Dr. Allison Cameron (played by Jennifer Morrison)
Background
Prior to working at PPTH, Cameron was a medical intern at the Mayo Clinic and was one of the top students in her class in medical school. Though very little is known of her family background, it has been revealed that she hails from the Midwestern United States and that she has a sibling, albeit a still unnamed older brother.
Cameron worked for House under a medical fellowship alongside Drs. Robert Chase and Eric Foreman for three years. She is the only regular credited character that has not been in every episode of the show to date; she was missing in "Babies & Bathwater" stemming from her first resignation from the hospital though she returned to her post two episodes later.
Character
Cameron is known for her honesty, sincerity, idealism and possesses a strong moral and ethical center. She is hyperopic, an atheist and possibly pro-life (albeit personally; her beliefs have never been explored). Markedly flawed, she has complex relationships with her colleagues; not least of all with House. Part mentor, antagonist and romantic interest, their dynamic has been likened to that of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester's by New York Times columnist, Joyce Millman.
Cameron is occasionally hesitant and unwilling to perform House's bidding when she is required to deceive their patients and has gone to head to head with him before several times on the issue. She has also shown extreme reluctance to deliver bad news to patients or their families. Despite this, she has been effective in gaining patients' trust and approval of diagnostic procedures when the need arises, in contrast to House's strong arm methods.
The character underwent a growth in development when she proved to be far more assertive in her beliefs and actions in Season 3, showing that she was not above employing tactics used by House in order to get the job done. However, her consistently good intentions did not change and her loyalty to her boss was proved unquestionable as evidenced by his legal troubles - being previously under investigation for alleged drug addiction and trafficking. Her allegiance came to an abrupt end, however, when she surprisingly resigned in the Season 3 finale.
Biography
Marriage
Despite her kind and earnest nature, Cameron has undergone traumatic experiences in her life. After having a particularly hard time relating bad news to a patient's family while struggling to maintain objectivity, House's suspicions were raised and he thus violated her privacy by pulling her medical history. He later revealed this to Cameron but there was no evidence to indicate she had ever lost a child as he had suspected.
Her awkwardness with death was explained when she confided in House that she had once fallen in love and married when she was 21. However, the marriage lasted only six months ending with her husband's death due to thyroid cancer that had metastasized to his brain. She also revealed to Dr. James Wilson that she had met her husband shortly after he was diagnosed and that, if they hadn't married, he would have died alone. In another surprising confession to Wilson, she told the latter that she fell in love with her late husband's best friend, Joe, but never acted on her feelings.
Cameron's marriage was brought up when she was questioned by Detective Michael Tritter, who had earlier frozen her bank account in accordance with his investigation of House. When he attempted to talk about her late husband, Cameron interrupted and warned Tritter not to broach the subject. He observed that she used to be a person who did the right things and that House had changed her.
Her husband was also the subject of an argument between Foreman and Cameron when he expressed unspoken disbelief that she once had the "real thing" as they were hitherto discussing their social lives. His reaction led her to mildly chastise him for judging the relationship she had with her late husband. An outburst from Foreman followed who claimed that even though the sacrifices she made to be with him were immense, they were at the height of her love. He further opined that "commitment is only commitment when it has no expiration date" and snapped that she should only ask for sacrifices when she had been in a long term relationship. His tirade ended, however, when he realized how much he had hurt Cameron, assuring her that he wasn't criticizing by way of apology. This conversation might have also deeply impacted her for she went on to proposition Chase not long after.
In another nod to her short-lived marriage, Cameron encountered a homeless man with inoperable lung cancer in the clinic and admits him. Her attempts to offer him palliative treatment were refused repeatedly as her patient believed he would bring some meaning to his life if he dies in pain, convinced it is his punishment for leading a wasted life. He requested she stay by his side which she acquiesces to though she tells him she will not watch him suffer. She says:
"When a good person dies, there should be an impact on the world. Somebody should notice. Somebody should be upset."
Work Conflicts
Cameron was invited to move to Africa by Dr. Sebastian Charles, a world-renowned activist, a fellow immunologist and patient and then later, on a date. She confided in Dr. Chase who expressed his doubt that she would go out with Dr. Charles despite their mutual attraction, simply because he wasn't House. At the end of the episode, she declined both offers.
In "Hunting", an HIV positive patient accidentally coughed blood into Cameron's mouth and eyes, putting her at risk of contracting the disease. In order to make her take her final HIV test months later, House told her he loved her out of the blue; her mouth dropped open in shock and House quickly swabbed the inside of her cheek. Cameron later learned that House had opened her test results before she had a chance to find out herself, justifying his actions by citing the letter's confidentiality and that he had simply "wanted to know."
Cameron's friendship with Dr. Foreman became strained after she accused him of plagiarizing her article for a medical journal after his was published. Her frustration and anger were further exacerbated by her peers' indifference. She eventually confronted Foreman and apologized for the way she had treated him, claiming she didn't want to damage their friendship only for her colleague to coldly deny that they had any bond of kinship in the first place. However, in a consequent storyline when Foreman was dying from an unknown disease, he apologized for his prior actions which included stabbing Cameron with a needle, exposing her to the disease on purpose. Although she didn't accept his apology initially, she recanted her position before he was put into a chemically induced coma. Foreman also named her his medical proxy while he was incapacitated, giving her the right to allow a brain biopsy to be performed on him, despite House's vehement objections. Though Foreman thanked Cameron when he woke, she, House and Rodney Foreman (Eric's father) could only look on in horror when his brain experienced a left-right reversal when House checked his motor skills. Cameron and House clashed when Foreman returned to work with a renewed outlook on life which proved to be a thorn in their boss's side. House was also critical that he refused to argue with him during differentials which drew ire from Cameron who believed House was pushing the neurologist too fast which, in turn, led the former to blame her of feeling guilty for doing the biopsy. This accusation was repeatedly denied.
Drs. Lisa Cuddy and Wilson incurred Cameron's wrath when she discovered their deception of House involving a quadriplegic man Cuddy treated using his diagnosis. The latter had previously given up on the case (a rare event for House) and sent the patient home before Cuddy took a chance and successfully treated him prior to his departure. Incensed over their adamant stance that House was going overboard with his diagnostic measures which led them to hold back the truth to teach him "some humility", Cameron pressed the issue and gave her superiors an ultimatum: tell House the truth or she would. Cuddy later had her hand forced into confessing when House gave up the Department's present case at the time, too.
In "Informed Consent," Cameron was torn regarding assisting their patient, Ezra Powell's wish to die which kept her from participating in much of the diagnostic process. House, in turn, subtly directed her to discover an article Ezra, a noted cancer researcher, wrote for a medical journal decades ago about his unethical use of babies as test cases. His assumption that this would lead her to change her mind infuriated Cameron who, despite her disgust, still believed he had a right to live just like any other person. When all of their efforts to diagnose Ezra were laid waste, House finally let loose at her and heatedly demanded that she do her job by getting him a skin sample. Cameron later achieved this by slicing off his skin sans anesthesia and with no prior warning after confronting him about the article to which the latter expressed no regret. This act only served to gain her Ezra's respect, who praised her for finally taking a stand. The ensuing biopsy only revealed what he had suspected (and believed all along): he was terminal; his illness untreatable. Later in the night, Ezra mysteriously dies thirty minutes after being declared stable. Cuddy easily believes House was behind it despite his denial the morning after but when Cuddy left, a look of recognition crosses House's face and Cameron is subsequently seen in the chapel with a tear streaked face. House stood behind her, put a comforting hand on her shoulder and quietly told her that he was proud of her. Thus, we are led to believe that Cameron assisted the patient's suicide.
Cameron fought for her patient's (a severely obese man) rights with an intensity that not only surprised House (who goes on to discuss this with Wilson) but also Cuddy when she broke an MRI machine after their comatose patient woke up and thrashed around in panic while they were performing tests on him. Though Cuddy is quick to blame it on House, Cameron spoke up and admitted that it was her doing. After their patient was discharged and tried to leave the hospital premises, he fell through the lobby's glass window taking Cameron down with him, mildly injuring her. Later, it transpires that she had drugged him before he left claiming that she didn't think he was fit to leave the hospital. The patient, on the other hand, became deeply agitated, refusing to co-operate if any treatment suggested was related to his weight. Later, House realized that their patient's hands were clubbed and suggested an x-ray, which confirmed his diagnosis of terminal lung cancer. Cameron broke the news and had an encounter with House at the end of the episode where he conceded defeat and finally questioned her about the importance of this patient. She wryly referenced his thoughts about her in "Love Hurts" ("I like damaged people, remember? Explains everything I do.") when House alluded that she cares more because she's seen someone else go through a similar experience and later told him, "Sorry to disappoint you, sometimes the answers just aren't that simple."
Resignation
In the third season finale, Cameron became the lone fellow of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine after her colleagues, Dr. Chase and Dr. Foreman, were fired and resigned from their posts, respectively. She bid farewell separately to the both of them, even giving the latter a framed citation of his published article in reference to their previous conflict the year before. In a move not previously foreseen by House, she tendered her resignation for the second time in the series at the end of the episode, as well. However, it has been confirmed that Cameron, Chase and Foreman will all be returning for the fourth season, though it hasn't been specified in what capacity.
Relationships
Dr. Gregory House
Season 1
In the pilot episode, Cameron asked House why she was hired and he revealed that he did so because she is "extremely pretty." Claiming that beautiful women don't attend medical school unless they are as "damaged as they are beautiful", House surmises that she is not as untainted as she seems.
Cameron's emerging feelings for her boss were featured early in the series when she showed complete trust in House's leadership and gave him a Christmas gift. Despite his initial hostile reaction, she later found a gift for herself left sitting on her office chair. She was also one of the few who acknowledged his birthday. In a rare act of sociability, House invited Cameron to a monster truck rally where they were later seen having a good time at the event at the end of the episode. However, her interest in him was only made extremely clear when she asked him outright if he liked her, to which he flatly denied. In "Mob Rules", Cameron admitted to her feelings for House to Dr. Chase. Things became increasingly tense in the Department in "Heavy," when House revealed that he was being made to fire one of them by the end of the week as office politics came into play, pitting the three fellows against each other. Cameron would later confront him about his nonchalant behavior and quietly threatened to leave her job to "make it easy on everyone" and she was later seen typing up her curriculum vitae at the end of the episode.
Despite House's agreement to promote hospital board chairman Edward Vogler's new drug for his pharmaceutical company in exchange for his Department to remain intact, things ended in disaster as he embarrassed his employer in a Vicodin fueled diatribe against the drug at a public presentation. Earlier, House had privately asked Cameron why she liked him. The conversation led nowhere as he accused her of psychoanalyzing him when she attempted to deflect the question. At the end of the episode, Cameron stopped by House's apartment to tender her resignation which he initially questioned as "another noble self-sacrificing gesture". She disagreed and revealed why she liked him: that he did things because it was right and not to help people as she had originally thought. House rejected Cameron's attempt to shake hands as a proper goodbye, prompting her to say that there were only two ways she could deal with their current situation and she was exercising the one option of which she was in control. House was visibly upset when she left his home.
With the departure of Vogler from PPTH, House attempted to bring Cameron back in "Kids". Though he was unsuccessful the first try, she later agreed to return to work in exchange for a date. Despite an uncharacteristic show of romance by House (he bought her a corsage), the date did not go well as Cameron rejected his attempt at small talk to instead try and gain an insight as to what he felt about her. House coldly responded, "You live under the delusion that you can fix everything that isn't perfect. That's why you married a man who was dying of cancer. You don't love; you need. And now that your husband is dead, you're looking for your new charity case. That's why you're going out with me. I'm twice your age, I'm not great looking, I'm not charming, I'm not even nice. What I am is what you need. I'm damaged." The exchange was implied to have saddened Cameron when her co-workers observed the next morning that she looked as if she'd been crying.
Cameron diagnosed House's condition as he was recounting the story of his infarction in the guise of three different patients to medical students in a lecture hall. Though he dismissed it by reminding her that it wasn't her case, she reminded him that there was nothing wrong with a consult. Cameron would approach House in the first season finale as he was observing his old flame, Stacy Warner, with her husband and acknowledged his rejection.
"I thought you were too screwed up to love anyone. I was wrong. You just couldn't love me. It's OK. I'm happy for you."
Season 2
Simmering tensions between House and Cameron boiled over in the second season premiere, as she encountered a woman in the clinic, Cindy Kramer, whose only symptom had been a cough but her x-ray revealed that she had lung cancer leaving her with only six months to live. Though a consult with Wilson confirmed this, Cameron refused to deliver the news believing that more tests needed to be done. Preoccupied by another case and his ex-girlfriend's return, House refused a request for a differential and was dismissive of her patient's plight whilst berating Cameron for not informing her of her condition. Later, an inebriated House lamented to his patient (a death row inmate) that he "could've hit that" after Cameron came across their drinking session and left in disgust. His patient bemusedly observed that he was "the one that should be locked up" when he confirmed that they hadn't had sex. They later had another heated argument when Cameron confronted her boss head on about his blatantly vicious treatment of her after he denied her a diagnostic procedure yet again. House only gleefully marveled at her rage, observing that she was running through the gamut of emotions in the five stages of grief (which he had earlier written on the light board in response to her initial request) in a particularly short time. He would make a small concession to Cameron, however, by allowing her to perform the procedure after she agreed to cover more of his clinic hours. Wilson later also took issue with her apparent attachment to her patient but this didn't faze her: she was seen hugging a shell shocked Cindy after breaking the news in the closing moments of the episode.
After Cameron was asked out on a date with the world renowned Dr. Sebastian Charles, House asked her if she had accepted, revealing that he had seen them holding hands in his hospital room before questioning her when she told him that she probably wouldn't. Upon Cameron's claim that there was practically no future for the both of them (he worked in Africa), House made light of her marriage and quipped that maybe the real reason was because there "was too much of a future now" and that she was only attracted to him because he was literally dying (albeit briefly) for his cause. Cameron merely scoffed at this, sarcastically firing back, "Right. It's that simple. I put a label on them and go from there."
To this day, Cameron is the only member of House's department thus far to meet his parents, John and Blythe, when they stopped by to see him. They invited her to have a drink with them but she declined to House's relief. He would later privately thank Cameron for doing so, and then surprisingly confided in her about his family before going on to compare her to his father whom he has issues with saying they both possessed an "insane moral compass" and that it was a "crappy quality for a dad".
During PPTH's charity casino night, House was rendered speechless during a differential when he turned around and saw Cameron made up in a red dress. He recovered momentarily and asked, "What were we talking about?"
As Foreman fought for his life after being afflicted by an unknown disease via a patient, Cameron was forced to pay a visit to the latter's squalid apartment in an effort to find the source of infection, defiantly ignoring House's repeated warnings to stay away from the place. Her own motivation was borne out of a need to help herself having been exposed to the disease after she was deliberately stabbed with a needle by Foreman, but this was later contradicted by House when he caught her after she had performed a search on the premises. After Cameron revealed what Foreman had done, House quietly admonished her and suggested that she should have taken the gun he kept in his office and shot him instead of giving "the b****** every thing he wanted". When he wondered out loud "what a guy has to do to make you hate him", Cameron did not dignify his reaction with a response. Later, they clashed again regarding a brain biopsy for Foreman as the latter was placed in an induced coma. Cameron, who had been named medical proxy, maintained her belief that the procedure needed to be done but compromised when House pleaded with her for more time, only to be forced into doing the biopsy when Foreman's oxygen statistics dropped just as House found the source of the disease at the apartment at the same time.
In the second season finale, viewers gained an insight into House's mind when he hallucinated subsequent to being shot. During his hallucination, his subconscious has Cameron keep a vigil by his bedside for two days after his surgery and later, using her as a lab rat, House used a surgical robot to begin to undress her in the midst of convincing a patient to undergo surgery. When he awakened as he was being transported to the emergency room, House entrusts Cameron to inform Cuddy that he wants ketamine to relieve the pain in his leg.
Season 3
House asked Cameron out on a date in his first week back at work. Bewildered and flustered, she declined his invitation citing a list of reasons while he smirked at her as she was turning him down which, in turn, confused her. Bemusedly, House declared almost victoriously that she was only interested in him when he was still a "sick puppy". Cameron dryly observed that he was still not healthy, limp or no limp.
Cameron found herself lying to the police for House when Detective Michael Tritter approached her and inquired as to the amount of Vicodin her boss consumed on a daily basis. In a separate incident, when she was questioned again by Tritter, Cameron denied that she was in love with House but he observed that while House is "unhinged", "unethical" and "does what he wants with no concern for others", she remains steadfastly loyal to him, anyway.
Cameron visited House at his apartment to discuss their patient's condition and found her boss detoxing and cutting himself in order to release endorphins to lessen his pain as he struggled to cope without Vicodin. She tended to his wounds but still flatly refused any entreaties for drugs after he tried resisting giving her his medical opinion without it. Pleading with House to cease his drug seeking behavior, she expressed confidence that he could live without it by pointing out that he'd stayed clean for months after being shot. The latter's only retort was that it was only because "it had something to do with the absence of pain".
Angered by Wilson's deal with Tritter, the former confronted Cameron which led her to accuse him of giving up House to the authorities for a two month stay at a rehab facility in exchange for his practice and his financial assets. Wilson protested his innocence but conceded that though it wasn't the "easy thing to do", he was convinced that it was the right move. Cameron bitterly noted that pretension that his motives were pure was why she had a problem with him. However, Cameron seemed to have made up with Wilson after she gave House a hug after finding out that he had offered his best friend an apology. At a loss on how to respond, House awkwardly excused himself and left for his trial.
When everyone was led to believe that House had terminal brain cancer, Cameron kissed him which initially startles him but he passionately reciprocates. The kiss ended, however, when he seized her hand as she reached for a syringe in her pocket, revealing the kiss to be a ploy to distract him in order to obtain a blood sample. Though she wasn't successful, House conceded the whereabouts of his medical history to her in a moment of vulnerability afterwards which later led the team to disprove the diagnosis. When they visited him to tell him the news, they were surprised when House became agitated, consequently revealing that their boss had faked the illness in order to get into a medical trial at Massachusetts General Hospital using another man's medical file. Cameron, Chase and Foreman were stunned by his actions and left his apartment in anger.
After he found out about Cameron's relationship with Chase, House was apparently indifferent until the duo protested about a dangerous diagnostic procedure and informed Cuddy about it. In retaliation, he told his boss about his employees' sexual encounter in the janitor's closet which led her to have a talk with Cameron who lambasted House for interfering. When Chase later backed Cameron during a differential, House's hackles were raised again and he subsequently revealed their secret once more to a surprised Foreman. Further attempting to needle her by insinuating that she was promiscuous, Cameron sharply protested that she wasn't making her way through anyone before House abruptly asked her if she loved Chase. Before she could respond, however, Cuddy interrupted and directed their attention back to the patient.
Cameron's professional relationship with House ended when she resigned in the third season finale. Upon her claim that she had learned all she could from him, House sardonically questioned if she wanted him to "break down and apologize" but Cameron simply chuckled and replied, "No. I expect you to do what you always do. I expect you to make a joke and go on. I expect you to be just fine." She then quietly bid him farewell, brushing his arm with her hand and admitted that she would miss him before departing.
Dr. Robert Chase
Season 1
Chase has always been attracted to Cameron and this was explored early on in the series when Foreman caught him looking at her longingly. He immediately warned Chase that it was inadvisable to go after their colleague and later informed Cameron about it. She later took advantage of this by cornering him in the department's office and apologized for being glib when she was talking about sex earlier before launching into a breathless tangent when a wide eyed Chase tried to assure her that they don't have to talk about it.
Foreman and House walked in after this encounter and Cameron promptly acted as if nothing happened. Later, Chase attempted to ask her out but she cut him off with a firm "no" before he could finish his question.
Season 2
Cameron was exposed to HIV in season two after a patient accidentally coughed blood into her mouth and eyes. This led Chase to reach out to her by offering to take her out for a drink to relax as she was put under a course of antiretroviral drugs. The patient, on the other hand, was baffled as to why she was still so calm about her predicament after he apologized to Cameron and later told her that contracting HIV might have been the best thing that happened to him since he now lives his life to the fullest. Later, she called Chase to her apartment and he was taken aback when she suddenly kissed him. Prior to their one night stand, he discovered that she had stolen some of their patient's meth from the lab and gotten high. Though he initially resisted her advances, Cameron told him not to "turn into a good guy on me now". Their tryst was swiftly exposed by House the morning after during a differential after he observed an unraveled Cameron. Later, she and Chase met in the locker room and though they mutually agreed that the sex "didn't suck", he tells her that it shouldn't happen again.
Season 3
In Season 3, Cameron proposed a casual relationship to Chase on Valentine's Day. This took him by surprise and he sarcastically remarked that she viewed him "like microwave pizza" when she observed that it would be convenient for the both of them. His interest was piqued, however, when she replied that he was not the man she was looking for if he didn't agree to her terms. The first allusion to their burgeoning relationship was made when Chase suggested having sex in their boss's bed when they broke into House's apartment to which she expressed incredulity.
Their relationship intensified when they had clandestine sex at the hospital while on the clock, surprisingly at Cameron's lead. This made Foreman suspicious when he discovered them missing at the sleep laboratory where they were supposed to be monitoring a polysomnogram. He later questioned them; when he expressed his doubt that they were on a coffee break, Cameron lied to him by telling him the complete truth in such a way that he didn't believe her. Chase, perturbed, warned her that they were no longer having sex at work, accusing her of wanting to get caught and particularly give House a reason to be jealous. Cameron vehemently denied this, repeatedly claimed that she was over House and reminded him that all they were doing was "uncomplicated sex". His fear came true by the end of the episode when their boss caught them making out and undressing, under the pretense of throwing out old files in the janitor's closet.
Confused by House's seemingly apathetic stance on their affair, Cameron discussed with Chase why he hadn't attempted to create trouble for them yet which led Chase to look upon her concern with bitterness. Despite likening her curiosity about their boss's non-reaction to annoyance that House doesn't care that she's no longer available, Cameron was proved correct when he blew their secret out of the water informing Cuddy and Foreman. Emotions continued to run high when even Emma, their patient and a renowned photographer, told Chase to keep a photograph of Cameron that she took when he expressed interest in it. Though he feigned indifference, she informed him that she noticed the way he looks at Cameron. Emma then took a photo of him while he was fondly looking at her photograph. Cameron later came upon this picture as she was packing up Emma's equipment after her discharge and was awed by how he looked in it, claiming she got Chase to "glow".
Eventually, Cameron ended things when Chase states that he wants more than just sex. She reiterated that she didn't want to have a romantic relationship with him when they began bickering after their break up but later sincerely apologized for leading him on. Chase, however, refused to accept that she didn't harbor any romantic feelings for him and tried to woo her by leaving her a bouquet of flowers on top of her locker. Cameron was visibly touched by this gesture but told him that she was sure of her decision. Despite this, Chase tried to win her back by reminding her every Tuesday that he likes her and wants to be with her. Initially, Cameron was frustrated with the turn of events but seemingly came to accept his persistence, despite her rejection of him every week. After Chase found himself unemployed in the third season finale, Cameron expressed regret regarding his firing and told him that she'd miss him when they met up at a diner. He, in turn, apologized to her for his relentless pursuit of her in the past weeks. Later, however, Chase was surprised to find Cameron at his doorstep who said that she wasn't willing to wait for Tuesday, a sign that she was willing to try a relationship - which he immediately reciprocated with a kiss.
Trivia
- In the pilot episode, Cameron mentions that she has a criminal record (though, the statement is interpreted by some to be sarcasm).
- She hates sports metaphors ("Poison").
- Answers House's mail for him because he just throws it away.
This article primarily consists of material from the Wikipedia article "Dr. Allison Cameron" which is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
