Chapter 4
Foreman was adding sugar to his coffee for the fourth time when Cameron walked in. Chase looked up from his crossword puzzle to give her a glance and then went back to it before he lost his concentration.
"Foreman, Chase, good morning." Cameron walked passed the two doctors and started making herself a cup of coffee.
"Good morning," came from Foreman. With his own cup in hand, he grabbed a file and started for the door. "If Dr. House asks, I'll be in the lab running the last of those test." Cameron gave him a nod and watched Foreman leave. When he disappeared she turned back to the counter and added sugar and creamer.
"So, how was your night?"
"Fine." Cameron took a seat at the table across from Chase. She stared down at her cup and slowly stirred it. "Boring. Caught up on some stuff, though, like laundry."
"Hmmm…sounds more exciting then mine." Chase flashed a smile and pushed his crossword puzzle aside. Cameron's night probably was more exciting, considering the fact that Chase spent his staring at the phone trying to talk himself into calling Cameron. Go out from a drink? Come over and watch some movies? It never happened.
There was a loud laugh, almost sarcastic in a way, from the next room over. It faded quickly, but both Chase and Cameron looked over to see what was going on. House was bent over forward, smiling, hand on his gut like the laughing made it hurt. Mali was seated across from him, shaking her head and probably tempted to throw the tennis ball in her hand.
"Do you think House is serious with her?"
Cameron tore her stare away and looked at Chase. "Uhh…I dunno. Maybe."
"Huh." Chase stood up and advanced towards the coffee maker, looking to pour a fresh cup. "Are you bothered by it?"
"Chase," Cameron sighed. "I really don't care. I told you, I'm over House. If he wants to date another woman, then fine. Who am I to stop him?" She looked down at her cup and forced herself not to look at them. Them, the happy couple. It didn't bother her that much, not when she wasn't looking at them, either one in fact, or was forced to think about them…this job wasn't so easy anymore. Maybe if House were dating someone closer to his age, maybe if he started to date Stacy again, then Cameron wouldn't be so disturbed. Her feelings for House, the ones she was able to hide when he refused her, wouldn't have resurfaced if he started dating Stacy and not Mali. Why? Cameron couldn't quite figure it out yet.
There was a loud sound of heels clicking down the hallway and Cuddy appeared in the door. Interrupting Cameron's thoughts and Chase's coffee making, she stared at the two young doctors and cleared her throat.
"I need you two down in the clinic."
"Okay." Cameron nodded her head and quickly left the room, leaving behind what she had on the table. Chase did the same and caught up with Cameron in the elevator. Cuddy sighed and when the two disappeared, she turned her attention to House and his guest. She didn't mind Mali hanging around, especially because she kept House in a good mood.
Cuddy opened the door to House's office. "House, clinic. Now."
"Aww, come on, Cuddy. I'm doing just fine sitting here and playing my game boy." He held up the small silver machine to add emphasis. Cuddy just rolled her eyes.
"You can play your game boy in the clinic. Just get down there so I don't get in trouble because we are short doctors down there and I have one up here who can fill in." She turned to Mali and gave her a small smile. "Hi, Mali."
Mali, who would have gone fully unnoticed without care, gave Cuddy a smile back. "Hi, Dr. Cuddy."
"How have you been?"
"Okay."
"Good." She gave House a glance, who was glaring at her. "Do me a favor and make sure House gets down to the clinic." Cuddy then turned and left the office, disappearing down the hallway.
A loud sigh echoed in House's office and then there was a thump. Mali stared at her boyfriend as he was banging his head, lightly, against his desk.
"Why, why, why me? What did I do to deserve this?" Papers moved as House continued with the banging and a few fell on the floor.
"It could have something to do with your not-so-warmly-invited-existence at this hospital by people and Cuddy's not-so-happy-mood when she's around you, but I'm just going out on a limb here."
House picked up his head and wondered. "Huh." He then grabbed his cane and, after standing up, proceeded to walk around his desk. He stopped at Mali's side and began fishing in his pockets. "Here." He tossed a couple tens in her lap.
"Ooh, and I didn't even have to do anything this time!"
House frowned and headed out of his office. "I'll page you when I beat the game for the third time."
"Isn't that kinda obvious? Especially since you decided to introduce me to the nurses last week."
House smirked at that thought. Why have it and not show it off? "Haven't you ever heard of a beeper?"
"Yeah, if I had one!"
"There's one in the top drawer on the left."
"Uhh…"
"It's Wilson's." And with that House was out the doors and heading down the hallway. His walk was slower than usual – Oh, my leg hurts really bad today! – and if Cuddy didn't spot him then maybe he could get in another twenty minutes before he had to be in the clinic.
Sometimes, if House was lucky enough, he would run into his best friend at the perfect times. Those perfect times would include lunchtime, when Cuddy was hunting him down, and avoiding clinic duty, like right now. So, of course, seeing as if House had all the best luck in the world, as he rounded the bend in the hallway, he spotted Wilson standing at a desk, talking to a nurse as he went through a file. House would have immediately accused him of flirting, but then he remembered the oncologist was taken – oh, wait, that didn't matter.
"Wilson! Do you have any decency at all!" Wilson immediately froze in turning a paper over and blinked. House approached him and, leaning heavily on his cane, leered at Wilson. "Hmmm? You have a girlfriend – a hot, young girlfriend that will probably stay around for a while as long as you buy her nice stuff – and here you are flirting, on the job, with a nurse! I'm SO disappointed in you!" House actually looked bothered by the whole situation.
"House," Wilson sighed, voice hushed. "I'm not flirting. I'm just talking to Kristy here about a patient, okay?"
House raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Then why are you…blushing?"
"Because you are embarrassing me?"
"Uh, no. Try again."
Wilson closed his eyes, let out a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. When he opened them, the nurse was gone and House was still leaning forward, looking at him like he actually cared. Or maybe he did actually care because Mali was getting to him – no, wait, this is House; he never cares.
"Listen, House, just drop it, okay? I wasn't flirting, and if it seems that I was I didn't mean it." Wilson huffed and began walking away. He didn't have to look back to know House was following him. He was, and soon House got in step with Wilson as the oncologist slowed his speed some to allow it.
"I won't tell Jayden."
"Thank you."
House looked a little surprised. "You mean, you actually care that she may be upset that you could have been flirting with another woman?"
"Uh, yeah. Don't you care about Mali's feelings?"
"Sometimes," House shrugged. "But it's both ways."
Wilson just shook his head.
"I mean, if Mali hears a good rumor about me, she'll help pass it along."
"Oh, yeah, I know about that one. We started one together the other day."
House poked Wilson with his cane, hard.
"Oww! I was just kidding." The oncologist attempted to glare but it didn't work.
"Watch it, buddy. I have blackmail."
"More on you then me."
"Two words: Toenail polish."
Wilson scowled, taking a quick glance that no one overheard House and was looking at them oddly. It wasn't true; he didn't paint his toenails…
"Whatever."
The two continued their journey down the hallway, their shoulders bumping occasionally like usual, as House scowled at everyone who looked at him and Wilson smiled an apology afterwards.
"So, anything interesting going on?"
"Should we wait for this conversation until after we are behind closed doors?"
"That dirty, huh?"
"Oh, yeah."
They entered Wilson's office – see, House uses Wilson to avoid clinic duty very cleverly – and House took a seat across from Wilson at the old, mahogany desk.
"So…what's going?"
Wilson played around with a couple of pens until they were perfectly aligned on the desk, the files until they were stacked evenly, and even decided to throw away his cup and then changed his mind all about three times before actually throwing it away. When he caught a glance at House, the doctor was staring up at the ceiling, as if something was trying to crawl it's way through a tiny crack. Wilson looked up to; then he felt a poke at his neck with something that felt like a cane.
"If I wanted boring I could have gone to the clinic like Cuddy wants me too."
"Okay, okay…Mali and Cameron have been coming to me, at separate times, about each other. I mean, Mali is asking why Cameron hates her, and Cameron is asking why you are dating Mali. It's insane!"
"Huh." House couldn't decide whether to be amused by that bit of information, or bothered, seeing as though Cameron couldn't keep herself out of his personal life once again.
"That's all you can say?" Wilson leaned back in his chair and rubbed his neck. "It's tiring, House, and I wish you could do something. Say something to Cameron…I think she's pushing it."
"Mali's a big girl. If Cameron gives her any trouble, she can take care of herself. I mean, as much as I would love to play the tough, protective boyfriend, it's kind of hard here when I have a cane – " he held up his cane for emphasis " – and a bum leg."
"But this shouldn't be happening in the hospital. Cameron needs to be focused on her work. If she's bothered by Mali being around, then maybe Mali should spend less time away from the hospital during hours that Cameron is here."
House was absolutely mortified by that idea. "Never!" He banged his cane. Twice.
"House…"
"Jimmy, like I said, it's not my problem; it's between them. If Cameron is having such a hard time then she can take it to Cuddy. Other than that, I will not step in and I will most definitely not kick my girlfriend out of my office."
"Jayden doesn't hang around."
"That's because you work too much." Pause. House shrugged. "And she has a job too. That could play a big part."
That brought up another topic Wilson wanted to talk about. "Have you thought about mentioning to Mali about getting a job?"
Mortified again, House wanted to throw his cane instead of banging it. He opted for rolling his eyes and looking at Wilson like he was the most stupid person on the earth.
"She has enough money to last her two lifetimes."
"But still…"
"I'm not going to force her to do something she doesn't want too." And with that, House stood up, gathering himself together. "I'm going to the clinic. Told Mali I'd page her if I got bored."
"How are you going to page her? Cuddy will get suspicious if she hears her name."
"Why do you people assume I'm stupid! I gave her a beeper."
Wilson raised an eyebrow. Then he realized he misplace his earlier and hasn't been able to find it since. House had a smug look on his face when the oncologist met it. "House!"
House laughed and opened the door. He kept laughing as he walked down the hallway, loud enough for Wilson to still hear, but sarcastic enough to keep random people from joining in.
