Cameron found herself walking the halls of the hospital aimlessly. It was better than being in that bed any longer. She just needed to clear her had, needed a change of pace. If anything, she was glad she had the option to roam around, not being confined to her room. Those cheesy medical dramas were only interesting for an hour at most before it became repetitive drivel. She didn't know how House could ever find them entertaining. So some attractive young doctor couldn't keep it in his pants. So what? Oh whoops, made too many children with too many women.

She sat on a bench in the hallway, adjusting her gown so it wouldn't ride up her legs. To be fair, she'd fit right into one of those dramas now. Lost memory and a baby. Next thing she knew she'd find out that the baby's father was someone entirely different. Maybe it was Wilson, she thought, rolling her eyes at the idea. If there was one thing that continued to worry her though, it was the missing chunk of time in her head. She wasn't sure how memories were supposed to come back, how she would know if she remembered something. She knew they were missing, but it didn't feel like it. It almost felt like she was living a lie that was all too real. The actress in the drama who couldn't remember her part. She leaned back and closed her eyes. The one who didn't know her part, but had to play it anyway. There was an entire person growing inside her. She put a hand on her stomach and tried to picture herself as a mother, grasping a tiny hand in her own.

Excited shrieking filled her ears, as the pitter patter of small feet rang down the hall. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Her eyes snapped open. A little girl, about eight or nine, ran down the hall and jumped into her mother's arms, the latter of which was in a wheelchair.

"Hey, sweetheart," she said, wrapping her arms around the girl. "You've gotten so big!" Cameron found herself staring, almost longingly. She remembered caring for baby dolls when she was younger, always wanting to be a mother herself.

"It hasn't been that long, Mommy," the girl insisted. "Look at what I made at camp!" She held her wrist proudly in the air, and her mother held it in her hand, admiring the simple bead bracelet wrapped around it. Cameron looked at her own empty hand. It really wasn't a question of if she wanted to start a family. She just didn't know if she was ready.

The dad caught up, giving his wife a quick peck on the cheek. "Who's ready to go home?"

She looked at him, doing a quick double take. He looked a lot like her first husband, so much so that she felt the slight sting of loss by looking at him. She had known then, known that being with him would never lead to a family. Knew that marrying him was only temporary. It didn't make it hurt less when he died.

She watched the family go down the hall, her eyes trailing the man's face. Come to think of it, he looked a little like... Chase. She looked down, unable to stare any longer.

She had that chance now. The chance to start a family with someone. She just didn't know if she could love that someone. Yet... She looked down, trying to picture the new life growing inside her, little limbs forming, moving for the first time. She put a hand on her abdomen, trying to sense the baby. She didn't feel anything, but she knew she had already decided.

Wilson found him on the rooftop, sitting on the edge facing inwards. A mild breeze ruffled his hair, and he looked up at the fading afternoon light. Despite the circumstances, it was still beautiful outside.

House's head was bowed, hands clasped in his lap, making no indication of acknowledgment. "Don't- don't start your spiel, alright? I don't want to hear it."

Wilson walked over, taking a seat besides his friend. "House, patients die. It happens every day in this hospital. You know that."

"I just needed more time. I swear... multiple organ failures... stomach pain... a rash?"

Wilson frowned. Was he still trying to diagnose a dead man? "You don't care about this man, do you? You're just upset you couldn't figure it out."

"I'm upset because my patient's dead," he snapped.

"Your patient's dead because you overworked people fresh out of a traumatic incident!"

House didn't respond, but the stiffness of his posture clued out that the oncologist had struck a nerve.

He sighed, shoulders slumping. "I get it. You believe in your team, and you're afraid of change. But people have limits, House. And so do you."

He shook his head. "I should've seen it earlier."

"Either way, sulking about it isn't going to help."

House bounced his cane on the ground. "I'm not sulking. I'm trying to figure out the cause of death."

"You're hung up on something you can no longer change. What's the difference?"

"The ground's right behind you," he said loudly, avoiding the conversation. "Give or take seven floors."

Wilson looked down, scanning over the rows of parked vehicles. "I think I'd hit your bike first. I'd imagine you wouldn't want blood stains on your impeccable leather seat."

"That handicap spot is awfully close, huh?" House frowned, suddenly deep in thought.

"What? What is it?"

He stood up, leaning on his cane before hobbling away.

Wilson watched him walk away, glancing briefly at the closest row of cars down below. At the very least, no one had become a splat on the pavement.

Cuddy ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "I don't know how I didn't think of this earlier."

Cameron propped herself up on the exam bed, leaning back. "Don't worry. You've got a lot on your plate."

The dean of medicine smiled sadly, looking at her briefly before continuing to calibrate the machine. "Thank you, but I'm in charge of this hospital. I should be looking out for my employees."

"Of which there are many."

Cuddy leaned over, applying the gel to her stomach. "Well, that's still no excuse." It was cold and sticky, and Cameron took a deep breath, a sudden rush of anxiety hitting her.

She was about to find out soon, whether she wanted to or not. Whether the baby was okay. Whether or not she would have to figure things out with Chase. Whether or not she'd be taking a plunge into motherhood.

She felt the transducer get placed down, searching around her uterus, and she turned her head away from the screen instinctively. She didn't know if she wanted to know. The rest of her life was hinged on this one moment. She didn't even know what she wanted.

"Cameron?"

She turned, eyes still avoiding the screen. She looked at Cuddy's face, searching for a hint of an answer. She was smiling, wider than she thought she had ever seen. She shook her head, a glossy look coming over her eyes. "It's perfectly fine."

"Oh my God." A wave of relief crashed over her body, leaving Cameron trembling. "I-" She slid off the bed as if in a trance, wrapping her arms around the dean. "Thank you."

She felt her recoil in surprise, before returning a hug that felt stiffly professional at first, but softened after a moment. "Let's get you cleaned up, alright?"

Oh, right. "Sorry," she stammered, pulling herself back on to the bed. She felt she should say something, reaching for words to break the silence. "Have you ever wanted to be a mother?"

Cuddy didn't respond, gently wiping the goo off of her. She threw the wipe away in a nearby bin and sighed. "Every day."

Cameron blinked up at the ceiling, trying to repress the hordes of butterflies that churned through her stomach. "You'll get the chance, one day," she said out of reflex, but her mind had gone wandering away. How was she going to tell him? What would she even say? Oh God, she had to tell her parents, too, didn't she?

"We're all done. Do you need me to walk back with you?"

She tried to recite the lines in her head. Hi, Chase. I still don't remember ever loving you, but we're going to be parents in approximately 7 months. No, that didn't sound right. We're friends, we can figure this out, right? You're good with kids, aren't you?

"Doctor Cameron."

She blinked a couple times. "Yeah, I can walk back on my own."

She walked in quickly, unable to control the jittery feeling that had taken control of her. "Chase," she said breathily.

He looked up in surprise, the room's phone pressed against his ear. "Yeah. I'll call you back, sis."

"I got the ultrasound." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She couldn't stop the smile that felt permanently fixed to her face, though. "Everything is fine. Everything is great, really."

Chase raised his eyebrows. "That- that's wonderful. Have you... decided what you want to do?"

She nodded, taking a few more steps in. "Look, I- I still don't remember much of what happened in the last six months. I don't know if I ever will. But I can't just get stuck in the past." She looked at him, the image blurring slightly as tears filled her eyes. "Chase... I don't know what the future means for us, but... I'm willing to try." She took a shaky breath, wiping her eyes quickly, refocusing the picture. "Robert Chase, will you go on a date with me?"

He took her hand, brows furrowed. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She nodded, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Yes."

"Then..." He looked down, a smile slowly twisting out of his features. "Absolutely."

A noise she didn't know she could make escaped her lips as she threw her arms around him, inducing a small yell of pain. It was like a pot inside her was bubbling over with liquid happiness, and she nestled her face in his shoulder. It felt familiar, as if it was ringing a bell she couldn't hear. Stunned, he wrapped his arms around her, the grip going tighter with shaky relief.

"I've missed you," he whispered, almost in disbelief that she was really there, that she was real and in his arms again.

She pulled back a little so she could see his face. "I don't- I don't even know if I should be hugging you," she said with a small, awkward laugh.

Chase winked, a light dancing behind the deep blue of his eyes. "Don't worry. If anything happens, I've got the best doctor in the hospital right here."

Before she could even process what she was doing, she found herself leaning forward, pressing her lips against his. He recoiled in surprise, before returning the kiss, more desperately than she had expected. Yet, it wasn't unpleasant. It was warm, safe. Like a hot drink on a cold day, or a blanket fresh out the dryer. Cameron felt a flame ignite in her stomach, like burnt ashes smoking into embers once again. It felt... right. She pulled away, breathless.

"That line was pretty good, wasn't it?" Chase said, smirking.

"That was the worst thing I've ever heard," she said, but she was smiling, feeling truly content for the first time since the accident. "I wouldn't be any use if you tore your stitches. I'm not a surgeon. You are."

He laughed. "I guess you've got me there. I suppose I could resign to the terrible fate of dying in your arms."

"Oh, not this again," House groaned as he limped in. He tossed a case file in their direction, and Chase barely caught it, pressing it up against Cameron's back.

"House, we're off the case," he said, annoyed.

"This," House said, pointing his cane at the file, "is not the same case. The first guy is dead. And now we've got two more with the same symptoms. Figure it out before we have an epidemic."

"He's what?" Cameron exclaimed, eyes widening in shock. "That's impossible, it's only been a few days-"

A young woman in a lab coat walked in, her hair pulled back in a messy bun. "Dr. House, what are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you. Who are these people? Are they more patients?"

House looked at the the two team members, then back to the woman. "Yes."

She frowned. "They don't seem to have the same symptoms..."

House nodded at the two. "Truly a genius." He leaned over, pretending to whisper. "I took your advice," he said, out loud.

"Hang on," Chase said, "why is she wearing my lab coat?"

The woman looked down. "Oh, so you're-" she scrutinized the embroidering on her chest- "Doctor Chase? Doctor House said it belonged to someone who doesn't work in the hospital anymore."

"Were you honestly too lazy to ask Cuddy for a new one?"

House ignored the question. "This, is Doctor..." he gestured at her.

"Fletcher. Hailey Fletcher. I suppose I'm your temporary replacement." She turned to Cameron. "And you are...?"

"A brain-damaged idiot," House said, giving her a passing glance.

"I.. am not an idiot," she said huffily

"See, that's what an idiot would say."

Cameron sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm Doctor Cameron. I guess we'll be working together once I'm cleared to work again."

"Also known as right now. You're cleared."

"Foreman never-"

House shrugged. "It's not that hard to forge a signature."

Cameron got up, walking over. "You can't do that. I'll tell Cuddy-"

"Tell her what? That you're going to let these poor people die because you just really needed that vacation time?"

"It's not her responsibility!" Chase yelled, fists wadding up handfuls of his sheets.

Cameron sighed. "It's fine. I'll... do whatever I can."

"Great," House said, looking at Chase, who continued to glower back. "He'll do the thinking, you'll get samples, and Foreman will run the tests. You can draw blood without killing someone, right?"

"I..." She honestly had no clue. Was there a chance... Her eyes grew wide with realization. Was there a chance that what she had done to the patient had led to his death? "I can't."

"You didn't kill him," House said, looking down, "I did an autopsy on the first patient."

"Then you should know what it is," Chase said, frowning. "Why are we still running tests?"

"Because," Foreman said, walking in, "this looks like something we've never seen before." He looked around the room. "Does anyone know where Cameron's file is, by the way?"