains in the room. She felt oddly content in the seedy motel room bed, the bliss of slumber still hanging on to her limbs and she didn't want to move anytime soon. She looked over at her bed partner, somewhat surprised he had stayed the night with her. House was still asleep and his features were uncharacteristically calm and almost sereine as he snored softly. She watched him for a few minutes, mesmerized by his face and steady breathing. She nearly jumped a mile out of the bed when he spoke.
"You know Cameron, it is annoying when someone stares at you while you sleep. Get up and do something, I'm tired."
"What exactly am I going to do House? The TV isn't going to work because the power is still out and even if I wanted to move, I don't think I would be able to; my legs are numb."
He opened one eye, "What do you mean your legs are numb?"
"You hogged the blankets and I was forced to have my legs uncovered. You had a death grip on the sheets."
"Hmph." House mumbled and pulled the blankets tighter around him.
Rolling her eyes, Cameron got out of bed and ran a hot bubble bath. She hadn't had one for three days and knew she was starting to stink. She was actually surprised House hadn't made a sarcastic comment concerning this little fact. Hesitantly she lowered her battered body into the soapy water, trying not to look at the huge purple bruises that covered half of her chest and arms. She grabbed for the soap and hotel-issue sponge and got to work scrubbing off the imaginary slime the man had left on her skin. Tears worked their way up from her middle and down her face as she washed. The same question was circling around in her brain like vultures waiting for a person to die; how did she manage to get out of there and not be shot? Everyone else had been critically wounded, how did she escape with her life? Whatever the reason, she was grateful.
She soaked in the tub for nearly forty-minutes until the water and her emotions started to cool off, causing goosebumps to gather on her fair skin. Shivering, she braced her good hand on the side of the claw-foot tub and tried to push herself up. She got about half a foot up before crying out in pain. "Shit." Now what was she going to do? Cameron was completely stuck in the tub, the pain in her chest not allowing her to use her arms as leverage. She wracked her brain for a solution; there wasn't one. She couldn't slide out on her stomach because of her ribs and when she ended up on the floor, she would be in the same predicament. "SHIT, SHIT, SHIT" She mentally cursed. Swallowing her pride, she acsessed the only solution possible.
"House? Are you awake?" She listened; no response. "House! There is a naked woman in here who needs you!" That should do it; she heard rustling in the bed as he thought of a witty comeback.
"Huh? I told the hooker to meet me here when you went out to get breakfast, not before. Anyway, you start and we can split the bill."
Cameron decided not to dignify that disguesting comment with an answer. She waited until he relented and was happy when it wasn't too long until he did.
"Whats wrong?"
Shaking her head in embarassament Cameron cleared her throat. "I'm, uh... I'm stuck in the bathtub and the water is getting cold." That was no lie, she was starting to shiver in the rapidly cooling bath. She heard a chuckle from the next room.
"I told you I'd help you with your spongebath, but since you rudely declined, I'm not sure if I want to help you now."
"Please House!" Cameron wasn't in the mood for this, "I'm really cold!" She heard the familiar step-thump of his gait as he limped to the bathroom door.
"Are you actually naked?"
"YES! People tend to be naked when they have a bath. You can blow out the candle if you want, I just need someone to help me to my feet, I can't use my left wrist."
"Alright, alright. No need to get snarky, I'll help you."
He opened the door and put his hand over his eyes and groped for a towel with the other. Finding it he fumbled toward the bathtub, hitting his leg on the toilet in the process. "Crap!" He muttered and unconciously dropped his hand from his eyes to rub his offending leg. He looked up and got an eyeful of his much younger collegue shivering wet and naked in the bathtub. It was the sexiest thing he had seen in a long time. Her wet hair clung to her neck and the disipating bubbles left nothing to the imagination. He could see the swell of her breasts above the water line and she covered herself up with her hands.
"Oh come on Cameron, I'm a doctor, I've seen it all." He smiled slyly at her.
Cameron glared at him. "Can you please help me up? Just pull me up and I can do the rest."
Sighing, House limped over to the side of the tub and gently gripped her under her arms. "Ok, on three. One, two, three.." he hoisted her up the best he could with his weight on his good leg and waited until she was steadied before he let go. Despite his best intentions not to, he snuck a look at her naked body. He was unable to contain the gasp that escaped his lips when he saw her completely for the first time. It was not a gasp of pleasure, but rather a gasp of horror when he got a full glance at her figure. She was covered head to toe with large, purple bruises and cuts. He thought he was going to be sick when he spotted a pronounced shoeprint on the side of her chest and the fingermarks around her throat. He had only seen parts of her body in the clinic that first night and now, two days later, the bruising was deeper and much more evident against her ivory skin. Despite the carnage, he couldn't help feel a twinge of arousal at her otherwise stunning figure.
"Enjoy the show?" She quipped, grabbing the towel from him and wrapping it around herself protectively. She slowly got out of the tub and pulled her hair back from her face. Tears of shame filled her eyes as he stood close by to make sure she didn't slip getting out. "Thanks House, I can take it from here." She turned her back to him and leaned against the porcelin sink, trying to regain her composure. She lifted her head when she felt two warm hands against her wet shoudlers pulling her around to face him.
T.B.C...