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Chapter Four - Makot Mitzrayim- All Hail House

Lunch time, the time of day when people at Princeton Plainsboro teaching hospital, generally, attempted to find food. The extreme heat meant that many of the staff who found themselves off duty or able to grab a quick bite were situated inside the cafeteria, the air conditioning up to full. Those who considered themselves brave enough to venture outside, looked longingly back at the building, and weighed the possibility of entering it again without having to leave the shade.

Unaware of the battle of indecisiveness, Doctor James Wilson sat in his office with his shirt sleeves rolled up and his lab coat hanging on the back of his chair. He flipped another folder closed and ran a hand wearily across his forehead. Though the air-conditioning was on and his windows wide open he still felt the perspiration trickle down his neck. He reached for another file and delved head first into his work, trying to find a distraction from the intensifying dull throb in his skull.

He finished one page and glancing up made a grab for the cold cup of coffee in front of him. He lifted it to his lips then sighed as nothing came out. Apparently it wasn't half empty, it was fully empty. Standing stiffly Wilson stretched his back gently and groaned. He rolled his hunched shoulders willing the muscles to relax and crossed his office to the coffee pot by the window.

As he stood directly under the breeze of air con and filling his cup he glanced sideways through the glass door onto the balcony that separated both him and House in time to see the other Doctor holding a pile of what looked like clothing in the crook of his arm close the blinds and vanish from view.

With a shrug, House was always up to something, Wilson drank long and deep from his mug and then grimaced as the liquid burnt his throat. He really should go home but with the work he still had to do...no he had cancelled his appointments for the day and could sit and catch up first. He sat back down and pulled himself closer to the desk. Picking his pen up he read his last comment and started again.

So absorbed was he that he did not pay any attention some twenty minutes later or so to the door to his office opening quietly nor to the person who limped through it. It was not until a sharp bang announced the head of a cane on his desk that he even so much as gave his visitor reason to suspect he was aware of their presence at all. Disappointingly he didn't jump.

"House..." he sighed tiredly without looking up from his work. He raised his free hand in a placating sort of gesture and continued writing with the other. " I have three months worth of charting to do and two clinical trials to submit patients for. Whatever this is make it quick."

The other doctor's response was to draw the cane back across the desk onto the floor and back hooking Wilson's satchel with it.

"It's lunch time." House said. His tone light and matter of fact. He limped over and dropped himself into the chair opposite causing Wilson to sigh again when he heard the seat springs creak as though he realised that the sound meant his visitor was hunkering down for the long hall. He needed to nip that in the bud quickly.

"And..."Wilson began still without looking up, as though eye contact would seal his doom. " ..You've lost your way to the cafeteria again? Funny how you always seem to find it no problem when i'm there."

A rustle of foil sounded before House spoke again. "It's Ham and pickle day." He said as if this answered all of the potential questions that were about to come up.

That did it, Wilson paused in his notation his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "You don't like pickle..." he finally looked up at his friend.

House sat relaxed, leaning back into the chair as he fiddled with a foil package.

"Exactly. However, thanks to our esteemed dean of medicine cutting corners on this months food budget the cafeteria now...on Tuesdays serves ham and pickle. I've been forced to seek out alternatives" House replied as he peeled the two bits of sandwich from inside the foil apart to peer at the filling.