Fiction #3
Title: Risk
Fandom: 'House, MD'
For: ferox
Pairing/Characters: Cameron/House, with flashes of Wilson and Cuddy.
Words: 1942
Spoilers: Takes place after S2 E01 - 'Acceptance'
Rating: PGish
Quote: "You're a tragedy starting to happen."
Disclaimer: These characters and 'House, MD' are not mine...I'm just playing with them.
A/N: Thanks to my betas: baka_bacchus, primer_machine, and celticfaerie2! This was such a great quote and I had fun writing around it.
Risk
“I talked to Cameron yesterday.” Dr. James Wilson was walking along the hallway with Dr. Gregory House.
“Oh god.” House rolled his eyes, “Did she finally tell that dying woman that she was dying?”
Wilson shot him a look and then continued speaking. “Only after I caught her being friendly with the patient and called her on it. She was getting too attached.” The oncologist stuffed a hand into his lab coat pocket.
“She always gets too attached. It makes her feel better about herself, or some crap like that.” House shrugged and shoved open the door to his office. He sat down heavily in his chair, propping his cane against the shelf behind him.
“You might try talking to her.” Wilson gently suggested as he stood by the balcony door. “You are her boss after all and she could use a dose of your realism.” Not wanting to push his friend any more, Wilson opened the door and departed to his own office.
----------------------
Wilson had peaked his curiosity as usual. House wandered by the lab but did not see her in there. Immediately changing directions, he took the elevator down to the Main Floor. He hoped that Cuddy wouldn’t stop to pester him about clinic duty or something else equally boring. He made his way into the cafeteria, intense blue eyes scanning the tables that he knew she liked to sit at. Finally spotting her at a small round table near a window, House walked toward her and stood behind her for a few moments. Her hair pulled back into a bun, she was deeply engrossed with a file that was on the table front of her. An untouched sandwich was sitting next to her elbow. House tapped his cane on the ground as if to get her attention, and then he sat down in the empty chair next to her.
“You going to eat that?” He asked, pointing at the sandwich.
Cameron frowned before answering, “I am actually.” To emphasize her point she picked up the sandwich and took a bite. Once she finished chewing, Cameron turned her head to look at him. “What do you want, House?”
“I’m hungry.” He shrugged at her, tapping his cane against his foot.
“Then go buy some food.” Cameron said as she returned to the file she had been studying before he had interrupted her.
“So what did she say when you told her she was dying?” House asked. His eyes were searching for a reaction out of her.
“Who? Cindy?”
“No, the other patient you were fawning over. Yes of course her.” He replied sarcastically. The cane was still being tapped against his foot.
Cameron gave him an annoyed look and didn’t answer the question. She hoped House would become bored with antagonizing her and leave. Instead he remained seated in the chair, watching her. Tap, tap, tap, tap. She sighed and reached out a hand to his cane to stop the fidgeting.
“Can’t keep your hands off the hard wood, can you?” House smirked at her.
Blushing, Cameron quickly withdrew her hand and nervously shifted in her chair. “Look, I’m not sure why you are here, but if it’s just to annoy me then please go away. I’m working.”
“You’re upset.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Cameron retorted, and gave him another one of her looks.
“Not with me, but about Susan.” House kept staring at Cameron’s face. He found her beauty most appealing when she was aggravated with him and it took a large amount of concentration not to be distracted by it.
“Cindy.” She corrected, “And no, I’m not, so if that was all...” Her voice trailed off.
He rolled his eyes. “Why does it matter what her name was?”
“It always matters. I treat patients as people not as illnesses.” Cameron took off her glasses and placed them on top of the file in front of her. “People feel more comfortable when you show them you care. That they aren’t just a file.”
House shifted his glance between her face and the file on the table. “Stop caring so much. You’re going to run yourself into a brick wall somewhere down the line.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the ever-present bottle of Vicodin. He shook out a single pill, tossed it back, and replaced the bottle in his pocket. Slowly he stood up from the chair and turned to leave. After a few steps, House stopped abruptly and pivoted on his cane. He leaned in toward Cameron, close enough to smell her coconut shampoo. His mouth was inches from her ear. “You're a tragedy starting to happen.” House spoke softly, taking note of her barely noticeable shiver. He then turned and strode out of the cafeteria.
All Cameron could do was sit there and stare at House’s retreating form.
----------------------
Fingers punching away at buttons on a Nintendo DS, House battled against the evil aliens in Metroid Prime Hunters. The conference room next door was empty as the team had just finished the death row inmate’s case. Foreman and Chase were working in the clinic, and Cameron was moping in the lab. The door to House’s office swung open and Cuddy popped her head inside.
“Shouldn’t you be down in the clinic?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. She was wearing a black v-necked top and a grey skirt underneath her usual lab coat.
“Foreman and Chase are covering for me.” House replied, still concentrating on his Nintendo.
Cuddy sighed and shook her head. “Nice try. There’s an overload of patients in the waiting room. Now, get down there and help.”
“Build a larger waiting room.”
Cuddy didn’t respond because she had all ready left the office, walking rapidly down the hallway. House turned off his Nintendo and flipped it shut, placing it on his desk. It wasn’t amusing him any more. He swiveled his chair around to stare out the window behind his desk. It had to be close to 4PM all ready.
The office door opened. Thinking it was Cuddy again, House did not turn around. “Not finished nagging me yet?” He said.
“What?” Cameron asked.
House glanced over his shoulder. “I thought you were Cuddy.” He replied.
“Oh.” She said, coming to a stop in front of his desk.
A few moments of silence washed over them as House continued staring out the window, and Cameron stared at the back of his head. He could feel her gaze on him, but he chose to ignore it. Cameron stuffed her hands into her lab coat pockets.
“Earlier, in the cafeteria? I am a tragedy starting to happen? What did you mean by that?”
House sighed and swiveled his chair to face her. “I thought it sounded poetic.” He answered, picking up the nearby red mug but not drinking from it. It was a distraction. He would have taken a Vicodin, but when faced with the woman who was standing before him, there was not a thing the drug could do for him.
“Right.” Cameron removed her hands from her pockets and slowly took a couple of steps forward. She hated the way he was looking at her right now. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were probing her.
House didn’t say anything. He continued to stare at her, knowing that her discomfort was growing with every second. “You need to stop torturing yourself.” He said finally.
Cameron looked down at her feet. “Caring about people is my way of torturing myself?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” House propped his feet on the desk.
“Yes.” She whispered, still looking down at her shoes. His honesty usually ended up hurting her, yet here she was, actively seeking it out.
“You can’t save them all, Cameron. Stop being everyone’s friend and start looking out for yourself.” House spoke frankly as always. He never cared about sugar-coating his words.
She felt tears hit her eyes, but she did not want them to fall. Not now. Struggling to maintain her composure, Cameron spoke softly, “The times I’ve tried that, I have just gotten hurt.”
House sighed. He wasn’t ready for this sort of openness. “When?” He asked. Damn, that consuming curiosity. Always getting him into trouble. He took a sip from the red coffee mug and then placed it down on the desk.
Cameron kept her eyes on the floor, still trying to will her tears away. “Do you really want me to answer that?” She asked, turning his words around on him.
He didn’t answer, but kept watching her, memorizing everything about her. The way her hair framed her face, how her eyes always said so much more than her words, the way she put her hands on her hips when she was angry or trying to make a point.
She sighed, swallowing down the lump in her throat. More silence. Cameron crossed her arms and moved her eyes to look at House. "You don't really want to be having this conversation."
A faint smile crossed House's face. "True." He replied. "But you do apparently, because you are the one who walked in here."
"I know I wear my heart on my sleeve, but I can't simply turn that off. My emotions don't work that way." She felt a strong need to explain and defend herself.
He waved a hand at her dismissively. "Emotions make people do stupid things. You can't be emotional and be a good doctor at the same time."
Cameron shook her head. "That may work for you, but it will never work for me." Damn, those gorgeous eyes! Why did he have to look at her like that? He had her trapped and she knew it.
"You never answered my question."
"Which question?" She gave him a quizzical look. House didn't respond but continued to stare at her. It was always game between them, going back and forth, each instance becoming more and more complicated.
Cameron felt self-conscious and briefly considered leaving the office. Of course that would be letting him win again, as always. Instead she took a few tentative steps forward drawing closer to him. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She leaned over House slowly, making sure he could see down the front of her cowl-necked top. Teasing him. Cameron got within inches of his face and stared into his eyes for a few moments, before moving her lips toward his ear. He smelled faintly of soap and cologne, a scent that would be permanently ingrained into her memory.
“How about right now?” She said, her voice barely above a whisper. Cameron had answered his question after all. She moved to stand up, but House reached out and grabbed her shoulders.
“Where are you going?” He murmured, keeping a firm but gentle grip on her.
“Home.” She replied with a smirk, her face level with his.
He nodded and released his hands, watching her move away from him. He stood up silently and followed her into the conference room. Cameron was leaning over her desk, reaching for her purse. He silently walked up behind her and trailed his left hand down her back, watching her shiver. “Was that an invitation?” He asked, his hand still lightly on her back.
Cameron smiled coyly and turned to face him. He had played right into her hands. “Don’t ever accuse me of never taking risks.” She said. “I’m doing something for myself for a change.” She brushed by him on her way out of the conference room, turning briefly to look at him. “Coming?”
House smirked and then followed her out the door.
Fandom: 'House, MD'
For: ferox
Pairing/Characters: Cameron/House, with flashes of Wilson and Cuddy.
Words: 1942
Spoilers: Takes place after S2 E01 - 'Acceptance'
Rating: PGish
Quote: "You're a tragedy starting to happen."
Disclaimer: These characters and 'House, MD' are not mine...I'm just playing with them.
A/N: Thanks to my betas: baka_bacchus, primer_machine, and celticfaerie2! This was such a great quote and I had fun writing around it.
Risk
“I talked to Cameron yesterday.” Dr. James Wilson was walking along the hallway with Dr. Gregory House.
“Oh god.” House rolled his eyes, “Did she finally tell that dying woman that she was dying?”
Wilson shot him a look and then continued speaking. “Only after I caught her being friendly with the patient and called her on it. She was getting too attached.” The oncologist stuffed a hand into his lab coat pocket.
“She always gets too attached. It makes her feel better about herself, or some crap like that.” House shrugged and shoved open the door to his office. He sat down heavily in his chair, propping his cane against the shelf behind him.
“You might try talking to her.” Wilson gently suggested as he stood by the balcony door. “You are her boss after all and she could use a dose of your realism.” Not wanting to push his friend any more, Wilson opened the door and departed to his own office.
----------------------
Wilson had peaked his curiosity as usual. House wandered by the lab but did not see her in there. Immediately changing directions, he took the elevator down to the Main Floor. He hoped that Cuddy wouldn’t stop to pester him about clinic duty or something else equally boring. He made his way into the cafeteria, intense blue eyes scanning the tables that he knew she liked to sit at. Finally spotting her at a small round table near a window, House walked toward her and stood behind her for a few moments. Her hair pulled back into a bun, she was deeply engrossed with a file that was on the table front of her. An untouched sandwich was sitting next to her elbow. House tapped his cane on the ground as if to get her attention, and then he sat down in the empty chair next to her.
“You going to eat that?” He asked, pointing at the sandwich.
Cameron frowned before answering, “I am actually.” To emphasize her point she picked up the sandwich and took a bite. Once she finished chewing, Cameron turned her head to look at him. “What do you want, House?”
“I’m hungry.” He shrugged at her, tapping his cane against his foot.
“Then go buy some food.” Cameron said as she returned to the file she had been studying before he had interrupted her.
“So what did she say when you told her she was dying?” House asked. His eyes were searching for a reaction out of her.
“Who? Cindy?”
“No, the other patient you were fawning over. Yes of course her.” He replied sarcastically. The cane was still being tapped against his foot.
Cameron gave him an annoyed look and didn’t answer the question. She hoped House would become bored with antagonizing her and leave. Instead he remained seated in the chair, watching her. Tap, tap, tap, tap. She sighed and reached out a hand to his cane to stop the fidgeting.
“Can’t keep your hands off the hard wood, can you?” House smirked at her.
Blushing, Cameron quickly withdrew her hand and nervously shifted in her chair. “Look, I’m not sure why you are here, but if it’s just to annoy me then please go away. I’m working.”
“You’re upset.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Cameron retorted, and gave him another one of her looks.
“Not with me, but about Susan.” House kept staring at Cameron’s face. He found her beauty most appealing when she was aggravated with him and it took a large amount of concentration not to be distracted by it.
“Cindy.” She corrected, “And no, I’m not, so if that was all...” Her voice trailed off.
He rolled his eyes. “Why does it matter what her name was?”
“It always matters. I treat patients as people not as illnesses.” Cameron took off her glasses and placed them on top of the file in front of her. “People feel more comfortable when you show them you care. That they aren’t just a file.”
House shifted his glance between her face and the file on the table. “Stop caring so much. You’re going to run yourself into a brick wall somewhere down the line.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the ever-present bottle of Vicodin. He shook out a single pill, tossed it back, and replaced the bottle in his pocket. Slowly he stood up from the chair and turned to leave. After a few steps, House stopped abruptly and pivoted on his cane. He leaned in toward Cameron, close enough to smell her coconut shampoo. His mouth was inches from her ear. “You're a tragedy starting to happen.” House spoke softly, taking note of her barely noticeable shiver. He then turned and strode out of the cafeteria.
All Cameron could do was sit there and stare at House’s retreating form.
----------------------
Fingers punching away at buttons on a Nintendo DS, House battled against the evil aliens in Metroid Prime Hunters. The conference room next door was empty as the team had just finished the death row inmate’s case. Foreman and Chase were working in the clinic, and Cameron was moping in the lab. The door to House’s office swung open and Cuddy popped her head inside.
“Shouldn’t you be down in the clinic?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. She was wearing a black v-necked top and a grey skirt underneath her usual lab coat.
“Foreman and Chase are covering for me.” House replied, still concentrating on his Nintendo.
Cuddy sighed and shook her head. “Nice try. There’s an overload of patients in the waiting room. Now, get down there and help.”
“Build a larger waiting room.”
Cuddy didn’t respond because she had all ready left the office, walking rapidly down the hallway. House turned off his Nintendo and flipped it shut, placing it on his desk. It wasn’t amusing him any more. He swiveled his chair around to stare out the window behind his desk. It had to be close to 4PM all ready.
The office door opened. Thinking it was Cuddy again, House did not turn around. “Not finished nagging me yet?” He said.
“What?” Cameron asked.
House glanced over his shoulder. “I thought you were Cuddy.” He replied.
“Oh.” She said, coming to a stop in front of his desk.
A few moments of silence washed over them as House continued staring out the window, and Cameron stared at the back of his head. He could feel her gaze on him, but he chose to ignore it. Cameron stuffed her hands into her lab coat pockets.
“Earlier, in the cafeteria? I am a tragedy starting to happen? What did you mean by that?”
House sighed and swiveled his chair to face her. “I thought it sounded poetic.” He answered, picking up the nearby red mug but not drinking from it. It was a distraction. He would have taken a Vicodin, but when faced with the woman who was standing before him, there was not a thing the drug could do for him.
“Right.” Cameron removed her hands from her pockets and slowly took a couple of steps forward. She hated the way he was looking at her right now. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were probing her.
House didn’t say anything. He continued to stare at her, knowing that her discomfort was growing with every second. “You need to stop torturing yourself.” He said finally.
Cameron looked down at her feet. “Caring about people is my way of torturing myself?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” House propped his feet on the desk.
“Yes.” She whispered, still looking down at her shoes. His honesty usually ended up hurting her, yet here she was, actively seeking it out.
“You can’t save them all, Cameron. Stop being everyone’s friend and start looking out for yourself.” House spoke frankly as always. He never cared about sugar-coating his words.
She felt tears hit her eyes, but she did not want them to fall. Not now. Struggling to maintain her composure, Cameron spoke softly, “The times I’ve tried that, I have just gotten hurt.”
House sighed. He wasn’t ready for this sort of openness. “When?” He asked. Damn, that consuming curiosity. Always getting him into trouble. He took a sip from the red coffee mug and then placed it down on the desk.
Cameron kept her eyes on the floor, still trying to will her tears away. “Do you really want me to answer that?” She asked, turning his words around on him.
He didn’t answer, but kept watching her, memorizing everything about her. The way her hair framed her face, how her eyes always said so much more than her words, the way she put her hands on her hips when she was angry or trying to make a point.
She sighed, swallowing down the lump in her throat. More silence. Cameron crossed her arms and moved her eyes to look at House. "You don't really want to be having this conversation."
A faint smile crossed House's face. "True." He replied. "But you do apparently, because you are the one who walked in here."
"I know I wear my heart on my sleeve, but I can't simply turn that off. My emotions don't work that way." She felt a strong need to explain and defend herself.
He waved a hand at her dismissively. "Emotions make people do stupid things. You can't be emotional and be a good doctor at the same time."
Cameron shook her head. "That may work for you, but it will never work for me." Damn, those gorgeous eyes! Why did he have to look at her like that? He had her trapped and she knew it.
"You never answered my question."
"Which question?" She gave him a quizzical look. House didn't respond but continued to stare at her. It was always game between them, going back and forth, each instance becoming more and more complicated.
Cameron felt self-conscious and briefly considered leaving the office. Of course that would be letting him win again, as always. Instead she took a few tentative steps forward drawing closer to him. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She leaned over House slowly, making sure he could see down the front of her cowl-necked top. Teasing him. Cameron got within inches of his face and stared into his eyes for a few moments, before moving her lips toward his ear. He smelled faintly of soap and cologne, a scent that would be permanently ingrained into her memory.
“How about right now?” She said, her voice barely above a whisper. Cameron had answered his question after all. She moved to stand up, but House reached out and grabbed her shoulders.
“Where are you going?” He murmured, keeping a firm but gentle grip on her.
“Home.” She replied with a smirk, her face level with his.
He nodded and released his hands, watching her move away from him. He stood up silently and followed her into the conference room. Cameron was leaning over her desk, reaching for her purse. He silently walked up behind her and trailed his left hand down her back, watching her shiver. “Was that an invitation?” He asked, his hand still lightly on her back.
Cameron smiled coyly and turned to face him. He had played right into her hands. “Don’t ever accuse me of never taking risks.” She said. “I’m doing something for myself for a change.” She brushed by him on her way out of the conference room, turning briefly to look at him. “Coming?”
House smirked and then followed her out the door.