The morning sky was a leaden, sullen grey that matched House's mood perfectly. Or more accurately was the reason for it.
House hated many things, but he hated cold most of all. It bit painful teeth into his leg, until every movement sent a terrible ache through the bone. Vicodin helped very little, no matter how many pills he popped.
It left him in a foul mood. At least, more than usual.
Bored, he pushed a file across his desk, then back again. Nine year old stroke patients were interesting, but only mildly. Especially if it was caused by septicemia, not by attempted infanticide.
Boy, Cuddy wasn't going to forget that one in a hurry.
Foreman and Wilson walked into the diagnostic office next door, both carrying coffee. Deciding it would be more fun to annoy them than sitting around, he got up and walked through the glass door.
"You're late. I'll let you off this time, but do it again and I'll have to take your first borns."
"Hello Greg." Wilson sounded faintly amused. Foreman looked unimpressed.
House checked his watch.
"Where are the good looking ones?"
"Chase is around here somewhere, but I haven't seen Cameron-"
"Oh look, here's the playboy now."
Chase came in, grim faced.
"You've got a new patient." was all he said. Though something about the way he did made Dr. House's neck prickle unpleasantly.
The police officer came to speak to House half an hour later.
"I trust you will keep all this information to yourself." The officer was dark haired, dark eyed and grim faced. Something about the way he held his jaw told House this man was not to be messed with.
Plus the fact he openly carried a gun.
"Why me?" House asked him. The man shrugged slightly.
"We need this to be kept as close as possible, for Ms. Harrison's' sake. Your department's cases are kept private mostly, which is what we need. An officer will be outside her room at all times."
House was prying for more details when there was a flicker of light in the diagnostics office.
Cameron had walked in.
He paused, eyeing her, then turned back to the officer.
"Sorry, I've got a patient that needs probing." He stood, gripping his cane lightly.
Relieved that House had stopped asking questions, the police officer gave a quick nod and left.
Cameron stared after him, uneasy. Why was a police officer talking to-
"They caught me smuggling drugs." she jumped slightly. House closed the glass door behind him.
"...Oh" she managed to say.
The way House was looking at her now was making her very nervous. She hated that piercing look. He always got it when he was about to blurt out some clever deduction about their personal life.
He looked her up and down.
"Nice outfit. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was the same one you were wearing yesterday."
Her eyes flashed with an emotion that surprised him. He'd been expecting embarrassment, annoyance, possibly anger.
Not fear.
It vanished, and she looked away. Red had flared on her cheeks, and he suddenly realised how pale they had been in comparison. Dark ghosts lingered under her puffy eyes.
"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" he said softly.
The look she returned was burning with anger.
"I don't see how it's any of your business, but I lost the keys to my apartment yesterday." she snapped. "My friends sofa isn't the most comfortable in the world."
He met her challenging gaze. She was so fierce and so desperate to hide whatever it was he was very tempted to let it go.
But curiosity got the better of him.
House shrugged and stood up. "If you say so."
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't believe me."
His smile was brittle, almost bitter.
"Everybody lies."
Her face changed. The emotion that was suddenly directed towards him made him chill.
It was hatred.
Rage boiled under her skin, and it was all Cameron could do to walk out of House's office without saying a word.
How dare he. How dare he!
He had no right. Not to pry her for answers to his stupid curiosity. Not to smirk at her answers.
Not to know that she had been lying.
She hated that he could never let things be, that he always invaded her privacy with without guilt. That he didn't care her secrets hurt.
Her jaws creaked, and she suddenly realised how hard her teeth were clenched. Breath hissing through her teeth, she fought to relax.
She couldn't.
Not with him appearing out of the night. Her fury evaporated, leaving painful sickness in her stomach.
Her rage at Dr House was not entirely natural, she knew that. Nothing feeds anger better the fear, and she had plenty of that.
Enough so she'd glanced fretfully in the review mirrors for followers as she had sped through the streets. Fear enough that when she neared her apartment she baulked in terror, and spent the night in a cheap motel.
And plenty left to leave her cowering alone with a locked door and blazing lights, unable to sleep for terror.
She'd woken late, having probably dropped off to sleep at around three in the morning. Late enough to draw Dr. House's attention to herself, and to her clothing.
What if he found out?
The thought stopped her dead.
Shivering, she walked through the wards, praying it would never come to that.
This was one thing from her past she would never let Dr. House know about.