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Surprises
by Jackyblu
Dr. Greg House limped into the office of Dr. James Wilson, dropped into a chair and put his feet on the younger doctor's desk pushing a neat pile of files to the floor as he did so.
Wilson got out of his chair and with a sigh knelt on the floor restacking the files back in order.
"Well come in. Why don't you sit down? Put your feet up and get comfortable."
"Thanks."
"Why no, I'm not busy right now."
"Obviously if you have time to shuffle papers. I get it. Trying to look busy for Cuddy. Don't worry your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you." Wilson started to put the files back on his desk, gave House a look and then wisely chose to set them on top of his filing cabinet instead.
"What are friends for?" He inclined his head modestly.
"Oh I don't know...disrupting work, invading your office, bumming lunch and dinner."
House gave Wilson a look. "...Invading your office, moving in with you, ignoring advice on wife number two..."
Wilson put his hands up in an attitude of surrender. "Point taken."
House licked his index finger and drew a one in the air.
"Why are you here?"
"Why are any of us here?"
"I refuse to be drawn into a philosophical discussion at 2:30 in the afternoon."
"What time works for you?"
"Got 10:30 July 15th open."
"I'll pencil you in on my planner."
"You don't have a planner. I doubt you have a pencil."
"Okay, I'll just remember the date."
Sadly Wilson thought that was probably true. This House would remember. Meeting him later for dinner tonight...probably not. "So what brings you to my office...besides your size 14 Nike's and a cane." Wilson looked smug knowing he had headed off House's smart-ass answer.
"Oh nothing."
"Nothing?" Wilson was highly suspicious. "You didn't come by for a consult?"
"Nope. Not cancer."
"You have an idea you want to bounce of me?"
"Nope. Just waiting for some test results, but I'm sure I have it figured out."
"Figures. So, you're just bored?"
"No."
He looks so damn comfortable sitting with his feet up on 'my' desk wearing that superior little smile of his. "Can't be food. 'I' just fed you an hour ago. You want me to buy you a coke now?"
"No thanks. I'm good."
Wilson let the comment that was trying to jump off his tongue about House, the word good, and being struck by lightning for uttering such an obvious falsehood, but he let it go for the moment. There was a puzzle here for Wilson to solve. And the biggest piece was smiling at him from across the desk. "Not bored. Not a consult. Not hungry. You're just here...for no apparent reason."
"I have a very good reason to be here Jimmy." House was still smiling and his blue eyes looked sincere.
Yipe, he called me Jimmy. We are about to go into that weird, uncharted, screwed-up friendship portion of what ever it is we have. Wilson sighed again, "I'm not sure I have the strength to go where ever it is you're trying to lead me today House."
"You underestimate yourself James."
First names? This was getting serious. "House really. I have a stack of work to get to this afternoon."
House fixed his blue eyes on Wilson. They were warm and again sincere. "It will keep a couple of minutes more." House reached into his jacket pocket.
For the umpteenth time Wilson thought about the enigma of Greg House. Suit jacket over rumpled dress shirt, over jeans, over Nikes. He dressed like he should be holding a sign,
'Will perform medical miracles for food.' Wilson had to chuckle to himself because upon reflection...
House pulled a box from the inside pocket of his gray jacket. It was white and tied with a gold ribbon. He set it on the desk and slid it forward to Wilson without a word.
Wilson stared at it a moment, caught completely by surprise. He picked it up and held it trying to think of a complete sentence to say. The best he came up with was. "House..."
"There is something inside it, should you care to look."
Oh course, he was expected to open it in the givers presence. Wilson pulled off the ribbon and then opened the box. He parted the tissue that carefully hid the gift within and couldn't believe his eyes. "A Mizpah." Wilson looked at the half gold coin in the box attached to a gold neck chain.
"You know the significance I assume?"
"Genesis 31:49. 'Jehovah doth watch between me and thee, for we are hidden one from another.'
"Exactly."
Wilson could feel his eyes tear a bit. "And who has the other half?"
House undid another button of his rumpled dress shirt and revealed the other portion of the coin hanging from a gold chain resting on his chest. "Happy Birthday James."
"Thank you Greg. It is the best gift I have ever received."
House re-buttoned his shirt. "It wasn't that much." He was feeling a bit self-conscious now.
"Yes it is. It is a testament to friendship, to our friendship. It means everything."
House took his feet off the desk and placed them on the floor. "Now I could do with that coke!"
Wilson turned to remove his lab coat and hang it on his chair, when he saw House wipe the corner of his eye. Ha! Caught you, you big lug. Wilson smiled to himself. He would NEVER mention it to House. He just put it away as another birthday surprise from his best friend.
*
Happy Birthday to Robert Sean Leonard. May you be confounded by House for many years to come!
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Legal Disclaimer: The authors published here make no claims on the ownership of Dr. Gregory House and the other fictional residents of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Like the television show House (and quite possibly Dr. Wilson's pocket protector), they are the property of NBC/Universal, David Shore and undoubtedly other individuals of whom I am only peripherally aware. The fan fiction authors published here receive no monetary benefit from their work and intend no copyright infringement nor slight to the actual owners. We love the characters and we love the show, otherwise we wouldn't be here.
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