Chapter 2

"Someone's got an admirer," Foreman told House as he entered the conference room the next morning.

"I'm just too handsome for my own good."

"They're for Cameron." Chase informed him. "Doesn't seem like the kind of thing you'd do."

"It isn't." He placed his cane on the table and pulled the little envelope with the card out of the arrangement."

"You can't open that, it's private," said Foreman.

House just looked at him as he tore the small envelope open. "'To Dr, Cameron. My favorite Doctor. Love Hank'. Anyone got a barf bag?"

"That's sweet," Chase said as he poured the coffee for everyone.

House didn't answer.

Foreman sighed. "Look, she isn't interested in anyone else. Chill."

House still didn't answer.

"And how much longer do we have to keep this charade of not knowing about you two up?"

"Until she spills the beans to someone," House said. "She's got to crack soon."

"Hope it's next Monday," said Chase. "Or I'll lose another twenty bucks."

"Morning," said Cameron as she breezed into the conference room. "Wow, who's the lucky guy?" she asked.

The arrangement stood in the middle of the table, taking up most of the room.

"You." House handed her the card.

Cameron read it and smiled. "It's that patient from last week. He's already called to thank me twice."

"They can't stay there." House pointed to the flowers. "We have work to do, new patient."

Cameron looked hurt. "I know they can't stay there. I'll move them." She picked them up and put them on the floor. "I'll take them down to paediatrics later, they'll enjoy them."

Cameron pulled the file towards her and began reading about the new case.

House watched her. Chase watched House. Chase would almost have said House looked concerned.

III

Cameron was drawing blood from their new patient when Cuddy came in.

"House tells me you've been accepting gifts from patients. Is it true?" she asked. The patient was sedated so didn't respond.

Cameron looked incredulous. "He accepts a free car and he's telling tales on me!?"

"Is it true?"

Cameron sighed. "A patient sent me flowers this morning for being nice while he was having tests. I've already sent then down to the children's ward. House just got all bent out of shape, for some reason."

"Isn't it obvious? He's worried someone else is after you."

"Don't be ridiculous. House has no feelings for me."

Cuddy laughed. "Please! The whole hospital knows about you two!"

"What?" She looked over at the other woman to see if she was telling the truth.

"There's even a pool going on how long it's going to be until you tell someone."

"I can't believe… Does House know?"

"He's got his money on Thursday week. Says you're ovulating and most likely to be emotional and tell then. Course he was wrong the last two months… The pot's pretty big now."

Cameron didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed.

On the one hand she didn't like hiding their relationship; it felt a little like he was ashamed of it. But on the other hand, hiding it had been his idea, not hers and everyone knew, presumably because he'd told them, yet she still had to creep around on eggshells for fear of being found out.

"Relax, it's just House having some fun." Cameron didn't relax. "If it's any consolation, Chase didn't take it well. Remember when he was snapping at everyone? That's why."

Cameron still didn't answer, just finished drawing the blood.

As they left Cameron asked. "Did House tell you?"

"Yeah. Only after I asked though."

"How did you know?"

"Chase overheard him speaking to Wilson about you."

"How long ago?"

"Nearly three months. We're all impressed. We expected you to cave and tell someone a long time ago."

"I'm flattered," she said sardonically. "But I guess now that I know you all know, all bets are off."

"Unless you want to reveal all today. I win and I'll cut you in for half. Half the hospital is betting; the pot is over three thousand now."

Cameron laughed and shook her head. "I'll get back to you."

III

Cameron came across Chase first as she brought the blood to the lab.

"Hey," he acknowledged her as she entered.

"Hey." She began preparing her samples for testing.

After a few moments of silence she asked, "Does House seem weird to you?"

"No weirder than usual. Why?"

"It's the whole flowers thing. Don't you think that was a bit of an over reaction?"

"Maybe he's finally developing feelings for you." He didn't look at her for fear he wouldn't be able to hide his smile.

"Yeah, that's likely." She played along.

"You think he doesn't like you?"

"I think he doesn't want to like me."

"So you've given up?"

Cameron shrugged. "No use flogging a dead horse."

III

Next she found Foreman in the cafeteria and asked him pretty much the same thing.

"It's just House being House. He's a grouch. No one ever sends him flowers."

"It's more than that."

"You think? You think he's lusting after you?" he teased.

"Could happen."

"And pigs might fly. Let it go."

Well, Cameron decided, if they weren't going to be good enough to clue her in, she was going to let Cuddy win and split it with her.

III

After lunch Chase and Foreman were already with House in the conference room. House was sitting at the head of the table near the coffee pot.

"Dr, Cameron, good of you to join us."

"Sorry, I was just picking the latest lab results up." She put them on the table in front of Chase then walked behind House as she made her way to the coffee pot. She ran her hand across House's shoulders as she passed. "Want one?" she asked him.

House frowned at her. "Sure."

Cameron poured the coffee as Chase read off the list of negative test results.

"It doesn't make sense," said Foreman. "It's not cancer, or an infection, or a stroke. What else could cause one sided paralysis?"

Cameron put the mug of coffee in front of House, touching his shoulder as she leaned over and kissing his cheek as she leaned back.

House coughed. "Dr, Cameron, are these tests upsetting you?"

"No, I'm just tired of hiding our relationship."

House narrowed his eyes. "Who told you?"

"Damn!" muttered Chase as he and Foreman sighed over their loss.

"No one told me anything. I just figured if you're going to go off the deep end over flowers, people might as well know why. Plus Wallace and Grommit over here are awful liars."

House glared at Chase and Foreman. "Can we get on with the differential please?"

Cameron sat down and began offering suggestions along with the others.

"Could it be psychosomatic?" asked Chase.

"What makes you think that?"

Chase shrugged, "No real reason. Just a case a read about in med school. This woman, every time she had a problem in her life, stress, worry, it expressed itself physically. When her husband died she had chest pains, but had a perfectly healthy heart. When her daughter was ill, she developed irritable bowel which miraculously left when the daughter got better."

House looked at the ceiling, thinking. "Psychosomatic stroke symptoms. It's absurd. I love it. Start him on a saline drip, tell him it's-"

Cameron's beeper went off, she checked it.

"-Heparin and that he should feel better within minutes."

Cameron stood up.

"Are we disturbing you?"

"It's the clinic, they say they need me down there."

"Well… Be quick, I need you up here."

III

"House, lay off her. You lost the bet, get over it."

House tossed his ball from hand to hand as Wilson sat the opposite side of the desk.

"I'm not worried about the bet."

"Than what are you worried about?"

House tossed the ball a few more times before answering. "Cameron's been receiving silent phone calls at home."

"It's probably kids."

"A patient sent her flowers this morning."

"She's not cheating on you."

"I know."

"So what's the problem?"

"Your patient. The one who wanted Cameron present at his tests."

Wilson's brow furrowed as he tried to recall. "Hank Williams?"

"Hank Williams? No wonder he's weird."

"House, he isn't weird, he was just scared."

"But now that he's got the all clear, why is he still following Cameron around like a lost puppy."

"Some doctors get thank you presents."

"Do they also make seven phone calls in one morning to the department she works in if he's already thanked her twice?"

"He called here?"

"Seven times this morning."

"So he's smitten."

"She's down in the clinic with him now."

"House, he's probably just grateful to her and developed a crush. That's all this is. In a few weeks he'll have forgotten all about Cameron."

House continued tossing the ball.

"But you go ahead and brood some more. It's what you do best." Wilson got up and left. He turned back at the door. "I'm sure this is nothing to worry about."

"Just like everyone said what a nice boy Bundy was."

Wilson sighed and returned to his own office.