DISCLAIMER: having to repeat this is depressing. i dont own any of the characters, except i did create detectives Jenny Morris and Rob Leonard. original, i know. what an imagination i have! hehe.

WARNINGS: none

SPOILERS: none

NOTE: i dont know anything about hospitals, or the american police force (living in australia might have something to do with that), so if i've made a boo-boo on their procedure, or if they arent actually called detectives or something, excuse my ignorance.

Cameron was taken straight into surgery. House sat in the waiting room leaning his forehead against his cane, and pleaded with God. He didn't usually bother with that sort of thing, (Chase was the good little Catholic boy)and he was pretty neutral on the whole 'God' subject, but he didn't know who else to turn to. For the first time in years, Gregory House felt completely powerless.

He pleaded for Cameron's life. He willed her to hold on just a little longer. He wanted more than anything to be able to give her strength, and to hold her hand through this. He prayed that she would wake up with nothing to show for this ordeal but a few scars.

But he also pleaded for himself. He apologised for all the stupid things he had said and done, and for all the stupid things he will say and do in the future. He pleaded for the strength to see him through this, with nothing to show for it but Cameron's scars. He prayed that he could get another chance with her, to get to know her, to touch her, or hold her. He prayed that his dream would not become reality.

He had a theory for why people wait in waiting rooms. He said that people thought if they waited long enough, others would think that they cared. But this was different. House did care. He cared so much it scared him.

He lost track of time. He propped his elbow on the armrest and supported his head on his palm. He heard footsteps approach in the otherwise deserted waiting room.

"Excuse me, sir, are you Mr House?" a woman asked.

"Dr House," he corrected as he stood to face the newcomers, wincing as he remembered how long it had been since he last took some Vicodin. "And yes I am"

A man and a woman stood before him. The woman, who had addressed him before spoke again.

"I'm Detective Jenny Morris, and this is my partner, Detective Rob Leonard," she indicated the tall man beside her. "We'd like to ask you a few questions. You were the one who found Ms Cameron?" House nodded. "Dr Cameron," he corrected again. "And yes I did."

"Okay, did you happen to see anyone leaving the apartment? Or someone in, or around the building maybe?" Detective Morris asked. House had asked himself the same thing a thousand times. "Nope, no one."

" Did you notice anything strange or out of place in her apartment? Any signs of a struggle or fight? Furniture knocked over or broken?" House was already becoming impatient with this woman, but he was too tired and stressed to say anything. He wanted it over as soon as possible. He remembered the open door, and the eerie darkness. "Yeah, the door was open and there were no lights on. And for that reason, I didn't notice anything wrong with the furniture. I'd never been in her apartment before anyway."

Detective Morris scribbled down some notes. "Do you know of any people who would want to hurt her? Enemies, ex-partners maybe?" A faint smile flitted across House's lips. The thought of some one hating or wanting to hurt Cameron was almost funny. "No." he stated simply.

" Alright then. What state was Ms Cameron in when you found her?" House was definitely becoming impatient with this woman. "Dr Cameron," he said, putting even more emphasis on the 'Dr' part. "She was…"

Lying on the operating table, pale and cold… so much blood… pulse flickering…. And the blood… blue grey eyes staring into his own…

"Dr House? Are you okay?" Detective Morris was giving him a concerned look. Detective Leonard eyed him wearily.

House regained his senses. "Yeah, just a very long day, that's all. Dr Cameron was lying against the kitchen cupboard when I found her. She was unconscious, and had lost a lot of blood." He remembered the glint of steel in the moonlight "there was a, a knife a couple of feet away from her." Detective Morris nodded. "We know, there is a small amount of blood on it, but not nearly enough to have been the weapon that stabbed Dr Cameron. It should help us a great deal with the case."

"What exactly is the case?" House asked, more than a hint of impatience in his voice now. He was always the one asking questions – being held out of the loop wasn't a feeling he was accustomed to.

"We think it was a robbery gone wrong," Detective Morris answered simply. House thought for a second. "So then, the knife – she probably used it in self-defence?" The female detective nodded. "Which is why we hope that the DNA on the blade can help us identify the suspect." To House, knowing that Cameron had defended herself made a big difference. So our sweet, gentle little doctor is a fighter, he thought to himself. He felt the glimmer of hope brighten.

The silent Detective Leonard finally spoke up. House jumped, having forgot he was there. "No jewellery was taken from the victim, does she usually wear any? A bracelet, or necklace maybe?" House gave the man a cold stare. "Yes, Dr Cameron has a particular Guatemalan necklace that she favours. You think it was stolen?" 'The victim' has a name, he thought irritably. "Its possible" Detective Leonard replied.

The two detectives covered some other minor details before leaving. House was glad to be alone again. If he couldn't be there with Cameron, he would rather be alone wallowing in his misery until he could.

A little while later, the doors opened and a surgeon walked out. Being a doctor, House knew the expression on the man's face right away.

oh, the suspense is killing me! hehe, im so mean.