At least the robots in the operating theatre never worry about broken hearts. Cameron's free hand folds across her stomach as she regards him for a long moment. Isn't this the way it always goes? She runs, sooner or later he runs after her. She always gives him another chance.
Believing the things she does-- that people are fundamentally good, that they can change, that no one is irredeemable-- has gotten her through a lot. But if there's one thing the City's good for, it's wearing away at idealistic resolve.
"We've never wanted the same thing," she says finally, quietly. The prospect of being friendly is unsatisfying, even though if he offered right at this moment to come back to her, she'd turn him away. Wanting was so much easier when it was private; now she wears her disappointments like a crown. The weight shows, if not always the reasons.
"I honestly don't know." If she can. If she can help herself. Sooner or later, she knows, she always turns back.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"I've never... completely... known what you wanted." he tells her, speaking of his own shortcomings in failing to figure it out. The few moments where both their wants have met have been startling and intense but, from the first drug-tainted time, left him confused as hell in the few days after. He's too prone to assuming, rather than asking. Maybe she's not prone enough to spelling things out in the simplified phonetics necessary. Either way, he's sure there have been connections they've missed because one of them way looking the wrong way and the other didn't call out in time. Working over 'could have beens' isn't why he's here.
"Listen, why not one drink. Two weeks time. If it sucks you can cut your losses and all you've lost is one crummy night talking to a colleague. We've all had those. One, casual drink." He bites his lip, "And I get to call you on days you might get eaten-- unless you want to check on me, instead. I do have more meat on me."
Hopeful. There it is again.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
She doesn't answer that admission; she's rarely known herself what she wants. She's always hoped he'd have enough intuition to follow the flighty, subtle changes of her needs. It's a moot point, now. And he still doesn't understand, of course.
The thin line of her lips curves down a little, just the faintest touch of a frown as she considers his offer. Or request; that might be a more apt way of putting it.
"Ask me in two weeks," she answers at length. It's more than she really wants to give him.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"I will." And she can be assured of his timekeeping on that. For all that he'll shirk extra work where he can, Chase's level of precision is second to none. It just depends what he's categorised as worth paying attention to.
He relaxes, a little, taking a step inward to stretch his legs, and finishing off the triangle of sandwich he's started in two easy bites.
"Can I ask you another question?"
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
It's not quite impatience on her face; it's the same old game with no stakes to speak of, and somehow going through the motions makes her wince. Phantom heartaches. Her sandwich is more or less forgotten in her hand.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
It catches her off guard, and she stares blankly for a moment, giving it some honest thought. Considering that their cases are by definition extraordinary, it's difficult to cite any one as more memorable than the rest. Ezra Powell, she almost answers. Foreman. Cindy Kramer. House. People, not cases. It might be a better question for House; he cares about the puzzle rather than the patient. She makes up for it.
"I'm not sure," she answers, brows drawing together a little. "Why?"
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
Interestingly, the first name in her mind is the one he'd hoped she'd say, although he wouldn't count it as his own most memorable patient. He remembers being willing to go along with House, though.
"I've been thinking... and I'm not sure I'm at the end of the thought process yet. About whether we've got it wrong, trying to treat patients here the way we were expected to at home. Maybe we need to take different circumstances into account more than we do."
He folds the card back over his sandwich box and puts it down on the nearest free surface, essentially abandoned. Something that probably drove her crazy in the brief time he lived with her.
"So I was just wondering what had been important to you, there."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"Things are different here." She glances at the trash, but the light frown that carries isn't about that. It's just difficult to verbalize. "We don't have the same kind of cases. Too many factors." She laughs, short, suddenly. "No breaking in to apartments. Half the time we're just patching up after curses, anyway."
Shaking her head a little, she uncrosses her arms. "I liked the challenge. But it was more about-- saving people, who had no other options. That made a difference."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
Chase has broken into a couple of apartments for the benefit of medical science since they've been here, but she's right. The pressure of the job now comes from curses that turn apocalyptic, not individuals on the brink. Though there are patients like that, there's also magic in this world and other aspects that render their help secondary.
"Saving people is what I'm thinking about, in a way. Can I talk to you when I'm further along? I don't want to bring it to House until I'm sure I know what I mean."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"I certainly don't know what you mean," she murmurs. Guarded though she's been this is the least uncomfortable conversation they've had since... Well, the least uncomfortable this year. Not that that's saying much.
"Let me know," she adds slowly, "if you figure it out." It's not exactly inviting-- he's still deep in colleague territory, not a friend-- but he's at least succeeded in piquing her curiosity.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
He nods. Her reaction, when he does get to discussing it, probably won't either be completely or initially favourable. That's what makes her the best person to ask. They have such different standpoints that somewhere in the middle there might just be a balance.
"I'll send you a link to a patient file, soon. I just want you to tell me how you'd proceed with treating him based on what's available here."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
Believing the things she does-- that people are fundamentally good, that they can change, that no one is irredeemable-- has gotten her through a lot. But if there's one thing the City's good for, it's wearing away at idealistic resolve.
"We've never wanted the same thing," she says finally, quietly. The prospect of being friendly is unsatisfying, even though if he offered right at this moment to come back to her, she'd turn him away. Wanting was so much easier when it was private; now she wears her disappointments like a crown. The weight shows, if not always the reasons.
"I honestly don't know." If she can. If she can help herself. Sooner or later, she knows, she always turns back.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"Listen, why not one drink. Two weeks time. If it sucks you can cut your losses and all you've lost is one crummy night talking to a colleague. We've all had those. One, casual drink." He bites his lip, "And I get to call you on days you might get eaten-- unless you want to check on me, instead. I do have more meat on me."
Hopeful. There it is again.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
The thin line of her lips curves down a little, just the faintest touch of a frown as she considers his offer. Or request; that might be a more apt way of putting it.
"Ask me in two weeks," she answers at length. It's more than she really wants to give him.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
He relaxes, a little, taking a step inward to stretch his legs, and finishing off the triangle of sandwich he's started in two easy bites.
"Can I ask you another question?"
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
It's not quite impatience on her face; it's the same old game with no stakes to speak of, and somehow going through the motions makes her wince. Phantom heartaches. Her sandwich is more or less forgotten in her hand.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"I wanted to know your most memorable case we've worked on. Or... most important? Not here, back at home."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"I'm not sure," she answers, brows drawing together a little. "Why?"
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"I've been thinking... and I'm not sure I'm at the end of the thought process yet. About whether we've got it wrong, trying to treat patients here the way we were expected to at home. Maybe we need to take different circumstances into account more than we do."
He folds the card back over his sandwich box and puts it down on the nearest free surface, essentially abandoned. Something that probably drove her crazy in the brief time he lived with her.
"So I was just wondering what had been important to you, there."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
Shaking her head a little, she uncrosses her arms. "I liked the challenge. But it was more about-- saving people, who had no other options. That made a difference."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"Saving people is what I'm thinking about, in a way. Can I talk to you when I'm further along? I don't want to bring it to House until I'm sure I know what I mean."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"Let me know," she adds slowly, "if you figure it out." It's not exactly inviting-- he's still deep in colleague territory, not a friend-- but he's at least succeeded in piquing her curiosity.
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
"I'll send you a link to a patient file, soon. I just want you to tell me how you'd proceed with treating him based on what's available here."
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
He pauses, bites his lip. If there was anything else to delay things here a while, he'd be trying it right now.
"Well, that's what I came to ask. Guess I can leave you alone, now. Unless there's anything..?"
I hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded