Fic : Puzzle Solving

[menolly_au]

 
Title: Puzzle Solving
Author: menolly_au
Words: 548
Warnings : None
Summary : Wilson attempts to turn off an air conditioner. House 'helps'

Bit of fluff with barely-there Sick!Wilson written for Camp Sick!Wilson Random Challenge

Prompts were - air conditioning, a running shoe and Stonehenge





“Little help here would be nice.”

House stared at his friend's back. Wilson was standing on a chair, stretching his arm out towards the ancient air conditioner which hummed nosily in the corner, located above and behind the large closet.

“Cripple” he reminded Wilson, in case the other man had forgotten. “Anyway, you're the one obsessing about the air conditioner. You fix it.”

In truth House had been sleeping peacefully when he'd been awoken by Wilson's antics. Apparently the noise the old air conditioner was making was keeping Wilson awake.

“I can't quite reach the off switch,” Wilson muttered. “I need to use something...” He got down from the chair and hunted around the floor, finally coming up with a running shoe. House's running shoe as it happened.

“Shame the remote control isn't working. You could turn if off with that.” House said from his comfortable bed.

Wilson turned around and glared at him. “Yes, it's a shame that someone took the batteries out of the remote control and used them for their stupid game machine.”

“Well, I wouldn't have had to do that if you hadn't booked us into this crummy hotel in the middle of nowhere. No cable, no porn, no pizza delivery. Nothing to do but a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece.”

Wilson rolled his eyes. “Just shut up about the missing piece of the puzzle House. It's not there, you can't solve the puzzle – let it go.”

Wilson turned back to the air conditioner. Balancing on his toes on the chair he reached out with House's tennis shoe towards the on/off button. Almost there....

There was a crack, and then the leg of the chair gave away. As the chair fell Wilson fell with it, his arms and legs flailing, his head cracking against the edge of House's bed on the way down.

He lay still for a moment, head aching, his eyes closed. He would never hear the end of this.

He opened his eyes in surprise when he felt House's hands probing at his head.

“You're not bleeding. Doesn't seem to be much of a lump.”

“I'm fine House. No damage done.”

Blue eyes peered intently into his for a moment and then House nodded. Suddenly House jerked his head to one side and stared underneath the bed. He reached his hand out and snatched something up. He cradled it to himself protectively.

“What is it?”

House didn't answer, lumbering to his feet and across to the desk in the corner of the room. Triumphantly he placed the last puzzle piece in the jigsaw, revealing the completed picture of Stonehenge.

“Told you it would be here somewhere.”

Wilson shook his head.

“Glad to have helped House, it was no bother.” He painfully got to his feet and looked up in the corner. The air conditioner was silent, apparently he had managed to hit the switch just before falling off the chair.

Both men got back into bed. Lights were switched off and Wilson settled down to sleep.

“Hey Wilson!”

Wilson groaned.

“What is it House? I need to get some sleep.”

“I'm too hot. Can you put the air conditioner back on?”