House was sitting perfectly still in his office. The minions were talking about some case or other – it didn't matter because he already knew that it was giardiasis from the rather imaginative stool samples – and he was bored out of his mind.
He began to count doubles in his head. It was something to do.
One; two; four; eight; sixteen; sixty-four; 128; 256; 612; 1,024; 2,048; 4,096; 8,192; 16,384; 32,768; 65,536; and then he lost track.
Damn. Well, that had killed a minute or two.
He pressed his cane to his forehead and laughed quietly to himself. He knew something that he could count, because he remembered every single one.
He had finished at 340,897 before Wilson stopped and asked if they were going to have lunch together. House said yes, Wilson smiled, and House told his minions to call the Center for Disease Control about the giardiasis.
340,898, he ticked off.
In the hall, House said something that didn't matter and Wilson said something back and they both laughed. 340,899.
When House had Wilson pay (again), Wilson just smiled. House leaned over and kissed him. 340,900.
Wilson was surprised. "Is that another hundred already?"
"Better. There's only one more hundred until we get to another thousand," House said happily.
Wilson just blushed.
The woman at the register gave them lunch free.
I did all the doubles in my head. I'm proud of me.