Disclaimer: DOH
"What's going on?"
Cameron looks up the woman with her forearm on a suturing table. "Excuse me?"
"Everyone's looking at us, at you."
As if she needs more evidence, Cameron glances out of her peripheral vision to take note of most of the nurses casting her sideways looks and the doctors whispering to each other as they pointedly look away. She exhales sharply and stands from her chair before sticking two fingers into her mouth and producing a sharp whistle which garners her much attention.
"Yes, I am pregnant with House's child! No, we are not together! No, I was not forced at gunpoint to have sex with him! No, I did not sleep with him for my old job! No, I am not with Wilson! Yes, House is pissed at me! Yes, I am pissed at him! And yes, this is getting old real fast! So, do your damn jobs!"
"What are you doing here? This isn't your patient."
"My boyfriend likes me to watch his colostomies. I'm a pillar of crippled support."
Cuddy moves to stand beside House with a wary glance at his scratched and burned left palm. "Quite a stunt you pulled on your bike last night."
"You should see me on my unicycle."
"You have to have two fully functional legs to ride one of those."
"I just had a vehicular accident! Where's the sympathy?"
"My sympathy flew out the window when I came in to work this morning to find the entire hospital staff focused more on you and Cameron than their jobs. Even the janitorial crew is talking about you two!"
"Oh look, here comes the cool part! See, he's going to cut out –."
"House," Cuddy places her hand on his arm and forces him to look at her for the first time since she walked in. She doesn't even know what she sees on his face. It doesn't look like anything she's ever seen. "What happened?"
"Now, you're the one who's curious."
"No, I'm concerned. Two of the best doctors in this place are feuding, and the rest of the place is too absorbed by the latest turn of events that we might as well be Grey's Anatomy!"
"It's not my fault!"
"It's always your fault."
"Yeah, well, not this time. Cameron's pregnant with my kid! Wilson knew this whole time! And neither was ever going to tell me. There!"
As he hits the wall with his fist, Cuddy rubs her chin softly. She hadn't exactly ever thought she'd have to deal with something like this. "So, they're idiots. So, they lied."
House turns with a frown directed at her.
"Why does that surprise you, House? Did you really expect them to be the exception to the rule?" She scoffs without humor. "They screwed up. You screw up all the time."
"Not as much."
She smiles. "You're just as angelic as they come. You need to talk to them."
"I –."
"Shut up. Listen to me for once. Wilson is your best friend, House. Nearly your only. And if you were dating Cameron, then obviously she meant a lot to you. I know it's easy for you to walk away, but if you do, then you're going to be left more alone than you would if you just talked to them."
"You're just saying this so the hospital is fully functional again."
Cuddy doesn't respond to him as she walks out of the gallery.
"Quit stalking me, House."
"I'm not stalking you, Chase."
"I've seen you more these past two days than the entire year. What do you want?"
"Nothing."
"Yeah, yeah, you never want just 'nothing'. What is it?"
"There's no ulterior motive for me wanting to spend time with the little wombat that could."
"You are an ulterior motive. Hurry, I'm ready to get home."
Facing Chase all of sudden, House looks down at his cane before biting his lip slightly. "You busy tonight?"
Frowning, Chase folds his arms. "Why?"
"There's this video arcade they opened up on Fourth and Disher."
It hits the surgeon that what House is asking for, is a friend. He's turned to the last person he should ask for that request though.
"You should ask Wilson."
"I won't."
"Well, you should. He's your friend."
"He was until he conspired against me."
"So, it's over just like that?"
"Yep."
"That's stupid."
"Probably, but it's not stopping me. So, what do you say?"
"No."
"No?"
Shaking his head, Chase leans against the deep basin, taking in the form of the all mighty Gregory House. "Two years ago you fired me, House. And I got a new start. I like it here. Thanks. We're colleagues. But," he shakes his head again. "I'm not your friend."
"We don't have to be friends. We can just compare the battle scars of Cameron on our foreheads."
His body tenses, his mouth clenches tighter, and Chase can feel the utter tautness in every muscle of his being. He doesn't want to compare scars with House, especially ones Cameron caused. It wouldn't be fair to House anyways since the winner would be one Robert Chase M.D., undeniably.
"You don't even know how lucky you are, House."
Chase exhales, almost on the brink of ripping apart his secrets for the first time to anybody. Before he gives in though, he takes a step away from House and closer to the exit, towards his freedom.
"You want a friend? Go to Wilson. Go to Cameron. Hell, go to Kutner. Go to anyone but me."
A/N: Ah, stick it out a little longer Chase haters. LOL! Thanks!