Disclaimer: Disclaimed. So far, only Kate, Jack and Jeremy are mine.

A/N: It would be lovely for you to review. I'm open to anything (except mindless flaming, it's just not cool.) so if you could drop me a line, it would be fantastic because reviews keep me writing. Ciao : )

Consult

Cameron clutched onto her coffee, taking a long sip as she entered the office in the morning. House looked up from his GameBoy, never missing a beat of this particular woman's step. He noticed her long sigh as she walked in and her solemn eyes as she sat heavily in front of him, obviously waiting for something. He couldn't help but question.

"What's up?" He asked softly and her eyes snapped up, surprised that he was capable of such a question. He saw her surprise in her eyes and smirked accordingly. She took in a breath and ran a hand through her hair, even though it was tied back into a neat ponytail.

"I've got a depressed teenager in observation," she murmured.

"Oh?" He had noticed recently, in his own observation, that his young immunologist had been looking a little blue in the past week. She'd still be smiling and chirpy when spoken to, but she stayed back longer into the night than normal just sitting in her chair and staring into darkness. If it had been him in question, it would have been perfectly normal but this was his pretty, lively and usually unquestionably happy employee. There had to be something more than that.

"It's just so depressing to see someone as young and full of potential as this girl be so sad." She said, looking out the window at the afternoon sun and taking a long sip of her coffee. She was wondering why he even gave her the time to say such a statement without questioning her further. This was mainly why she was slightly put off when there was a long silence between them.

"Surely you've seen cases like her before."

"Yes, but it hits hard every time," she said, her eyes meeting with his in a clash of colours, "when I've been talking to her, she's a smart girl and yet she doesn't want to live. I suppose I should take into account the fact that she brought herself here for observation."

"The girl came by her own choice?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah," Cameron cocked her head a little to the side in her train of thought, "which is positive in itself. She has no explanation to tell me other than her boyfriend moving away. That hurts, I know, but I doubt that it would single-handedly throw someone into depression like that."

"You'd be surprised." He muttered and she nodded, sipping her coffee once again and realising that it was empty. Looking down into it and then looking up again, retrieving a stray drop with her tongue.

"You want another coffee?"

Two days had passed since their conversation and House had just been intercepted by Cuddy, being forced to spend two excruciating hours in clinic duty. He stormed out on a mother wailing about her child having hay fever, expecting her kid to be immune to every common disease. He signed himself out and had made a beeline for the elevator when Cameron came from around the corner, her head hung slightly as she pressed the button down on autopilot.

"Feeling blue, Dr. Cameron?" He asked sarcastically and she looked up, surprised with his presence.

"I-"

"Don't worry, the sun will shine tomorrow, darling." He said, limping into the elevator without a second thought. She begrudgingly followed him and folded her arms over her chest, more irritated now. Her lips pursed and he noticed this tenseness in her posture. He smirked, deciding to have a little fun with her. "Glad to see the anal retentive, 'nobody-messes-with-me' Cameron is back in town."

"Go to hell, House." She left on the second floor, two stops before he had anticipated. He raised his eyebrow, following her just before the doors slid closed behind him. She heard his uneven gait behind her and, in a desperate effort to rid herself of him, she sped up her own footsteps. He noticed this and mentally berated her for underestimating him.

"Oh, Cameron, I thought you were more mature than that."

"Oh, House, I knew you weren't." She sniped back, whirling unexpectedly around a corner and House stopped still just before the turn, knowing he'd lost her. Smirking, he wheeled himself around and walked back towards the elevators, knowing exactly where she'd gone. Sure enough, he found her a few minutes later sitting in a room on the first floor next to her young patient.

"You come back to visit me a lot." She gave a weak smile as Cameron smirked.

"I've told you what my boss is like."

"Yep," she said, looking down and fiddling with her blanket. "Do you know if Jeremy's come by?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I don't. Your dad might know-"

"Dad says that he doesn't want any of my friends knowing. I told him it's bullshit but he won't listen to me."

"Dads want what's best, even if it doesn't agree with you," she tried to reason and saw something flash in Kate's young eyes, "but I can give him a call for you, if you'd like."

"Thanks," she snuggled further into her blankets, pulling them up to her shoulders. "I just want someone who knows to come to me."

"Someone who knows what?"

The door slid open and as both pairs of eyes met the door, a tall man walked in with a Styrofoam container full of food. He looked up, his five o'clock shadow obviously in the midday light and gave both women a weak smile. As he walked in, Cameron couldn't help but notice something flash out from the corner of her eye, knowing in an instant that it was the figure of her boss. That bastard. She gave a weak smile, trying to hide her rising anger with her patient and family.

"You're still here, Dr. Cameron?" He asked as he sat down and she nodded.

"Dr. Cameron likes talking to me," Kate gave a small smile and her father nodded, smiling too. He was just glad to see his daughter smiling. It was a start.

"Mr. Elliot-"

"Jack," he told her and Cameron nodded.

"Jack, Kate wants to see her friends. Could you give any of them a call?"

"I don't think it's any of your business," he said sharply, "but most of her friends are out of town on vacation. I don't think that they would want to see her like this anyway."

"Dad, you are so full of it," Kate's teeth gritted, "Jeremy is sitting at home doing absolutely nothing and I think he would do anything to come and see me here. He would be worried that I haven't picked up the phone in a week." He deserves to know where I am."

"That little shit is the one who landed you in here. Do you really expect that I'll let him come visit you in hospital?"

"Jeremy has done nothing wrong!" Kate's voice raised higher and higher, almost to a shrill scream. "This has nothing to do with him and it sure as hell has nothing do with you whether my best friend sees me in hospital or not!"

"Fine," his face contorted into an angry scowl, "let the little bastard come. I don't want to see him."

"Good." She smiled sarcastically and Jack stormed out of the room, seeing House leaning against the wall on the other side of the hallway. He turned his angry glare on him, wondering where he'd seen this man before. "What are you staring at?" He spat before he stormed off down the hallway and that was when Cameron stood.

"Oh dear! Look at the time," she faked a smile as she walked out from the room, "I'm late for an appointment. I'll be back, 'kay?"

"Okay," Kate settled down, pulling her sheets over her head and visibly curling into a ball. Cameron noticed House and shook her head angrily as she walked down the hallway. He unhooked his cane from his arm and started off on following her down the hallway.

"That was inappropriate-" Cameron started before House caught up with her and finished her sentence.

"What, watching my employee do her job and go far, far beyond? It was far more inappropriate to budge into what the father says about the daughter and causing a ruckus like that. So I wouldn't be pointing fingers if I were you."

"I went back in there after spending an hour to get away from you," she growled, waiting for the elevator, "and you followed me to an exam. Patient-doctor confidentiality beats your principal of trying to make the kid feel better." She stormed off, sick of waiting, and opted for the stairs. House followed her as far as the first flight, surprising himself at his swiftness. He stopped, watching her storm up the stairs and he called after her.

"You're losing perspective!" He roared and she wheeled around, walking back towards the end of the second flight of the stairs with a 'oh-no-he-didn't' look on her face. "You're miserable every time you see a bird chirp or the sun shine that used to make you smile and dance gaily about the place. You are pushing the boundaries for a patient." He narrowed his eyes. "Who does that remind you of?"

"You know what," she said, pointing her finger at him, "you should visit her yourself. Let her talk to you. Then talk to me." She whirled around and stalked off down the hallway to take the elevator from there. House shook his head and looked down the first flight of stairs as he contemplated her statement. Maybe he could make a detour to the cafeteria.