You asked for it and here it is: Cuddy's chapter. I was going to work on another story today, but I thought, "A lot of people read this one more than any of my other stories and I wouldn't want to disappoint my loyal fans!" I must be crazy: I started a new story last night, but it shouldn't take any time from this one. My House fics are always my serious stories, the ones I work on to strengthen my writing. My marching fics and book fics are mostly for fun! Anyway, you want to read and I'm not going to delay you any longer.

What is really in the letter Cameron wrote to Cuddy is not going to be discussed this chapter, but it will next chapter. I'm going to have a little cliffhanger here at the end... Hehe.

Cuddy's Hearing

"Ms. Cuddy, I-"

"Dr. Cuddy, if you don't mind," the hospital director cut in, much to Stacy's displeasure. The board member raised his eyebrows and made eye contact with Cuddy and, after several seconds, Cuddy never blinking, the director went back to the chart in front of him.

"Dr. Cuddy, you were the director at the time of this accident, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"You confronted Dr. House and his team before or after Mr. Deleyney's death?"

"Before. I called each of them after his death."

"What happened when you confronted Dr. House?"

"It should be in the record. I don't see the need to repeat it."

Once more, the board member and the director made eye contact and the board member sighed.

"It would help if you would cooperate, Dr. Cuddy."

"It would help if you would stop asking stupid questions."

Everyone in the room looked at House, who had directed his comment to the board member with Cuddy's file. House bit his lip and shrugged as Cuddy whipped around and glared at him, Stacy ready to shoot fire from her eyes.

"Okay, never mind that last statement," House muttered. Stacy, after giving him one final look of distaste, turned around and apologized for both of her clients. Cuddy was grateful for House's intervention, though, and didn't flame him. If he hadn't said it, there was no guarantee that she would have been able to keep her own mouth shut.

"Continuing, Dr. Cuddy; After Dr. Cameron's accident, what happened?"

"Dr. Cameron was rushed into the emergency wing of the hospital and everything was done to keep her in stable condition while we found the bullet. The bullet had penetrated several vital organs, including her lungs and her liver; the bullet had fragmented and there was no possible way to extract every piece before her condition worsened. We kept her alive for nearly seven minutes after the shooting, but we knew that she would not survive. Everything that was available was done to save Dr. Cameron, but her condition was-"

"Who else was in the room with Dr. Cameron?"

"How does this-"

"Just answer the question, Dr. Cuddy."

Cuddy wished House would open his big mouth again and save her from this one, but no such luck. She cleared her throat as Stacy flipped through papers, trying to find something that would keep the board member from asking any more uncomfortable questions. As frustrating as it was, what he was asking was legal, but not essential to the case. It was almost as if it was one big mystery to solve, revolving around Cameron's death, when everything was actually very simple.

"Dr. Chase, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Foreman, Dr. House, and Mrs. Warner," answered Cuddy. It was odd to talk about every one of the team members with a title.

"Including yourself?"

"Yes, I was there, too."

"When did everyone arrive in the room? After Dr. Cameron's death? Before?"

Stacy broke in, saving Cuddy from answering.

"Sir, this pertains to the upcoming trial of the Deleyney son, not to Dr. Cuddy and her vulnerable position as hospital director. May we stick to the topic at hand: Dr. Cuddy and any legal reasons why she should be penalized?"

Cuddy sighed. She wrote herself a mental note to buy Stacy lunch. Or dinner.

That day was so difficult to get through; it was one of the only times she had seen House tear up. When the doctors realized there was nothing they could do for Cameron, who was unconscious the entire time from the shooting to her death, Cuddy had allowed the team to enter the room. Foreman had come in first, with Chase, to say their goodbyes. Foreman had said kind words and left, pulling Cuddy out of the room so Chase could say a few private words. He came out a minute later, wiping his eyes on his lab coat. Stacy and Cuddy and Wilson had went in next, Wilson's eyes gleaming, Cuddy and Stacy huddled together like women do when there is tragedy. When it was apparent Cameron had only another minute to live, they had left and tried to convince House to see her before she left.

House had been sitting on a cushioned bench outside her hospital room, his hands still covered in her blood, his head bowed. He was not going to go in and see her. He would do it, no matter what Foreman said, no matter how much Wilson consoled him, no matter how much Cuddy told him he would regret it if he didn't go in there. Finally, Cameron's time was up and the monitors went off, alerting the doctors the patient's heart had failed and the lack of oxygen to the brain due to her collapsed lungs was shutting the rest of her body down. Chase had collapsed against Foreman, a complete mess, as Cuddy and Wilson went back into the room to turn off the monitors. The calm Cuddy had felt as she walked toward the room, the instinct to run and attempt to save whoever was attached to the monitors failing; Cuddy felt the world stop turning as she turned off the power and the silence the alarms left in their wake was painful.

She had looked out of the room, though the glass, to see House still sitting there, looking back at her before he looked at Cameron, laying there peacefully, the look on her face one of comfort despite all the blood loss and injury she had sustained. As Foreman took Chase to his office, Cuddy stayed with Cameron as Wilson went to get House away before Cameron's body was transferred.

The tears shinning in House's eyes, never falling, made Cuddy's heart ache.

He had the heart of a fool.

"Dr. Cuddy, are you going to be alright? Do you need to leave the room?"

The board member looked at the hospital director curiously, not genuinely concerned, and Cuddy nodded her head.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just needed to stop and think for a few moments."

"Good. Then we can carry on?"

"My client said yes," Stacy answered for Cuddy, her voice abrupt. The board member cleared his throat.

"Then an agreement has been reached by the members of this board," he announced, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "Dr. Cuddy will keep her position of hospital director, but only under the legal and ethical advice of her lawyer, Ms. Stacy Warner."

Stacy's jaw dropped as Cuddy sat there quietly, absorbing the news. Stacy would be her adviser for everything Cuddy had to do. It had to be cleared with her before Cuddy could order equipment, medication, or even accept new patients. Anything she had power over as a director was now in Stacy's hands.

"Dr. Cuddy will not be allowed to practice medicine for the duration of two months and will be put on probation as long as her term of director is held. That will be all. The financial matters will be settled, as the board has said before, in one group after the trial, one month from now. Tomorrow, Dr. House will be brought before the board. That will be all for today."

Stacy squeezed Cuddy's arm as the board members walked out of the room, House exchanging the usual smarmy glances with each and every one of them. Wilson and Foreman left, House following them.

"Chase, stay behind, please," said Cuddy, her voice strong, but failing with every word. Chase walked up to Cuddy and stood at her shoulder, waiting for an order to sit or perform a task.

"Would you like a moment alone?" Stacy asked, gathering her papers and briefcase.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Stacy. I'll be talking with you soon."

Stacy nodded and left the room, the door slowly swinging shut behind her.

"Sit down, Chase," Cuddy ordered, the blond doctor taking a seat next to her, his eyes dim and sad. "We have something that we need to discuss. Cameron wrote me a letter, and there are some things in there I think you should know about."

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but this chapter was already too long! Hehe. Don't worry, everything will be explained next chapter. (I keep saying that, don't I? Well, I promise you, it will!)

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! Thanks again! I'll update soon!