010. Arrogance - House/Cameron
Title: Spill
Characters/Pairing: House/Cameron
Challenge: hc_challenge: Prompt # 9, housefic50: 010. Arrogance
Word Count: 758
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG-13 for language
Author's Note: Beta by drwilltx
Prompt # 9 : Schadenfreude - n.
1. Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.
2. Delight in another person's misfortune
Spill
Allison Cameron's hands were full: a plastic container filled with salad, plastic utensils, napkins, and a diet soda. It wasn't uncommon for her to eat lunch in the Diagnostics department when they were working on a case. Using her elbow, she carefully pressed the elevator call button. She didn't have long to wait, and she let people exit before making her way inside. Again, she used her elbow to select the fourth floor, savoring the silence within the elevator's metal walls.
The chime announced her arrival at her floor, and she waited for the doors to open. She stepped out into the hallway and hadn't taken more than a few steps when someone bumped into her shoulder. Soda, napkins, and salad spilled all over the floor and decorated Cameron's pants. She froze, grimacing at the mess and the fact that eight dollars worth of food had been flushed down the proverbial toilet.
"I am so sorry." A nervous medical student was looking at the mess. "It was completely my fault."
Cameron smiled, "It's all right, just an accident." She bent over and began picking up the items on the floor.
The medical student scrambled to help, "I really am sorry." He said. "Please let me give you some money for another lunch."
"Oh that's not necessary." Cameron smiled again.
"Well, well. What do we have here? A lunch date?" Naturally, House had chosen this precise moment to venture out of the office for his own food.
The medical student became even more nervous, if that was possible, and nearly dropped everything he had been picking up. "Dr. House, I...errr..." He was tripping over himself and making the mess on the floor worse.
"Go away, House. Unless you are here to help, we really don't need to hear your commentary." Cameron looked up from her kneeling position on the floor. Fortunately a janitor had arrived and she was able to deposit some of her dropped lunch into the trash can.
"And miss all the fun? No way." House smirked.
The medical student thrust a ten dollar bill into Cameron's hand, uttering a few more apologies before scampering off. Clearly he wanted to be as far away from House and humiliation as possible.
Stuffing the money into her lab coat pocket, Cameron stood up from the floor. Her suit pants were a mess and her hands were sticky from the spilt soda. The janitor began cleaning up the remaining mess.
"Ten dollars? Really Dr. Cameron, you sell yourself short." House tapped his cane on the floor, the smirk still glued to his face.
"Very funny." Cameron replied. "Excuse me, I really need to find a change of clothes."
"What? Wearing your lunch isn't the latest fashion trend?" Damn, he was being a jerk today. He found the entire situation rather amusing.
"Yeah, very fashionable." Cameron answered. She stalked off to the conference room. House had just been a complete jackass and she was fuming. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough to have caused a scene in the hospital hallway, to then have her boss belittle her, seemingly enjoying her discomfort.
She rooted through her bag and found a pair of black pants. Once inside the ladies room, she changed and surveyed the damage to her other pants. The dry cleaner was going to love her. Cameron sighed and folded the pants, placing them in a plastic bag. She pushed open the door to the restroom and returned to the Diagnostics conference room. She placed the soiled pants next to her bag.
Cameron put a hand in her lab coat pocket, making sure the ten dollar bill was still there. She still had to eat and her stomach gently reminded her as she walked back down to the cafeteria. There was a commotion as she opened the door. House was talking loudly and did not look happy. There was soda that had spilled down the front of House’s shirt and pooled at his feet.
"Dammit!" He exclaimed.
Cameron reached for a stack of napkins and silently began mopping up the soda on the floor.
"No comments or jokes?" He asked, stepping out of her way.
"Unlike you, I do not take pleasure in the misfortune of others." Cameron replied softly, tossing the wet napkins in the trash.
"Even if they deserve it?"
"Even if they deserve it." She said, looking him in the eye.
He nodded and pointed to the counter near the cash register. Next to the reuben sandwich and potato chips was a plastic container filled with grilled chicken salad.
Characters/Pairing: House/Cameron
Challenge: hc_challenge: Prompt # 9, housefic50: 010. Arrogance
Word Count: 758
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG-13 for language
Author's Note: Beta by drwilltx
Prompt # 9 : Schadenfreude - n.
1. Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.
2. Delight in another person's misfortune
Spill
Allison Cameron's hands were full: a plastic container filled with salad, plastic utensils, napkins, and a diet soda. It wasn't uncommon for her to eat lunch in the Diagnostics department when they were working on a case. Using her elbow, she carefully pressed the elevator call button. She didn't have long to wait, and she let people exit before making her way inside. Again, she used her elbow to select the fourth floor, savoring the silence within the elevator's metal walls.
The chime announced her arrival at her floor, and she waited for the doors to open. She stepped out into the hallway and hadn't taken more than a few steps when someone bumped into her shoulder. Soda, napkins, and salad spilled all over the floor and decorated Cameron's pants. She froze, grimacing at the mess and the fact that eight dollars worth of food had been flushed down the proverbial toilet.
"I am so sorry." A nervous medical student was looking at the mess. "It was completely my fault."
Cameron smiled, "It's all right, just an accident." She bent over and began picking up the items on the floor.
The medical student scrambled to help, "I really am sorry." He said. "Please let me give you some money for another lunch."
"Oh that's not necessary." Cameron smiled again.
"Well, well. What do we have here? A lunch date?" Naturally, House had chosen this precise moment to venture out of the office for his own food.
The medical student became even more nervous, if that was possible, and nearly dropped everything he had been picking up. "Dr. House, I...errr..." He was tripping over himself and making the mess on the floor worse.
"Go away, House. Unless you are here to help, we really don't need to hear your commentary." Cameron looked up from her kneeling position on the floor. Fortunately a janitor had arrived and she was able to deposit some of her dropped lunch into the trash can.
"And miss all the fun? No way." House smirked.
The medical student thrust a ten dollar bill into Cameron's hand, uttering a few more apologies before scampering off. Clearly he wanted to be as far away from House and humiliation as possible.
Stuffing the money into her lab coat pocket, Cameron stood up from the floor. Her suit pants were a mess and her hands were sticky from the spilt soda. The janitor began cleaning up the remaining mess.
"Ten dollars? Really Dr. Cameron, you sell yourself short." House tapped his cane on the floor, the smirk still glued to his face.
"Very funny." Cameron replied. "Excuse me, I really need to find a change of clothes."
"What? Wearing your lunch isn't the latest fashion trend?" Damn, he was being a jerk today. He found the entire situation rather amusing.
"Yeah, very fashionable." Cameron answered. She stalked off to the conference room. House had just been a complete jackass and she was fuming. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough to have caused a scene in the hospital hallway, to then have her boss belittle her, seemingly enjoying her discomfort.
She rooted through her bag and found a pair of black pants. Once inside the ladies room, she changed and surveyed the damage to her other pants. The dry cleaner was going to love her. Cameron sighed and folded the pants, placing them in a plastic bag. She pushed open the door to the restroom and returned to the Diagnostics conference room. She placed the soiled pants next to her bag.
Cameron put a hand in her lab coat pocket, making sure the ten dollar bill was still there. She still had to eat and her stomach gently reminded her as she walked back down to the cafeteria. There was a commotion as she opened the door. House was talking loudly and did not look happy. There was soda that had spilled down the front of House’s shirt and pooled at his feet.
"Dammit!" He exclaimed.
Cameron reached for a stack of napkins and silently began mopping up the soda on the floor.
"No comments or jokes?" He asked, stepping out of her way.
"Unlike you, I do not take pleasure in the misfortune of others." Cameron replied softly, tossing the wet napkins in the trash.
"Even if they deserve it?"
"Even if they deserve it." She said, looking him in the eye.
He nodded and pointed to the counter near the cash register. Next to the reuben sandwich and potato chips was a plastic container filled with grilled chicken salad.