Chapter Five - Everywhere

The next morning, Chase left Cameron warm in bed with threats that if she left the bed there’d be trouble. She needed rest after the emotional turmoil of the previous night. And it wasn’t like she had a job to go to. He made her another cup of that sunshine-in-a-cup before he left for a job he still had, constantly telling himself during the journey to hold his tongue and not say anything derisive to his boss, like he so badly wanted to.

 

After their heart-to-heart the night before, Chase had refused to let her drive home, knowing that if she was on her own she’d be assaulted by her own thoughts in the quiet of an empty apartment. So he’d led her up to the bedroom where she’d already spent many nights and tucked her up under his covers, leaving her for a while until he was sure she’d fallen to sleep. When he’d climbed into the bed next to her sleeping form, he’d not been able to fall asleep for hours. Instead, he just watched her, memorising the slight frown and pursed lips that gave away a restless sleep. He eventually drifted off, only to be awoken an hour later by the alarm.

 

As he walked into the conference room, he silently wondered if House would explain Cameron’s obvious absence or if he’d completely bypass it. Foreman caught his eye and Chase could read the unspoken question like a book. He wasn’t going to answer. That was up to House. It was his fault she wasn’t here after all. But the strange thing was, even though she wasn’t here, he still sensed her, and the lack of her physical presence only enhanced it, paradoxically enough. Making his way to the coffee machine, Chase did his best to make coffee that was worthy of its name. Making do with the kind of sludge that the vender out in the hall dispensed, he returned to the table and looked with almost-sarcastic expectance at House as he entered.

 

“Abdominal pain, pyrexia, seizures and rashes. Differential diagnoses please, kiddies.”

House launched straight into the medicine upon entering, picking up the black marker and scrawling down the symptoms their newest patient presented with.

“Whoa, hold up. Where’s Cameron? And it could be Lupus.”

Foreman answered, tapping his pen atop the glass table. House let out a long breath and turned to face his two remaining fellows.

“Lupus won’t explain the abdominal pain. And the test was negative anyway.”

Foreman eyed him and glanced at Chase, whose look could only be described as contempt.

“Okay, what about a tumour? Its location could cause the seizures and pyrexia, and a secondary infection could be the cause of the abdo pain and rashes. And where’s Cameron?”

“Foreman, go do a PET scan, Chase get blood cultures and a CBC and chem. panel.”

It was blatantly obvious that House was avoiding the question pertaining to Cameron’s absence and it made Chase’s blood boil.

“Where’s Cameron? Aren’t you going to tell him, House?”

Chase yelled, standing up with some force and slamming his hands down onto the table. Both House and Foreman gave a start and two sets of eyes trained on their boss. He sighed and tapped his cane on the floor.

“She quit. That’s all you need to know. Bug Chase about it, he obviously has the gossip.”

And with that, he limped heavily toward his office, shutting the door in an obvious way of silently saying ‘don’t hassle me’.

---

 

“What did he do to her?”

 

All day, Chase was the one getting the brunt of House’s evading explanation. He had managed to mostly avoid Foreman for the day and avoid the questions he had ready, but now he’d been cornered in the sleep lab.

Being in here again only served as a reminder of Cameron and yet again he felt her everywhere. He could see that wicked smirk on her lips as she’d coerced him into sex in an empty sleep lab room, he could practically hear her soft voice reassuring the patient they’d been overseeing. But right now, Foreman sat in the seat next to him, looking back at him expectantly, wanting answers.

“He messed with her head again and she snapped. She quit and she’s currently in bed trying to get her strength back.”

He felt a critical gaze and raised his eyes to meet his colleague’s.

“And somehow I doubt it’s as simple as ‘he messed with her head’. You and I both know that Cameron can take his derogatory sarcasm. So what’d he do that was so special this time? She wouldn’t just snap over a sardonic comment.”

This time is was Chase’s turn to snap. He was fed up having to talk about Cameron’s feelings for House. It was hard enough for him to think about it himself, but having to discuss it was almost unbearable and he felt like a fool.

“He kissed her then pushed her away. Okay? Happy now? She’s messed up because she’s clearly still in love with him and he’s twisting her heart like it’s one of the toys he uses to distract himself.”

With that he was gone. He needed air. The stale air of the windowless sleep lab was suffocating him and he made his escape, leaving an incredulous Foreman staring after him.

 

---

 

Drumming his fingers silently against his lips in contemplation, House sat alone in his office, staring out of the windows at life continuing in the world below. Foreman and Chase had taken the hint not to bother him right now, though he had half expected Chase to come charging full-throttle nevertheless. Ever the knight in shining armour.

 

He had wondered if she’d turn in today. Part of him was impressed that she hadn’t. She was holding her ground; he respected that. But another part of him was getting antsy. Had he really lost her? All because of his stupid issues with the three words she needed to hear from him. If he’d have said them, if he’d have found that courage somewhere inside of him and forced the words past his lips, would she still be here? He didn’t doubt it.

 

She was everywhere. In his mind he kept replaying the spiral of disaster from the night before, couldn’t believe he’d so easily broken her right down. He was his father, and that thought scared him more than anything else. Maybe he hadn’t physically hurt her, but the emotional abuse he dished out on a daily basis was just as bad, wasn’t it?

 

Hearing the door open, he waited a moment before turning. He found Cuddy looking right back at him. The look on her face gave her away instantly.

“What did you do to Cameron?”

House rolled his eyes dramatically and loudly sighed.

“She’s not really quit, she’s just planning the last details of our plans to elope.”

Cuddy was unwavering.

“You know what, House? I don’t care what you did. Make it better. And you’re behind on clinic hours, again.”

With that she was gone, leaving him to wallow in his thoughts of Cameron again. He had to make it right. As much as he found it almost painful to say he was sorry, and knew he would probably end up covering his back with sarcasm, she needed to hear it. She maybe wouldn’t forgive him, but at least she’d know he hadn’t just brushed it all off and continued like before.

Without her in the office, making his coffee, keeping him grounded, he was sure he'd end up just falling apart. Quietly, and in priavte, but nonethless he'd fall apart. Grabbing his cane and hauling himself to his feet, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. He'd make this right.