A/N: This may be the longest chapter I've ever posted. Wow. I hope that means lot of reviews (hint, hint).

Chapter 30

Cameron had rarely felt so conflicted. She wanted to cry, to scream, to beat her fists against something and to go back to her office and pretend she didn't know about any of this. She was so disappointed in House she ached. But that wasn't what made her want to cry; what made her want to cry was the fact that she couldn't really be surprised. She supposed the time they'd spent together and the softer side of him that she'd finally been allowed to see had made her forget how insensitive he was to the rest of the world. She was so furious with him she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Had he still been at the hospital she wasn't sure how she'd deal with it but she wanted to pound her fists against him in rhythm with her pounding heart.

She wasn't ready to take on all the responsibilities that would shortly become hers. Cuddy was going to be home for a week; a week that would leave Cameron in charge of the hospital. She wasn't ready for that and she knew it. But Cuddy's health was more important than her insecurity. At least it was a week that she wouldn't have to deal with House.

Cameron looked from Cuddy to Wilson and steeled herself for what she was about to say. She was angry, she was disappointed and she was hurt. But she still loved House, and she couldn't let him lose his job.

"Lisa, I'm so sorry that he did this," Cameron started. "And you're absolutely right to want to suspend him."

"Allison, I can't let him get away with this," Cuddy said resolutely.

"And you shouldn't," Cameron agreed quickly. "But Lisa, how can you suspend House for what he did to Price without telling the board about Price's condition? You can't punish House and protect Price at the same time."

Cuddy sighed. She knew Cameron was right about that. She had promised Price that she would keep this secret from the board. She had told House he was suspended in anger. Even though she was right to suspend him, she couldn't just suspend a doctor without having to answer to the board of directors.

"Lisa, he still has a month left of his probationary period with the board. A suspension now will finish him. Not even you would be able to save his job. And no matter how much we try to protect Price, if we have to tell the board about what happened word will get out. It won't matter what House did to him; his reputation will be ruined. No other hospital will want to employ an emotionally unstable doctor." Cameron argued. "There has to be another way."

"Sick leave," Wilson interjected. Both Cameron and Cuddy turned and looked at him with surprise. "They both work the clinic. They come into contact with infectious patients all the time. You could tell the board they were both exposed to something and have them take a week off to recuperate."

"That would be better for Price," Cameron said. "Foreman and Jasper are the only other ones who know what happened this morning. They'll keep it quiet."

"And where does that leave House?" Cuddy asked. "It protects Price and gives him a chance to work this out and House gets off."

"Not if you don't tell him he's not suspended," Cameron suggested. "We're the only ones who know the truth; we don't have to tell him. When he gets back, tell him you had to go to the mat for him to keep his job. Price is protected, House gets his punishment and you'll come out looking like the hero to both of them."

Cuddy closed her eyes and rested her head back against her hospital bed to consider what Cameron and Wilson were suggesting. Price was a young doctor and to have a breakdown like this on his records, even at the hands of a maniacal bastard like House, would be damaging to his career. The board meetings were confidential; nobody else would ever know what she really told them.

"What would we say they were exposed to?" Cuddy asked. Cameron visibly relaxed. House wouldn't lose his job. This time.

Cameron cleared her throat and fidgeted nervously again. The last time she'd been in attendance at a board meeting it had been without invitation and she had been basically pleading for House's job. Although her presence at this meeting was under less auspicious circumstances she was about to lie to the board to save his job. Again. The irony wasn't lost on her. She only hoped he would appreciate it.

As the other board members assembled themselves around the expansive mahogany conference table Wilson smiled at Cameron supportively. He vividly remembered his first board meeting at the hospital and how nervous he'd been. He hadn't even been required to speak, never mind announce he was taking over the hospital's management and then lying about the most infamous doctor on staff. If she got through this without fainting Wilson thought she deserved a medal.

When all the seats had been filled and Cameron felt enough time had elapsed for pleasantries to be exchanged she cleared her throat quietly. Too quietly it seemed, as the chatter continued in front of her. She cleared her throat again more loudly.

"Excuse me," Cameron squeaked. She took a deep breath and tried again. "Excuse me; can we call this meeting to order please?"

"Aren't we waiting for Dr. Cuddy?" one of the board members asked. He was an older man; Cameron thought she vaguely recognized him as a surgeon.

"No, and that's one of the first items on our agenda today." The other members of the board rearranged themselves to stare at this slip of a woman who was speaking. Cameron was suddenly met with ten pairs of eyes boring into her; the eleventh pair flashed at her warmly. "Dr. Cuddy is currently experiencing some minor pregnancy related complications and under the advice of her doctor is taking a week long medical leave. I will be filling in for her temporarily in her capacity as Dean."

"What sort of complications?" one of the female board members asked. She was not a doctor, if her lack of a lab coat was any indication.

"Dr. Cuddy and her physician didn't inform me of any specifics. Only that it was a minor and quite common pregnancy complication," Cameron responded. That wasn't entirely true, but it was what Cuddy had asked Cameron to say. "Dr. Cuddy assures me that she will be back and in fine form a week from now." Cameron smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

"Also taking a week long medical leave will be Dr. Price and Dr. House," Cameron said quickly. It was her sincere hope that by mentioning both names together the other doctors on the board would assume they'd contracted something contagious.

"Why?" asked that same female member. Cameron turned to face her and hated her at first glance. She was an ordinary looking woman, well dressed and well groomed. Probably a lawyer, Cameron thought. I don't even know her name, Cameron realized.

"Dr. Price and Dr. House have both been exposed to a virulent strain of Influenza," Cameron announced. "Dr. Cuddy and I both felt it would be ill-advised to have them treating patients while they're so highly contagious, especially since Drs. Price and House routinely treat patients already afflicted with serious conditions."

The rest of the board seemed to find nothing unusual about two doctors in the same department being exposed to the same illness and the matter was dropped. Cameron quickly ran through the remaining items on the agenda, most of which too boring to even garner comments. When the last of board members, excluding Wilson, had exited the conference room Cameron slumped down in her chair and allowed a moan to escape her lips.

"No wonder Lisa has high blood pressure!" she exclaimed. "It's a wonder she doesn't have an ulcer to go with it. "

"You were fantastic," Wilson said, moving from his seat to perch himself on the edge of the table beside her. "I almost believed you."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing," Cameron replied.

"If you're going to be an administrator, you're going to have to get used to lying and telling people what they want to hear," Wilson said. "It's not pretty, but I'm afraid it's true."

"Maybe I'm not cut out for this sort of work," Cameron said softly. She felt awful about what she'd just done.

"Allison, you can't think of it that way. Don't think of it in terms of what you did, but in terms of what you accomplished. You prevented the board from firing the best doctor on staff and you protected a young man's career and reputation," Wilson said.

"When you say it like that, it almost sounds like a good thing," Cameron said doubtfully.

"Everybody lies," Wilson said. "If it accomplishes a good thing without hurting anyone you just have to let it go."

"Are you sure you're an oncologist and not a philosopher?" Cameron asked him as she straightened her papers and stood to leave.

"Ah, young grasshopper, there is much I can teach you," Wilson replied mysteriously as he pushed open the door for Cameron.

"Yes master," Cameron replied with a smile.

Cameron sat in House's chair and waited for Foreman and Jasper to arrive. At least this would be easier than the board meeting. While she waited, Cameron picked up House's tennis ball and rolled it between her hands. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back into the leather of his chair. It smelled faintly of House and Cameron breathed deeply. She was slowly feeling less enraged; she would probably now say she was at a mild furious. Smelling him helped.

"Dr. House, you're looking lovely today," Foreman joked as he walked into the office. Cameron sat up in the chair and dropped the tennis ball back on the desk. Jasper walked in and Cameron asked her to close the door.

"I need to talk to the two of you privately," Cameron said, motioning for them to sit. "Dr. Cuddy and I have decided we're not going to tell the board about Price. It's too early in his career and we don't want him to get saddled with a bad reputation. Especially since it was directly related to his mistreatment at the hands of one of our own doctors. There's just no way to spin this that looks good for anyone."

Foreman seemed surprised to hear Cameron talking about this so calmly. He figured if anyone would be outraged about House's treatment of Price, it would be Cameron. Then again, taking in the tense set of her shoulders and the vein throbbing in her forehead, maybe she wasn't as calm as she seemed.

"For now, Dr. Price is on medical leave as a result of his exposure to influenza," Cameron said. Foreman and Jasper both nodded their understanding and agreement. "House is on medical leave for the same reason."

"You're joking," Foreman spat.

"House believes he is suspended," Cameron said. "Foreman, I know this seems unfair. But we can't suspend House for harassing Price without telling the board about Price. And as unfair as it sounds, its more important for us to protect Price and the hospital's reputation than it is to punish House. He thinks he's been suspended, and as long as you don't tell anyone otherwise, that's what he's going to continue to think. I can't force you to agree, but I hope you will for Price's sake."

Foreman stewed about this for a minute or two before nodded his assent. He decided it just wasn't worth his time and energy, not anymore. Jasper agreed as well. She felt like Price deserved a chance to resolve this on his own.

"Cameron," Foreman said as he was standing to leave. He walked to the desk and unburied the orange folder House had ignored. "He needs to sign these by Friday." Cameron nodded and accepted the folder.

"Rupert, I hope you understand why I can't continue to serve as your therapist once you've left the hospital today," Quig said to Price as he scribbled some notes on a pad. "Dr. House is already my patient, and it would be a serious conflict of interests for me to continue to see both of you at this point."

"I understand," Price said.

"That being said, I'd feel much better, and I know you would too, if you'd tell me what the notes were all about this morning," Quig pressed.

Price looked away. From his seated position on the hospital bed, he could see clearly out the window into the slowly darkening night. The sky was a deep purple, with the faintest tinges of orange along the horizon as the sun descended the final few inches into oblivion. Above the gently swaying trees, a lone star shone. Price sighed at the serenity outside. He envied it.

"Have you ever been unable to stop thinking about something?" Price asked Quig. He continued to stare out the window, watching the orange disappear from the sky. "I mean literally been unable to control something from coming into your mind, to the point where you can barely even function?"

"No, I can't say that I have," Quig answered.

"I could not stop seeing that phone number," Price said. "I have a photographic memory. I see words and numbers, like pictures. No matter what I did, I couldn't stop seeing that slip of paper. And every time that picture came into my mind, I was forced to consider that perhaps Dr. House had been right about me all along."

"And what was Dr. House right about?" Quig asked. He knew, of course, but Price needed to say it out loud.

"That I'm gay," Price said. He laughed. "How could he know that?"

"It's not always easy to accept things about ourselves," Quig said. "We're often the last person to see or be aware of something that can be quite obvious to others." Quig paused for a minute and when it seemed Price had no comment he continued. "Was Dr. House right?"

Price finally looked away from the window and back at Quig.

"Yes," Price whispered. "He was right."

"And?"

"And my father will likely never speak to me again. I'll be ostracized from my family and friends in London. I can't ever return to the church."

"And?" Quig persisted.

"And I guess I'll have to learn to live with that," Price said quietly. He stared at his hands plucking at the sheets on the bed. "I can live with that."

"And the notes?"

"I tried to block out the phone number by replacing it with other pictures. I can't remember everything I've ever read. Eventually pictures get replaced. I thought, perhaps, if I read enough pages I could wipe out that phone number," Price said. He smiled ruefully. "I may have over done it."

"I think that's a safe conclusion," Quig agreed. "I'm going to give you the name of another psychiatrist, one who doesn't work here at PPTH. He'll be waiting for your call tomorrow. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment as soon as possible," Quig handed Price a business card. "You'll be fine, Rupert."

"I'll be fine," Price repeated. His voice was more confident than Quig had heard all day. Satisfied that was the truth, and Price would be fine, they exited the room together.

Exhausted, Cameron closed the door to her apartment behind her and slid to the floor in a heap. She couldn't even fathom making it to her bedroom. She would just sleep right there on the floor. Content with this decision, Cameron gathered her jacket into something resembling a pillow and curled into the fetal position. Just as her eyes began to close, the tip of a cane came into view before her.

"Comfy?" his gravelly voice floated down to her.

"Very," Cameron replied. She wasn't eager to discuss this with him. "Why are you here?"

"I've got no place better to be," he said.

"Touching," Cameron replied. There was no mistaking the disappointment and anger in her tone. She should have known he'd be here; it was just the perfect ending to an utterly wretched day.

"You're angry," he said.

"You got that did you?" Cameron responded. If she stayed where she was, she wouldn't be able to get him to leave. Wearily, Cameron peeled herself from the floor and stood before him. "I'm tired. I had an incredibly difficult day and I just want to go to sleep. We can talk about this some other time." She opened the door, shoving her jacket and bag away with her foot, and motioned for him to leave.

House hesitated. First Quig and now Cameron, two of the maybe four or five people whose opinions mattered to him, didn't want anything to do with him today. He needed to know they were okay. He stepped through the doorway and stopped on the other side. He turned back.

"I get that you're angry. But it doesn't really have anything to do with you," House said.

"It does now," Cameron replied. House frowned at this response. "When you stressed Cuddy into a hypertensive crisis and she was forced to take a medical leave, that's when it started having something to do with me."

House stared guiltily at his shoes. He always caused Cuddy stress, but even he would admit this was more than her fair share. And now Cuddy was out on medical leave. Cuddy was out. That left Cameron in charge.

"As the acting Dean, you can reverse my suspension," House said. He glanced up quickly to gauge her reaction and saw pretty much what he'd expected, a mixture of disbelief and disgust.

"No, I can't," Cameron said angrily. "You're not even going to ask about her or the baby." It wasn't really a question, she knew he wasn't.

"Can't," House asked, "or won't?"

"Both," Cameron replied. House looked at her and then looked away. He could stand her being angry, but it was harder to stomach the disappointment that she was in no way hiding. "Goodnight," Cameron said firmly as she closed the door.