I changed some of this chapter.
R&R, that lets me know what you think. I like hearing from you!
"Who did this?" Wilson asked. He had just found out what had happened to House and was at the Ducklings side, questioning them.
"We don't know, but Cuddy is talking to the police," Chase explained.
"But you must know something."
"What's important now is making sure House is okay," Cameron said, trying to calm Wilson and herself at the same time.
"I know, I know, it's just -" Wilson sighed and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "So how is he?"
"He's unconscious and bruised really bad. He's getting x-rays and a MRI now," Chase said.
"How long before we know?"
"About five minutes," Foreman said.
"Okay. I'll...go wait." Wilson went into House's empty hospital room.
Nine minutes later, Chase wheeled House into the room, with Foreman and Cameron following behind. Wilson got up and looked over House, examining him. He didn't say anything as he looked down at his friend, but bit his bottom lip.
"Did a number on him, didn't they?" Foreman asked as he hooked House up to the monitors.
"Yeah." Wilson looked away. "How where the tests?"
"He had a concussion, but no permanent damage or broken bones. He was lucky," Chase said.
Wilson sighed with relief and looked back at House. "Yeah, but I'm sure he won't see it that way."
The three Ducklings had no answer and were thankful when Cuddy burst into the room breaking the silence.
"How is he?" Cuddy asked.
They told her what they had just told Wilson.
"That's a relief," Cuddy said. She glanced at House's sleeping form on the bed, but quickly looked away. "But I haven't been as successful. No one could identify that patient and neither could any of the security cameras."
"What about the patient name? Did you check that?" Chase asked.
"Tried. 'Joseph Copeland' turned out to be a fake name. However, there was something that House had written on the file."
"What was that?" Wilson asked.
"It was a name. Joey Smith."
"Joey Smith?" Cameron asked.
Cuddy nodded. "Yes. But I have no idea what that means, and neither can the police. Does it have any significance to you?"
Wilson, Chase, and Foreman shook their heads.
Meanwhile, Cameron tried to remember why that name sounded so familiar.
"So there's no suspect?" Wilson asked.
"I'm afraid not," Cuddy said while staring at House's steady rise and fall of his chest.
"I guess for now, this is all we can do," Foreman said passively.
Cuddy glanced to her watch. "I have to go downstairs and meet some people." Cuddy left the room with her white coat trailing her.
Chase sighed. "I'm going to go too - eat dinner." He looked to the others. "You all want to come?"
"I'll go, I need to get away from all the excitement," Foreman said. "Wilson, Cameron do you want to come?"
"Na, I'll stay here," Wilson said.
"Me too," said Cameron.
Foreman shrugged and followed Chase out of the room.
Cameron went over and sat in the chair next to Wilson. They both were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Soon, Wilson broke the silence.
"I wonder what he said to whoever did this to him."
Cameron looked over at Wilson and managed a grin. "I don't know."
They went back to their silence. After about twenty minutes, Cameron heard the beginnings of Wilson's snoring.
Cameron sighed and moved her gaze over to House. He was wearing the traditional white medical gown and was much bruised.
Who would do this to him? Was it some random person just wanting to beat on someone? Or was it something he did? Or could it be...revenge?
Who would want revenge on House? An answer floated into Cameron's mind: a patient. Then it clicked. Cameron remembered from not to many months ago they had a patient - the then not so dead Joey Smith.
Cameron's heart began to race. But Joey was their patient a long time ago. So…what?
Cameron stood up. She decided to go check his medical file, maybe there was something there that could help. She looked over at the sleeping Wilson. Should she wake him?
He would probably tell her that she was over thinking this and to let the professionals handle the investigation. However, Cameron had a hunch, and she wanted to act on it. So Cameron left the sleeping Wilson.
Cameron walked down the hall nervously. It was late at night and every time someone passed her, she quickened her pace a little more.
When she got to House's office she closed the door and shut the blinds. She didn't want everyone to see at her, because then they would come in and ask how House was - she didn't want to be bothered with that.
Cameron yawned and went to the only source of light in the room - House's computer. She sat in the chair and moved the mouse to make the screen saver to disappear. She opened the program that held transcripts of past patients. While she waited for it to load she smiled at the thought that maybe she could end up getting clues to find the suspect. How would that look, experienced investigators couldn't figure it out, but young, female doctor can.
The program popped up and Cameron typed in "Smith, Joey".
While she waited for the computer to search through all the files, Cameron looked around House's usual mess of a desk. There was his collection of CD's, the big tennis ball and some scattered paperwork.
The computer showed one result for a Joey Smith. Cameron read it quickly.
Name: Joey Smith Age: 35 Discharged: 4-20-04
Cameron sighed for House's lack of charting. She scrolled down to read the personal notes section.
A small sentence came on the screen and Cameron read it too. "Joey and Bill (brother/lawyer) are in the mob business. They were nice, although Bill slapped Chase."
Cameron smiled at House's notes. They were humorous and they gave her the information she needed. She could bet that it was Joey's brother Bill that was their suspect. She could remember how…possessive he was of his brother.
Cameron closed the program, thinking maybe House's notes weren't so bad after all. Cameron got out of her chair and ran into someone wearing a hat and sunglasses that had been standing behind her.
That's odd, I didn't hear anyone come in, Cameron thought. "Can I help you?" she asked nicely.
"Yeah, you can tell me what you were looking at," the man said.
"Just some medical files," answered Cameron.
The person slammed Cameron on the desk and held her down. She moved her head to see the person take off his hat and glasses, and gasped as her memory came back to her. It was him - Bill Arnello.
"HE-" Cameron began to yell but Bill quickly covered her mouth.
"Shut up," he said in a harsh whisper.
Cameron jerked her head and freed her mouth. "H-"
"Do you think I'm kidding? I'll through you over this damn balcony."
Cameron tried screaming through his hand. Then Bill picked her up. She tried to kick her way free, but only knocking over things in the process. Bill opened the door that led to House's balcony reveling the dark night. Cameron kept squirmed but it was no use; he was too strong.
Bill hung Cameron over the balcony's edge, forcing her to look four stories down to the parking lot. Cameron shut her eyes closing out the sight below her.
"No no! I'm sorry please help me up!" Cameron pleaded.
Bill dragged Cameron back up and held on to her arm tightly. "Smart girl." They stood outside in the breeze.
"What do you want from me?" Cameron asked timidly.
"I'm here to take you."
Cameron started to shake and could feel tears forming. She could only say a single word. "Why?"
"You're one of House's minions. You helped him in treating by brother-"
"We cured him!"
Bill shook Cameron violently. "Don't ever interrupt me again. Joey died two months later, because House didn't do his job. And now, he will pay-"
"What do you mean?" Cameron asked.
Bill slapped Cameron on the cheek. "What did I say about not interrupting me!" Bill took a deep breath and exhaled. "You are one of the few House also cares about. Plus, you helped him misdiagnosis my brother," Bill said. "Now we go." Bill dragged Cameron back into House's dark office. He picked up his hat and glasses and put them on with one hand. Before they went into the hall Bill whispered into Cameron's ear.
"Give me your cell and pager."
Sighing, Cameron handed them over.
"Good girl. Now we're going to go out there, and you're not to going to ask for help, scream, or try to run away, and you're going to be happy about it. Got it?"
Cameron solemnly nodded and walked out the door with Bill. He had her arm in a grip so tight that she felt her arm beginning to become numb. As they made their way through the hospital, no one seemed to notice Cameron being led by a shady stranger.
When they got outside, Cameron glanced around. No one was outside; she was all alone with Bill. She looked at her side at Bill realizing that no one can help her.
"Keep selling it," Bill sneered.
The only way she could escape was to do it herself. Cameron made a quick decision and jerked her arm free from Bill and began to run, not looking behind her.
Bill took off after Cameron. To his advantage he could run much faster than her and was soon right behind her, close enough to grab her white lab coat. He took the material of the coat in his hands and tugged, and just as he had hoped, Cameron fell to the ground. She tried to crawl away, but Bill tackled her and pinned her to the ground with him on top of her.
"Why did you do that?" Bill whispered in her ear.
Cameron didn't answer; she just concentrated on getting away. She got one of her hands free and in an attempt she reached around and slapped Bill in the face.
Bill blinked and stared at Cameron. But then he smiled and stood up, dragging Cameron up with him.
"I've tried being nice, but you had to go and be difficult. So now, you faced the consequences," Bill said calmly.
Cameron remembered the impact of getting head-butted by Bill, but that's all she knew before passing out. Bill glanced around to see if anyone witnessed what had just occurred. No one did, so Bill picked Cameron up in his arms and walked away.