Chapter 22

"George!" Izzie cried, rushing out of the pool. She scrambled over to him, checking his vitals. Her wet hands slipped over his neck as she screamed, "He's not breathing! Call an ambulance!"

The other Seattle doctors circled around him as Izzie administered CPR. George's lungs sputtered back to life as a collective sigh swished around the room.

EMTs were there shortly and hurried him to the nearest hospital. House raised his eyebrows, saying, "Well, that was titillating. Can we go spoon now or something?"

Cameron looked up at House with scolding eyes. "No one's ever interesting unless they're bleeding from unusual places, right?"

He gave a swift nod. "That's always been my rule of thumb."

She rolled her eyes, then gave her attention to Foreman, who was swiftly coming their way. "What happened?" she asked.

Foreman's eyes glanced over to where George had passed out, still recalling the scene in his head. "He just clutched his head and fell over. O'Malley hadn't even stepped into the pool yet."

"I feel like some Taco Bell," House said energetically, rubbing his stomach. He was ready to get out of his swimming trucks and he was even more uncomfortable looking at Cameron in broad daylight in that bikini. His head had twirled enough at the sight in the darkened sauna, but now that he could see all of her curves and the lone freckle on her lower back, he was afraid that he would be the next to collapse.

Cameron sighed. Spotting a clock on the wall, she noted that it was nearly 12:30. "Okay," she agreed. "Let's all get some lunch and then we'll go to the hospital."

Foreman nodded and left to get changed, but House was not so keen. His face scrunched, he whined, "Why do we have to go to the hospital? Bambi collapsed. I'm sure he'll be fine and surrounded by all of his merry intern pals."

She shook her head. "I know it isn't pleasant, but it is respectful. Try to act like you know what respectful means," she chided as they walked towards the dressing rooms. "George would do the same for any one of us."

House knew that it was true. Stepping into the booth, he was eager to change.

………………………

Chase stood awkwardly next to the pool. He rubbed his cool, wet arms as he stared at the pool room entrance. Izzie had fled the hotel, riding in the ambulance with George to the hospital. She had not even turned to tell him anything.

"Foreman!" he called out as his friend walked past him. "What are you doing?"

"We're all going to get a bite to eat and then head to the hospital," he replied. "We'll meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes, okay?"

Chase agreed, but still stayed where he was for a few more moments. He just felt a little lost.

……………………………………

Meredith, Alex, and Cristina scurried down the hallway, there chatter echoing off the walls.

"What happened to him?" Meredith asked. Dirty blonde strands of hair batted at her face as she desperately wished she had a hair tie.

"Knowing O'Malley, he probably dropped from lack of sex," Alex scoffed in his normally deep voice.

"Karev, when was the last time you had sex where you didn't contract syphilis or get dumped for a terminal heart patient? Cristina asked bitingly, her eyes sharp. "Now help us come up with some causes or shut the hell up," she added as they headed towards their rooms before they went to the hospital.

Derrick Shepherd had been eating lunch in the hotel restaurant and was planning to mope in his room for an hour or two when he saw the three interns flying past him. "What's going on?" he asked excitedly.

Meredith spun around, continuing to walk backwards. "George is in the hospital," she called and then turned back to catch up with the other two.

Shepherd had never given much thought to George O'Malley, not even after he had discovered that he had slept with Meredith while they were broken up, but he could not turn away from a medical case. He was a surgeon first after all.

……………………………

House, Cameron, Foreman, and Chase walked down the block from the hotel to eat at the nearest Taco Bell. When Foreman and Chase got up to go to the bathroom, House and Cameron were left to awkwardly sitting with each other, both doctors still tingling from their near moment in the sauna.

Cameron could barely look at House and still breathe. She kept remembering his searing hands on her waist, could almost feel what must be soft, but strong lips on hers. The younger doctor took a deep breath, then asked, "So what almost happened back there?"

House gave her his best "duh" face. "Well, little Ally," he said mockingly sweet, "little George almost ate the daisies."

She rolled her eyes. "Between us."

House's mouth went wide in feigned realization as he said, "Oh." He looked straight at her with a smile. "You tried to seduce me."

Cameron cocked her eyebrow up as a hint of an enticing smile danced over her lips. "And you just happened to be a helpless victim?" she teased.

He nodded. "That's right. You and your wiles are too advanced for the male psyche,' he taunted back. When he saw that she was ready for a real answer, he leaned back in his chair. "I almost kissed you."

Finally! she thought. He was actually opening up. She almost prayed for him to not back down now. As he leaned back, she leaned in closer to him. "Are you planning to do it again?"

House looked stunned and a little frightened, yet excited that they would have another opportunity. He wanted to say something witty more than anything, but her pale green eyes haunted him into saying nothing but the truth. "Yes," he said simply, quietly.

Just then, Foreman and Chase returned from the bathroom, leaving Cameron and House to only wish they knew when he was going to try again.

TBC