Chapter 31

House walked into an empty conference room the next morning. He'd half hoped that Cameron would be there so he could talk to her before the boys arrived. He noticed there was no coffee made. He glanced at Cameron's desk and saw no laptop, and no coat.

Chase came in to the conference room behind him, followed by Foreman. Both boys looked at the coffee pot, disappointed. Chase looked at his watch, it was past nine.

"Cameron's not here yet?" Chase asked. "She's never late."

"It's barley past nine," Foreman said. "She's not that late. Maybe she got hung up downstairs getting the mail."

"How's the patient?" House asked to hide his concern. It was very unlike Cameron to be late. She was usually the first one in.

"Not responding to treatment," Foreman answered.

"It's still early, the treatment hasn't had enough time," House replied.

"Or, we're treating him for the wrong thing," Foreman suggested. "He's showing decreased respiratory function."

"That still fits Niemann-Pick," House said.

"Yeah, but if this was the right treatment he shouldn't be getting new symptoms," Foreman countered. "The diagnosis is wrong."

"Do you have a better one?" House asked. Foreman shook his head. "Then we stick with this treatment until something else changes."

Foreman and Chase left the room to attend to the patient. House picked up a marker and wrote decreased respiratory function on the whiteboard. He sat in one of the chairs and stared at the board. He was distracted and couldn't concentrate. Where was Cameron?

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Cameron had been the first one in that morning, as usual. She just didn't want anyone to notice her. She hadn't slept well last night, and she looked like hell. Normally she wouldn't care, but today she didn't think she could fend off questions about what was wrong with her usual skill. House had kissed her. And then, naturally, everything fell apart. She meant what she said; she would wait for him. But would he still want her?

She certainly wasn't ready to see him yet. So, she'd waited down the hall until she saw the boys file out of the conference room. She caught up with them and checked in. Neither of them noticed anything unusual. She'd gone with Chase to check on Adam while Foreman went to the lab to check out the latest round of blood work. Adam wasn't improving as he should be, and Cameron was beginning to doubt if her diagnosis had been correct.

Cameron told Chase that she was going to get her clinic hours out the way early today, and to page her if he needed anything. She didn't actually have clinic duty today, so she signed in for House. It wasn't as if she was in any danger of running into him there. It was the perfect place to avoid him.

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"House!" Cuddy shouted.

House dragged his eyes open with a Herculean effort. He hadn't slept well after Cameron left the night before. Actually, he's spent most of the night sitting at the piano, alternately drinking and playing until he'd finally gone to bed around 3am. He had put some quiet, classical piano on his Ipod and just managed to fall asleep when the evil one began shouting.

"Why is Dr. Cameron working your clinic hours?" Cuddy demanded.

"Well, I have no idea," House replied in his best southern belle accent. "I haven't seen Cameron all morning. Maybe she was bored. The patients are being seen, aren't they?"

"That's not the point. Get down there now and work your own clinic hours," Cuddy barked. "And give me that," she continued, snatching the Ipod from him.

"Evil witch," House grumbled, getting up.

"Watch it, or I'll shove my broomstick somewhere very uncomfortable," Cuddy warned.

"Promise?" House asked suggestively.

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House walked into the clinic and signed in. He asked the nurse at the desk where he could find Dr. Cameron. She told him Dr. Cameron was doing a prostate exam in room four. House wanted to talk to her, but not that badly. He asked the nurse at the desk to have Dr. Cameron sign out of the clinic and then wait for him in his office when she finished with her patient. House took the next chart from the pile and went to treat yet another sore throat.

Cameron stepped out of the exam room and walked to the nurse's station. The nurse at the desk told her to sign out and wait in Dr. House's office. Cringing, Cameron did as she was told. Of all the days for him to actually show up in the clinic, she thought to herself. She asked the nurse how many hours Dr. House would be working today. The nurse responded three, and Cameron thanked her.

Cameron went to her desk first and took out her Ipod. Then she went to House's office and started working on some backed up paperwork. She settled onto the couch, and had gotten little more than a third of the way through the pile when she fell asleep.

House came back to his office just before lunch, prepared to have a talk with Cameron about not letting any personal stuff interfere with their work. When he walked into his office, he found her sleeping on the couch, surrounded by piles of paperwork. He looked at her for a few minutes, and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. I guess she didn't get much sleep last night either, he thought. He decided his talk with her could wait. Instead, he went to find Wilson and get some lunch.

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"You want to tell me something," Wilson said, trying to slap House's hands away from his chips.

"What makes you say that?" House asked, reaching with his other hand and grabbing half of Wilson's sandwich instead.

"Because you came down too late for me to buy you lunch. You only do that when you can't decide if you want to talk to me or not," Wilson said knowingly.

House rolled his eyes, but looked away. He did want to talk to Wilson, but he knew what Wilson was going to say and he wasn't really sure he wanted to hear it.

"I kissed her," House said.

Wilson let out a sigh. He had a feeling it was going to be something along those lines. He wanted to craft his answer carefully.

"And?" he asked.

"And then we got into an argument," House said.

"About what?" Wilson asked.

"She thinks it's not a good idea," House answered.

"Maybe she's right," Wilson said slowly.

"Maybe. Maybe I'm just tired of being told what's good for me. Don't you people think I know what's good for me?" House growled.

Wilson didn't answer that one. He didn't want to start a fight; they'd just finally started talking again. He just waited for House to continue. Sometimes it was best to let him come around to something on his own.

"She said she'd wait for me," House said. Wilson's questioning glance told him he wasn't exactly clear. "Until I'm done with the rehab. She said she'd wait."

Wilson just nodded. Maybe that would be incentive enough for House to get serious about his rehab. Although, he doubted it. He knew House needed a reason that was about him, not about someone else.

"Good kiss?" Wilson asked, raising an eyebrow.

House's face, a strange mix of satisfaction and frustration, was all the answer Wilson needed.

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House went back to his office after lunch with Wilson. Cameron was still sleeping on the couch. House sat behind his desk, rolled up a few pieces of paper and started throwing them at her. After finally bouncing one off her nose, Cameron woke with a jump. She sat up and gave House a guilty smile.

"Sleeping on the job. That seems so unlike you, Dr. Cameron," House said lightly.

"Well, I don't want to loose my title as Mini-me," Cameron replied slyly.

House grinned. He loved that she was getting better at keeping up with him. It just made teasing her so much more fun.

"About yesterday," House began, but hesitated. He scratched his thumb across his forehead and looked at the floor.

Chase walked into the office just as House was about to say something else. He glanced at Cameron, who looked both relieved and disappointed.

"Adam's kidneys are shutting down," Chase announced. House frowned. He got up from the desk and walked into the conference room. Foreman joined them as House wrote impaired kidney function on the board. The four stared at it, as if trying to make it tell them something.

"Niemann-Pick doesn't present with kidney problems," Chase finally said.

"It could be a result of his medications," Cameron suggested, not quite ready to give up on her diagnosis.

"Or it's not Niemann-Pick," Foreman said sarcastically.

"Do another round of blood work," House said, "and repeat the ultrasound. There something else going on in there." The ducklings all rose to leave the room.

"Cameron," House called. She stopped and looked at him questioningly. Did he really want to talk about this now?

"Can I borrow your Ipod?"

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House was lying on the floor, his legs propped up on his desk, Cameron's Ipod blaring some incredibly loud music, when the ducklings came back to the room. House sighed and turned off the music. He stood and proceeded into the conference room for a cup of coffee, the ducklings following closely behind.

"And?" House said, searching the countertop for a packet of …sugar, which Cameron handed him before pouring herself a cup of coffee. He smirked.

"Nothing new in the blood work," Cameron told him.

"But the ultrasound shows his spleen is enlarged, as well as his liver," Foreman reported.

"I think we should do a bone density scan," Chase suggested.

House looked at the board, then back at Chase.

"I'm impressed. But we have nothing to compare it to," House said.

"He's a football player," Chase answered, "but he's never had a broken bone. I think we're pretty safe in saying he would have been normal before this."

"Very good, Dr. Chase. There may be hope for you yet. Make it so," House commanded, sitting at the table. Chase left to see about the test.

"A bone density test?" Cameron asked.

"Gaucher's," House replied.

"Damn," Cameron sighed.

"Gaucher's is treatable. That's good news," Foreman said.

"Yes, but it means our dear Dr. Cameron missed the diagnosis," House replied, seeing Cameron still silently berating herself.

"I'll go talk to the family," Foreman said, leaving the room.

"Give yourself a break Cameron, you can't solve every case," House said.

"I know, but…" she let her voice trail off, sitting in the chair next to him.

"What?" House asked.

"I hate it when Chase figures it out before me," Cameron whined. House smirked. "I don't mind when Foreman gets it, well, I don't mind as much. And I certainly don't mind when you do it, but Chase?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I would have suggested the scan if Chase hadn't," House said. "The music always helps me think."

"Maybe I should start using it at work then," Cameron lamented.

"Speaking of music," House began. "What is this?" He held her Ipod out for her to see.

"Oh," Cameron said, blushing slightly. She knew full well that he knew what it was; he was just playing with her. "It's a play list," she answered innocently.

"Let me be more clear," House continued, a sparkle in his eye. She was toying with him. "There are three play lists here marked 'House'. Now, what would these be for?"

"Well," Cameron began, moving her chair closer to him, "this first one if for when I'm angry with you." She reached her hand out and closed it over his so that she could scroll through the songs on the list. House shifted in his chair a little, she was definitely teasing him now, with her hand over his. He glanced at the songs, recognizing enough of the titles to get a sense for the loud, screaming music she wanted to listen to when she was annoyed with him.

"Uh, huh," House replied, sliding his chair a little closer to hers. Two could play at this game, he thought. He scooted closer still, until their thighs and shoulders were close enough to graze each other.

"The second one is for when I'm trying to figure you out," Cameron said, leaning close enough for her breath to tickle the side of his face when she spoke. She grinned when she noticed the goose bumps that sprung up on his neck.

"And the third list?" House asked. He was concentrating on getting his free hand onto Cameron's leg, and missed the grin that appeared on her face. Got him, she thought.

"The third one?" Cameron asked, slowly. "Well," she drawled, "the third one I use for a very special reason." She began scrolling through the list, and was thrilled to see House blushing as he took in the theme of most of the songs. "I only listen to this list at home," Cameron continued, dropping her voice slightly. "When I'm alone, and it's late, and I'm thinking of things that a nice girl shouldn't think about her boss. I close my eyes and dream of having my wicked way with you, and, well, I'm sure you can fill in the blanks," she concluded.

House swallowed, hard. He turned to look at her, caught the self-satisfied look on her face and realized he'd been had. He never thought he'd see such a wicked grin on her face. It was almost, devilish. She slid the Ipod from his hand, blew him a kiss and dropped a wink, and then left him there. He leaned his back to stare at the ceiling, exhaling a long sigh.

Wilson walked past Cameron in the hall, and noted the expression. He couldn't recall ever having seen her looking quite so pleased with herself. He paused, but then shook his head and continued down the hall, passing the conference room. He paused again however, when he took note of House, staring at the ceiling and looking, bemused?

"What's Cameron looking so pleased about?" Wilson asked.

House dropped his head nearly to his chest, and Wilson could swear he saw the remnants of a blush on the man's cheeks. What were the two of them up to in here?

"Let's just say that young Dr. Cameron is every bit as capable of lechery as I am," House replied. Wilson merely gawked at him.

"You do know the walls are made of glass, don't you?" Wilson finally said.

"Oh, take it easy, Wilson," House replied. "Nothing happened. She wants to wait, remember? Apparently, she wants to torture me while she makes me wait."

"So why do you look so happy about it?" Wilson asked.

"Because, it's so like something I would do. I respect that," House answered. "And, I think I'll be having some very pleasant dreams tonight." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Okay, I get the point. Cameron is one thing, but I definitely don't need pictures of you floating around up here," Wilson said. "You busy tonight? I thought maybe you'd want to watch the game."

"Sure," House said. Today had gone well with Cameron. Maybe it would be best not to ruin it by having a talk.