House: House/Cameron, Emotions: Hope
Just under the wire!
Title: With Feathers
Author: rosehiptea
Theme: Hope
Rating: PG
Word Count: 484
Cross-posted to rosehiptea and house_cameron.
Cameron doesn't hate clinic hours as much as House does, but that's because she doesn't have to get emotionally involved with people coming in for antibiotics they don't really need. And also because Cuddy isn't forcing her to do them as punishment.
But this hasn't been such a great day for her detachment, and she knows it's about to get worse when House comes down the hallway and grabs the file out of her hands.
"Cerebral palsy," he says, after flipping through it for a moment.
"He's only eight months old... it's early to diagnose--"
"Does he prefer one hand over the other? Or did you even check?" he asked.
"Yes, but that's not exactly the most important test."
"And you didn't tell them cerebral palsy why?" House is sneering at her again.
"I didn't say I didn't tell them. I told them it was a strong possibility."
"Giving them hope?" He sounds so sarcastic.
"Actually, they should probably hope it is true. With these symptoms, most of the other possibilities are worse."
"There could be mental impairment," he says.
"There could be. But there was a guy who went to college with me who had cerebral palsy. He was in a wheelchair, but he was at the top of the class."
"I'm surprised you didn't date him," he replies.
"Maybe I did."
He raises an eyebrow, and she shoves the file at him. "Here, why don't you go in there and tell them he has something that will kill him relatively soon. Meanwhile, I'm going to refer them to someone who can help more than the clinic."
House just shrugs and hands the file back. "We have a meeting in ten minutes."
It's after their usual hours by then, but in twelve minutes she rushes in. He is the only one in the office.
"Where are Chase and Foreman?"
He grins. "I didn't say anyone else had a meeting."
"You want to sexually harass me?" she asks, keeping her tone light.
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast," he replies, with a certain direct stare accompanying the last word.
"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul..." She realizes she sounds like a geek, but it's the first thing she thought of.
He surprises her by continuing. "And sings the tune without the words..."
"And never stops at all," she finishes.
"Until you pour gasoline on it and light a match," he adds.
"I don't think that's what Emily Dickinson had in mind. What do you want, House? Right now, I mean."
He takes her hand and holds it. She looks confused, but doesn't pull away.
"I want to tell you to give up hope."
"Really?"
He shakes his head. "No."
Leaning forward, she rests her head on his shoulder.
"Hope is all right," she murmurs. "In small doses."
He touches her hair gently. "Maybe."
She doesn't want to interrupt, but he does.
"But I still hate Emily Dickinson."
Title: With Feathers
Author: rosehiptea
Theme: Hope
Rating: PG
Word Count: 484
Cross-posted to rosehiptea and house_cameron.
Cameron doesn't hate clinic hours as much as House does, but that's because she doesn't have to get emotionally involved with people coming in for antibiotics they don't really need. And also because Cuddy isn't forcing her to do them as punishment.
But this hasn't been such a great day for her detachment, and she knows it's about to get worse when House comes down the hallway and grabs the file out of her hands.
"Cerebral palsy," he says, after flipping through it for a moment.
"He's only eight months old... it's early to diagnose--"
"Does he prefer one hand over the other? Or did you even check?" he asked.
"Yes, but that's not exactly the most important test."
"And you didn't tell them cerebral palsy why?" House is sneering at her again.
"I didn't say I didn't tell them. I told them it was a strong possibility."
"Giving them hope?" He sounds so sarcastic.
"Actually, they should probably hope it is true. With these symptoms, most of the other possibilities are worse."
"There could be mental impairment," he says.
"There could be. But there was a guy who went to college with me who had cerebral palsy. He was in a wheelchair, but he was at the top of the class."
"I'm surprised you didn't date him," he replies.
"Maybe I did."
He raises an eyebrow, and she shoves the file at him. "Here, why don't you go in there and tell them he has something that will kill him relatively soon. Meanwhile, I'm going to refer them to someone who can help more than the clinic."
House just shrugs and hands the file back. "We have a meeting in ten minutes."
It's after their usual hours by then, but in twelve minutes she rushes in. He is the only one in the office.
"Where are Chase and Foreman?"
He grins. "I didn't say anyone else had a meeting."
"You want to sexually harass me?" she asks, keeping her tone light.
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast," he replies, with a certain direct stare accompanying the last word.
"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul..." She realizes she sounds like a geek, but it's the first thing she thought of.
He surprises her by continuing. "And sings the tune without the words..."
"And never stops at all," she finishes.
"Until you pour gasoline on it and light a match," he adds.
"I don't think that's what Emily Dickinson had in mind. What do you want, House? Right now, I mean."
He takes her hand and holds it. She looks confused, but doesn't pull away.
"I want to tell you to give up hope."
"Really?"
He shakes his head. "No."
Leaning forward, she rests her head on his shoulder.
"Hope is all right," she murmurs. "In small doses."
He touches her hair gently. "Maybe."
She doesn't want to interrupt, but he does.
"But I still hate Emily Dickinson."