Sebastian Charles surveyed the largest room of the old building, imagining the way it would look with several dozen people filling up the space between its walls as well as several dozen more waiting on the walkway to come inside. As satisfying as the TB clinic with the hospital proposed to be, he found he had become increasingly restless over the last week. He was surprised at how quickly he missed being in several different places in one week, always racing from one village to the next, while keeping one step ahead of the local militia and thugs.
He watched her as she managed the tedious task of opening boxes of medical supplies and moving the contents to rolling carts and bins. He tried to recall the last time someone had meant so much to him; touched him in a way that she had. She truly seemed to care about him for himself, not the public image so many thought was the real him. He smiled as the thought raced across his brain that she was the one thing that had glued his soul in one place for longer than it had ever been in years.
Without looking up or stopping from her work, Cameron softly snickered under her breath. "Let me guess…this is how you got the smart girls to do your homework for you in school, right? Charm them with that big smile and those boyishly good looks and then sit back while they treated you like a rock star?"
Sebastian stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets as he slowly began to walk towards her. "Why, Dr. Cameron, are you saying I coasted through med school by applying myself in other ways besides diligent study and hard work?"
Cameron blushed as she pushed a long strand of chestnut-colored hair behind her right ear. She casually tossed an empty box off to the side and then pushed herself back to rest against the wall behind her. "Hmm…yes, that's exactly what I think I'm saying".
He laughed as he broke down the box she had just cast aside. "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but nothing could be further from the truth. It seems I wasn't very…socially versed in school".
"Please don't tell me you were the science geek with big black glasses and the pocket protector".
Sebastian frowned dramatically. "We prefer science nerd, you know. Sounds a little less pathetic, doesn't it? And, yes I believe I had one of those fashion accessories you mentioned, but I'd rather not say which".
"Only just one, huh?" she giggled.
"O-kay. Now I remember why I don't like school reunions. Come on. Let's get out of here. There's nothing left to do until Monday, anyway".
She accepted his hand as he helped to lift her back onto her feet. "That sounds good to me. I could really go for a hot shower and giant cup of coffee".
"Well now, it just so happens that someone told me about a place that serves the biggest cup of coffee in Princeton. Let me take you…and then if you have any room left, maybe you'll let me buy you dinner, too?"
Cameron looked down at her hand which still rested in his. "Dinner tonight and the cocktail party Saturday night? A girl could get spoiled by this," she laughed. "I still need that shower though. How about you give me two hours and I'll meet you there?"
"Mmm…I'll pick you up. Say 6:30-ish?"
"Okay. Oh, but…I probably should check back in with House and Foreman before I just take off. They had interviews and clinic duty today, so there's no telling how that went or if everyone survived".
Sebastian frowned at her continued loyalty to House. "The man doesn't need a babysitter, Allison—he needs someone to show him there are consequences to his actions".
"He does—he has Cuddy," she said, smiling weakly. "Hey, how about if I call you when I get home?"
"Sure," he said, as his eyes searched over her face for clues to what she'd left unspoken. "Take your time. You know how to reach me".
He smiled as she placed a small kiss lightly on his cheek and let go of his hand. As he watched her walk away, back towards the hospital, he realized he had unfinished business—not with House, but with Lisa Cuddy.
The tension in House's office was palpable. Foreman's voice bristled with fatigue and anger. "Are you asking me or telling me, House? If you're asking me, which I distinctly heard you do five seconds ago, my answer is Peng".
Wilson, looking unusually more than tired than annoyed, rubbed his eyes to try and clear the redness from them. "You did ask for his opinion, House. Not that you asked for mine, but I'm with Eric, I think Peng would make a great addition to the team. Hire him. I take it there are no objections to his name, are there?"
The red and gray ball spun in the palm of House's hand. "Nope, no objections to his name. In fact, I'm almost giddy over the thought of just how much I'll be able to get away with. He's nice, he's smart and he's a bigger minority moving target than Foreman".
Foreman threw up his hands in excitement. "My God. You mean we might just have a consensus? When can we get him to start?"
House quickly attempted to kill Foreman's enthusiasm. "I'm saying he goes on the short-list. Cameron said there were several other candidates in the pipeline. Let's see who takes the bait. We've got a little time, plus interviews will get us out of that asinine TB clinic duty next week," House quipped, as he palmed the ball into the desktop.
Wilson rose from his seat and slipped his lab coat back on over his still neatly pressed dress shirt. "No, you're actually out of time, House. You've got a week, at best. And, unless you've got interviews set up for tomorrow or this weekend, you've got less than that. If you think he'll work for you and take your shit all day, offer him the job. Don't wait…there can't be that many of them to go around. See you tomorrow, guys".
"Well?" Foreman asked impatiently, as the glass door swung shut behind Wilson. "Can I call Cuddy and ask her to pull his credentials?"
House tapped his fingers along the edge of the desk. "Fine," he said, in somewhat of a defeated tone. Ask her to make sure his licensure and references are in order. But, we see whatever others Cameron may have set aside before we commit".
Foreman nodded happily. "I'll go call Cuddy".
House briefly flipped through Dr. Peng's file before tossing it onto the messy side of his desk.
"Well, that can't be good," she said, breaking the silence and mood of the darkened office. "I was hoping I'd find at least one of their files on my chair with a big smiley- face sticky note on it," Cameron said, sarcastically from her place in the doorway. "You guys didn't like any of them?"
"Hmm…let's see. I tormented the first one, didn't see the second and I just can't stop feeling all warm and fuzzy about the third one. I was just about to order him a "welcome to the office" cookie bouquet if you're interested in chipping in".
Cameron smiled. "If any of that were actually true, I would personally bake him cookies myself. Wait…you know what a cookie bouquet is?"
"The hot and completely inappropriately underage babe at the mall told me all about them when I ordered yours for your going away party. Yeah, Peng will do, I suppose. Foreman and Wilson liked him".
House's eyes locked onto Cameron's. "So, you're speaking to me? No longer repulsed by my presence, Dr. Cameron? You've got to stop hanging around with that clown Charles, he's making you soft".
Leaning against the wall, Cameron crossed her right ankle over her left as her hands defensively found their way into the pockets of her slacks. "So, what about you? Did you like Peng?" she asked, changing the subject.
House smiled at her ability to steer the conversation back to being about him. "He's fine. If he shows up just one day out of the five, he'll at least be 100 percent more effective than Chase, anyway".
"Well, there's two more lined up for Monday, unless you want to see them tomorrow or over the weekend. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to move their schedules around. Just say the word and I'll give them a call".
"No. Monday's fine," he said, awkwardly. "You should get out of here, I'm sure you probably worked your ass off for Saint Charles today. What'd he have you doing…polishing his awards? Arranging his press conference? Sending in his People's Choice nomination?"
Cameron laughed softly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but it was nothing more than just good old fashion hard work. It was fine...dirty, but fine".
"Good Lord, should I tell Cuddy she needs to chaperone over there?"
Cameron blushed. "Not dirty, like that dirty…oh, never mind. I'm too tired to do this; I'm going to head out of here. Oh, by the way, I won't be in tomorrow until lunchtime, so just in case you need anything, page me".
House let out a slow whistle. "Lunchtime, huh? I guess dating the celebrity doctor really does have its privileges".
Cameron frowned dramatically. "I'm not dating him. We're just…friends. In a week he'll be back in Africa and I'll be…well, somewhere. Anyway, I'm glad things went well today".
House watched her as her hands left her pockets only to quickly become tucked under each arm. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yep. Another day to save the world," he said, brashly.
Cameron smiled softly. "Have a good night, House".
House reached across his desk for Dr. Peng's file and studied it for a moment before he carried it to Cameron's desk in the adjoining room. Over top of Cameron's handwriting on the yellow sticky note, he drew a large smiley face and then dropped the file in her chair.