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Chapter 7
House went to find Cameron in the lab. They didn't do a lot of talking about personal stuff at work, but they'd always had their best conversations in the lab. Something about having stuff to occupy yourself with, so you didn't have to look the other one in the eye, he thought. He was surprised, and then annoyed, not to find her there.
House wasn't really sure where else to look for her. It was just so unlike Cameron to not be in the lab, running tests, that he was momentarily at a loss. Then he remembered what Wilson said about catching her smoking on Friday.
Still not over the fact the he could actually take the stairs, House took the stairs two at a time, pausing only when he reached the door leading to the roof. He could smell cigarette smoke and he had a feeling he knew who was out here. Pushing the door open slowly, he stuck his head through the opening and saw Cameron, her back resting against the roof ledge with a cigarette in her right hand. House stepped out onto the roof, and Cameron jumped a little.
"Damn," she swore, partly under her breath but still loud enough on the near silent roof for House to hear.
"Cameron, you're smoking," House stated flatly.
"Figured that out all by yourself, Dr. House?" Cameron replied, her voice equally devoid of emotion.
"You don't smoke," House said.
"All evidence to the contrary," Cameron replied, taking a drag and blowing the smoke in his direction.
"Why aren't you in the lab?" House tried another tack. He was going to make Cameron talk to him, and if he had to trick her into it, so be it.
"The techs are perfectly capable of running tox screens. That is what they get paid for. They'll page me when the results are ready," Cameron replied.
"That wasn't really my point," House explained patiently. She always hated it when he talked to her like she was a child. Maybe he could goad her into getting angry and yelling about whatever was bothering her. "My point was, that you never leave lab tests up to the techs. You always sit in the lab and run them yourself. Sometimes you run them twice just be sure. It's an anal thing, I'm sure. So why aren't you doing it today?"
"What difference does it make?" Cameron asked tiredly.
"It's an anomaly. Anomalies bug me." House shrugged.
"I felt like a smoke," Cameron answered.
"Okay. We can go back to that. Since when do you smoke?" House asked.
"I smoked in high school. I quit when I went to college, and I started again last week. Currently I'm smoking about a half a pack a day. I prefer menthols. Is there any other information you need?" Cameron's voice was laced with sarcasm, which House took as a good sign. It meant he was getting to her.
"Yes, just one more thing," House answered. Cameron looked at him, waiting. "Why?"
"Why, what?"
"Why did you start smoking again now?" House asked outright.
"I don't know, I just did. Look, I really don't want to talk to you," Cameron said.
"Anything else you want to tell me?" House asked.
"Like what? That I started doing drugs again? That I'm having sex with my dealer because I can't afford to pay him? That's what you're thinking, right? I'm not. As hard as this may be for you, Dr. House, you can't always figure everything out. I felt like smoking, so I'm smoking. That's it."
House began to question her about this when her pager went off. She took it from her belt and read the message. Taking a last drag on her cigarette, she crushed it against the ledge and tossed in an old coffee can that the orderlies kept on the roof for butts.
"You're test results are ready," she said as she passed him, opening the door and starting down the stairs.