Chapter 5
A/N: Again, thank you for your patience! Here is chapter 5 and hopefully it won't be as long for a next update (actually, I promise it won't be that long!) Also, the story should get more interesting from here on.
"You know, I can walk." House bitched. He was motioning to the wheelchair that Cameron was pushing him in. "People are staring!"
Cameron rolled her eyes, "No one is even here and besides, we just pulled two bullets out of you not six days ago!" She pushed the cantankerous House down the deserted hallways of the hospital towards the elevator that took them down to the parking garage. House had insisted that they take the long route and leave through the parking garage instead of letting Cameron pull up to the main doors at the lobby. He was afraid of people staring at him and Cameron leaving together despite the fact that she had co-signed his discharge papers and told the nurse on duty that she was taking him home.
"Stop your whining, you should be happy that they let you out so soon. If I hadn't told them I would stay with you tonight, you would have spent another day here." Cameron pushed the button down to the garage and stood beside House who was busy throwing off the blanket around his legs and pulling himself out of the chair.
"Did you tell them that you have stayed the last two weeks at my place anyway?" House watched the pink tinge creep into her cheeks and smirked. "I bet they wouldn't have let you take me home if I told them what we do when you stay over."
"Well I assure you that won't be happening tonight! Get your ass back in that chair before I push you over." Cameron returned his smirk and was surprised when he complied. "Thank you. When we get home you need to take a nap because I'm sure you are still pretty druggy and I want you out of my way while I make dinner."
The doors opened before House could fire back with another biting comment and Cameron pushed him and his attitude towards her waiting Jeep Cherokee. "What the hell…?" She muttered when they got closer, "Aw shit!" The back passenger window of the silver jeep was smashed and shards of glass littered the cement floor around the SUV.
"Looks like the security force down here is as good as the one upstairs wouldn't you say?" House watched as Cameron rushed ahead to her vandalized truck and pulled himself out of the wheelchair for the second time. "At least they didn't take it for a joy ride because I'm really not in the mood for a lovely walk back to my place."
"Yeah but someone empted my purse and took my wallet and cell phone." She opened the now unlocked door of the back seat and peered inside. A strangely familiar and unpleasant smell wafted from the bench seat and she recoiled in disgust when it registered. "Oh my god! Someone urinated on my seat."
House was about to make another sarcastic comment about the improbability that someone could mistake her vehicle for a urinal but decided it would be wise if he shut up. Cameron looked like she was either ready to cry or scream. "Let's go back upstairs and call the police. I'll even be good in stay in my wheelchair."
"Not, let's just go home and I'll call them from there. I just want to go home."
House wasn't about to point out to Cameron that she had called his house home so he accepted her silent help into the passenger seat and tried not to react to the strong smell of urine in the truck.
Cameron got into the drivers seat and turned the key, starting the engine. She lowered the windows and sunroof despite the chilly afternoon and backed out of the parking space. Soon they were on the road towards House's house.
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"Okay miss, I'll let you know if we get a hit on the DNA we pulled from the seat. If you need anything else, please give us a call." The police officer handed Cameron his card and glanced at House who was picking his teeth with a toothpick on the couch. "I have a friend of mine who can repair your truck tomorrow. He is very reasonably priced and will come and pick it up for you if you want."
"That's okay, my brother has an auto body shop close by, I'll just get him to come over tomorrow and take it back with him." Cameron showed the officer out the door and locked it behind him.
"Ah, New Jersey's finest. They fight crime and hit on the young damsel in distress all at once." House dropped his toothpick on the coffee table and picked up the remote. "Thank god it wasn't my car that was vandalized, that would have just been weird."
"He was just being nice!" Cameron sighed, exasperated. "I'm going to start dinner. Do you like squash soup?"
"If that were true, you wouldn't have lied about your brother having an auto shop; at least not here in Jersey. Isn't he living in Ohio right now?"
Cameron ignored him, "So you want the soup or not? I thought I'd pick up a loaf of sesame bread from the bakery down the street."
"Why don't we order in a pizza? I still have a few beers in the fridge that need a home."
"Forget it House. You are still on some pretty heavy-duty pain medication and you can't have beer with it." She paused, "But why don't we order in some pasta from O'Neal's. I'd love some of their scallop linguine."
Cameron plopped down on the couch beside him, careful not to jar his side. She phoned in the order from the restaurant and leaned back, closing her eyes. She was more tired than she thought and though she hated to admit it, the robbery had shaken her. Cameron opened her eyes and focused them on House. "How are you feeling? You look a little pale."
"Oh no. I knew you were going to start mothering me as soon as we got home. I'm fine." House hoped his words would shut her up but she persisted.
"I promised the doctor I would mother you until you were back on your feet." Cameron straightened the blanket covering his legs and got to her feet. I'm going to take a quick shower and when I get back I hope you are sleeping."
House rolled his eyes.
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Cameron started awake, not quite sure what had awoken her. She lifted her head from the pillow and tried to focus on the blaring red numbers on the night table beside House's bed. 3:04am.
She sat up slowly, realizing a soft crash had pulled her from her sleep. She strained to hear anything else in the dark but only the quiet hum of the fridge could be heard. Suddenly, the strange noise recurred and Cameron let out the breath she was holding when she discovered it was only a branch scraping against the window in the strong wind outside.
She sighed and snuggled back under the sheets, pulling them up to her ears. She was still feeling vulnerable from the shooting earlier that week and the vandalizing of her truck and purse that afternoon. She inched closer to the sleeping House and tried calm down. Hoping she wouldn't waken him (House was never one for snuggling), Cameron wrapped her arms loosely around him and drifted back to sleep.
Unbeknownst to the occupants sleeping in the bedroom, the noise Cameron attributed to the branch in the wind, wasn't the only thing scraping against the window. Outside, in the elm tree; a solitary man sat, his cold eyes piercing the darkness, watching the couple sleep.
T.B.C…