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Chapter Fourteen - Rules of Acquisition

Chapter Fourteen - Rules of acquisition

When she felt more stable, who knew how long later, she could hear the weird droning sound in her head turn into voices.

"Do you want me to.." one said and was interrupted by the second.

"..Nope."

"So you just want to wait..."

"It's been twenty minutes, Cameron, we can wait for a few more," one said dismissively.

"But you don't.."

"Shh,"

"House.."

"Shhhh!"

She knew the second voice. She felt her forehead furrow and slowly her eyes fluttered open. The room moved in and out of focus until she realised that House was sitting in a chair at the side of her bed. So close that she could reach out and touch him without stretching if she had the mind to. She frowned again, he was sideways, his chin resting on the handle of his cane as he watched her intently. It was then she realised that he wasn't sideways, that She now lay on her side on her bed with her head resting against her arm in a sort of pseudo recovery position. An oxygen mask held in place by elastic across the back of her head. The room had a funny sort of rainbow like glow around the edges.

She lifted her head from her arm and glanced at the other speaker, Doctor Cameron gave her a small reassuring smile. The rest of the room appeared empty. How had she gotten here...Her brain tried to match up the sudden gap in her memory. Without thinking she put a hand up to the mask.

"Ah ah ah," House said and reaching out took her wrist gently, returning the hand to the bed top. "Careful now... just lie still and take some deep breaths. You're going to feel a bit groggy." The girl frowned but did as he said. He seems satisfied. "Good. That's good," he said in a reassuring tone. "Now can you tell me where you are?"

The question confused her apparently and she looked around again then put her head back down. She cleared her throat to speak. "Arkham?" She asked,

Cameron looked concerned and opened her mouth but House was smiling.

"You wish Kiddo. Ain't no batman going to swoop in and rescue you here.." he said, amusement clear in his tone.

Cameron seemed to relax as Arin gingerly lifted her head again. "What..." she began trying to push herself up. Strangely House Stood and helped her.

"You went into what we here doctor folk call respiratory distress," he said, helping her to sit up properly. "How do you feel?" Then as if a thought struck him he added, "describe how you are currently."

Arin took a few experimental breaths and swallowed once or twice. "My throat feels dry...my chest is tight but not as tight. I'm a little dizzy." Her brows knitted, "I have a rash?" She asked him.

"Pretty much,"he said, as Cameron handed the girl some water. She pulled the mask off to drink. "Your Diagnosis is inconclusive," House replied as he studied both her expression and physiology. "I want to admit you. We need to do a head CT and probably a lumbar puncture to rule out some other things." As she handed the water back to Cameron he held the mask back up to her. "How's your head?"

Arin seemed confused again and coughed into the mask and then tried to pull it down against his hand. "I want to go home." She said her jaw clenched as her eyes prickled. It was all too much.

Geez, this kid was like a record that had a divot on its surface that the stylus could not cross no matter how many times it ran the groove. "No, home is for people that are well. People who don't have respiratory distress, fevers of unknown origin and rashes. No dice, Kiddo, I'm sorry, you're staying put and getting whatever tests and treatments we deem necessary, until such time as you're well. And no, you are not the one who'll be making that decision. No matter how fine you think you are."