Ruined Part 8

House had been called to Dr. Cuddy's office, and now he was waiting. He sat, agitated, on her couch, waiting for her to come back into her office from talking to some nurse. He could see her secretary sitting in the entry-way to the office, playing some computer game (House guessed).

As soon as Cuddy walked through the doors, her secretary jumped right back to work, sitting up straighter and handing over her messages.

She thanked him and came the rest of the way into her office. "Dr. House." She greeted as she passed House on the way to her desk.

She sat down behind her desk and looked at him. "I've had three clinic nurses complain to me about you this week and it's only Tuesday."

"Which ones?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes and stood up again. "You can't tell a nurse to get her 'ass' out of an exam room."

"Oh, her." House shook his head. "She was in my way."

"She was assisting you." Cuddy sat down in a chair across from the couch he was sitting on. "I know there's something going on and I'd like for you to tell me what it is." Of course, she already knew, but she didn't want to get Dr. Wilson in trouble.

"There's nothing going on." He said stubbornly as he looked away from her.

She sighed. "So you're not going to tell me?"

"There's nothing to tell." He was getting annoyed.

"That's not what I heard. I heard you might be going through a break up."

He looked back at her.

"With Dr. Cameron." She added.

"Yeah? Who'd you hear that from? Stacy?"

That caught Cuddy's attention. Even though Wilson had mentioned it, she still didn't want to believe that Stacy, her friend, could be that cold - that jealous - to try and break up any relationship. She expected that from House, maybe, but not from Stacy. "I heard it around." She said vaguely.

House rolled his eyes. "People around here are desperate for gossip. They'll make up anything for entertainment."

"Whatever, I know it's true." She hadn't expected him to ask her advice, but the least he could do was admit it was true. "I know you and Dr. Cameron were seeing each other, and I know that she broke up with you. That's why you've been so miserable lately."

House was angry. He didn't understand why people found his personal life - his pain - so interesting. That's how Cameron had been; wanting to know about his parents, about his leg, about when he was with Stacy. Sometimes he almost regretted letting Cameron into his personal life.

This was one of those times.

Cuddy could see House was hurting. "You don't have to say anything," she leaned forward in her chair. "I just wanted to say, whatever it is that Cameron has done... whatever it is she's afraid of... forgive her for it."

He looked Cuddy in the eye.

"Don't let other people keep you and Cameron from being happy."

He shifted uncomfortably. "Can I go now?"

She nodded and he stood to leave. When he was at the door, she spoke again.

"Dr. House,"

He turned to look back at her.

"I know you might not think so, but you do deserve to be happy. Sometimes you have to fight for what you want."

When she finished talking, he left.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Cameron sat in the cafeteria, eating her salad and reading a medical magazine she'd picked up from the table in the diagnostic conference room.

"Can I join you?"

She looked up to see Chase standing there with his food. She nodded and he sat down opposite her.

Cameron went back to reading her magazine as Chase started eating his sandwich. After a few minutes of silence, one of them spoke.

"You're being really stupid." Chase set down his sandwich.

Cameron looked up at him in shock. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I said it. You heard right." He stuck his chin up.

"And why am I stupid?" she asked, trying not to be angry.

"Because! You're letting Stacy get in the way of you being happy!" he replied. "Forget about her. She's a bitch."

"Chase!" She was surprised Chase was talking this way.

"And she's jealous that House wants you and not her." He continued.

Cameron put her forehead down into her palm.

"Cameron, listen. You can't let her ruin what you have with House. If House is truly who you want to be with, then forget about Stacy and everyone else who might not agree with your relationship. It's none of their business."

"Even if I did just forget about her and everyone else, I doubt House would take me back anyway." She looked up back to Chase.

"Maybe he would. He's just as miserable as you are right now."

She thought for a moment. "Either we get back together... or I have to try to move on." She sighed at the prospect of having to move on. She wanted House like she was a teenager in love for the first time. Then another thought came into her mind. "What if Stacy tries to ruin my reputation by telling people that I'm sleeping with my boss?"

"Don't worry about that." Chase smiled. "If she tries to do that, Foreman and I will go to those people and tell them she was wrong and trying to stir up trouble for House."

"You would do that?"

"Yeah. Even though we don't agree on a lot of things, we're still friends."

Cameron smiled. "Thank you."

"That's what friends are for." He said, then picked up the garbage left from his lunch and left.

Cameron sat there, surprised by Chase's words. She knew it wouldn't be that easy to just ignore Stacy, but she knew what she wanted more than anything.

She wanted to be with House and maybe he would take her back.



Ruined