➹BEEPER

[intheblanks]

"It had better be an emergency."
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backdated to the 15th;

[intheblanks]

[Though there is a blood bag, and Chase finishes checking on the transfusion before turning to her, pulling the curtain back around the patient's bedside.]

You're not supposed to be in here unless you need a bed.

[Speaking of which, his has been empty for a couple of nights, as if to prove something. He'd have shown back up, eventually, now he's caught unsure what to say and unsure, really, why she's here. He lowers his voice.]

Is something wrong?

[Still the first, most important thing.]

[synanthrope]

[She tilts her head to look at him, as if she can't see him otherwise]

Physically? No. The nurses told me I could find you here.

[intheblanks]

[It's a moment before he nods, and places a guiding hand on her shoulder.]

Well you can't talk to me here. They only look like they're not listening.

[It's a weak joke but hey.]

Give me five minutes and I'll meet you in the hall.

[synanthrope]

[She's good at waiting, so she nods - that was a terrible joke - and goes to the hall, and sits in one of the chairs, crossing her legs]

[intheblanks]

[Most of his are. He doesn't keep her long, wrapping the steth back round his neck as he comes to sit in the chair besides.]

Not physically. Technically, that's a yes.

[synanthrope]

[She looks over at him, and rocks the foot that's in the air just slightly]

Are you avoiding the Warehouse?

[intheblanks]

[He chews on his lip a minute, deliberating the reply.]

Not the warehouse.

[synanthrope]

Then you're avoiding me.

[intheblanks]

[Sigh.]

I needed some time. You've understood when that's happened before.

[synanthrope]

[She looks at him, and rocks her foot again]

Yes, but I understood the reason better, then.

[intheblanks]

You've-

[After a quick start, he lowers his voice to a personal level.]

You've slept with half the hospital. People I work with - people I used to work for. You can't see where that might feel weird to me?

[synanthrope]

Half the hospital is an exaggeration on my end. That's more like who you've slept with.

[She knows about the nurses, okay?]

If I slept with Doctor Cameron, I'm sure that would be strange. But it's not Wilson or Rudy you're upset about. You knew I had a sexual relationship with Rudy before we slept together.

What is it about Doctor House?

[intheblanks]

You're not really Doctor Cameron's type.

[There haven't been too many nurses. Three or four, never from his departments. A couple of staff members from admin. On the whole he tries not to get involved in things that may become uncomfortable later.

He prefers to avoid discomfort.

Which is why he'd rather not have this conversation.]

Don't get me wrong, Wilson's a little strange for me, too. I just don't understand the interest.

[synanthrope]

[She doesn't say anything for a minute.

She contemplates the honesty she wants to use here, or not]

I don't like that you're upset with me.

[And that confuses her.]

[intheblanks]

Upset isn't... exactly... the right word.

[Though it's close. Close enough. And he's aware that other people's upset usually rolls cleanly off her feathers.]

Would you find it easier if you understood?

[synanthrope]

It might.

[Part of it is that she doesn't understand. It was before she knew him. It was before they slept together.]

[intheblanks]

People don't always get upset [Again he lingers over the word] for reasons you're going to find rational.

[A disclaimer, because any explanation involves him looking at how rational his own response is, and he's rather not. He'd rather not.]

House caused some problems, between me and my wife.

[synanthrope]

[There's a consideration. Saya perceives all her relationships as both personal and exclusive: what others have done to her does not factor in their personal and exclusive relations with those close to her.

Except, of course, when it comes to Socrates.]

This isn't about you thinking he will cause problems between you and me.

[The sad thing is that Saya is relentlessly logical, almost exclusively rational.]

[intheblanks]

Probably better not to give him reasons to try.

[Yes, that sounds bitter, and no, that's not what it's about.]

[synanthrope]

[She shrugs]

He can't, you know.

[It's true, so far as she sees it. House is smart but in order to mess with Saya's head he would have to understand how she thinks, and that's impossible.]

It's because you thought I was someone he had never touched.

[intheblanks]

[But messing with Chase's head, now that's easy.]

I don't know that he ever touched her. [Because Cameron would never, ever put a definite no to the question.] But she wanted him to, for a while.

[He sighs and looks across.]

I don't blame him for anything. I'm the one that screwed up my marriage, not some old crush. Not him. Not her. I'd just [his hand makes some noncommittal gesture] prefer to have known.

[synanthrope]

Well, now you do.

[She leans back in her chair]

You can't change that. But if you're upset about it, then you're the one who is letting him ruin something else that you like.

Presuming you like sleeping with me, which I think you do.

[intheblanks]

I like you.

[Sleeping with her has only recently become a side benefit of that - and it's one he's been putting off assessing exactly because the longer term the arrangement becomes, the more certain things - like the list - start to encroach on the meaning of casual. Not that feeling bad about something has ever been a reason to stop.]

I'd have shown back up eventually.

[synanthrope]

How was I supposed to know that?

[It's not asked to make him feel guilty, and it's not asked for pity. It's just a question.]

[intheblanks]

Because I like you. [He ducks his head, shoulders lifting with what might be a laugh.] This is starting to sound domestic.