Believe it or not we are in the homestretch of this story. I appreciate all the reviews both positive and constructive and I do take all of them seriously. Thank you all for being my fans! This is a bit of a short appetizer chapter as the meaty chapters are up next. Take heart I have almost the entire story written on paper to its completion. "Within the Sound of My Voice" is a haunting song I adore by Glen Campbell. Best Wishes, Onyx
Cameron slid into the seat of her Honda Civic and let out a sigh. The first week back at work was indeed hard work. She'd really helped out in NICU but the job never slowed down. When finally Friday rolled around she was ready to head home for some much needed sleep. On the way home she stopped by the drug store, which also doubled as a photomat. She'd transferred all of her pictures from her cell phone to a CD and now she was eager to see them printed out. She picked up the pictures, a bottle of raspberry iced tea and a CD from the cheap sale rack. Her mood began to improve as she sang Blueberry Hill in the car. Her final stop was a usual one, two blocks from her house. She had already called in her order to the Samurai Sword BBQ and Sushi Restaurant. Cameron waived at Mr. Chang as she paid for her favorite order of unagi, or eel, and a Philadelphia roll with salmon and cream cheese. Ten minutes later she pulled into her garage and headed for a quick shower. All this time she avoided the thought of House, although she was dying to see her pictures.
After throwing on a tank top and shorts, she grabbed the mail from her box outside the front door, and carried her bags, mail and dinner into the living room. The pictures from her phone were decent, some were a bit blurry but she captured the essence of the moment anyway. There was the picture of House in a bit of a headlock from Uncle Cappy. Even now it made her smile because House couldn't look any happier. She went to her bookcase and removed an old picture of her nephew and removed the picture from the frame, and then she added House and Uncle Cappy to it. She carried it into her room to hang over her dresser. She took a bite of her sushi and sighed with contentment before going through the stack of mail. She was ecstatic to find a large white envelope with the Margaretville postmark. Inside were more pictures and a letter.
Dearest Allison,
I finally made it home from the hospital and feel so much better. I guess they were right; fire really does cleanse everything. I will have some scars on my skin but thanks to you and everyone here in this wonderful town I won't carry any on my heart. I can't tell you how much Corrado and I miss you sweetheart. I never regretted the fact that God didn't bless us with children. We had Greg and Joey. Both boys were like our sons and of course I had all the kids in the neighborhood that came to my house for ziti and cookies. But now more than ever I wish I were your mother. I wish I could see you growing up and going to school, fixing your hair for the prom and cooking for you everyday. Rest assured my darling girl that you are in every sense my daughter and we are going to do whatever it takes to see you and talk to you. I hope and pray that you will find your way back here soon and that you and Greg can work out your differences. Until I talk to you again I hope you enjoy the pictures from the picnic and of your entire family here in Margaretville.
I Love You a Bushel and a Peck (that's what I used to tell the boys when they were little)
Love, Aunt VirginiaCameron wiped the tears from her eyes and reread the letter. She looked over the pictures and was happy to see that there were many good group shots of everyone. There was an old picture of two smiling teenagers with their arms around each other's shoulders. She turned it over and it read "Greg and Johnny Dakota age 16." Close to the end she found a close picture of her and House dancing to Sinatra at the picnic. He was holding her close and kissing her. Cameron felt the butterflies in her stomach come to life. She remembered how tenderly he'd kissed her and how he'd held her on the boat. She had avoided the fact that she missed him but now the bitterness came back. Suddenly Cameron had no appetite for sushi so she put it in the refrigerator. She grabbed the blanket off the back of the sofa and turned the direct TV to her favorite station that played love songs and slow songs. Then she dimmed the lights and lay on the couch listening to the lyrics of an all too familiar song.
Where have you gone my darling one?
Are you on your own?
Are you having fun?
Is there someone to hold when you need it bad?
Is it uncontrolled like the love we had?She looked at the picture of him on her phone again.
Does the day go by like a memory?
Do you ever try to remember me
In an automobile or a crowded bar
Well I hope you're all right
Wherever you are…
And if you're still within the sound of my voice
Over some radio
I just want you to know you were always my only choice
And wherever you go that I still love so
If you're still within the sound of my voice
House had let Braeden sleep at Aunt Virginia's that night so he could help her make Boston cream pies and cookies for bingo the next night. It had been the first time he'd been alone since Cameron left. He took his PSP video game console out of its hiding place and began to play Mortal Kombat Unchained. He turned the TV on for background noise. Braeden always watched DVD's so it was the first time he'd had the regular television on since Cameron left. It was on a favorite music channel of hers so he left it on and listened for a few minutes.
In the dead of night do you hear me call?
Something's not quite right
No one's there at all
Did you make a mistake?
Was it in your head?
Or was it merely me talking
to your heart instead?
And if you're still within the sound of my voice
Why don't you let me know?
I just can't let you go
Cause it always made me rejoice
Just to have so near
There's a place for you here
If you're still within the sound of my voice
House picked up his game but found it impossible to play. He continued to listen to the song and turned it up so that it encompassed the whole house.
I am calling like the echo of a passing train that cries
One last time before it fades into the distant hills and dies
I am sending out a message, like a ship out on the sea
In distress but only you can send the lifeline out to me
Are you still within the sound of my voice?
Why don't you let me know?
I just can't let you go
If it's wrong than I have no choice
But to love you until
I no longer have the will
If you're still within the sound of my voice.
He made a mental note of the song and artist from the screen and then turned it off. The moon was so bright outside. He hopped on the scooted and headed down to the lake. Five minutes later he was divested of all his clothes and swimming in the water beneath the moon. All that could be heard were crickets, an owl, the soft splashing of the water and Greg House singing the same song at the top of his lungs.
Two weeks passed and Cameron found herself working in the pediatrics unit. Cuddy was too busy helping Dr. Brandish with Wilson's patients to seek her out. With House still on leave Foreman and Chase were on clinic duty. Just as well for Cameron as Chase had used every excuse to call her and question her about her time off with House. She finally stopped answering his calls and deleted his text messages. The love boat had sailed with Chase on it by himself.
Another week passed, Cameron had lost all hope that House was going to try to call and talk himself out of his actions. After work one night she headed up to Cuddy's office to see if she'd left yet. To her disappointment the office was locked and dark behind the windows. She instead walked over to her tiny office adjacent to the labs. She turned on the lights and nearly came out of her skin! On top of her desk was a four-foot stuffed lion wearing a purple king's robe and a purple crown. There was a purple purse around its neck with something poking out of it. Unsure of what to make of it she pulled out her phone and quickly snapped a picture of it. She unhooked the purse from its strap and opened it. Inside she found a small piece of notebook paper, a small box, some drawings, a card, and a DVD. There was numbers on each one so she opened the notebook paper first. Scrawled on it was a simple sentence.
You are and always have been right about me…
The number two item was the DVD. She took it down to House's office and plugged in his portable DVD player. Her eyes went wide when the image came on the screen.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON! YOUR FAMILY IN MARGARETVILLE LOVES YOU!"
Someone had gone around to everyone in Margaretville and did small interviews. Each person wished her a happy birthday and told a story of how much she meant to them. Charlie was so embarrassed he said "oh goodness" half a dozen times. Cameron laughed through her tears. All her friends were there from Dan Brady to Uncle Cappy, Vivian to Bruce and Johnny Dakota to Ruthie and Donna. They'd even gotten the ladies from bingo urging her to come back and bring them good luck again. Towards the end she saw Braeden.
"Hi Auntie Aliss. I'm Braeden. Uncle House says I Pockorn cause he's silly. I helped Aunt Ginna and Aunt Bibian make you a cake. It's chocolate and I got to lick the bowl. But Auntie Aliss you have to come home here so I can eat some cake, cause Uncle Danny says its yours and I have to wait. But Aunt Ginna made me a cupcake. Shh don't tell him." He giggled and for the first time she heard House's voice coaching the little boy. "Oh yeah Happy Berfday and Uncle House misses you. Bye!" And with that he ran off camera.
A moment later his scruffy face appeared in front of the camera. "Hope you like the lion. Braeden picked him out at the toy store in Ashville. I didn't tell him you liked lions but he picked it anyway. If you come for a visit Braeden can eat his cake. Four-year-old kids are obsessed with chocolate cakes. Happy Birthday Al." Her stomach clenched when he called her that. She paused it on his face and opened the card. It was an announcement.
Come Join Us for a Celebration!
Saturday, August 15th at 1:00pm
For the Grand Opening of the all new
"Al's House of Pasta"
The name Al's House did not escape her. Uncle Cappy and Aunt Virginia had been telling her for weeks on the phone how much House missed her. She didn't put it past them to go to extremes but the restaurant name was more extreme then she anticipated.
"Cuddy and I have been invited so we're going up Friday afternoon if you want to join us."
The voice belonged to Wilson. He was standing in the office doorway. She got up out of the chair and ran to hug him. He was the closest person to House she had at that moment.
"How is he?" She asked before she was able to stop it.
"Unbelievably different. In fact, when I saw the light on in here I thought I was going to find the real House at his desk. If I hadn't been with him the last couple of weeks I never would've believed it. He's reached a level of normalcy that I never believed he had in him. And you should see him with Braeden. That little boy adores him. If I didn't have to be here to see to Mrs. Malowski's treatments personally, I don't know that I'd have come back for a while. That town, those people, they get to you in such a way that you almost literally feel sick when you have to leave them."
"You don't have to tell me that. I understand it completely. The last few weeks have been so hard. I can't tell you how many times Aunt Virginia almost convinced me to drive back." Cameron said sadly.
"Oh she tried that with me too. In fact between her and Vivian I put on ten pounds. I've been to Italy twice; I've never eaten that well. And I think Vivian has a crush on me."
Cameron laughed. "She really does love her husband Bruce but I bet in her younger days she was quite the little harlot. She starts flirting with the men but one look from Bruce and there isn't another man on the planet for her."
"So I've noticed but she's still a bottom-pincher for life. Are you coming to the grand opening with us? We've been rebuilding the restaurant for weeks. Uncle Cappy is really pleased with it because it's only one floor and there's a big kitchen."
"Sounds nice but I'm not sure that I'm going to go. Leaving was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I don't know if I can do it again and House is finished with me. He'll come back and treat me worse then he did before. Do you know the other night I dreamt that Cuddy was unable to adopt a child and he went to her house and they were kissing all passionately and House was hardly able to speak? It was scary."
"That would never happen. It was just a nightmare. Surely the writer of the universe would never fathom that." Wilson added.
"Glad to hear it. Life is already complicated around here." Cameron said relaxing.
"As far as him being finished with you I would finish going through those pictures and things before you decide that. If you change your mind about Friday let me know. Goodnight Cameron."
"Goodnight Wilson."
She went back to her office and opened the small box. There was a ring box inside of that one. Her stomach clenched again. Inside there was a small slip of paper, which Cameron recognized as a fortune cookie prediction. It was in the slot where the ring would be.
A man who doesn't love is unwise. A woman who isn't loved is impossible. A wise man always loves the impossible.
She put it back in the box and looked through the pictures. There was only two. The first one was of House and Braeden in black jeans, black leather jackets, and blade sunglasses trying to look tough with their hands in their jeans pockets. The other made Cameron choke back her tears harshly. It was a picture of House asleep on what she recognized as Aunt Virginia's couch. Braeden was locked under House's left arm and asleep on House's right bicep, under Braeden's arm was a white puppy with a black stripe from the top of his head to the tip of his nose. All three of them were sound asleep. On the back in her all-too-familiar handwriting, it read, "My three Bambinos."
The final item was a bunch of drawings that Braeden had made for her. He drew many pictures of the dog he called "Sully" and wrote his name on each one. She decided she would hang them on her refrigerator when she got home. She gathered all of the stuff and the big lion and left for the night. Just as she was pulling in her driveway at home her phone vibrated indicating a text. She rolled her eyes figuring it was Chase but then she saw "House" on the display.
"I love the impossible."