-1CHAPTER EIGHT

Two hours later Cameron was lying on a bed in the E.R. with Chase sitting in the chair next to her and Foreman checking her vitals.

"I can't believe she did this again," Chase said as he shook his head.

Foreman looked at him and said, "Well, the week has been pretty tough on her, though. She's supposed to move into that new apartment tomorrow. She sure won't be able to handle it now, not after coming off the meth."

"The Chlorazine should help, but it's not enough. They'll still be a little meth in her system, even after several hours," Chase said as he reached out for her hand. "Where in the hell is House, anyway?"

"Think he's still with Cuddy. He was real shook over finding her."

"He should be! It's his fault, you know," Chase said.

"Chase, he didn't force her to take the meth," Foreman said, defending House.

"No, but I told her…I TOLD her to stay away from…" Chase started then cut himself off, stood and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Foreman asked.

"To see House."

"Oh, no. Not a good idea. Let's get something to eat," he suggested.

Chase walked out the door and Foreman had to run a bit to catch up with him, grabbing his shoulder and whirling him around before they reached the elevator.

"Chase, you aren't in the right mind to confront him now. You're still upset…wait, wait a minute," Foreman said, his eyebrows rose as he thought of something. "You still have feelings for her, don't you? And you're blaming House for what she did."

Chase glowered at Foreman. "Weren't you the one that gave Cameron the 'I'm not your friend' speech? Well, I'm saying the same thing to you. So BUTT OUT!" Chase shouted and started toward the elevator, with Foreman right behind him.

He again grabbed Chase's shoulder and forced him around, so hard that he lost his footing and slammed into the wall, Foreman pinning him.

"I won't let you go in there. Believe it or not, I know House still cares for her, as a colleague, even, and he's having a rough enough time with it. Don't you think he's blaming himself for what Cameron did?"

"Good! He should blame himself."

The elevator doors opened and Wilson stepped out, stopping in mid-step at seeing the two men against the wall.

"What's going on?" he asked. The two men ignored him but stood in silence, staring each other down with intense hatred toward each other. "Is Cameron alright?"

Foreman felt Chase relax a little and backed up just enough to insure he wouldn't outright fist him in the mouth. Luckily he didn't; all he did was straighten his lab coat collar.

"Foreman, why don't you take him somewhere to cool off," Wilson suggested.

"Cool off! I don't need to cool off. I need to kill House."

"Chase, you need to calm down. House is taking this harder than you think."

Foreman piped in, "Come on, we're going to the cafeteria."

"No, we're not." Chase said angrily, standing his ground.

Foreman looked at Wilson, who nodded his head. Foreman hid the fist he'd just made at his side and, taking a breath, clouted him right on the chin. His head flew to the right but didn't fall.

As he came back around to look at Foreman he said, rubbing his chin, "What the HELL did you do that for?"

"Because you needed it," Foreman said truthfully.

Chase leaned against the wall again and secretly agreed with Foreman. He quietly walked off toward the cafeteria, with Foreman behind him and Wilson headed to Cameron's room.

HOUSE M.D. HOUSE M.D. HOUSE M.D. HOUSE M.D. HOUSE M.D.

Back in Cuddy's office, both she and House sat on the couch talking. She'd finally calmed him down enough to where he could get his thoughts together and talk coherently.

"House, I know it's difficult to end any relationship, but she's right. You have GOT to get that under control. You should never have gotten together with her in the first place."

House looked up at her, his eyes swollen from a few tears that had fallen before. "What, are you jealous?" he said sarcastically but seriously.

"Shut up, House! You know what I meant. You know, I am so used to you and your idiot ways that you're like an abandoned puppy. But it might just so happen that one day that puppy's going to bite, which you did."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She sighed and said, "The puppy is so lost, confused, doesn't really know itself and it gets mad one day and bites."

"I didn't bite Cameron," he defended.

"No, but you pushed her in a corner and…" she sighed heavily, searching for the right words to say. She huffily leaned back against the couch. "You know, I think you've even got me confused."

"Well, we all know you are a blonde underneath that Miss Clairol look," House said, attempting to be funny but it backfired. She stood up, put her hands on her hips and stared down on him.

"Go home, House."

"I want to check on…"

"No, you won't. You will go home and stay there for a week," she said sternly.

"And what makes you think I'll do that?"

"Because I've just decided to suspend you for a week," she said as she walked back to her desk and sat down.

He stood up, walked to the desk and practically got in her face. "You can't do that!"

"I just did. Now go home."

"You can't make me go home, Cuddy," House challenged her, raising his voice significantly.

She looked him right in the eyes, picked up the phone, waited a moment and said, "Security to my office, now." House stood in silence as she replaced the receiver in the cradle and leaned back in her chair.

"You can either have security drag you out or walk on your own. The choice is yours."

House grinned sarcastically at her, like he was a child being put on restriction and daring his mother to back down and take it back.

He heard the door open behind him and a voice say, "Dr. Cuddy, is everything okay in here?"

"I don't know, yet. I'm waiting for Dr. House on that," Cuddy answered, returning House's sarcastic grin.

House sighed under his breath, turned around and walked out of the office then out of the hospital in a huff, making tire burn marks on the pavement as he roared out of the parking lot on his bike, not even bothering to put on his helmet.