New Fic: What You Need: The Sixth One

[namaste]

Title: What You Need: The Sixth One
Author: Namaste
Summary: "So where do you buy these things? Do they have cane stores?" -- John Henry Giles, "DNR" Stories of how House came by his canes over the years, told through a series of short fics. PG. This one is about 460 words. Part six of thirteen.



The sixth one is a bit ... Wilson's eyebrows raise as he looks at the cane House is holding.

"It's a bit ..." Wilson repeats, "ostentatious, don't you think?"

"The word you wanted was 'bling,'" House says.

"No, I'm pretty sure 'bling' is not the word I wanted to use."

Wilson takes the cane, turns it slowly until the engraved silver handle is directly in front of him. He leans in to stare at it.

"It's a snake," he says.

"I thought about buying two of them so I'd have a caduceus, but that seemed a little over the top." House takes the cane back from Wilson, spins it between his fingers. The light shining through the windows bounces off the polished handle and onto the dark walls.

The light flashes past Chase in the other room, sitting at the table, but he pretends to concentrate on his journal once he realizes House sees him. Chase has been working alone ever since Walters quit without giving notice a month ago. House knows he should find a replacement, but hasn't bothered to start looking yet. At least Chase isn't complaining about the extra work.

"And one snake-shaped, silver handled cane isn't over the top?"

House turns away from Chase, looks back at Wilson. "I'm making a statement," he says.

"And that statement would be ... what?" Wilson spreads his hands wide. "Look at me?"

House shrugs. "They're going to look anyway." He senses their eyes on the cane every time he enters a room. Whenever he tries to take a patient history, they just ask about his. It's even worse when they don't ask, and only stare.

At least with Chase there, he doesn't have to bother seeing patients, except when he wants to see them -- on his own terms, and usually when they're too sick to notice the cane or the limp. By then, the only thing they want to know is whether they'll live.

House realizes that Wilson is staring at him, as if he could read his mind just by the set of his eyes or his posture. House rolls his eyes, swings his legs up onto the corner of the desk to distract whatever thoughts Wilson is piecing together. He taps the cane's handle on the opposite side of the desk, points it toward Wilson.

"It's not an everyday kind of cane," House says. "It's only for special occasions."

Wilson closes his eyes for just a moment. When he opens them again, House realizes he's given something away -- or at least Wilson thinks House has. "So it's only for those times when you want people to take notice."

House looks Wilson in the eye. "If you're going to make a statement," he says, "you might as well make it a big one."

The seventh one is something Wilson picks up ...

Comments

[daisylily.livejournal.com]

So very House - and I love Wilson's reaction, too. I really like the way these are weaving around canon now.

I loved the fifth one, too - I could definitely see House going for the 'stealth' model :D

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I kind of figured that the sixth and fifth canes are mirror images of House's attitude, depending on his state of mind.

[3kelvin.livejournal.com]

House turns away from Chase, looks back at Wilson. "I'm making a statement," he says.

"And that statement would be ... what?" Wilson spreads his hands wide. "Look at me?"

LOL. I can hear their voices and see their expressions. Very nicely done.

Love the last sentence!

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Even though these are short fics, I like getting their banter in there when possible.

[warmdarkwoman.livejournal.com]

A wonderful assay of that pimp cane, which has always been my favorite of House's canes. Michigan represent! :p

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

I dig the pimp cane too, so I had to work it in here as the first of our "canon" canes.

[cindy-lou-who8.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you included this cane in the anthology. I can definately see this conversation occurring. :) I will be so sad to see these fics are done.

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

We're just about at the halfway point now, so I'm just hoping that my plans for the series hold tight for me.

[phinnia.livejournal.com]

this is marvelous. I agree with his sentiment at the end, wholeheartedly. <3 <3

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I figure House is the "go big or go home" kind of a guy.

[makeitstopjamie.livejournal.com]

So House! Love:)

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[hibernia1.livejournal.com]

For some reason this made me laugh: "No, I'm pretty sure 'bling' is not the word I wanted to use." - it's so Wilson!! The whole conversation is wonderfully in character. Great new chapter. I was hoping you'd give us the background for this cane, and you did!

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The "bling" line came to me as soon as I knew I'd include the pimp cane.

[blackmare-9.livejournal.com]

Love. I was waiting for House to get around to that "they're gonna stare anyway, so I'll give 'em a better reason" attitude that I figured had to show up sometime.

And Wilson's way of assessing him here is just so perfectly Wilson.

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And yeah, we definitely had to get him to the "screw it, they're going to stare anyway" moment.

[angelcat2865.livejournal.com]

This makes me smile.:)

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's nice to give some of these a lighter atmosphere.

[joe-pike-junior.livejournal.com]

This is a great carry-on from the previous fic.

The light shining through the windows bounces off the polished handle and onto the dark walls.
I see House is getting more adept at cane-twirling. Nice.

You've shown the passage of time really well in this one.

[namasteyoga.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I did want to play with the two sides of the coin -- wanting no one to notice, and yet wanting to sometimes get their attention.