Chapter 5

The next day had arrived, and everybody was back at work. Chase and Foreman were doing clinic duty, and Cameron, who had already done hers, was checking House's email, wondering how late House would arrive. She had a piece of paper next to her, and a pen in her other hand, writing down the more important things. "Meeting at 1:00, a guest speaker at 3…" Cameron muttered under her breath as she wrote down the information. The door closed as House entered. After a bit, there was a slight thump as he dropped his things on the floor, causing Cameron to look up from what she was doing. "Good morning." She said without much emotion.

"Cameron." House said, looking at her as he took off his jacket, which he placed on the back of his chair. The thumping of his cane could be heard. He had been doing that a lot lately, and he didn't really know why. "You acted strange again. You never yell, but yesterday, you yelled. Why?"

"First, answer this, why do you need to know? Why do you care about my personal life? Does it really matter what I am feeling?" Cameron said quickly, her arms immediately crossing, lips curling into a frown, eyes showing anger. He was right, she usually wasn't angry. She didn't even know why she was acting like this. It had really started after breaking up with Chase, but why?

"I need to know because it is affecting your work. I don't care much about your personal life. No, it doesn't matter how you are feeling. You know, the last two questions really can be connected to the first one. Now, answer my question." House said, staring back, not showing anger, concern, or really any emotion. "I might have to make this the differential of the day, so unless you say something, Chase and Foreman will know something is wrong, and then they will keep on asking you if something is the matter. Now, if you tell me, that will all be avoided. I am doing this more for your health and job then myself you know." House said, crossing his own arms, though he still wasn't angry.

"I don't know ok? And even if I did, you would be one of the last people I would tell." Cameron said with a quiet, angry voice. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I will do some extra clinic duty, and no, I am not covering for you." Cameron said, walking do the door, pulling it open quickly, and walking in an angry posture toward the clinic. "Why the hell does it matter what I am feeling? Since when does he care about anybody or anything? He never has before." Cameron thought. Her thoughts were cut short by bumping into Cuddy, who dropped all her paperwork to the floor. She had a lot of it too.

"Damn." Cuddy said, bending down to pick it up. "You ok Cameron?" Cameron never acted like this before. She knew she shouldn't get involved, and she really wasn't, but when Cameron didn't pay attention to where she was walking, and looked this angry, something was wrong.

"Sorry." Cameron said, bending down to pick up the papers. "And yes, I'm fine!" Cameron said, a little bit at the end, though she really didn't mean to. "What the HELL am I doing? I can't talk to my boss's boss like this!" She handed the papers to Cuddy, apologizing again and walked off toward the clinic.

Cuddy watched Cameron go. If she wasn't holding a stack of papers, her hands would have been on her hips. "Strange…" she muttered to herself. After a while, she headed started to head to her meeting. The only reason she stopped in the first place was to try to remember if she had remembered everything, which, she now knew she did. That had lost her five minutes. Now she was late! She shook her head as she walked, heels clicking.

"You're late Dr. Cuddy." Said one of the doctors as Cuddy sat down and put her papers on the table with a sigh.

"I know. I dropped my papers in the hall, and had to pick them up." Cuddy said simply, and the meeting began.

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In the clinic, Cameron grabbed the first file. It was the pregnant woman again. "Katharine?" Cameron called to the clinic. The pregnant woman stood up and walked into Exam Room 1.

Cameron was busy the file again, and realized something. The birthday, the age, the appearance, even the name seemed familiar. She had known a Katharine from high school. "You seem familiar…" Cameron said, looking at Katharine curiously.

"You did too." Katharine said quietly. "Are you Allison Cameron?" Katharine said, her voice rising.

Cameron grinned. It was the first time she had smiled for a week. "Yes I am! I remember you now!" She quickly gave Katharine a hug. "Sorry about how I acted yesterday, my boss was just being an-"

"Cameron!" House said as he opened the door. "I heard you ran into Cuddy on the way up here, literally!" He hobbled into the room and watched Cameron's smile vanish slowly.

"I thought you had a meeting now." Cameron said emotionlessly, crossing her arms again.

"Do you think I really read my mail?" House asked, making a face.

"Do you think I real your mail for fun?" Cameron said. "I wrote it down by the way. And Katharine, this is my boss." She motioned to House. "He is always this annoying."

Katharine grinned as House made a face. "You've never minded before." House said, suddenly smirking. "While you're here, can you do mine?"

Cameron sighed. "No, I am here to do my own clinic duty, well, extra clinic duty, and I am with a patient right now."

"Wasn't she in here yesterday?" House asked, a quizzical frown on his face. Cameron nodded and sighed again.

"Yes. Does it matter?" Cameron asked. "By the way, can I finish this? I will be back after I am done." Cameron said the last part politely, and grinned when House finally left, shutting the door behind himself.

"Allison, he said this never bugged you before, are you sure you are ok?" Katharine asked, the concern from yesterday coming back even more now that she knew they knew each other.

"I don't know." Cameron said, placing down the file again, not needing it anymore. "Now, do you have a question?" Katharine stayed silent a moment, thinking about Cameron saying she didn't know, before nodding. "What is it?"

"I came in to say you looked familiar, and to ask if I could still clean my house while I am pregnant. Things could have so many chemicals…" Katharine said, looking at Cameron.

"Yes, you can clean your house. Just make sure the room you are cleaning in is well ventilated, you read the labels, and don't mix chemicals." Cameron said with a grin.

"Thanks Allison. Do you think I could meet your colleagues?" Katharine asked. "Sorry if it sounds like I am being nosy, but we have catching up to do." She grinned back at Cameron as she stood up.

"Sure! I'll even let you meet my boss's boss if she's done with her meeting." Cameron said, picking up the file again. "Just follow me."

Cameron and Katharine walked out the door. Cameron placed the file on the nurse's station desk as she spotted Cuddy, who had just returned from the meeting. This time she was without papers because she was done with the meeting. The familiar clicking of heels let Cameron know that Cuddy was coming this way. "I thought you did your clinic duty for today. Covering for House?" Cuddy asked when she reached her.

"No." Came Cameron's quick reply. It made Cuddy look at her suspiciously for a moment. Cuddy wasn't used to Cameron acting this way.

"Isn't this the same-"Cuddy began, but Cameron cut her off again, causing the suspicious look to return.

"Yes." Cameron said with a grin. "We just realized that we knew each other from high school. Dr. Cuddy, this is Katharine, Katharine, this is my boss's boss, Dr. Cuddy. She's the Dean of Medicine here." Almost immediately, Katharine and Cuddy said hello to each other and shook hands.

"Well, do carry on. I'll see you around." Cuddy said, walking off after saying goodbye.

"She's always this busy. Dealing with my boss, and her meetings and mountains of paperwork does take a bit." Cameron said with a chuckle as Chase and Foreman came out of two different patient's rooms. "How convenient." Cameron said. "They finished around when I finished."

"Hey Cameron, I thought you already did your clinic duty!" Foreman said as he and Chase approached. Cameron just nodded, which told them she did.

"This is my friend Katharine. We've known each other since high school. And these people are Foreman and Chase." Cameron said, motioning to each one as she gave their names.

"Hello." Was simultaneously said by the two. Everybody shook hands.

"We only have two people left to meet, the head of oncology, and of course, my boss. I think we could swing by my boss next." Cameron said, and the two walked off after Foreman and Chase said their goodbyes. The two were headed toward House's office, a place where Cameron didn't really want to go right now…

TO BE CONTINUED

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AUTHOR: Sorry about the cliffhanger. Reviews!