Chapter 68

House sat on the side of his bed and stared at the small, white pill he held in the palm of his hand. Although the pain in his leg was increasing, he hesitated taking it. Part of him wanted to feel the pain to keep his mind off of Cameron… but his body ached for rest and he knew if he didn't swallow the white magic, he wouldn't sleep at all. He threw back his head and let the pill slide down his throat. He buried himself under the covers and it wasn't long before the drug did it's job and he fell asleep.

Two hours later, House was dreaming about stealing Wilson's lunch when the ringing of his cell phone pulled him away from his dream. Damn, he said with a heavy tone and grabbed his phone. Recognizing the number, he quickly sat up and answered.

"Yeah."

"House. Hodges here."

"Yeah, I know."

"We found her." Hodges calmly said.

House wasn't sure he heard correctly. "What?"

Hodges smiled. "We found Allison and she's at the hospital. That's where I'm calling from."

House swung his legs onto the floor. "Is she okay?" He asked hesitantly.

"The doctors are with her now. She has some bumps and bruises but she looks good, considering."

House was still trying to grasp the idea that Cameron had been found. "Where? How?"

"Get your ass up here and I'll tell you where and how." Hodges said with a chuckle.

House wasn't smiling. He was in shock. "Have you called anyone else?"

Hodges began pacing the hallway. "You're the first. After I hang up with you, I'm calling Dr. Cuddy and Bryan Cameron."

House could barely breath. "I'll call Wilson." He paused. "What about Mayer?"

Hodges paused. He wasn't sure whether to tell House the truth or not about Mayer getting away.

House could sense by the silence that all wasn't well with Mayer. "Detective?"

Hodges sighed heavily. "He got away but I have a lot of men looking for him."

"Do you have someone watching Cameron?"

"Of course. I don't think he will come that close to her so soon. If that's his plan, he'll wait for things to quiet down first."

House ran his hand through his hair. "I'll be there in a few." He said solemnly.

"I'll be here." Hodges said and hung up his end.

House held the phone in his hand for a minute, digesting the news. With shaky hands, he dialed Wilson's number. After the sixth ring, Wilson finally answered.

"Hello." A sleepy voice mumbled.

"It's about damn time." House rumbled as he popped another pill into his mouth.

"I was asleep House." Wilson said annoyed.

"They found Cameron." House said quickly.

"Are you serious?" Wilson asked suddenly becoming wide awake.

"No. This is one of my sick jokes." House said with heavy sarcasm. "Of course I'm serious. She's at the hospital and I want you there with her… as her doctor."

Wilson didn't waste any time responding. "I'm on my way." He hung up his end and began to get dressed.

House limped into his bathroom to throw cold water on his face but his reflection in the mirror caught his attention. He stared hard into the mirror at the man staring back at him. The deep lines etched into his face, seemed more defined than usual, making him look older than what he was. He looked away in disgust and stepped back into the bedroom. He should be relieved, excited that Cameron was alive… but instead, he felt nothing. He was numb inside. What kind of person was he to not feel anything? He asked himself. Was it possible that he hadn't really believed Cameron would be found? Had he prepared himself for the worse without realizing it? What would he say to her when he saw her? He wondered. There was so much left unsaid between them before she disappeared. He sat down on the side of the bed and for a moment, contemplated not going to the hospital at all but knew he couldn't do that to Cameron. He would deal with what he felt or didn't feel, later.

He slipped on the jeans he had tossed on the chair a few hours earlier and grabbed a clean t-shirt out of his top dresser drawer and pulled it over his head. A strange feeling came over him as he was slipping on his shoes but he shrugged it off to it being the middle of the night and just hearing the news about Cameron. However, as he started down the hallway, the ominous feeling took over again causing the hair on his neck to stand on end. He slowed his pace and as he rounded the corner into his living room, the strong smell of cigarettes filled his nostrils. It was at that time, he saw a shadowy figure sitting on his sofa and the glow of a cigarette shown through the darkness. He froze, wondering who in the hell was in his apartment.

House tossed his jacket on the chair in front of him and faced the person sitting across the room. "Who the fuck are you?" He asked in low tone.

"Doctor House." The voice across the room said in an incautious tone.

House tensed as the stranger said his name. He chose to remain silent while watching the glow of the man's cigarette increase with each puff.

Steven Mayer smiled enjoying the fact that House had no idea who he was. "I was hoping we would meet on better terms but it would seem that my plans have changed."

House was racking his brain, trying to place the man's voice but no one came to mind. He decided to ask again who had invaded his world. "Again, who the fuck are you and why the hell are you sitting in my living room?"

Steven let out a low laugh. "You might consider me to be your worst nightmare."

"I don't know about that. I have had a lot of nightmares." House shot back.

"Ahh, just like you to make a joke out of this. Isn't that what you always do? Treat everything as a joke… a game?" Steven was enjoying playing with House.

House was definitely not in the mood to play. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. "Cut the crap and tell me who you are."

"You know who I am. So, you cut the crap." Steven said loudly.

"I don't have time for your games, whoever you are." House went to reach for his jacket but stopped when the man spoke again.

"Running off to the hospital?"

House narrowed his eyes at his enemy.

"Running off to go take care of our Allison?" Mayer added.

A cold chill swept over House as he realized the person sitting across from him was Steven Mayer.

Steven smiled. "Know who I am now… Dr. House?" He leaned forward and put the cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe.

"You sick bastard. What the fuck do you want?" House asked in a dangerously low voice.

House's tone thrilled Steven. "I would think that would be obvious."

House said nothing as he watched Steven stand and move towards the fireplace.

"I'm here to kill you." Steven said flatly.

House's mouth went dry and his breathing became shallow.

"You don't have anything to say now? No cocky response?" Steven said sarcastically.

House carefully watched as Steven began to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace.

"I'm sure you have questions, so ask. Don't you want to know what I did to her?" Steven said as a small sick laugh escaped his mouth.

The pit of House's stomach tightened. The thought of Mayer touching Cameron sickened him and he wanted nothing more at that moment than to rip his head off.

Steven didn't care if House ever said a word. "You know Dr. House, you have been a thorn in my side from the very beginning. There was nothing I could do to keep Allison from thinking about you, wanting you… loving you. All I ever wanted to do was love her but she pushed me away and it was all because of you."

Steven moved across the room, slowly, like an animal stalking it's prey. House didn't take his eyes from him, all the while searching for a plan to survive whatever this maniac had planned for him.

"I do want you to know, however, I did have my way with her." He lied. "Her ivory skin was so soft and sweet tasting. Yes, I enjoyed every inch of her."

"Fuck you." House said with venom.

Steven let out a wicked laugh. "No Dr. House. Fuck you."

House watched as Steven pulled out a knife from underneath his jacket and began to toss it carelessly back and forth from one hand to the other. However, he wasn't scared. All he could think about at that moment was sucking the life out of Steven Mayer.