Cameron ran to her lab, as usual. She couldn't get House's voice shut up in her head, mainly because she had to admit that there was truth in his words. Granted she hadn't thought so at first, she really had convinced herself that the ethics of the situation were the only reason for her reaction, but having heard her motives doubted out loud, she had to question them herself, too. And there was more than a kernel of truth in the doubts House had thrown at her. She didn't seem to get over her obsession with him. She couldn't understand why not! Ok, he had just kissed her and she was sure he was attracted to her- or at least her body, but he had never shown any feelings towards her. He was a jerk – he was the first one to admit it. He was abrasive, callous, insensitive – to the nth degree –, totally selfish, arrogant, egocentric, and bloody brilliant! He didn't give her any encouragement to keep her feelings alive, quite the contrary, but they just wouldn't die. Every now and then she thought they had died, but then, when she wasn't paying attention there she was again: mooning over the manipulative bastard. She really, really needed to get a life.

When Cuddy walked into the lab, Cameron was doing busy work, arranging equipment, checking supplies and generally trying to keep from thinking too deeply.

"How is Wilson?" Cuddy asked. "Stacy came by and told me what happened."

"His hand is ok," Cameron said. "Emotionally he is not doing that well. He is still depressed over Andie's death and now, to find out what House did –, now he can't even get comfort from his best friend."

"Damn," Cuddy swore. "I was hoping he wouldn't find out."

"You knew?" Cameron was astonished.

"I found out yesterday," Cuddy admitted. "Pam came to the hospital to take care of the last details before she moves to Washington State. When here, she heard the rumour about House and Soo, so she came to see me and told me what had really happened. Just in case House was getting in trouble over something he hadn't done."

"Did you confront House about it?" Cameron asked.

"No reason," Cuddy pointed out. "It was a private matter, nothing to do with the hospital."

"Her daughter was a patient here," Cameron was puzzled at Cuddy's attitude.

"But not House's patient. There was nothing ethically wrong in what they did. It was purely a private matter."

"You have no problem with House having taken advantage of her vulnerability?"

"Oh! I see," Cuddy suddenly understood. "House didn't explain then what had happened."

"No," Cameron started to doubt that Wilson – and her – just might have got the wrong end of the stick (or cane, as the case may be). "He refused to explain anything. He didn't even deny anything, just said it was none of our business."

"Well, he does hate explaining himself," Cuddy agreed. "But no, he did not take advantage of anyone. Pam was the one who went to his place and she was the one who, ... well, she asked him to, ... you know. He just complied."

"Oh," Cameron was stunned. "I see. So he didn't really do anything, well, like... He just. That does not sound like House."

"Tell me about it," Cuddy invited. "I was almost too stunned to understand what she was telling me. Especially as she told me that she was grateful to House for having been so kind! But I have no choice but to believe her. She was there; she has to know what had happened. Besides, though House is a jerk, he really has never been that kind of jerk."

"Yeah, I suppose," Cameron agreed quietly.

"Cameron?" Cuddy gave Cameron a searching look. "Are you ok?"

"Apart from feeling stupid, yeah." Cameron answered.

"You confronted him about it, didn't you?" Cuddy sighed.

"Yep. And it didn't go well. He saw it as an invasion of his privacy – which it obviously was, and he accused me of jealousy." Cameron explained. "And the punch-line of the joke is that he was right."

"Oh, Cameron," Cuddy gave the younger woman a hug.

"I know, I know. I really should get over it already!"

"Look, obviously you cannot choose who you love, nor can you choose to stop loving someone just because you know it can't work. But you can choose what to do about it." Cuddy comforted her. "Concentrate on your career, find a hobby or a cause or find someone else to love. Stacy did."

"She might have found someone else to love, but she still loves House, too," Cameron pointed out.

"True," Cuddy admitted. "But if she stays away from House she can be perfectly happy with Mark."

"Only she cannot stay away from House, can she?"

"Apparently not," Cuddy had to concede. "But she did for a number of years, so she has done it, she can do it she just needs to try harder. I know it is more difficult for you since you work for House, but you need to find a way to deal with your feelings before they destroy you. Emotionally I mean."

"That's what he said. Or more precisely he asked when am I going to stop hurting myself against him." Cameron revealed.

"Good question. You should try to find an answer to it. Other than just cleaning the lab!" Cuddy teased Cameron a little and was rewarded with a small smile.

"Yeah, you have a point there. I have a feeling that this hospital doesn't have enough labs for me to clean unless I get a handle on this thing called love. I better go and find Soo and Foreman so we can work on that article of ours."

----------------

House had been right about Foreman. Soo found him with her father. Mr. Park was doing pretty well. The pain was easily managed with the morphine drip and they had even been able to go down on the amount of morphine needed. He was tired, though he joked that he couldn't understand why having just been asleep for days, but his spirits were up.

"Hi, Dad," Soo said as she bent down to kiss her father on the cheek.

"Hello daughter," Mr. Park smiled. "Dr. Foreman tells me you have been very busy these last few days, first following Dr. House and now writing an article with Dr.s Foreman and Cameron."

"They have been very kind to me," Soo acknowledged. "Especially Dr. House, who kept me thoroughly informed of your situation and allowed me to observe his work otherwise as well. It has all been very beneficial for my studies."

Foreman's eyebrows had gone straight to his hairline (had he had one) when he heard Soo call House kind, but he decided not to comment on that. Instead he said: "Soo shows promise. We all think she will make an excellent doctor one of these days."

"I have always been proud of my girl," Mr. Park nodded. "I am glad to hear it is not just a parental bias but that others think so too."

They talked some more, but Mr. Park soon fell asleep and Soo and Foreman headed back to the diagnostics.

"Soo," Foreman approached the subject cautiously. "The scene you witnessed between Wilson and House. I'm not sure what you thought of it, but ..."

"Dr. House already advised me that in general it is better not to get involved with patients, not even those who are not yours." Soo said.

"That is definitely good advice," Foreman agreed. "But about what happened between House and Andie's mother. I know House is nor someone you understand easily, nor can you get to know him unless he lets you, but what I know of him... In short, I'm sure Dr. Wilson did not have the full story. What he suspected of House doesn't sound like House, not quite. There has to be more to the story than what Wilson thought."

"Well, as she was not his patient and she was the one who went to him, it seems to me that nothing unethical happened, from professional point of view. So whatever happened, it is none of my business. Nor anybody else's either."

"My sentiments exactly," Foreman agreed. "I just wanted to make sure you understood that Dr. Wilson was wrong in accusing House of unethical behaviour. Well, in this instance at least."

"Are you telling me Dr. House has done unethical things before?" Soo asked with interest.

"Well," Foreman wished he had guarded his tongue better. "House can get a bit obsessive about the answers and sometimes he doesn't care what methods he has to use to get them."

Fortunately before he had to elaborate they reached the diagnostics room and had to drop the subject as House was in.

-----------------

On her way back to the diagnostics Cameron decided to check on Wilson. She was sure she had managed to persuade him not to contact Andie's mother, but especially in the light of the new information she had got from Cuddy, she wanted to make sure. Wilson was sitting at his desk staring at the wall.

"Hi," Cameron greeted him cautiously.

"Hi," Wilson sighed.

"Want to talk?" Cameron asked.

"Not really," Wilson denied. "But I suppose we have to find a way to get over this. I know you are as disappointed in House as I am, but we both still have to work with him."

"Actually, right now I'm more disappointed at myself," Cameron confessed. "I had a talk with Cuddy."

"You told her about House?" Wilson was surprised. He knew Cameron disapproved of what House had done, but to rat him to Cuddy – he had thought she still liked him too much.

"No, she told me," Cameron corrected him. "Stacy had told her about your visit and Cuddy came to see me to ask how you were doing. And while we talked she told me that Andie's mother had come to see her yesterday."

"She made an official complaint about House!" Wilson gasped. "Why hadn't I heard of it?"

"No, she didn't complain about House," Cameron explained. "She had heard a rumour about House and Soo and she wanted to make sure Cuddy knew they were not true. She defended House."

"Even after what he had done?" Wilson started to sound unsure.

"According to Cuddy, she claimed to have been the one who did the seducing, not House."

"Really?" Wilson didn't know what to think, how to react. It begun to seem that reality was very different from the conclusions he had jumped to.

"Really," Cameron sighed. "You can imagine how I felt when I realised I had misjudged him. Especially when I realised the main reason for it had been that I was jealous."

"Yes, I see," Wilson said quietly. "I need to think about this, I can't process this right now."

"Ok, I just wanted to let you know the truth, just in case you decided to get in touch with her, after all. It could have been awkward, given the circumstances." Cameron concluded getting ready to leave Wilson alone.

-------------

House stood on his balcony again. He was thinking of going home, but didn't seem to be able to shift himself. He heard Wilson's door open but didn't look around until Wilson spoke.

"House," Wilson didn't quite know how to open the conversation.

"Wilson?" House turned to face his friend.

"Cuddy spoke with Cameron and Cameron spoke with me and ... I'm sorry."

"You know how I feel about apologies, don't you?" House reminded him. "At least the ones that are not accompanied by food."

"I could get some take-away and come over to your place to watch TV," Wilson took the hint.

"That sounds better," House smiled.

"You really hate apologies, don't you?" Wilson stated.

"Yep."

"Even when you get to rub my nose on the fact that I was wrong?"

"Yep."

"So if I bring food, we are ok?"

"Yep."

"Fine."

"You do know that the main reason you were angry was because she came to me, not you?" House ventured.

"Yep." Wilson acknowledged dryly.

"It had nothing to do with you, you know," House said. "I just seemed to her as the more likely to accept the offer."

"Yeah, maybe." Wilson sighed.