Hold On
folder
G through L › House
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
19
Views:
14,539
Reviews:
31
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
G through L › House
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
19
Views:
14,539
Reviews:
31
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own House, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 8
A/N: I have noticed that feedback makes me write faster, so a big thank you to everyone who has left a comment so far. =)
__________________
House had been jumpy all morning. He’d been avoiding Cameron’s room. Well, he usually avoided Cameron’s room when there wasn’t a crisis, but this morning more so than usual. He’d been avoiding anyone who normally went into Cameron’s room. He’d even walked to the other end of the hospital to take the elevator instead of using the one near diagnostics, just so he wouldn’t have to walk past her room to go hide with coma patient. Cuddy had been looking for him, so his office was no longer a safe place. Something about clinic duty. She’d sounded pissed when she didn’t find him in his office, and he wasn’t about to announce that he’d ducked under the desk to avoid her.
He flipped the television to General Hospital and pulled out his gameboy, propping his feet up on the edge of the table. He thought back to the previous evening. He assumed he’d found the gift by now. Did she like it? She probably thought it was stupid. At least he’d brought her something, right? It was more than he’d done for his own mother last time she was in the hospital. Admittedly, that was just gallbladder surgery. And it wasn’t as if it was his fault his mother had been in the hospital…
He realized he’d just missed the better part of his soap, and his game had timed out twice over. Curiosity getting the better of him, he hit the off switch and pocketed the gameboy, making his way to Cameron’s room, a large amount of trepidation slowing his steps. He told himself that he didn’t even have to go in. He could see the gift from the window. He should be able to tell if she had picked it up. If she liked it, she’d have picked it up, right?
He heard Chase’s voice float down the hallway. The wombat was apologizing to her again for setting off her panic attack a few days ago. Typical Cameron. She was being too nice. Forgiving him. Telling him not to worry about it, that she was fine, that she would be fine, and he shouldn’t give it another thought.
“Hey! Where’d you get that?” uh oh.
“Someone left it here last night. There wasn’t a card.” She sounded curious. Not scared. Good. He hadn’t thought until later that it might frighten her to have someone leave anonymous presents in her room.
“My cousin wanted me to get her one of those for her birthday. Those things are about a hundred bucks! Add in shipping it to Australia, and it was a bit painful.”
House cringed. He wanted to make her smile. He didn’t want her to know what the damn thing cost.
“You must really like your cousin.” Cameron laughed.
“She’s a good kid.” A pause. “And you have no idea who left it for you?”
“I have a few guesses. I’m sure the security cameras could confirm, though.”
Cameras. He hadn’t thought of that. He made a mental note to go bribe the security guard for the tape. It wouldn’t be the first time. There had been that time that he and Stacy had … he slammed the door on that train of thought quickly. There was nothing but pain and anger down that road now.
“Guesses?”
House froze. She couldn’t think it was from him, right? He didn’t do stuff like that.
“Well, House, maybe.”
Uh oh. How the hell did she figure it out?
“House? You think house would buy you a --“
“I think he’s the only one around who would leave something without signing his name. Pretty much everyone else who might bring me something has, and they’ve left a card.”
“Good point.” Chase acknowledged.
Ugh. He should’ve thought of that. Next time, sign a name. Preferably Wilson’s. Wilson would be confused, but he’d go with it. Better she think it was from Wilson than that House had gotten her something that might be, in some people’s opinions, maybe slightly mushy. Only slightly.
“It’s really sweet, isn’t it?” Cameron asked, and House cringed. He didn’t really care if Cameron thought he’d done something sweet. Cameron’s a girl. She thinks everything remotely nice is ‘sweet’. Chase, on the other hand… He really did not want Chase thinking that he was sweet. He really did not want Chase thinking he was sweet on Cameron. There were enough rumors around the hospital about the date that wasn’t. Cameron did not need rumors now. Especially rumors that weren’t true. He did not like Cameron. Well, not that way. She was okay, for a girl; she even liked monster trucks, and yeah, she was hot, but he still didn’t like her that way!
He heard Chase and Cameron saying their goodbyes, and backed away from the door, waiting. Chase left the room a moment later and stopped short when he saw House’s glare. “Not a word about that…thing. To anyone. Especially Cameron.”
Chase nodded quickly. “If she finds out for sure, it won’t be from me.”
“Cuddy wants me in the clinic. Seeing as how Marfan boy is stable, go put in a few hours.” He was amused to note that Chase seemed relieved to escape the encounter with only clinic duty.
*****
After retrieving the security video and disposing of it, House worked late that evening. Well, working wasn’t exactly the right term for it. House stayed late in his office playing gameboy. That was more accurate.
He waited until the clock ticked eleven, stood and made his way upstairs, as had become his habit since… well, since all this started. He had convinced himself that he was making sure the nurses were doing their job. When there isn’t enough supervision, people get sloppy. He had noticed that people tend to be sloppy a lot less when he was breathing down their necks. And it had the added benefit of making them nervous.
He stopped in front of Cameron’s door, glancing inside. She was asleep in the dark, curled up on her side, facing the door. He was pleased to note that it appeared as though his gift had brought her some comfort; that had been his intention. She looked so peaceful; it took him a moment to tear his eyes away from her, because even though she was sound asleep, held tightly in her arms was the Vermont Teddy Bear he’d left for her yesterday.
Author’s note: If you want to see the bear House bought her, go here:
http://vtbear.stores.yahoo.net/premium-big-teddy-bears.html
It’s the maple (light brown) colored one.
__________________
House had been jumpy all morning. He’d been avoiding Cameron’s room. Well, he usually avoided Cameron’s room when there wasn’t a crisis, but this morning more so than usual. He’d been avoiding anyone who normally went into Cameron’s room. He’d even walked to the other end of the hospital to take the elevator instead of using the one near diagnostics, just so he wouldn’t have to walk past her room to go hide with coma patient. Cuddy had been looking for him, so his office was no longer a safe place. Something about clinic duty. She’d sounded pissed when she didn’t find him in his office, and he wasn’t about to announce that he’d ducked under the desk to avoid her.
He flipped the television to General Hospital and pulled out his gameboy, propping his feet up on the edge of the table. He thought back to the previous evening. He assumed he’d found the gift by now. Did she like it? She probably thought it was stupid. At least he’d brought her something, right? It was more than he’d done for his own mother last time she was in the hospital. Admittedly, that was just gallbladder surgery. And it wasn’t as if it was his fault his mother had been in the hospital…
He realized he’d just missed the better part of his soap, and his game had timed out twice over. Curiosity getting the better of him, he hit the off switch and pocketed the gameboy, making his way to Cameron’s room, a large amount of trepidation slowing his steps. He told himself that he didn’t even have to go in. He could see the gift from the window. He should be able to tell if she had picked it up. If she liked it, she’d have picked it up, right?
He heard Chase’s voice float down the hallway. The wombat was apologizing to her again for setting off her panic attack a few days ago. Typical Cameron. She was being too nice. Forgiving him. Telling him not to worry about it, that she was fine, that she would be fine, and he shouldn’t give it another thought.
“Hey! Where’d you get that?” uh oh.
“Someone left it here last night. There wasn’t a card.” She sounded curious. Not scared. Good. He hadn’t thought until later that it might frighten her to have someone leave anonymous presents in her room.
“My cousin wanted me to get her one of those for her birthday. Those things are about a hundred bucks! Add in shipping it to Australia, and it was a bit painful.”
House cringed. He wanted to make her smile. He didn’t want her to know what the damn thing cost.
“You must really like your cousin.” Cameron laughed.
“She’s a good kid.” A pause. “And you have no idea who left it for you?”
“I have a few guesses. I’m sure the security cameras could confirm, though.”
Cameras. He hadn’t thought of that. He made a mental note to go bribe the security guard for the tape. It wouldn’t be the first time. There had been that time that he and Stacy had … he slammed the door on that train of thought quickly. There was nothing but pain and anger down that road now.
“Guesses?”
House froze. She couldn’t think it was from him, right? He didn’t do stuff like that.
“Well, House, maybe.”
Uh oh. How the hell did she figure it out?
“House? You think house would buy you a --“
“I think he’s the only one around who would leave something without signing his name. Pretty much everyone else who might bring me something has, and they’ve left a card.”
“Good point.” Chase acknowledged.
Ugh. He should’ve thought of that. Next time, sign a name. Preferably Wilson’s. Wilson would be confused, but he’d go with it. Better she think it was from Wilson than that House had gotten her something that might be, in some people’s opinions, maybe slightly mushy. Only slightly.
“It’s really sweet, isn’t it?” Cameron asked, and House cringed. He didn’t really care if Cameron thought he’d done something sweet. Cameron’s a girl. She thinks everything remotely nice is ‘sweet’. Chase, on the other hand… He really did not want Chase thinking that he was sweet. He really did not want Chase thinking he was sweet on Cameron. There were enough rumors around the hospital about the date that wasn’t. Cameron did not need rumors now. Especially rumors that weren’t true. He did not like Cameron. Well, not that way. She was okay, for a girl; she even liked monster trucks, and yeah, she was hot, but he still didn’t like her that way!
He heard Chase and Cameron saying their goodbyes, and backed away from the door, waiting. Chase left the room a moment later and stopped short when he saw House’s glare. “Not a word about that…thing. To anyone. Especially Cameron.”
Chase nodded quickly. “If she finds out for sure, it won’t be from me.”
“Cuddy wants me in the clinic. Seeing as how Marfan boy is stable, go put in a few hours.” He was amused to note that Chase seemed relieved to escape the encounter with only clinic duty.
*****
After retrieving the security video and disposing of it, House worked late that evening. Well, working wasn’t exactly the right term for it. House stayed late in his office playing gameboy. That was more accurate.
He waited until the clock ticked eleven, stood and made his way upstairs, as had become his habit since… well, since all this started. He had convinced himself that he was making sure the nurses were doing their job. When there isn’t enough supervision, people get sloppy. He had noticed that people tend to be sloppy a lot less when he was breathing down their necks. And it had the added benefit of making them nervous.
He stopped in front of Cameron’s door, glancing inside. She was asleep in the dark, curled up on her side, facing the door. He was pleased to note that it appeared as though his gift had brought her some comfort; that had been his intention. She looked so peaceful; it took him a moment to tear his eyes away from her, because even though she was sound asleep, held tightly in her arms was the Vermont Teddy Bear he’d left for her yesterday.
Author’s note: If you want to see the bear House bought her, go here:
http://vtbear.stores.yahoo.net/premium-big-teddy-bears.html
It’s the maple (light brown) colored one.