the daily differential

[number_unlucky]

I feel so alone, I'd said to Foreman in the locker room as he stood there with that same damn accusatory look on his face. I'm tired. I'm going to go home.

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[dr_girlscout]

The trouble with wanting coffee so often in a tropical climate was that it didn't feel right. There were times when Cameron would sometimes take her coffee into the basement, find the coolest spot of cement wall, and sit there in the morning.

It was actually an extension of her rule that she couldn't have certain tastes grouped together in the same meal.

But sometimes the desire was strong enough that she went anyway, poking around for the remains of the morning's batch, wondering when she would have the strength to drink it iced.

[number_unlucky]

Yes, I knew what House had said, about Cameron being here too, and I could guess that neither she nor Chase had any idea who I was. That didn't take a medical degree.

But maybe it was the whole familiar face in light of everything that had gone down--this morning, in the last few days, for months--that made me speak up. "Dr. Cameron?"

This time I'd have to try it differently.

[dr_girlscout]

Cameron didn't think she'd ever seen the woman before, but there was something strikingly familiar about her features.

"Hi," she answered, still rummaging around. A fresh pot would be nice, but more work than she was looking for at the moment. "Can I help you? If this is about Dr. House, then I'm sorry and you should probably see someone else. Dr. Chase over in psych can help with any lasting trauma."

[number_unlucky]

House hadn't said anything about Chase and psych. Physician, heal thyself. Fortunately, I didn't start laughing.

"Not really," I said, and frowned, finding the best way to put it. At least by now the coffee had started working wonders and I was able to think straight. "There's not any good way to put this, but...I'm from PPTH. Diagnostics. In your future."

So maybe that wasn't that good either. I tried a sheepish smile.

[dr_girlscout]

Cameron took a seat at the table, because she was going to need it. "From... my future," she repeated, and then shook her head. "Okay. I mean, so far, I was from the furthest... out, I guess is how you'd say it."

Diagnostics? Maybe House had gotten tired of them. Or maybe they'd gotten tired of him.

"That's weird, but it's not the weirdest thing to happen, so I'll accept it for now."

[number_unlucky]

"I just thought I'd...better tell you. Before House says something snide about it." I clear my throat, then sip the now cold third cup of coffee. "It's not like we're close friends, I just...I ran into him earlier and he didn't know me. I guess I'm doomed to that."

Like being alone. Nothing new, even on a blank slate.

"What do you mean, not the weirdest thing?"

[dr_girlscout]

"House saying something snide? At least I know you really are from Princeton," Cameron said, smiling faintly. She didn't really know where to start that wouldn't break this one's brain. Hopefully, she'd been with House long enough to make it more difficult to do.

"Well, there are the dinosaurs, the changing weather, and the times where people appear to become older, younger, or a different gender. Involuntarily."

[number_unlucky]

If I'd had a mouthful of coffee, I probably would have done a spit take, as clichéd as it might be. Instead, I just stared at her for a long time.

"So not only is it time and space and fictional people, but you can change bodies and there are dinosaurs," I said, after a moment. It was almost like I'd run through symptoms in a differential, because there was no other way to do it.

[dr_girlscout]

"You don't really get to pick anything involving change of body," Cameron said. "Otherwise it might be more fun." She shrugged. "You really will get used to it, in a way. There are plenty of people around, and I'm sure you can get some work to do at the clinic."

She frowned. "I didn't catch your name."

[number_unlucky]

There was a story there that I wasn't about to go after. All I could gather was that this Cameron was definitely not with Dr. Chase, and that House was House. But I would be stupid not to take to heart the best lesson Princeton ever taught me.

Everybody lies.

"Dr. Hadley," I said, and got up, offering her a hand and a tentative smile. "Remy Hadley, internal medicine. From Boston."

[dr_girlscout]

Cameron shook her hand, her own face brightening up into a smile. "Well, you already know me, so I don't need to introduce myself. Dare I ask what happened that there's new diagnostics staff, or is it something I'm better off not knowing?"

[number_unlucky]

"House said you'd be better off because Chase would sulk," I said, watching her to see if I could judge the truth of that statement or not, smiling a little.

"He also said Chase was married to an alien, so I don't know what to believe."

[dr_girlscout]

"That part is true," Cameron said. "About the alien. Except he's not really an alien anymore, just a... a guy, who's kind of weird and smart enough that he gives House fits sometimes."

She leaned forward a little. "But why would Chase sulk?"

[number_unlucky]

"I take it House doesn't like the guy," I said, "like Am--like Wilson's wives." Then I hesitated.

Oh, screw it, and screw House. Though maybe that was just the shock of Yes, Chase Is Married. To A Man. An Alien Man.

"He got fired," I said. "Because House was being a dick."

[dr_girlscout]

"No, House doesn't always like him and--" Cameron blinked several times. "But I thought he really liked Chase." And if this island was any indication, he'd really liked Chase.

"So you replaced Chase?"

[number_unlucky]

"You resigned. Foreman went to New York, House had to get another team." I shrugged, because frankly, the details weren't something I wanted to know. "He hired about twenty or so of us and then picked us off one by one like Survivor."

Like hell I'd tell this Cameron that I was hired because Dr. Cuddy insisted on gender equity.