Chapter 5
After breakfast, Wilson dropped Cuddy off at home and he and House stopped to pick up Steve. Wilson drove House home with Steve in the backseat. Wilson was going to drop them off, but House invited Wilson to come in when they arrived. Wilson agreed, something about the look on House's face told him he wanted something besides company.
House carried Steve inside and Wilson carried House's bag. House put Steve on the coffee table and then flopped on the couch. Wilson put House's bag on the floor and then sat down on the couch's opposite end.
"So, tell me all the gossip. I hate being out of the loop," House demanded. Wilson grinned. A month without gossip and a cell phone must have been torture. Wilson proceeded to fill House in on all the gossip, including the current theories about why Cuddy seemed so much less irritable lately.
"There's a betting pool going. Most of the pediatrics department seems to think she's pregnant and the guys in OB think they're nuts. They've got their money on you being gone, and that she'll start being miserable again once you're back. My department is betting she's got a boyfriend, a belief that might have been planted by a certain department head I know," Wilson's voice betrayed him. Right now, Wilson expected to win about $1500 from pediatrics and OB, through his nurses, of course.
"Wilson, placing bets when you have insider information?" House pretended to be shocked.
"Do you think I've learned nothing in all the years we've been friends?" Wilson arched an eyebrow at House, and House actually smiled back.
"All good stuff, Wilson, really, but you haven't even mentioned the kids," House scolded.
"Oh, well." The grin faded from Wilson's face. House straightened up a bit. One of the hardest parts of deciding to go to rehab had been giving up control of the department and leaving it in the hands of his fellows. Was he going to have to regret that decision?
"They couldn't have killed anybody, Cuddy would have ripped me a new one," House mused. "So it's got to be something more personal. Were the kids fighting while Dad was away?"
"Well, Foreman and Cameron had a little tiff, but they made up," Wilson reported.
"And? I know that's not it," House pressed. "Who cracked? Was it Chase?"
"It's Cameron," Wilson said quietly.
"What's wrong with Cameron?" House asked slowly, not wanting his voice to show too much concern.
"She's not herself. I've tried talking to her, but lately it's worse than talking to you. One word answers, dodging the question, changing the subject. I swear, it's like she's channeling you or something," Wilson rambled.
"Very informative, Dr. Wilson. She's not herself. Unless she got a brain transplant, I'm going to need a little more information," House demanded.
"They lost a patient two weeks ago. They diagnosed her correctly, but she'd waited so long to see a doctor there was nothing they could do for her," Wilson began but House interrupted.
"Cameron's lost patients before, and if she waited to see a doctor then it wasn't Cameron's fault," House interjected.
"Do you want to tell the story?" Wilson asked. House looked properly chastised and motioned for Wilson to continue. "She was pregnant."
"Cameron was pregnant?" House blurted, shocked.
"Not Cameron, the patient. The patient was pregnant. They couldn't save the baby either," Wilson paused. House nodded. Cameron always seemed to take the death of an infant especially hard. He supposed an un-born child would get a similar response.
"She's been very withdrawn ever since," Wilson continued. "She doesn't talk to anyone, and I mean that literally. If it's not directly related to the differential, she doesn't speak. She hasn't cried, or shown any emotion at all and you know that is just not Cameron. She looks exhausted and thinner than ever, if that's possible," Wilson stopped again. House searched his face.
"There's something else," House said.
"I can't be sure, but I think she's been hung over every day this week. I've never smelled any alcohol on her, and she's been nothing but professional with the patients, but… I've even had a couple of my nurses follow her into the ladies room, under the guise of making sure she's not sick, and they haven't noticed anything unusual about her," Wilson paused. "And I caught her smoking Friday before I left."
"Smoking, cigarettes?" House asked.
"Yeah, but since when does Cameron smoke? She told me she used to smoke a long time ago, when she was in high school," Wilson gave House a significant look. "I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I'm a little worried that's not the only high school habit she's started again."
"And you weren't going to say anything to me about this?" House asked.
"I was kind of hoping maybe she'd talk to you about it?" Wilson stood up and looked down at House. "I've got to get home, I need to review some charts before my appointments tomorrow. You need a ride?"
"Nope, taking the bike," House responded. As Wilson opened the door, House called, "Wilson! Thanks." Wilson nodded and left.