She is not having a very good day.

The bus groans and hisses as it rumbles to life, the driver shouting something about a different route today, construction down the street.

Whatever.

When she hops off the bus, ten minutes early for her appointment with Rachael, she decides to grab some food at the bakery. She pushes the crosswalk sign and waits impatiently for it to turn green.

"Hey!" Some man calls out behind her as she steps into the crosswalk, not even seeing the bicycle rider that is barreling down the road.

All she knew was that she was spinning, her leg twisting horribly as the wheel slammed into her, and falling hard into the unforgiving pavement. She gasps for her breath and coughs up the blood that was suffocating her, struggling to keep her eyes open, and failing miserably.

-----------

"Dr. House!" He turns to see his young duckling, Cameron, trotting toward him. He looks away again. "A girl is in the ER. She asked for you."

House studies her for a moment. She really does have pretty hair. "Oh."

"Her name is…" Cameron glances down at the file. "Akaisha Juliet Bryant." Cameron looks back up at him and gauges his reaction.

House pauses for a moment, wondering if he should shrug it off and tell Cameron to wish her well, or rush to her side.

"House. Clinic, now!" Cuddy roars from down the hall, where she is racing toward him,

Diagnostics is on this floor.

ER is one floor down.

House hops into the elevator, pulling Cameron in with him. "I'll go see her right now!" He announces, and Cameron laughs.

House limps quickly into her room.

"Ruby."

The young woman's head snaps up and she smiles widely, then notices the even younger woman beside him, and infinitely prettier.

"Hi." She rasps, and waves to Cameron, who nods and smiles.

"So… what happened? I here you jumped out in front of a bike rider." He limps toward her and scans her injuries. Superficial.

"Yeah. That's it. I realized I'd have to clean your house later today and saw the bike. It was just too convenient." She teases, and he smiles.

"Well, Dr. House, I'll be going…" Cameron motions toward the door and trails off, but House shakes his head.

"You, Dr. Cameron, go nowhere." He glances between the two women in the room. "Where are my manners?" Cameron snorts and House glares. "I haven't introduced you two. Cameron, this is Ruby, my housekeeper. Ruby, this is Cameron, my… well, the hospital babe." He grins wolfishly and Ruby rolls her eyes.

"So, you're given name is Cameron?" Ruby asks politely, and Cameron shakes her head.

"No, Allison, actually. Allison Cameron."

"May I call you Allison? That is such a pretty name." Ruby smiles, and Cameron nods.

House is eyeing both of them warily.

"Greg?" He looks absolutely humiliated.

"Yes?" He squeaks.

"Why don't you call her Allison?" She almost laughs at the look of complete horror on his face as he sputters for an excuse.

"I… don't know. I just… don't. Ya know." He shrugs and moves toward the door.

"No, I don't know." Cameron's laughing now as Ruby continues.

"What is this, 20 questions? I don't have to answer to my cleaning lady!" He declares, clearly grasping for straws.

"Ok, ok. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Greg."

With that, House bolts from the room, Cameron in tow.

"Well, that was interesting, Greg." Cameron teases in her sweetest, most innocent voice.

House is seething.

"It certainly was, Allison."

Cameron smirks and leaves, joining up with Chase and Foreman in the congress room. House isn't sure what to do, so, when he sees Cuddy poking around the halls, he heads back down to the ER to clear up any… confusion surrounding that interaction.

"Ruby." She's lying on her bed, reading Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

"Yes?" She is smiling behind her book, and House rolls his eyes.

"So… that thing with Cameron. She's not like, you know. She's just a colleague. She's… an underling. My bitch, you could say." She laughs at this, and sets down her novel.

"She is not, you liar. I saw that look in your eyes! You have the biggest crush on her, you just won't admit it." She is really on him now, her eyes dancing and flashing her big, charming grin.

"I am not! You don't know what we're like. She… she has a thing for me, not the other way around. She's too… I don't know. Just not right." He's shaking his head, leaning into his cane and studying a painting on her wall.

"Oh, admit it! You looove her!" She is giggling now and clapping her hands, and House can't help but smile and shrug.

"Whatever."

She stuffs some potato chips in her mouth and House settles down on her wide mattress next to her, pulling out his copy of Lesbian Prison Stories. Ruby snorts and rolls her eyes, but they both go back to reading their respective pieces.

----------

"Greg?" Ruby breathes, nudging his shoulder. He makes no reaction, and she carefully pulls his book out of his hands and climbs out of her bed, covering him with her blanket.

"Miss Bryant?" Cameron enters, and Ruby shushes her. The doctor's eyes flutter over to House, and back to Ruby. "Sorry!" She whispers and smiles, handing Ruby her release paper. Ruby smiles her thanks and then slips out of the room with her backpack, grateful to be headed home at last.

As she is headed out, she runs into Wilson again.

"Hi."

"Oh, hey Ruby!" He remembers my name!

She could die of happiness.

Cameron approaches the bed cautiously and pulls the blanket over his shoulders where he had pushed it down, then shifts him into a more comfortable position.

"You better not let him catch you doing that." Cuddy is smiling in the doorway, leaning her shoulder against the wall. Cameron blushes and scurries out of the room, leaving Cuddy and House alone.

Cuddy walks over slowly and brushes the stray bang out of his eyes, surprised to see silver irises staring up at her.

"You were awake?" Cuddy asks, clearly embarrassed.

"When Cameron moved me." He answers, pulling himself upright.

"She's a nice girl." Cuddy says it with a hint of something other than fondness, but House doesn't catch.

"Yeah. She is. She really is." The way his eyes drift away and she can see a trace of a smile makes her stomach twist.

"Well, glad to see your friend is okay." Cuddy says bluntly, and House snaps around again.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. My housekeeper. She's a good kid." House gets up stiffly and grabs his cane, pulling himself to his feet and hobbling toward the door.

"Dr. House?" He turned, and she seems to be debating whether or not to finish her sentence. "Oh, remember… the Clinic." He can tell that was not what she was going to say, but nods and leaves anyway.

---------

When House gets home, Ruby is sitting on his steps outside his door. He glances at his watch and realizes he was supposed to be there ten minutes ago. She flashes him a smile and follows him in.

The house is still fairly clean, but she tidies up for a few moments before she reenters his living room.

"Greg?" She calls as she is washing his dishes.

"Hmm?"

"Who is Dr. Cuddy?"

"My boss."

"She didn't look at you like a boss should be looking at their employee." Ruby smirks, and House shrugs.

"We slept together in college."

"Do you think that's why you got your job?"

House glances up at her, narrowing his eyes. "Aren't we full of questions." She just stares with imploring eyes, and he shrugs again.

"Maybe. That and I am a good doctor."

"But you agree that she would sleep with you again."

"If I wanted to, probably." He looks uncomfortable with her questions, playing with his Rubik's cube.

"And you don't want to?"

"Not really."

"Yes or no, Greg."

"…. No." Ruby grins.

"Because you'd rather be with Cameron?"

"No!"

"Well, do you want to be with Cameron?"

"I – I… well, you can't just ask like that. She's hot. So is Cuddy. But Cuddy is a friend. I mean, if I was stuck in a room alone with Cuddy overnight, well you know. I'd probably… if she wanted to. But I wouldn't seek her out." He is starting to jerk the Cube rather roughly, but Ruby presses on.

"But you would seek Cameron out."

"Jeez! I don't know. She asked me out once."

"What did you say?"

"… Yes."

"Was it good?"

"No. I was… nasty. I asked her out one time too." He felt like a teenager with his buddies.

"What did she say?"

There was a long pause, and when he answers, his voice is low and quiet. "No."

"I'm sorry. I wonder why? She sure seemed to have a thing for you. You should have seen her doting on you!" She knows this is will get a reaction.

"What did she do?"

"She kissed you."

He looks so stunned that she can't keep from laughing. "I'm kidding! No, she just covered you and moved you and stroked your forehead with affection." Ruby presses her hand to her chest and sways dramatically.

"Bitch." He laughs, tossing a napkin at her head.

"So… about this Wilson guy," She prompts, and he shrugs.

"What about him?"

"Did you sleep with him?" She asks suddenly, and he spits his beer out of mouth.

"What!"

"Oh, come on! Talk about a hottie with a body!" She then glances at her watch.

"Oh, shit! I'm late. My kitty's probably starving! Bye, Greg." House waves as she bolts out the door without a backward glance.

"Bye." He smiles.

--------

TBC.

Vote: Cuddy or Cameron should be House's "mate"?

Vote: Should Wilson, Chase or Foreman hook up with Ruby?