A/N: Hi again - thank you so much to everyone for your reviews.

Chapter 2: Conspiracy

"Suddenly got better once you realized you were missing out on all the fun?" Cameron asked of Foreman as he walked into the room she'd been put in the night before. The bullet had been removed from her upper arm earlier that morning, and the arm itself was recovering, there had been no lasting damage, she would need physiotherapy to regain full control of the arm, but nothing she couldn't take care of herself. She had been lucky, unlike the gunman. House had really given him a wallop, as the doctor's need for a new cane had proved. He was still out of it, and guarded securely by police.

"It's always the way of it," Foreman replied. "When I was at school, there wouldn't be a fight for ages, but the day I was away…" He shook his head. "It's a conspiracy!"

Cameron grinned weakly back. She was still a little shaken up over the previous night's events, but was holding it together rather well. Foreman left after a while, lunch break ended, and Cameron was left to mull things over. She was grateful, however, that her thoughts were interrupted by Chase not long after Foreman had left.

"Morning," he said.

"Afternoon," she replied. He grinned sheepishly.

"I would have dropped by earlier," he said, "but I had some things to chase up."

"Sure," she said.

"So when do you get out of here?"

"As soon as humanely possible. Best thing is, I get two weeks off work! Lost time injury, or something like that. I'm sure Cuddy thought I was going to sue."

A strange look came over Chase's face and he looked at Cameron.

"What a good idea," he said quietly.

Cameron laughed. "Yeah I could just imagine you suing Cuddy."

Chase looked at her, laughing as well. "It would be an experience! You going to take the two weeks?"

Cameron shook her head. "Nope."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"I would go crazy sitting at home," she said, and he nodded, knowing what she meant.

They lapsed into silence.

"Chase?" Cameron ventured. He gestured for her to continue. "What would we have to say for our lives if we had died last night?"

Chase had suspected something like this was forthcoming, but still was not prepared for the fact he had no answer.

"I don't know," he said, then laughed shakily. "Surely someone would miss us?"

Cameron didn't smile. "I don't know that anyone would," she said. He surveyed her.

"I would miss me," Chase joked. She forced a laugh.

"Oh I bet you would."

They fell silent again, thoughts whirling around in Chase's head, the beginning of an idea forming.

"We need to do something spontaneous," he mused, and she laughed.

"Last time we tried that it was a bit of a wash-out."

Chase laughed at the memory of their encounter.

Cameron continued. "But you're right. We should take a holiday or something."

"Well you know… two weeks…" Chase said, his idea falling into place.

She cocked her head and looked at him.

"Where would I go?"

It was the break Chase needed to broach the subject.

"I was also thinking," he began.

"That would be a first," came a voice from the door. They looked up, House stood there.

"I need to know," he directed at Cameron. "Are you taking those two weeks offered by Cuddy?"

She smiled, hoping it was his way of saying 'are you okay?'

"No," she said. "I'll be back at work on Monday.

"Seeing as it's Friday…" he said. "Isn't that a bit soon? I need you fully operational."

"Yes, because a little bit of an arm defect is really going to stop me. If I'm not, as you put it, 'fully operational', then I can always just skimp on the 'practical' side of things for a few extra days. My mind wasn't melted along with my arm."

When House still looked dubious, she continued.

"Any violent patients or ex-cons you need subdued, I'm sure Foreman and Chase can handle them, just until I regain full strength." There was a smile in her eyes, and House shook his head, trying not to laugh along with Chase at the image of Cameron subduing a burly prisoner.

"Well that's all I needed to know," he said. Chase stood up.

"I'll come by later," he said, and left abruptly, puzzling the two left in the room.

"Do you want me to take the two weeks?" Cameron asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"No," he said. "Then I'd have to hire a replacement for that duration! That was a terrible experience last time."

Cameron couldn't suppress a smile. "I know. Wilson was saying."

"Was he just?" House asked, surprised tone to his voice. There was a pause.

"Was there something else?" Cameron asked, too tired to play games.

House regarded her. "You are very strange."

"Why thankyou," she replied, not missing a beat.

He continued. "Last night…"

"Mm?"

"You did not seem all that fazed. You know, for a gun in your face kind of situation, you seemed… okay."

"Observational skills continue to amaze me," she said, wincing as a pain shot through her arm.

"In pain?" he asked.

"Mm," she replied, closing her eyes momentarily.

"Need drugs?" he asked jokingly.

She shook her head in dissent, and opened her eyes, waiting for him to go on. When he did not, she spoke.

"Was there a point to that statement."

"I'm just curious."

"As usual."

"You've been in a situation like that before."

"Think about it," she said, deciding to start playing a few games of her own. "If I had, wouldn't it be more likely for me to have been more afraid? Your deduction said I was less afraid."

He surveyed her. "That's what I'm asking. Either you read a hell of a lot of crime novels where the people who have guns in their faces escape unscathed, or you…"

"Or I what? Have the ability to read people?"

"You don't, not really," he argued. "In fact, with you, I've noticed quite the opposite. You're always willing to believe what's in front of your face, unquestioningly. I'd say a gun is kind of strong as far as that sort of thing is concerned. So," he continued. The anomaly was becoming clearer and his first deduction more and more likely. "You can read people with guns. Is it the make? The bullet type?" he quipped at the end, to seem not as concerned as the curiosity implied.

She shook her head deprecatingly at him, trying to finish the conversation. Her past wasn't her strongest talking point.

"You knew he wasn't going to kill you," House continued. "Anyone."

"He was a perfect shot," she said, finally letting him see something. "You could see his hand, he knew what he was doing. As upset as he was, if it was his intent to kill, he would have done so."

"So you only weren't scared after he shot you?" House said disbelievingly.

"That's not what I said."

"So you weren't answering my question."

"No, House, I wasn't, and I don't think I need to. What does it matter?"

She knew him well, she thought, because at the 'm' word, he backed up in his questioning.

"Get well soon," he said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice as he turned and left the room.

---------------

A knock on Cuddy's door sent her head snapping up. She was jumpy, Chase observed, and rightfully so. They'd all come within inches of being blown away the night before, and she would be painfully aware that it was because of her.

"Dr. Chase," she said, gesturing for him to come in. "What can I do for you?"

"I just received news from home," he began. "My cousin's daughter just died."

"I'm sorry," Cuddy said, not knowing where he was going with the information.

"She and I have been friends for years," he said. "And I wouldn't ask if it was not important to me."

"Ask what?"

"I'd like a couple of weeks leave to go visit her."

"A couple of weeks?" Cuddy asked. "Where does she live?"

"Australia…" he replied, having said as much at the start.

Cuddy nodded. "Of course she does…" she said, and he got the feeling she said it more to herself than him.

"If that's not okay, I understand…" he prompted.

"Your holidays are overdue, anyway," she said. "Of course you can have two weeks." She rummaged in her drawer and handed him two sheets of paper, one carbonated. "Fill this out, original to me, carbon copy to House."

He nodded his thanks and left the room.

Chase felt bad about lying. He truly did want to see his cousin, but last he heard, her daughter was still alive and well.

"It's all the same in the end anyway," he muttered to himself as he walked away.

The next day, as Cameron was dressing and fussing about, preparing to leave the hospital (against medical advice) Chase popped his head around the door.

"Wanna come to Australia?" he asked, grinning.
"Sure, let me just go jump on the plane, I'll see you there," she replied.

Chase came into the room.

"I'm serious," he said.

Cameron stopped what she was doing and sat on the bed, unconsciously rubbing her left upper arm.

"Why?" was all she could get out.

"You could use a holiday, I'm going to Australia, why don't you come?"

"Why are you going?"

"To see my family," he replied, as if it was the simplest answer on earth. "I was going to put the thought to you when I was here earlier, but I didn't want House… being House."

"Ha," Cameron said dryly, recalling the conversation she'd had earlier with the object of their discussion.

"So?"

"I can't just up and fly half way across the country!" she protested.

"Why?" Chase said.

She opened her mouth, and shut it again. "I'm sure Foreman would feed your goldfish."

"I don't have a goldfish," she said, slowly warming to the idea.

"Any pets?"

"No."

"Then its settled!" Chase said.

Cameron paused. "Why do you want me to come?"

He shrugged. "I thought I was being nice. You said we should do something different so I took you at your word!"

"Chase, I don't know. Let me think about it, okay?"

He nodded. "Of course. I'm leaving next Monday. Should be enough time for us both to get collected."

"That soon?" Cameron exclaimed. "How'd you do that?"

"Like you said," Chase replied, "Cuddy was facing liability."

"You blackmailed her?" Cameron asked jokingly, unable to believe it.

Chase held a hand to his heart as if wounded. "No!" he said. "Though it was tempting…" he added, grinning. "According to her, holidays were 'well overdue'."

His pager startled them both, and he opened it and scowled. "Well that's Big Brother calling, so I'm off. I'll see you on the plane!"

He smiled, and left the room. Cameron shook her head, not having a single clue what to think.