AN: WARNING: This story is not suitable for grammar hounds, sticklers or Nazis! We will not be held responsible for any cringing, shortness of breath or strokes. Thank you and enjoy.

Chapter Two

DIFFERENTIAL

"What's more strang than a patient requesting tests?" House asked carelessly as he dazed off into the distance. Cameron arched an eyebrow.

"A responsible individual would ask to be tested when they have reasonable suspicions." She stated in their patients defense. House ignored Cameron. Ford and Chase shared a glance.

"Are we talking about Harry or in general?" Chase asked willing to play the game.

"Who's Harry?" House asked confusedly.

"A patient who's actually right." Forman answered the original question. House nodded looking at the white board.

"He didn't do this to himself!" Cameron objected at House's train of thought.

"He still knows more than he's saying." Foreman put in.

"Right, so he cut his forehead open and put a tumor inside his head?" Cameron asked sarcastically.

"It's not a tumor." Foreman replied. "He could know the cause."

"Why would he do this to himself?" Chase asked.

"Why do woman get breast implants?" House asked.

"Because society puts pressure on woman to look a certain way." Cameron interjected.

"Your saying he did this for attention?" Foreman asked.

"Attention? I was talking about breasts. Speaking of…" House trailed off as he spotted the local Dean of Medicine walking past with a strong gate. Before anyone could object House was out of the office and hot on Cuddy's tail.

"You know I'm on to you." House stated trying to make up with her pace. "Sending Wilson with the file… It threw me off for before I realized who he really was."

"And who is that?" Cuddy asked refraining from slowing despite House's obvious pain in limping behind her.

"New sperm donor, and honestly he's a little young. Just so you know averaging out the two parents' age doesn't actually make you any younger." Cuddy stopped to glare at her infectious disease specialist as a shocked woman made her way past them. Cuddy sent the lady an apologetic smile which was returned with a blank stare.

"House, I have no idea what you are talking about, and I haven't for years. What do you want?" Cuddy sighed. House raised an eyebrow.

"Giving in already? That was just the warm up round." House prodded. Cuddy continued on her way.

"Well you know, at my age and all, I just don't have the energy I used to. Don't you have clinic hours?" She shot out over her shoulder.

"Yeah- but I can't annoy you and save the sick at the same time, and you know exactly what I'm talking about. Charming, handsome, doctor with these forest green eyes…" Cuddy rolled her eyes at House's dramatization.

"He is my employee and nothing else." She answered. House's eyes narrowed.

"So you don't deny sending Wilson in with the file?" He asked. Cuddy's eyes took on a less playful manner.

"Potter's a brilliant doctor with a bright future. Hell, sometimes I'd swear he was you twenty years ago, but then I remember he's an actual human being with a heart. Wilson and I both care for him as a friend, which is why we thought you should handle the case."

"You care about him so you thought I, the evil mad scientist, should handle the case?" House asked sarcastically.

"Just do your job, House." Cuddy said with a glare over her shoulder as she headed back on her way.

"Stay with me Hermione! You can't go! You're all I have left!" Tears bit at his eyes mixing with dirt and blood. He brushed her thick, blood soaked curls back to gaze unobstructed into her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He shook his head, whimpering like a child.

"No, you have nothing to be sorry for! Just hang on a little longer for me." Hermione gave a watery smile as she reached up with her remaining strength to run her hand through his raven, hair one last time. Her eyes closed for the final time.

"NO!!! Hermione! I love you! Please- oh god- don't leave me!" He clutched her fragile, frame closely as his tears finally fell.

"NO!" Harry sprung awake from his nightmare. He winced as he noticed he had pulled his IV out in his sleep. Blood squirted from the now unclosed vein and stained the sheets. He pressed on the wound to stem the blood flow.

"Here let me." Harry jumped, unaware anyone else was in the room. "Sorry." Cameron apologized. Harry nodded absently as he watched her go about putting in a clean IV. "Nightmare?" The young doctor asked sensitively. Harry shook his head.

"Yeah, my life." He answered with a bitter smirk. Cameron's eyes filled with worry sending a pang of guilt straight though Harry. "Sorry. I didn't mean to take that out on you." Harry said sincerely. Cameron almost laughed.

"Don't worry about it! Have you forgotten who my boss is?" She asked with a smile.

"House does have quiet the reputation doesn't he?" Harry asked with a smirk. Silence drew upon them as Cameron went about gathering blood samples.

"So… do you want to talk about it?" Cameron's soft voice snapped Harry out of his revelry.

"'Bout what?" He asked innocently. Cameron smirked sitting on the edge of the bed,

"About 'Hermione'." She said remembering the name he mumbled in his sleep. Harry looked away at the mention of her name.

"No." His voice was calm but there was a steel resolve imbedded inside. Cameron nodded looking away.

"I know what it's like." She stated not meeting his eyes. "My husband died of cancer." Cameron squeezed her eyes shut, confused as to why she was telling a complete stranger such a personal story. "I was just half-way though med school when we met. He was at the hospital frequently during my classes… I just thought he was visiting someone, and then after a cup of coffee one day he tells me… WHAM. Just like that. I mean… I had just started to feel… I don't know what… and then he tells me he had a year to live if he's lucky. We were lucky. He died a little over two years later." She quickly wiped away the one stray tear.

"I'm sorry." Harry said when she met his eyes again. "I guess in some ways I am lucky then. I met Hermione when I was eleven years old… and I'll tell you she was the bossiest little twelve year old you'll ever meet…" He gazed off in remembrance. Cameron smiled.

"Love at first sight?" She asked with a smile. Harry smirked turning back to her.

"Hardly. She impressed me to be sure. She was the smartest wi- woman I'd ever met, but I was too shy to interact with her. My best friend at the time was still going through the cootie stage and I didn't want to lose my fist friend."

"First friend? You knew him for a long time?" She asked with a smile.

"Uh- no- not exactly. I guess you could say I lived a sheltered life until I went to boarding school." Cameron raised an eyebrow.

"You lived a sheltered life before you went to boarding school?" She asked disbelievingly. Harry smiled.

"Well, my boarding school wasn't as strict as some I suppose." Cameron smiled as she saw Harry's eyes light up for the first time sense she'd met him.

"You have beautiful eyes." She said in a haze. Harry's face heated up.

"T-thanks." Harry cleared his throat hoping to relieve his embarrassment. This seemed to snap Cameron out of her daze.

"I- uh- I'd better get these to the lab." She said gesturing to the blood samples. "I'll see you later." She blushed before making a hasty retreat.

Cameron hurried down the hall trying to escape her embarrassment when…

"Should I be sending Chase to take the samples? Or do you think you can control your hormones?"

"JESUS!" Cameron gasped clutching a hand to her chest. "I thought sneaking around only came naturally to you when avoiding clinic duties!" House raised an eyebrow.

"Mocking the handicapped? That's a step up for you." Cameron frowned in a self-deprecating way.

"Not the handicapped, House; just you." With that she brushed passed him and continued on her way to the lab.

House twirled his cane as he stared contemplating the hospital room just down the hall and its contents.

"Me twenty years ago… gotta see that." He mumbled sarcastically before limping to the glass door. The patient- Potter?- was reading a medical journal, but House could still make out the faint red bush that still had yet to recede completely. "You certainly have a talent for charming the ladies around here. First you go to work on the head honcho- bold but ambitious."

"I was wondering how long you'd stand out there before you'd come in…" Harry said not looking up from the journal. "Why so afraid of your patients?" He asked finally meeting House's eyes.

"Are you kidding!?" House asked dramatically waving around. "They're sick! With germs! Speaking of sick… you certainly made quiet the impression drowning in your own vomit three-weeks into your career here. That mighta gotten you buy at Sacred Heart- or even been a requirement- but here we have higher standards. We expect all regurgitated matter to be placed into a proper receptacle."

"So what's the differential then?" Harry asked assuming, falsely, that House had a real reason to visit.

"Don't you know? We were running your tests. So I assumed you'd handle that kinda stuff." Harry raised an eyebrow. "So- Doc- what's wrong with the patient today?"

Harry sighed. "Got a white board?" House smirked. This could be fun.

AN: Short but hopefully sweet. With House on again I lost a little momentum, but seeing as the season sucks so far I thought I'd get a new chapter out.