This chapter was inspired by AtreidesHeir, and he knows about which part.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE – Cameron Finally Chooses

House was just beginning to doze off shortly after Cuddy left when voices began to keep him awake.

Hildie and Alice have been very attentive to him since the treatment began, although he has not really acknowledged their presence. The two nurses giggle while they talk about House, but not in a derogatory way but more of 'Would you have a relationship with House?' interaction.

Alice admitted she found something about him attractive although she couldn't put her fingers on it and Hildie admitted she actually liked Wilson better. They went back and forth about what was so attractive about Wilson (from his pocket protector to his cute, squeaky-mouse voice to his ability to keep his cool around House) and what was so attractive about House (from his scruffy 'love the feel of scratches against my chin when we kiss' to his awesomely 'better than Paul Newman blue eyes' to his ability to make the Coma Guy want to kill him) when they hear a tepid voice come from the patient's bed.

"I'm hotter, sexier and a way better match than Wilson."

The two women eye each other out of embarrassment that he's heard what they've said and are momentarily speechless.

"Dr. House, you're dreaming. We weren't talking about you. We were talking about…about…" Alice stutters before she gives Hildie a dirty look at her being 'caught mouse in the trap.'

"Where's Cuddy?" House mumbles without opening his eyes.

"She went to check on Dr. Wilson. How are you feeling?" Hildie asks but only because Alice is too embarrassed to say anything.

"…little better. How is he?"

"Well, we don't know; we've been kept busy with you all morning. I guess you can ask Dr. Cuddy when she comes back."

"Actually, Dr. Wilson is fine. You two can leave for a break. I'll keep an eye on him." A female voice comes from the doorway. She takes a few more steps toward House's bed without any response from the two nurses.

"Dr. Cameron, we've been told by Dr. Cuddy…," Alice starts to say but the stern 'you better not argue with me' look from Cameron sends the two nurses out the door.

House never opens his eyes when he hears her voice but pretends he's gone back to sleep. Cameron knows better by the rhythm of his breathing that he is indeed still awake. She grabs a chair, pulls it closer to the bed, sits down and watches him.

After a few minutes House feels as if he's about to explode. He turns his head toward her, opens his eyes and says, "What? Am I drooling again?"

She gives him a small grin. "No, but your nurses were drooling over you."

He returns her grin then something comes to his mind. "Why are you here? How did you know I was here? And why are there three of you?"

Cameron laughs out loud. "I'm here because…well, I'm not sure. I got a call that you were in here for the weekend but Dr. Cuddy wouldn't tell me anything. And there's probably three of me because of the Ketamine you're on."

House furls his eyebrows at how much she knows. "Ketalar. And so much for top secret missions…" he says before he gasps at a sudden pain in his right leg, "which doesn't seem to be working."

"It'll be a while before the full effects can be determ…"

"I know, I know. I did the research," House snips at her. "What do you want?"

"I need to hear something from you."

"Oh, and you think that while I'm on a hallucinatory drug that it's a good time to ask me?"

"If I don't ask now I'll never know, and I might regret never asking."

"Do we really have to do this now?"

Cameron nods her head. "Yes."

"Fine. Shoot. Besides, I won't remember anyway."

Cameron takes a deep breath. "Could you ever love me? Would you ever want me?"

A part of House is surprised at her bluntness while a part of him isn't. He turns and looks up at the ceiling, keeping his eyes open. "Cameron, yes. I want you."

Cameron's heart leapt into her chest at what he's just said to her. "Wait, are you saying…"

"I'm saying I want you to get me some water." Cameron's mouth drops as House turns to look at her. "Oh, not in a joking mood? Sorry. You want to know the truth?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't," she replies.

"There is a bit of an attraction, I'll admit that. And while yeah, I'd take you home for a one night stand there could be nothing more than that between us." House turns back to the ceiling to get his thoughts together.

She waits patiently for him to continue and the anticipation is killing her. She would love to squeeze his I.V. tube just long enough to make him pass out. She continues to stare at him waiting for more of an explanation, which she doesn't get.

"So, then, you're saying I'm 'do-able' but not date-able? Why am I not date-able?" she asks.

"Hey, I answered your question. You didn't say anything about any type of elaboration required."

"No, I don't understand. You'd 'do me' but not date me. Can you explain that? Please, enlighten me," she says, her voice beginning to become bitter.

He turns to look at her again and heavily sighs. She notices how tired his eyes look but this is one subject she is not going to back down from. She crosses her arms over her chest.

"Cameron, if we'd met some other place, some other time, under way different circumstances, before my leg…hell, better even if I just started college, wait, you'd be what, one year old?"

"I know, I know. Don't go there. Go ahead," she interrupts him.

"If we had met before so much life had gotten in our way, who knows. Things might have worked…between us. But not now."

"Why not now?" she continues to press the issue which only makes House become more agitated and irritable.

"Because it's not fair," he spits out.

"What's not fair?"

"Not fair to you, after all this," House says as he looks down at his leg.

"Shouldn't that be my decision?"

"Look, if we dated and got in a huge fight, can you honestly tell me the next day wouldn't compromise us working together? That's all I'm concerned about. I hired you to work with you, not be distracted by you."

Cameron slowly nods her head with no look of hatred or anger on her face, but more of complete understanding. She stands, pushes the chair back in its original position and stands by his bed.

"I get it. Too much has happened in our own lives that's made us who we are now. I get that. But can you give me one sentence that sums everything up?" She is intentionally playing 'blonde' (although no one knows she is a natural blonde) just to see how far she can push him to hopefully get the truth from him.

"I respect you too much." Cameron is flabbergasted. That isn't the sentence she expected to hear from him. "Yeah, yeah, I said it. But I will never say it again, much less remember it. And you'd better forget it, too."

She gives him a small smile, more from relief of knowing what she must do now than from the words he's said.

"Okay. Thanks. And don't worry, I won't tell Chase or Foreman about your 'vacation.'" Cameron turns and walks toward the door.

"Cameron?" She stops and turns to look at him. "And I won't tell anyone that you are do-able."

She slightly blushes and tells him, "It's okay. It's already a well known fact…wait, that didn't come out right."

"GO HOME!" he shouts at her then a huge smile spreads across his lips.

She warmly smiles back at him and leaves his room with the final understanding between the two of them. And she knows what she wants to do. She heads to the grocery store, buys the items for her famous homemade lasagna with Italian bread with garlic to make for Chase.

Then to finally tell him who she chooses – House or Chase. But take out the 'House' part.