Title: Eighty Hours
Fandom: House MD
Characters: House/Wilson friendship (pre-slash if you squint)
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Prompt: None
Disclaimer: I don't own House.
Summary: House and Wilson wait for Halo 3 in Walmart for almost 4 days. House will get bored, Wilson will get annoyed, random people will be present, and Cuddy will bother House. Part 1/4.
Word count: 882
Status: 1/4
A/N: In honor of Halo 3 coming out the same day as House s4, I bring you this four part story about House, Wilson, and Walmart. This takes place anytime during the Houseverse, and assumes House owns an Xbox 360.
"You actually got time off for this?" Wilson asked, and House glanced over at him before returning his view to the road.
"Of course. Except for my Aunt Ella dying and not for going to Walmart to wait for almost four days. Same thing." Wilson almost smiled before asking another question.
"And how did you get me out of work?" House didn't even bother to move his glance to Wilson.
"Emotional support."
"And Cuddy believed you?" Wilson said. House thought for awhile before answering.
"Actually, it was pretty weird," he mused, "she practically didn't question me at all. Normally I have to promise her sexual favors or a million clinic hours to get off for even 1 day."
After House and Wilson arrived at Walmart, they set off to find where the line started. "So what is this for again?" Wilson asked, searching for an employee.
"Halo 3, best game ever," House replied, grabbing a Walmart greeter with his cane. "Where's the Halo line?"
The kid looked up to him, eyes wide. He quickly pointed towards the Home and Garden section. "You're the fourth group to come. The line's over there."
House nodded and started off towards the line, leaving Wilson to thank the boy before catching up to him. "You mean," Wilson asked, walking with House, "that people are here now? I thought three days was early." House quickly answered.
"No way. People have waited longer. In fact, I'm surprised we're only fourth."
As they made their way to the Home and Garden section, House and Wilson came across a scattered mess of sleeping bags, backpacks, and lawn chairs. "Do you have the stuff I told you to bring?" House asked. Wilson nodded.
"Two sleeping bags, a bunch of food, two pillows..." he said while pulling each item out of the bag he was carrying. "And... some money. That's it, right?" House responded by reaching for the car keys.
"One more thing."
Ten minutes later, House came back with a man and a women carrying a small television. He was carrying an Xbox 360, controllers, and cables in a garbage bag. "They're waiting too, and I promised them first dibs on controllers," House explained, gesturing to the couple. House quickly set up the TV and Xbox and began recruiting people to play him in Halo 2. Wilson began setting up camp.
By the time the excitement of killing each other in Halo ended, Wilson had long past finished setting up their sleeping bags and chairs, and was now reading a magazine. He kept getting distracted, however, by the people around him who were throwing footballs, playing video games, and generally making a lot of noise. It was odd, he thought, how different the people in the line could be. The first person was a single guy, sitting in a lawn chair. He silently rocked out with ear buds tucked firmly in his ears. It looked like he had been there for at least a day longer than they had.
The second group of people in line was four teenagers, laughing loudly and chugging cans of soda. They were stationed over a Risk board, but the game was frequently interrupted by a joke or story.
The group to the direct right to them was just two older guys, who were passing the time by reading. They looked like they had done this before: their equipment was laid out perfectly and they had just the right amount of food and clothing.
And then there was him and House, two established doctors sleeping on the floor of a Walmart and spending their days killing people in a video game.
Wilson tried to find House in the crowd. He wasn't by the Xbox, or standing near the people passing the football, or watching the small portable television someone brought... there he was. House was sitting off to the side, leaning against the wall, playing his PSP. He looked completely isolated in his little corner of the wall: people were stepping wide around his cane splayed on the floor.
Eventually House made his way over to Wilson. He collapsed in one of the chairs and took a Vicodin. "How are you going to manage sleeping on the ground?" Wilson asked, gesturing to House's leg.
"Vicodin. Lots of Vicodin." Wilson winced before House continued "...and besides, Halo 3 is probably worth it."
Wilson couldn't see how a video game was worth untold amounts of pain, but he kept silent. He knew when to question House and when to just leave him alone.
Slowly people began gravitating towards their sleeping bags and lawn chairs. Eventually almost everyone was asleep, or were close to it. Wilson got out of his chair and settled into a sleeping bag. Just before he fell completely asleep, Wilson heard House carefully settle himself inside a sleeping bag next to him. He finally dosed off on the concrete floor, listening to House snore softly.