THE THINGS THAT ONE TAMES - CHAPTER 30/39
A Forever Knight/House, M.D. Crossover
AUTHOR: A.S. NightBird
WRITTEN: April 2006
PAIRINGS: House/Cameron, Nick/Natalie, Strong Wilson/House Friendship
RATING: FOR MATURE ADULTS - This story contains profanity and adult sexual situations.
SUMMARY: A Forever Knight/House, M.D. Crossover - House meets the ultimate medical challenge. For Steve McQueen fans, he plays a prominent role in this story.
See Disclaimers, Author's Notes, etc. in Part 1.
CHAPTER 30
Cameron was now wide awake. House stood and leaned over her. "Are you in pain?"
"Yeah, a bit. It's feels like I took a really bad fall on an icy sidewalk and landed on my butt." She chuckled then grimaced as she shifted position to get a little more comfortable.
"I'll get you something." He limped over to the nurse's station.
"Can I help you, Dr. House?"
He looked at her name tag. "Nancy, would you please give Dr. Cameron a couple of Tylenol?"
"Sure, Doctor."
"Thank you."
Before leaving recovery, House drew blood for a hemoglobin and hematocrit and put it in his pocket. He'd ask Wilson to run it as soon as he got Cameron back upstairs.
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House got Cameron settled in her room and hung the bag of post-op antibiotics. "How's the pain now?"
"Much better."
"I've turned on the monitoring system, so if you need anything just shout. I'll be right back. I want to give this to Wilson to run." He produced the vial.
House gowned up and entered Nick's room where he found James and Cuddy telling him how things went.
"How is she?" Nick asked House.
"Fine. She's really anxious for you to get the transfusion." He handed the blood to Wilson. "Run this, will you?"
"Sure."
Nick smiled at House. "Go back and be with Allison."
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Wilson returned 20 minutes later. The labs were fine. He gave the slip to House, noticing he was holding her hand. Cameron was napping. About an hour later, Cuddy went to the blood bank to retrieve the processed marrow on the ruse that she was personally seeing to its shipment out of state.
Upon return, she stopped in to see Cameron, who was now awake and sipping on chicken broth that House had brought her. They'd been talking quietly.
"How're you feeling?"
"Not too bad right now. The Tylenol helps. I am tired, though. Is that the marrow?" she asked, pointing to a bag in Cuddy's hand.
"Yeah, that's it." She held it up. "Well, that's to be expected. We'll keep you here until you feel up to getting back to work. No rush." She smiled and squeezed Cameron's hand. "Dr. House." He nodded in reply. With a wink at him, she left.
As soon as Cuddy was out the door, House took Cameron's hand again. She made note of the action, but said nothing.
"Is Nick nervous?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself? Talk loudly. He should be able to hear you."
"Nick? This is Allison. Dr. Cuddy's got the marrow. Are you nervous?"
"Hi. How do you feel?" Nick's tinny voice emanated from the speaker on her night table.
"I'm okay."
"Good. Dr. Cuddy's hanging the bag now. Yes, I'm both nervous and anxious. Thanks, Allison. Whatever happens, I want you to know how very much I appreciate what you've done for me. I'll never forget this."
"You're welcome, but it's really no big deal." House smiled at that. She was one of the most giving people he'd ever known. She turned to him. "Why don't you go in there? After all, this was your idea. I'll be fine here." She gave his hand a squeeze.
Releasing her, he levered himself up out of the chair using his cane. Swiftly, he bent over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips and was out the door. She just smiled and shook her head.
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House entered the room and everyone looked up. Cuddy was just about to start the marrow flowing after having put in an antecubital line. "Here we go," she said loudly for Cameron's benefit.
"Good luck, Nick!" he heard her say through the monitor.
"Thanks!" he replied.
Wilson spoke up. "Nick, we have no idea what side effects you might experience from this transfusion, so if you feel anything, anything at all out of the ordinary, let us know. It's going to take a few hours for this to run in."
"Sure."
Fifteen minutes went by. House was up and pacing. "Will you please go back and sit with Cameron? You're going to drive us all nuts!" Wilson complained.
He stopped in his tracks and whirled to face his critic, eyes narrowed and hard. "Just a little bit touchy, aren't we?"
"House, it's a small room. This is gonna take a few hours. You can't pace the entire time," Cuddy chimed in.
"I'll be fine, Greg. Go sit with Allison. She has to be bored all by herself."
"Fine." House walked out and stripped off the protective clothing. He went out into the hall to Cameron's door and knocked.
"Come in."
He opened the door.
"Why are you knocking?"
"Wanted to be sure you were decent."
"Oh right, like I'm getting out of bed and walking around." He just shrugged and sat down. "What are you doing back here, anyway?"
"They threw me out."
"What?"
"I was pacing and Wilson got pissed. The man just has no patience at all."
Cameron snorted and laughed. He grinned. She looked so beautiful, even lying in a hospital bed with an ugly gown on.
"Is there anything I can get for you? How's the pain?"
"The pain's fine." She made a face.
"What is it you want?"
"I don't want to bother you. You've been on your feet so much already."
"Out with it," he said sternly, raising his cane, "or I'll beat it out of you."
That got a big laugh. She playfully put her hands up to fend off the staff. That made House laugh. "Seriously, what do you want?"
"Some ice cream?" she replied guiltily.
"You know ... that sounds really good. I could go for some, too. I'll see if anybody else wants anything and be back. Page me if you need me, okay?"
"Sure." Again he swept in for a quick kiss. She was amazed at how protective and affectionate he was being.
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House returned in less than 20 minutes carrying a tray from the cafeteria. He put it down on the rolling bedside table, which he moved over her. It contained 12 small cups of ice cream with paperboard lids and two plastic spoons. "I got us two each of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. They have no imagination down there." He sat down beside her and grabbed a cup and spoon.
She chuckled. "Thanks. Well, I wasn't expecting Ben and Jerry's, that's for sure." Pushing the button on the side rail, she raised the head of the bed and sat up. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Whoa!"
House was rapidly alert, grabbing her hand. "What's wrong?"
Lightly shaking her head, she said, "I just got really light-headed and nauseous, but it's passing."
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Wilson told me that's normal and to be expected. Do you need the emesis basin?"
"No, I'm okay. Maybe I sat up too fast. I'll feel better after I get some ice cream in me. I'm really hungry. I'm sure low blood sugar isn't helping. That chicken broth wasn't very filling." She picked up a cup of vanilla and dug out a spoonful.
"All right. Just eat that slowly. I don't want you puking all over me." His eyes twinkled with mischief.
Cameron rolled hers. "Of course not."
When they'd finished, they both dozed off, his fingers entwined with hers.
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