Here we are, the last chapter. Thank you for all of the reviews over the story. I hope I was able to keep you all guessing.

Disclaimer: House MD is property of David Shore and Fox TV only the plot is mine.

Haunted

Chapter 17: Diagnosis

The only sound was the dripping of the faucet echoing loudly through the diagnostics lounge. It took a few moments for their brains to register the fact that this wasn't a dream. She was dead. Cameron was dead and they hadn't been able to save her. The numbness that had taken them in the room was gone, it was all to real now. They didn't need coffee to keep them awake now though their bodies were in need of reprieve sleep would be something none of them would find.

Foreman sat with a blank look on his face, eyes glazed over as he stared off into nothing. Guilt played heavily on his heart as he thought of how Cameron had helped save his life even though he had treated her badly after stealing her article. It ultimately served to bring them closer and allowed them to work better together. It had been a rocky road, their relationship, but it was one that he would miss. Foreman had never been much of a religious man but he did believe in God and hoped that Cameron had found a place in heaven. She would make a great guardian angel, he thought.

Resting his forehead on the cool glass table Chase did his best to fend off the tears that threatened fall from him. He hadn't allowed himself to think of the possibility that House would fail, now he wished he would have allowed himself to prepare for this. But how do you prepare for such a thing? It wasn't House's fault. Chase saw the defeated look on the diagnostician's face as the monitors let out their shrill cry and the reassuring hand that Wilson had offered to him. His mom died over ten years ago, his dad just a few months. Chase had no brothers or sisters, he was alone. And though he wouldn't admit it, the people he worked with was the only family he had and he cared for them deeply. Cameron was like the sister he never had, the realization that she was gone was almost to much for his heart to bare.

Though he did mourn her loss, Wilson tried to focus on House. With his specialty being in oncology he was used to seeing people die, though none as horribly as Cameron. He had always liked her, she was the heart of the group. Foreman was head strong and often put his own ego ahead of the patients, Chase put his job before anything else even if it meant neglecting the person placed in his charge. But Cameron had always cared about the patient, she had always been the one to fight House for their ethical protection like with the lesbian woman who was going to leave her partner. Wilson had always admired that quality and had marveled at her willingness to stand up to House. He would miss her.

Sitting at the end of the table opposite of Wilson, Dr. House sat with his head resting on the handle of his cane. His eyes were closed, he couldn't bring himself to look at his team. He had failed them. He knew how much they depended on him for the answers, how much Cameron had depended on him and yet he was not able to come through in the end. House knew that things would never be the same at Princeton Plainsboro again. His team would lose faith in him, he had to make it up to them some how. Perhaps he could convince Cuddy to give Foreman and Chase permanent positions in diagnostics after their fellowship was up. When it came down to it he depended on his team as much as they depended on him. He would not bring in a new doctor to replace Cameron, he would let her chair remain as empty as it was now.

Cuddy was surprised to see them all still here. She stood outside looking in at her doctors through the glass taking note of the empty seat between House and Foreman. Chase was sitting on House's right with his head down, he almost appeared to be seeping but she knew that he wasn't. Wilson sat at the end of the table watching House with his arms folded across his chest. No one noticed her standing out there, she hated to disturb them but she knew that they would want to know what Dr. Larson had planned. Slowly she placed her hand on the door and pulled it open. She wasn't surprised when none of the men looked up as she took a seat in the corner of the room.

After a full minute Wilson finally broke the silence in a soft voice. "We should contact her family so they can make funeral arrangements." Cameron's family had not been contacted before because she didn't want them to get in the way. In a way they were all glad about that, it would have been hard to explain all of this as it was happening.

"Contact her family yes. But there will be no funeral." Cuddy said in monotone. Four sets of eyes that had been previously hidden or closed now glared at her awaiting an explanation. "The Center for Disease Control is taking her body for testing. They are also resuming the bodies of Alex and Lily Gale. All three will be put into quarantine. They've already left with Cameron's body."

Cuddy's stomach turned as she thought of what she had witnessed moments ago. Dr. Larson's team put Cameron's body into a large bag with tubes and hoses sticking out of it then sucked out all of the air causing the bag to cling to her lifeless form. They then loaded the bag into a large silver cylinder container with several hoses attached to it that filled the chamber with nitrogen to freeze the body. She felt naked under the angry glares of the four men who had worked so hard to save Cameron. She knew that it was time for her to leave, she was unwanted there.

They all watched as she gave them a weak exasperated sigh and headed for the door. "I'm sorry, I did everything I could to stop them. She deserved better then this." A tear fell from her eyes but she quickly wiped it away and hurriedly walked out of the room.

House glanced at his neurologist, his eyes were still glazed over as he went back to staring at a spot on the wall. Glancing over at Chase he took in his down cast eyes and weary frame. They needed rest. "Go home." House said. Foreman looked over at his boss as if looking for some sort of conformation and then got up and walked out the door. He didn't want to be at the hospital any longer, he wanted to be home so he could forget about this whole thing.

Chase hadn't moved or even acknowledged that House had spoke. Wilson gave a weak smile and stood to leave as well, he wasn't quite ready to go home but he wanted to give House a moment with his youngest duckling. As the door closed leaving the two of them in the room alone House put a hand on Chase's shoulder. "Chase." He said softly as Chase turned his face to look at House.

"You need to go home and get some rest." Chase shook his head, the numbness had once again taken over when he heard what the CDC was doing to her. He wanted this to all be a dream, he wanted to wake up and it everything go back to the way it was, the way it was supposed to be. "Chase?" House gave him a light shake when once again he didn't move. Chase had been facing House but he had not looked at him. As he brought his dim blue green eyes to meet the blue pools that were staring at him House couldn't help but feel a stab of pain at the sadness behind them. "Go home." The words finally registered and the young intensivest stood and slowly walked out the door.

When Chase was no longer in sight House ran a trembling hand through his hair and breathed a few staggering breathes before standing and shutting off the lights. As he was about to leave the phone in his office rang. He caught it on the third rang and put the receiver to his ear. It was a short conversation, once he hung up the phone he made his way out the door and headed for the elevators popping a two vicodin along the way.

"House." Wilson called as he saw his friend stop in front of the elevators and push the button with his cane. The oncologist stopped at his side as waited for the elevator doors to open. "When are the ELISA results supposed to be back?"

"They are. I just got a call from Cuddy. Negative for Nipah." House gave a defeated sigh to his friend as the elevator doors opened.

"Well, did you at least learn anything about the disease?" Wilson asked as House stepped inside. He hoped that House had at least been able to get something helpful out of this whole ordeal.

"Not a damn thing. She died for nothing." The doors started to close but House stopped then by sticking out his cane. "But there is a bright side though."

"What is that?" Wilson asked confused. If he hadn't learned anything new that would help in diagnosing or treating this then what good could have come from it all?

"At least she gets a disease named after her." He removed his cane allowing the elevator doors to slide shut as a puzzled oncologist stared and crossed his arms. Cameron's disease. If nothing else at least she brought awareness to it. Maybe someday a cure could be found.

END