Ghost From the Past (10?)

Rating: PG-13 (I think)
Word Count: 1,141
Disclaimer: I own House. Um, right. That was a lie. I don't own anything. Except seasons 1 & 2 on DVD and my own insanity.
Summary: In the middle of a case, a figure from Cameron's past arrives, creating complications and confusions in her life.
Author's Note: As I said, this is my first House fanfic. The characters may be very, very OOC. It is possible. I have no medical experience, therefore anything I write is probably very wrong. I got an offer for a beta, but I didn't send this to them, so all mistakes are mine. No spoilers past season 2.

Ghost From the Past
Chapter Ten: Fractured Images
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"I don't understand," Cameron repeated, "why are we doing this? Why did you arrest Mrs. Stanton if it's not MBPS?"

"It is MBPS, in the sense that Mrs. Stanton did, in fact, give a drug to her eight year old daughter to induce cardiac arrest. However, it is not MBPS in the fact that the girl is not our only patient," House said, taking his marker and circling cardiac arrest, noting MBPS next to it. Then he studied the first three symptoms. "How did she induce the first symptoms?"

"She could have lied about the fatigue being caused by physical activity," Cameron said. "The headache and the fever by—"

"He's stable," Foreman said as he entered the room.

House looked up at him. "Heard that from Wilson already. Where have you been?"

"I had to meet with Cuddy and the police about the surveillance we did on Mrs. Stanton," Foreman answered, sitting down. "They kept asking how we knew. There wasn't much of a history for it. I told them it wasn't my idea."

"Big of you. Also irrelevant," House said dismissively.

"There is a history," Cameron interrupted. "Chase made notes from the history I took. Elizabeth was a miracle child, came along just in time to save their marriage. Elizabeth was healthy most of the time. But then they had some fights and Elizabeth got sick. They blamed themselves. Swore they wouldn't fight again. She learned he would stay if Elizabeth got sick. She didn't want him to leave, so she made her daughter sick."

"Sounds twisted," House observed. "Wonder why Chase didn't say anything."

"Maybe because he knew you wouldn't listen," Cameron said.

"Or maybe because it's a little hard to speak with a tube in your mouth," Foreman suggested, heading for the coffee pot.

"What?" Cameron demanded, confused.

"House, you didn't tell her?" Foreman asked, setting down his coffee cup. "How could you not tell her?"

"Tell me what?"

Foreman looked at her with pity. And suddenly, it all came rushing to her. House had mentioned a second patient. She hadn't even thought about it, though she knew it was Chase. She hadn't been willing to face it. And for House to call him a patient, that meant that Chase had progressed to the fourth symptom.

Cardiac arrest.

"What happened? How is he?" She asked. "Where is he?"

"You see, that is why I didn't tell her," House said in exasperation. "Now she won't be able to think about the case. She'll only think about Chase."

Foreman ignored him. "He's stable. He's up here. House wouldn't let him be put in the ICU."

"He's my patient," House insisted. "Speaking of which, someone has to check on him. Foreman, why don't you—"

"I'm going," Cameron said, getting to her feet.

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House was right. Cameron wasn't thinking like a doctor. If she were thinking like a doctor, she would have checked his chart and then examined him, listening to his chest and checking his reflexes. She didn't check Chase over. She sat down in the chair next to the bed and took his hand.

She was thinking like a loved one, a friend. She couldn't turn it off, couldn't start thinking like a doctor. She knew that doctors did not treat patients that they cared about. And she knew why. They couldn't stop being the loved one. They couldn't be the doctor.

"How is he?" Lauren asked from the doorway.

Cameron stroked Chase's hand. She didn't look up at Lauren. She'd hoped to have more time alone with Chase before House dragged her away. "He's stable."

"So is Elizabeth," Lauren said. "Joe and Pete… They're not. What Emma did—They can't believe it."

"But you can?"

"She was jealous. She didn't like my friendship with Elizabeth. It was fine for Joe and Pete to worry over Elizabeth. Not me." Lauren sighed. "I just thought she was jealous of the attention. It didn't seem like anything much at the time, but now…"

"Hindsight is 20-20." Cameron hadn't meant for it to be so snippy, but it was. She closed her eyes. Maybe Lauren would just go… Then Cameron realized she was squeezing Chase's hand and loosened her grip.

"Do you love him?" Lauren asked suddenly.

Cameron jerked her head up. "Who? Chase?"

Lauren smiled briefly, but shook her head. "No. Joe. I need to know if you love Joe. I want him to be happy. But if you don't love him…"

"You want me to tell him that I don't."

Lauren nodded. "All this time, he's held on to the hope of maybe. Maybe you felt the same. Maybe if he met you again, things would be different. Maybe this time would be the right time. It kept him from moving on. But if maybe was actually no, then just maybe he could move on… with me."

Cameron sighed, looking down at Chase. She combed his hair back from his face. It was hard watching him on a respirator. "I wish I could give you a simple answer. Yes or no. But it's more complicated than that. Five years ago, my husband died. Joe was his best friend, and he was all I had. I…fell in love with him. But I never acted on what I felt. I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd betrayed my husband. I went away, and I thought it was all behind me. Then Joe came, and suddenly, it was all back. Yet, it wasn't. I don't know him anymore. He doesn't know me. He doesn't understand my job or how I can work for House. Maybe we could make it work, but maybe we couldn't. I don't know."

"I'd give him all the time he needed," Lauren whispered. "He is the love of my life, and I'd wait as long as it took."

Cameron looked at her. "You shouldn't put your life on hold for him."

Lauren shrugged. "What life do I have without him? I love him. I love Elizabeth. I want to grow old with Joe, want to have children like Elizabeth. I can't see myself with anyone else. Can you?"

Could she? Cameron knew she could. She had. She'd pictured herself with House, trying to ignore how unhappy she was and how she felt like she'd failed when he didn't change. She'd even pictured herself with Chase after their first disastrous night together. She'd pictured them waking up together, driving into work together, and sharing a cup of coffee before House came in to ruin their day. She smiled.

"You can," Lauren said, her voice full of hope. Cameron looked at her, pitying her. Just because she could picture herself with someone other than Joe didn't mean that Lauren would get what she wanted. "Can you picture yourself with him… With Chase?"

Cameron's grip on Chase's hand tightened. "Yes."