Chapter 17
Cameron stared at House, not fully believing what he had just done. Before she had time to respond, her cell phone started ringing. She listened to Chase as he told her on the other line that the seminar had just ended. "Okay," Cameron said. "We'll meet you at the carousel in half an hour."
She shut off her phone and put it back in her bag. Placing her hands on her hips, she asked, "Okay, Sherlock. What's your plan?"
House banged his cane against the wooden boardwalk. "What's yours?" he taunted with a grin.
Cameron glared at him, then glanced around the area for an answer. She shut her eyes in irritation as she pointed towards another booth. Motorcycles for rent were lined out in front of the table.
"Oh, yeah," House grunted in his manly fashion. They walked over to the booth and rented a motorcycle for the entire week.
They hopped onto the bike. Cameron wrapped her arms tightly around House, her belly tingling at the memory of House pulling her arms around him the first time they rode together. If Cameron could have seen House's grin in front of her, she would have known that he was recalling the same memory.
At the Pier, House parked the bike and waited for everyone else to show up. House and Cameron watched as Izzie, Foreman, Chase, Meredith, Cristina, Alex, and George step out of two taxis. Once they had convened in front of the carousel, House said, "Now that we're all here, let's all separate."
The women opened their mouths to protest, but the guys were eager to consent. Izzie, Foreman, and Chase moved towards the games as Meredith and Cristina went off together by the food stands. Alex and George bounded towards House and Cameron. George's big blue eyes melted Cameron's resistance when he asked, "Can we go with you?"
House moaned as he rolled his head in frustration. Cameron smiled at them as she said, "Sure."
The four of them headed towards the rides. House and Cameron fell back behind the other two. House leaned into her and asked quietly, "You realize why they're following us, right?"
Cameron feigned a serious face as she stared up at him with curious green eyes. "Why?" she asked, trying to keep a straight face. "Would it bother you if they were interested in me?"
"I don't mind George," he replied. "The kid is sweet, but he is still a kid. Karev, though, is another story. He's like an old huntin' dog running after a rabbit."
Cameron laughed. Secretly, that had been her observations as well. For the second time that week, she tucked her hand into his. He looked down at her, bewildered, then smiled. He squeezed her hand and then intertwined their fingers.
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"I can't believe Derrick," Meredith whined.
Cristina brushed it off as she looked around. "He's a man," she informed her. "All men would have harems if it was legal."
Meredith licked off ice cream that had fell onto her hand from her cone. "He chooses me, and then he chooses her. Then he comes back to me. And now he still calls her his wife! I am so over men," she babbled.
Cristina didn't even respond. Moving on to her own problems, she said, "Burke is worried that I don't love him anymore."
Meredith grabbed a napkin of the table. "Should he be worried?"
Cristina's forehead wrinkled. "No, he was shot. But he's still Burke."
"Maybe he's afraid that it's changed you."
Cristina crumpled her napkin as she sighed.
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"It's okay if I don't get anything," Izzie said comfortingly. Foreman and Chase had been trying to shoot ducks and pop balloons for the last twenty minutes.
Foreman looked wild-eyed as he tossed a ring at a goldfish bowl. "No, we promised you a prize. We'll get you one," he vowed.
Chase pulled back his hair with his hand. "I have an idea," he said.
"What?" Izzie asked.
"Wait here," Chase commanded mysteriously. He walked down several booths to be out of earshot. He faced the worker and said, "Hey, pal. I'll give you fifty bucks for that bear."
The man's cigar was making Chase nauseous. He rubbed his stubbly chin as he coughed. "You have to win the bear, pal."
Chase rolled his eyes. "Look," he said, handing him a slip, "I'll give you a ticket like I played the game. And I'll pay you seventy-five dollars to let me win it."
The burly man stared at him inquisitively for a few minutes, puffing on his cigar. Then he pulled down the bear. "This chick must be something," he mumbled as he tossed the animal to Chase.
"She's even better," Chase answered gratefully. "Thanks."
He walked back over to Foreman and Izzie. Foreman was still trying to win a game. "I believe this is yours," Chase said proudly as he handed the animal to Izzie.
Her face brightened as she took it. "Oh, it's great. Thank you," she gushed.
"How did you get it?" Foreman asked, puffing from jealously.
Chase shrugged. "What can I say? I'm quite proficient at carnival games," he replied smugly.
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After riding some of the milder rides, Alex asked the group if they wanted to ride a roller coaster.
Cameron glanced up House. He shook his head. "It'll tear my leg all to hell," he told her.
"Let's just get something to eat," she reasoned with the other two.
"C'mon, Allison," Alex pushed. "O'Malley can stay with Dr. House. It will only take a few minutes."
Cameron shook her head, but House interjected. "No, go ahead and go. You should get to have fun."
He pulled his hand away from Cameron's. She looked down, disappointed and slightly hurt. She wondered if this was his way of bailing out before they got too close. She got in line with Alex as George and House walked away towards the food stands.
George dejectedly plopped down onto a bench, resting his chin on his fists. House frowned as he twirled his cane. His stomach burned as he was sucked back into reality. He could not be the man that Cameron needed. They could pretend and hold hands and hold each other close on a motorcycle, but it wasn't enough. At the end of the day, he was still Greg House.
TBC
