Hello! I was wondering if I should write and post today or not, being as I am going to be away from a computer all day tomorrow, and I thought, "If I were a reader, would I like it if my story was on break because the author was gone?" No, was the answer; so, from an author to her readers, I am presenting the twentieth chapter of the story!
Falling Apart
Foreman sat in his office with his head in his hands. He had gotten the message that morning about Mr. Deleyney's death, Cuddy calling him up at four in the morning to let him know. Her voice had been oddly calm on the phone as she told him the family had decided to sue the hospital and the doctors for as much as they could get. When she told him the sum, Foreman had gasped. He had figured out how much his house was worth, his possessions, anything that could be of value after he had gotten off the phone with Cuddy, and he was nowhere near the amount he was being sued for.
Foreman could hardly believe it. He was being sued. He was going to lose his house, his dignity, maybe even his job. Foreman picked his head up and watched House limp down the hallway, balancing a box in one hand. Cuddy had forbidden anyone to help him; any doctor assisting Dr. House would be brought before the hospital director herself. House was heading to the parking lot, one of many, many boxes he had to bring home with him going into the trunk of a borrowed car.
He sighed and decided that looking out the window was his best option. The mere sight of House made his gut twist and his head hurt.
Cameron sat in the cafeteria, her purse in her lap as she sipped the small coffee she had bought. No one sat with her at the small table, passing staff members either ignoring her or giving her looks that mingled pity and disgust at the same time. The two letters peeked out at her from her purse, the letter to Cuddy in an orange envelope, the letter to House in a light purple envelope. She figured that she should go and deliver them. Cuddy had called her that morning, letting her know the patient had died and she was being sued. None of the doctors were allowed to treat any patient or have clinic duty. They were to show up at the hospital and sit there, waiting for anything that might come about as a result of the death.
Sick of the noise in the cafeteria and wanting to put the purse in her office before she lost all courage and ripped the letters up, Cameron got up and threw away the rest of her coffee. It hadn't helped wake her from her dream state one bit.
Chase, with a shaking hand, put the gun into the desk drawer in his own office. He had smuggled it in as planned and felt so awful inside that he couldn't think properly. There was nothing for him to do but wait. Cuddy had called him that morning, giving him the news. He had cried, he was man enough to admit, the sobs shaking him, his fingers twitching so hard he had to put the gun down at risk of shooting himself.
He saw Cameron pass by and ran to the door, whipping it open and grabbing Cameron's arm. Cameron, startled until she realized it was Chase, tried to pull away, but Chase wouldn't let go. She had caused some of this, yes, and because he had cared too much about her to keep his mouth shut, he had told Cuddy about the bruise he had glimpsed in passing and now they were all in trouble.
He took her in his arms, the purse she held falling to the floor with a thump as she started to sob on his shoulder, the tears wetting the lab jacket Chase wore. He could feel her shuddering breaths and felt his own eyes well up in tears. What had they done? What were they going to do? He thought of that gun in his drawer, his mind whirling, his vision blurry. Never mind the people who now stood gawking at them in the corridor. They had to understand that the two doctors were about to lose everything- No, they had lost everything already.
The eldest son of the patient who had died was one of the crowd. He had been watching Dr. Chase for the longest time, following the young man to his office. He had seen Chase put the gun in the desk drawer.
Sorry if this chapter was a little slow. I am building to something that will happen in the next chapter with a lot of dialog and a lot of action, so this next chapter is going to be a mind blower, I promise you! Please tell me what you think and keep reading! I will be pleased to present you with the next chapter either late, late tonight or the day after tomorrow, depending on what time I am leaving (I am taking a small trip!) and what time I get back. If I don't post tonight, then sorry for the delay! Just think of it as more time for me to prepare an extraordinary chapter for you! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! (p.s. I'm not suggesting a relationship between Chase and Cameron, in regards to that last little bit!)
