Another dawn another day. As Gregory House stands at his office window he scoffs at the people running around the hospital grounds for no good reason. The smiles on their faces seem inane from up here- a commercial for happy living. He likes these times in the morning when he is alone in his office- the ducklings won't bother him until Chase or Foreman arrives; whoever is last from sleeping off a hangover or coming across town from their latest conquest. This is his time, it is a comfortable order- Cameron will arrive first to do his mail, and he will arrive in between Chase and Foreman. It always works this way; he arrives late enough to let Cuddy know that he will do what he wants but early enough so she won't give him clinic hours.

It was such a perfect order of events early in the morning. It gave him a feeling of control in the chaos that was this hospital, and then someone had to ruin it. He had arrived this morning at the same time he usually did, but instead of seeing Cameron at the computer he just saw the empty chair. Odd. Cameron is nothing if not predictable and when something like this happens it sets the cogs whirring. An anomaly. It's what he lives for, and when he finds it he's like a dog with a toy, and he won't let it go.

He is torn from his reverie by Chase spitting out the coffee he has just made and grimacing.

"Eugh! This stuff tastes like crap! How does Cameron make it taste… well like coffee and not like crap!" His obvious displeasure causes House to smile inwardly; this is what he lives for.

Foreman breezes in without a word and sits down at the table knowing full well that he is late and not caring at all. Still no Cameron. Foreman breaks the silence with a cough and a pointed look

"So do we have a case or not?" His voice portrays the obvious disdain for his boss, and this is one of the reasons House likes him. No chance of him seeing House as anything other than his boss and this results in a tolerable working relationship.

"Yes we do bro. Couldn't let my homeboys down now could I!" He delights in Formans glare and turns towards the board to disguise his smile.

That's enough of the deep thinking, it's time to get on with some work Cameron or no Cameron.

"We have a 38 year old female referred to us from Princeton General initially presenting with generic symptoms…aches and pains, the usual"

"So what brought her to your attention? With symptoms like that you would usually pack her up and send her home with orders for bed rest disguised in sarcastic jibes."

"Oh Foreman, you must be my long lost son, you know me so well"

"It takes a jerk to know a jerk…" Both men turned their glares on Chase "Guys, it was just a joke, really!"

"Your jokes suck Chase, don't bother. Leave them to the real men" House puffed up his chest and stood at mock attention, or as near as a man with a limp could get.

The three of them turn their attention back to the board with their newest patients symptoms staring back at them.

Martha Lewis- Age 38

Twitchiness

Slurring of speech

Headaches

Shortness of breath

Seizures

Joint pain

Foreman was the first to speak with a typically cynical solution "How about withdrawal…alcohol or opiates would do it…"

"How about Lymes disease?" That would explain some of the symptoms… no rash though, yet."

House consisered both ideas and wrote them up on the board. "Chase, check again for a rash. Foreman, do a full tox-screen and run an MRI, I'll get Wilson in to check for any signs of Cancer… and since Cameron isn't here to suggest it, let's throw in lupus. When you've done all the tests run an ANA, get the sedimentation rate, and yada yada yada…" Turning around to see Chase and Foreman still sitting there he glared.

"When I said run the tests I meant, like now" To emphasise his point he took his vicoden out of his pocket and popped one dry before turning around and turning on the tv in his office.

He could hear them mutterin through the glass doors, something about Cameron being sick today… Charming, she could at least have phoned in…unless... Right on cue Cuddy strode through the doors with the look of pure evil on her face which was so common these days. "Why Doctor Cuddy, how nice of you to drop in! I assume your early morning visit is for a little tete-a-tete" He hushed his voice conspiratorially "It might be best if the fun and games don't start till Foreman and Chase leave, got to keep it PG-13 for the young'uns"

"Don't play dumb with me House, what did you do this time? Cameron has asked for a few days off- something which she has never done, even when she may have had Aids" Cuddy was on a roll this morning, she had already busted the idiotic orderly's who kept leaving the doors to the roof open, and now she wanted Houses blood, metaphorically or otherwise.

"You're right as usual, I have done something to upset Cameron and I am going to make amends" The look on Cuddy's face was priceless, it took all of Houses strength to hold in the smug smile that was so near the surface.

"Uh…well good. See that you do….and you owe me 10 clinic hours this week" She turned on her Prada heel and left the room slightly bemused. How had that been so easy… She had a mystery on her hands, and she was going to find out what he had done.

House looked through the glass wall to see Chase and Foreman had gone to run the tests. The results wont be in for another couple of hours…Just enough time to find out what's up with Cameron.