House decided to sleep in his office. As the sun streamed through the window, he awoke glad the night's disturbing events hadn't come back to haunt him in his sleep.
When he walked out he saw Cuddy, still looking the need for sleep, pacing up and down the hall.
"You'll fall through," He said leaning on the wall, disturbing the silence in the hall.
Cuddy jumped. "Oh, I didn't see you there" She said quickly.
He watched her and she shifted uncomfortably.
"Look, I wanted to apologies for last night. I don't know what came over me. I'm embarrassed to say I may have had a few to many glasses of port before they called me in" She said looking at her feet.
He smirked. "No worries, we both knew it would happen one day. I'm just too irresistible as it would seem."
"Yeah right!" She snapped, grinning. "3 days of clinic duty for that comment" She smiled smugly, turning and walking away.
House relaxed in relief, glad him and Cuddy were back on neutral grounds but alas that nagging feeling was still there, for someone else.
"Cameron is still not responding, we found she had a flu virus and due to her state, her body was struggling to fight it… we gave her a boost of anti-bodies and her temperature and blood pressure is dropping already." Chase ended with a smile, getting one in returned from everyone except House. He continued to look at him with a blank expression. Chase was at the state of mental exhaustion, nothing he did could get one praise, not even a joke. He remembered what Cameron had said before she had left the night of her accident.
"There's a nice guy under House somewhere… I just wish I could find it. And don't worry Chase, I'm sure when he gets his pride back, you'll be back to breaking into houses and maybe even writing on the board" She had added with a wink. Then she had given him a big hug.
"You're a great guy Chase, cya round maybe" She added quietly, almost in tears he had thought. And now he knew she was.
Cameron picked up her bag, and walked towards the door. She spun around, waved, and turned away. Maybe the last time he'd see her alive…
"It took you 5 hours to work out she had a cold?" House inquired, unimpressed.
"At least I did something!" Chase snapped, having enough.
"I didn't just sit on my ass, I played some part in making her better, you're the one who put her in that bed!" Letting out the anger and anguish he had held for the past few days.
House sat there blinking and speechless. Until finally he rose for the chair and walked over to Chase. Everyone watched, not knowing what was going to happen.
House stopped in front of him, looking him straight in the eye.
"How does it feel to be a man again Chase?" He asked, eyes sparkling. To this day Chase never knew if it was from tears or the trick of the light.
House walked away and Chase knew House and finally began to move on, even if it was only a tiny step.
House walked into Cameron's room. Flowers had been placed around the room, stuffed animals and sagging balloons. House sat at the chair. He lay his caine against the chair and clasped his hands together.
"So… you just have to wake up so we can check if you brain damaged" He said quietly. He felt uncomfortable talking to her, but he knew it was a possibility of waking her up. But he did think that's what she'd want to hear.
"Soooo you're missing a lot. Well actually no, not much at all. Quiet boring…" He rambled, looking around the room. He could see in his mind what he wanted to say but the words wouldn't come together, they never would.
He sighed and stretched out and again, he fell asleep.
He woke up, it was dark and the hospital was quiet.
"Why can't you tell me House? Why can't you say "Allison Cameron, I love you…" Even "I have this nagging feeling for you" would do," She questioned, looking at him from the bed.
He shrugged. "I can't get the words together… I guess it's I don't need anymore pain in my life…"
"But your feeling it anyway, the pain. Because I could still die, that's what that nagging feeling is. Pain, guilt and love." She said quietly. She fiddled with the blanket, her hair falling in her face, making her look more magical. House got up, finding he could put weight on his sore leg. God he loved dreams. He slid on to her bed once more but she didn't look up at him. He brushed the hair out of her face, kissing her neck till he reached her lips. He lies down; gently bring her on top of him, treating her like she might break. She grins at him, mystifying. But she stops.
"Isn't this proof enough that you want me? You know I want you…" She asked, face in a frown, cute little wrinkles running across her brow.
He sighs. "But how can I tell you…"
"Fix Me," She said, fading away.
He woke to the sound of beeping; her heart rate had dropped low, too low. He jumped up.
"Stay with me Cameron, stay with me," He muttered, shouting out to the nurse for help.
It was a close call, but they stabilized her. Everyone was congratulating House for being so close. Only Wilson knew he had actually been in the room at them time. House had surprised everyone by volunteering to be on watch, the first time Cuddy had seen him do such a thing.
So there he sat again, another chance. He glanced around and grabbed her hand. His skin tingled at the touch of hers and his heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry Cameron… sorry for being such an ass. I do" He took another breath.
"I do like you, love you. I didn't want any more pain I blocked my feelings for you. But I've been dreaming about you, kissing you. Every time I go to go further you stop me, ask me why I cant do this to the real you. I real out my answers and even in my dreams your hurt. I'm sorry…" He whispered.
He got up and kissed her hand, up her arm, her lips. But he stopped, something about sexual harassment popped up from who knows where and forced himself to stop.
"Wake up Cameron so I can be with you…" He sighed and sat back down, pulling out his game boy.
Six weeks passed slowly for everyone who knew her, more so for one doctor. Everyone had notice a change in him, quieter and less jokes. Cuddy was receiving less and less harassment claims and more and more malpractice claims. Cuddy sighed as she rang the lawyer, she'd never win.
House had left Chase and Foreman to run the show, they managed and House did pitch in, but not like he used too.
It was 9 pm and House walked into Cameron's room. He kissed her hand and sat ad talked to her about everything, the stupid brainless prats coming into the clinic and how Cuddy had a new boyfriend called Harold. He even slipped Cuddy had pashed him.
"Oh, but don't worry. She was just a bit tipsy and heartbroken… oh and that I am so darn sexy" He smirked. He didn't notice Cameron's finger curl up. "But Harold? What kind of name is that? Like from the 13th century maybe…" He scoffed.
"Now Gregory, that, is a name. But I spose you'd know" He gave a cheeky grin.
Cameron murmured something and House jumped up.
"Cameron! Can you hear me?" He asked, trying to hold he nerves down.
"Try to squeeze my hand if you can hear me" He questioned, hold in her hand, suddenly overpowered by joy when he felt the slightest squeeze.
She tried to say something and House brought his ear to her lips.
"Love me" She whispered and he brought a figure to her mouth.
"Rest Cameron" He said simply.