DISCLAIMER: i dont own them. i use them.

here is what i thought would be the last chapter. but hey, i might just leave it here. anyway, i hope you like it. i actually felt like writing this one.

They tried to get things back to normal. Well, as normal as things could get while one of your colleagues was lying in a coma downstairs.

Cameron still hadn't improved, and was considered to be in a deep coma, with a very low responsive score. Although patients with low scores had been known to recover fully in the past, Cameron's doctor (an idiot, in House's opinion) told them not to get their hopes up. In typical cases some kind of response or improvement was usually seen after a month. It had been two.

But House refused to believe that she may never wake up, or that she may lose all brain function, and be labelled 'brain dead'. He didn't like labels. So he tried to visit her everyday, when Cuddy wasn't screaming for him, and they had no cases. There were never any cases anymore. They had one the previous week, but it turned out to be nothing. Nothing interesting, anyway.

He limped into her room, greeted by the steady beep of the monitor. Nothing else. She didn't call his name, she didn't sit up and smile at him, and she didn't even stir. She just lay there. He sat in his chair, and heaved a deep sigh, never taking his eyes off her still form.

"Still asleep, huh? I never really pegged you for the lazy type" Nope. Nothing.

"Foreman and Chase are getting married. Chase wants you to be his maid of honour." Still no response, not even a flicker.

"Cuddy is having my baby" Cameron lay as still as ever. When trying to shock her with lies failed, he tried the truth.

"I … like you." He said hesitantly. Immediately he regretted admitting it, but there was no point. She didn't wake up. House sat there in silence for a few more minutes before getting up to leave.

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"Foreman and Chase are getting married. Chase wants you to be his maid of honour," Cameron almost giggled at the idea. Chase would make a beautiful bride, she smirked.

"Cuddy is having my baby," She rolled her eyes. Typical.

"I… like you". Cameron froze. This was the truth; she could hear it in his voice. He sounded reluctant to say it, which means it must be true. He had never hesitated at the (silly) idea of the two of them together. Like the time she mentioned sex as a cause for a patient's problems. His response was sarcastic and nonchalant. His response was House-like.

"Well, it might get complicated. We work together. I am older, certainly, but maybe you like that." Were his exact words. She had rolled her eyes and dismissed his comment.

But this… this was not House-like. This was as far away from House-like as was humanely possible. House didn't have feelings for other people. He liked his Vicodin, he liked his soaps, and he liked his piano. He might like Wilson a little bit, but not in the same context. What the hell happened while she was sleeping?

Hmm, sleep. She was sleeping more and more. Well duh, she was in a coma. She knew that much. She was in a constant sleep-like state. But she was drifting away from awareness more. And each time she did it became harder to return.

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"House!" An all-too-familiar voice yelled down the hallway.

"Dear God!" Without hesitating House limped as fast as he could to the nearest restrooms, and pushed the door to the boy's bathroom open.

Cuddy rounded the corner, and watched as the door to the boy's bathroom swung closed. "I've got you now", she growled as she stalked towards it and flung it open.

Next door in the girl's bathroom House heaved a deep sigh of relief. One of the nurses eyed him suspiciously while washing her hands.

"Cuddy." He told her innocently. The nurse nodded in understanding. Everyone knew about House and Cuddy. She grinned. House tried to decipher the expression on her face, before she turned and left. As the door was swinging shut, he heard her triumphant voice echo off the tiles.

"He's in there!"

House was stunned, but also impressed. He should have known after all these years of giving the nurses crap how they would act in a situation like this. If you wanted to get to House, you used Cuddy. But although he was very impressed with the nurse's guts, he swore that he would get his revenge later. For her it was probably still worth it.

The doorflew open at a frightening speed, revealing a fuming Cuddy. Little strands of frizzy hair stuck out around her very red face, and her eyes were fixed coldly on House, staring so hard she almost looked cross-eyed.

"Tut-tut, Dr Cuddy, how many times have I told you not to stick things in the toaster?" House exclaimed, shaking his head. It was all he could do to keep from laughing as a nerve in Cuddy's left eye twitched. She finally found her voice. When she spoke her tone was surprisingly calm.

"There you are, Dr House. I have been looking everywhere for you. Dr House, why aren't you in the clinic?" She asked, a little too politely. House shrugged nonchalantly.

"I dunno. Don't feel like it."

He could almost hear the 'pop' as Cuddy lost it and lunged for him.

"YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT?" She screamed, stopping mere inches from him. A young nurse walked in, took one look at the scene in front of her, and walked back out again.

Cuddy continued. "House! You're completely neglecting your duties! You're never in the clinic, you rarely even glance at a patient, let alone take their case and you're more miserable and antagonistic than ever!" She sighed, and went on. She wasn't yelling anymore, but her tone was deadly serious.

"And doctors Foreman and Chase's jobs are suffering. Just because you've lost one doctor doesn't mean you neglect the other two."

House raised his eyebrows. "Just because I've lost a doctor?" he asked her, incredulous. Cameron wasn't lost – she was fifty feet away.

Cuddy spoke, but with more sympathy this time. "Yes, House. You may not want to believe it, but you know just as well as anyone how slim the chances are of Dr Cameron waking up. Even slimmer are her chances of waking up without permanent damage."

House did know of Cameron's chances. Cuddy was right – he just didn't want to believe it. In his mind she was going to wake up and be back to work in time for everything to return to normal.

"She wasn't lacking huge amounts of oxygen, but she was lacking small amounts over a long enough period of time. There may already be damage." Cuddy said. House knew that already. The bleed wasn't enough to kill her, but it did its best.

Cuddy watched him, waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, she turned to leave the bathroom, stopping at the door.

"When I check in half an hour's time, I want to find you in the clinic, doing your job." She demanded coolly.

House followed her out, but instead of heading down to the clinic he returned to Cameron's room. She was the same as when he left her.

"You better wake up soon, Dr Cameron… Allison." He liked her name. "Allison, Allison, Allison…" He rolled it around on his tongue, loving how it sounded from his lips.

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"You better wake up soon…" Cameron tried to pull herself closer to him, but she was too weary. I'll rest a little longer.

"Allison, Allison, Allison…" he was calling her back. No, she resisted. It hurt to go back. I'll rest a little longer, and then it will be easier. She felt herself slipping away from all awareness.

oops, looks like i'll have to write another chapter... or will i? im just playing with ya. i will write another one, but the ending may not be what you expect. please review, it really, really helps.