Growing Up
Summary: After the events of "The Mistake" (2x8) Cameron talks to Chase in the elevator.
Words: Ficlet
Spoilers: For 2x13 "Cursed" and 2x08 "The Mistake"
Disclaimer: If i owned House, would I be writing fanfic?
A/N: I'm trying to reconnect with House through older seasons. Newer seasons are just not doing it for me.
It had been a weird day for everyone on the diagnostic team. Foreman had become House’s boss overnight, in exchange for House keeping his job after his employee Chase had lost one of their patients. House was already in a bad mood (as usual), and this news had only made things worse. While Cameron and Chase had sat by watching uncomfortably, House and Foreman had argued heatedly in the office---their voices escalating in volume to the point that Cameron feared she might have to bring Cuddy back up to mediate. Chase was in a bad mood himself. He had just missed narrowly losing his job and was leaving for a week of suspension, which would leave Cameron caught in the middle of a battle of wits between two men with ridiculously high egos: a situation that had nothing to do with her and of which she wanted no part of.
Cameron knew Chase was hurting badly, and she felt badly for him, but she didn’t know how she should handle approaching him. They weren’t exactly what she’d called friends (they had slept together on a whim once, but that didn’t count). She knew she shouldn’t be involved, but she couldn’t help being concerned for his well being. She knew that he could more than enough take care of himself, but the look of utter shame and defeat on his face after the hearing had concerned her. She caught up with him immediately after work, as they both got on the elevator.
“Hey,” she greeted him shyly.
“You don’t have to be so obvious about it,” he returned coldly, and the remark was needlessly harsh and it hurt.
“About what?” she asked sheepishly, trying to sound innocent.
“You’re worried about me,” he replied bitterly, keeping his eyes locked steadily straightforward. “I’ve got some advice for you: Don’t. It’s a waste of your time and mine.”
Cameron had overheard Chase telling Foreman how he had misdiagnosed the patient, Kayla, after receiving the phone call that his father had passed from lung cancer. “You were in shock,” she declared solemnly, in spite of his stubborn reserve. “It can happen to anyone---”
“If you’re trying to comfort my guilt,” Chase returned darkly, “you shouldn’t. If anything, I should be feeling guilty...it’s the doctors who don’t that are dangerous.”
Embarrassed that she could be so transparent, Cameron blushed profusely, trying to ignore her frustration that he wasn’t accepting her kindness. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,” she advised, knowing that her efforts were probably in vain. “All doctors make mistakes...you just have to learn from them.” Her words sounded hallow in her ears; she’d never lost a patient.
To her surprise he focused on her for the first time, and his eyes were filled with great and terrible sadness. “It’s very simple, Cameron...human beings are capable of great things, but we are also capable of the most horrible things imaginable. We have more power and control than anyone would like to believe. I killed a patient because I was distracted by my father’s death; I should have just stopped thinking about it, and Kayla wouldn’t have died. My father left us when I was young; he and I never had a relationship and so he never told me about his illness or that he was dying. I haven’t forgiven him for it, and I shouldn’t be forgiven for what I did....all of our actions have consequences, whether we want to believe it or not.”
Cameron didn’t realize her face was streaked with tears until her vision blurred as he left her standing there in the elevator. The doors swung shut, leaving her alone in the silence. She didn’t push any button; she couldn’t move. She thought of her husband, who had died shortly after they had married. She wondered if he would have forgiven her for sleeping with his best friend. More importantly, she wondered if he should.
Words: Ficlet
Spoilers: For 2x13 "Cursed" and 2x08 "The Mistake"
Disclaimer: If i owned House, would I be writing fanfic?
A/N: I'm trying to reconnect with House through older seasons. Newer seasons are just not doing it for me.
It had been a weird day for everyone on the diagnostic team. Foreman had become House’s boss overnight, in exchange for House keeping his job after his employee Chase had lost one of their patients. House was already in a bad mood (as usual), and this news had only made things worse. While Cameron and Chase had sat by watching uncomfortably, House and Foreman had argued heatedly in the office---their voices escalating in volume to the point that Cameron feared she might have to bring Cuddy back up to mediate. Chase was in a bad mood himself. He had just missed narrowly losing his job and was leaving for a week of suspension, which would leave Cameron caught in the middle of a battle of wits between two men with ridiculously high egos: a situation that had nothing to do with her and of which she wanted no part of.
Cameron knew Chase was hurting badly, and she felt badly for him, but she didn’t know how she should handle approaching him. They weren’t exactly what she’d called friends (they had slept together on a whim once, but that didn’t count). She knew she shouldn’t be involved, but she couldn’t help being concerned for his well being. She knew that he could more than enough take care of himself, but the look of utter shame and defeat on his face after the hearing had concerned her. She caught up with him immediately after work, as they both got on the elevator.
“Hey,” she greeted him shyly.
“You don’t have to be so obvious about it,” he returned coldly, and the remark was needlessly harsh and it hurt.
“About what?” she asked sheepishly, trying to sound innocent.
“You’re worried about me,” he replied bitterly, keeping his eyes locked steadily straightforward. “I’ve got some advice for you: Don’t. It’s a waste of your time and mine.”
Cameron had overheard Chase telling Foreman how he had misdiagnosed the patient, Kayla, after receiving the phone call that his father had passed from lung cancer. “You were in shock,” she declared solemnly, in spite of his stubborn reserve. “It can happen to anyone---”
“If you’re trying to comfort my guilt,” Chase returned darkly, “you shouldn’t. If anything, I should be feeling guilty...it’s the doctors who don’t that are dangerous.”
Embarrassed that she could be so transparent, Cameron blushed profusely, trying to ignore her frustration that he wasn’t accepting her kindness. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,” she advised, knowing that her efforts were probably in vain. “All doctors make mistakes...you just have to learn from them.” Her words sounded hallow in her ears; she’d never lost a patient.
To her surprise he focused on her for the first time, and his eyes were filled with great and terrible sadness. “It’s very simple, Cameron...human beings are capable of great things, but we are also capable of the most horrible things imaginable. We have more power and control than anyone would like to believe. I killed a patient because I was distracted by my father’s death; I should have just stopped thinking about it, and Kayla wouldn’t have died. My father left us when I was young; he and I never had a relationship and so he never told me about his illness or that he was dying. I haven’t forgiven him for it, and I shouldn’t be forgiven for what I did....all of our actions have consequences, whether we want to believe it or not.”
Cameron didn’t realize her face was streaked with tears until her vision blurred as he left her standing there in the elevator. The doors swung shut, leaving her alone in the silence. She didn’t push any button; she couldn’t move. She thought of her husband, who had died shortly after they had married. She wondered if he would have forgiven her for sleeping with his best friend. More importantly, she wondered if he should.