Chapter 8

House stared at Chase's gloating face. The older doctor looked as if he had been hit in the gut. For once, he was not sure what to say.

At last Cameron broke the uneasy silence. While still looking at House, Cameron said, "He got out of the hospital today. Clean bill of health."

Chase scoffed, his blues eyes gleaming at his rival's. "I figured that, Allison, since he's here and all."

House didn't like the tone of voice Chase took with her and he damn well didn't like that he got to call her Allison. It was just one more blow to the gut. Shifting his weight to accommodate his leg, he said, "Smart deduction, Colin." He looked down at Cameron and smiled, saying, "I was close enough. The guy's British, right?"

Chase neared the door. "Excuse me?"

Cameron's eyes almost bugged out of her head. She could still here House last remarks to her before she left the hospital. Go with this guy. He sounds like a regular Colin Firth. Not sure whether she was choking back tears, laughter, or both, she interjected, "House, I apologize for my—our—rudeness. Do you want to come in?" She didn't actually want him to come in, not like this. Cameron longed to hear what House had been about to say.

House's eyes flitted from Cameron's face to Chase's. Shaking his head, he said, "No, I better go and take some drugs or have wild sex or something. What does one do after one almost kicks the bucket? Maybe I should ask Foreman…"

Chase frowned when he saw that Cameron was quietly laughing at House's joke. She became serious as her eyes warmed to House's. For the second time since she had invoked this entire mess, she stuck her chin up and her hand out saying, "Goodbye, House."

It was rife with meaning and that wasn't lost on House. This time, he took her hand. Both seemed to forget Chase was there. Squeezing it more than shaking her hand, he ever so slightly pulled her forward and lowered his head down to hers. His lips almost grazed her ear as he said in almost a whisper, "You can unclench now." Cameron sucked in a breath of air. She wanted to smile because he knew her so well. No one else had. Not even her husband. Not Joe. She wanted him to kiss her as she had kissed him in the hospital. She wanted to cry because he had changed his mind too late. Cameron could not let him play with their hearts like that. She would not.

Chase's eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth to speak, but House simply looked at him. "Goodbye, Dr. Chase. Goodbye, Allison."

House had not planned on calling her by her first name. She had not expected it. But a jolt went through them both at the sound of her name as if the same lighting bolt had struck them at the same time. If Chase had not been there, neither assumed they could have been held responsible for their actions. Each was simultaneously picturing those actions in their minds. Their eyes met as they smiled sadly at each other in resignation.

House limped down the long hall. Cameron watched him go for only a second, then closed the door.

……………………

Foreman felt left out. Chase loved Cameron. Cameron loved House. Foreman was pretty sure House loved House. Wilson still followed House around like a stupid baby goose that thinks a dog is its mother. And Cuddy. Well, Cuddy was just acting stranger than her normally strange self.

Foreman was the only one from the team that hadn't taken the day off for stress release. Work calmed his nerves. He liked being in the hospital. He had a life; he wasn't a loser, but the hospital was the one constant. It didn't change. There would always be patients. There would always be cases to solve.

He needed to see Wilson today. He was almost positive his patient had cancer and he wanted the specialist's opinion. As he walked down the corridor to Wilson's office, he realized he was grateful he had never fallen for Allison Cameron. That seemed to only bring tragedy. He did still credit her as a friend, though. He felt guilty about how he had treated her this last month. Foreman looked forward to the day that that was behind them. Chase had told him two days ago that he was with Cameron. He felt happy for the other man, but he worried about him, too. He knew House was as powerful to Cameron as Vicodin was to House and he thought House felt the same about her. If his feelings weren't that strong yet, they were pretty close.

Foreman thought that he should invite Chase and Cameron out sometime. He knew it would be important to support the relationship. He was thinking about all the weirdness there would be Monday morning in the office as he opened Wilson's door.

His eyes were not ready for what they saw on the other side of that door. I should learn to knock more, he thought as he gaped at the vision in front of him. Talk about weirdness.

TBC