Author's Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
Note :Chapter 2 now edited. All chapters (1-9) should be completely edited by the end of Monday and will be closely followed by a brand new chapter! I'm trying to keep most of Cameron's story secret for now, more will be revealed in future chapters. I've also implied something about Cuddy's motivations for sending patients to House. These are not my personal views, but I don't intend to pretend that people don't think badly of others just to keep the characters lovable. Please keep the comments coming. I love to hear your views.
Hidden inside a toilet stall, Allison Cameron wiped away the final few tears. She didn't truly understand why she had cried. It was not out of fear for what she was about to do, nor out of sadness for the patient. If anything it had been out of confusion. For the face she had seen being wheeled into a room was undoubtedly that of her late husband. Or was he late? Allison shook that childish thought from her head. Of course he was. He was dead - she had attended his funeral.
The new patient must have been his brother, or perhaps she had just hallucinated under the stress of giving a patient bad news. For some reason that didn't feel right. She recalled the sudden wave of bravery she had felt just before fleeing and couldn't understand why she would react negatively to such a positive experience.
Cameron left the toilets and made her way to the conference room, where she kept some emergency make-up. As she went to close her compact after reapplying her cosmetics, Cameron caught the reflection of somebody standing at the back of the room. She snapped it shut and whirled around. It was House.
He watched her for a moment before speaking, summing up her immaculate appearance and trying to decipher what lay behind it. "You can't run away forever," House's first words to her were spoken softly, perhaps even nervously. Although it pained him to admit it he knew Cameron was a good doctor and didn't wish to exploit her weaknesses like this. He knew that if she continued this behaviour Cuddy may force him to find a more able doctor, but he was happy with his current team.
"I know," Cameron was looking at the floor. She couldn't bring herself to think about what the consequences of her actions would be if this developed into a long term problem.
"How long has it been since your husband's death?" House stared at her, his crystal eyes burning through her defences and slowly fighting their way to the truth.
"I…I don't know," even Cameron was stunned by her reaction.
"For God's sake Cameron. That guy has hung over your life since the day he died. Surely you know when that was. What kind of crappy wife were you?" House shouted. His frustration was evident, but Cameron wasn't going to give him what he wanted.
"I was a good wife. I helped him to fight his illness for a year, and when his time came I sat by his bedside holding his hand. I loved him with all my heart." Her eyes pricked with tears. House thought this was because she was being emotional again, but Cameron knew it was because she hadn't told the truth. She should have been at his bedside. She should have told him she loved him as he took his final breath. She should have been there to say goodbye. But she wasn't. House was right, she had been a crap wife, but she had loved him. That was why his death hung over her and refused to loosen its grip on her life.
Cameron headed for the door. "Seven years on Tuesday," she muttered as she stepped out into the corridor.
The nurse that had nearly hit Cameron with the ward's newest patient's trolley earlier was just leaving his room after getting him settled in. Needing to clear up his identity once and for all she called her over. "New patient, Nurse Roberts?"
The nurse nodded and handed her the patient's file. "Owen Miller, thirty two year old male. Turned up at the clinic this morning complaining of abdominal discomfort. He fainted before an examination could take place. He was admitted immediately."
"Then why is he here? He doesn't even have enough symptoms to be a difficult diagnosis. It could be just indigestion coupled with fatigue for all the symptoms tell us - it's not exactly complex."
"He's rich," Nurse Roberts' answer was simple but Cameron understood. It was always the case that rich patients ended up in the Diagnostics Department before anyone else. They had heard of House's reputation and wanted the best treatment. Cameron sometimes wondered whether Cuddy directed the more complex, well-off, cases here knowing that they would leave with their wallets considerably lighter. House didn't like to scrimp on the diagnostic tests.
"Ah, well thank you." As the nurse walked down the corridor Cameron checked the name one the file to see if it matched the one she had just given her. It did. Allison wondered what she was expecting it to say. What did it matter if the names were different anyway, the nurse had probably just got mixed up with another patient. She flatly denied what the nagging little voice in the back of her head was saying "You were looking for Mark Holloway."
Cameron took one last look at the department's newest patient's stats before entering his room. Not looking up from the file she introduced herself to him. "Hello Mr Miller, I'm Dr Cameron. I will be one of the doctors working with Dr House on your case. I believe you've been suffering from pains in your abdomen. Would you mind showing me where exactly?"
Allison looked up, to be confronted by a face she hadn't seen for six years. They shared mirrored expressions of shock for a moment before the he broke into a fake grin. "Hello Allison."