The next day, House could barely get out of bed. He knew that he would have paid for his stunt the day before, but he had hoped it wouldn’t have been this much. His leg throbbed uncontrollably, tendrils of fire shooting through his battered muscles, searing his damaged nerves.

He fumbled around, finding his Vicodin the table and popping the lid. He poured a few (mentally he counted one…two…three…) and tossed them into his mouth, not really caring how many he took. Maybe he would call in sick today. But if he did that, there would by one day wasted where he could’ve tormented Wilson.

House shrugged to himself and waited for the pills to take effect. Was a day frustrated and in pain at work better than a day frustrated and in pain at home. He weighed the options in his mind. He could stay at home and watch porn, or he could go to work and prank Wilson (damn, he lost the game). He could stay at home and eat peanut butter, or he could go to work and steal Wilson’s fries. He could stay at home and plunk out tunes on his piano, or he could make rude comments about Cuddy’s shirt.

Well, he decided, work it is!

Groaning, he stood and fumbled for his pants. He slowly got dressed and thought about his agenda for the day.

“Operation: Lose The Game” was going to be anticlimactic today. House had no real big plans to torment Wilson. He did plan to bug him all day long though. The thought of it made House smile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Good morning, Melody,” Wilson all but sang as he entered his patient’s room, his cheery oncologist face on.

“Good morning, Dr. Wilson.” The nine year old girl watched her doctor pluck her chart off the end of the bed and flip through the pages.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Wilson smiled his charming smile as he checked the girl’s stats and noted something on her chart.

“Better, this morning,” Melody answered. She had been watching Dr. Wilson (she always thought he was cute…in a funny way of course) when something else caught her attention. There was an older man with a cane staring at Wilson from the other side of the glass wall. He was laughing and pointed at Wilson and a young blond man was standing beside him, trying to mask his amusement.

Melody raised an eyebrow and smiled at the funny old man. He looked silly standing out there, his laughter silent. Finally, curiosity overcame her and Melody leaned forward, her IV tubes crinkling as she tried to look at Dr. Wilson’s back, trying to figure out what was so funny.

On the back of his pristine white lab coat were two words written in thick black marker. Melody could not resist giggling as she saw. When her eyes met with the sparkling blue ones of the old man, she laughed out loud.

“I lost The Game!” She giggled. Wilson froze, nearly dropping his pen. He looked at the little girl, his eyes narrowing. She shrugged and pointed at House, who was still laughing silently on the other side of the wall. Wilson’s face turned red as he tossed the chart aside, mentioning that he’d be right back to finish the exam in a moment.

The glass door slid open and House was laughing loudly. Chase was smiling as well.

“I lost The Game, House. Are you happy? When is this going to stop?” Wilson snapped.

“Never!” House was still laughing. “Your back,” he said between breathes.

Wilson kept up his glare as he shrugged off the lab coat and glanced at the back.

“Damn you House.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

House had been extremely impressed with his first prank of the day. He decided just to get Wilson with his old standby, used frequently and often to make sure that his best friend kept up a healthy libido. The old send your buddy porn trick would be good. He knew that Wilson would be suspicious. It would all work out.

He went and found that hot video of those two guys he had seen yesterday and emailed it to Wilson. After he clicked send, he pulled out his pills and popped one, rubbing his aching thigh for a moment before waiting to take action.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wilson should’ve known better. He shouldn’t have watched the video. He knew House was up to something, but he couldn’t help but be curious. Unfortunately, before he could take care of the effects of the video, Cameron entered his office.

“Wilson, I need to talk to you.” She sat down directly across from him.

“About what? House I presume?” Wilson was proud he managed to keep his voice in check.

“Yes. You need to get him back,” Cameron said.

“Easier said than done.” Wilson shifted uneasily in his seat.

“Are you ok?” Cameron raised an eyebrow.

“Just fine.”

“All you need to do is think of some way to make him lose The Game. Spray paint it on his car, do something,” Cameron told him.

“Fine. I will think of something. Now please leave, I have work to do.” Wilson attempted to get rid of her. She nodded and left him to his privacy. Wilson felt like he should’ve told her to prank House herself, but he knew she’d never do it.

He turned back to the computer and closed the pornographic website. Shaking his head, he began to formulate the plan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“…and I don’t want a conversation. I just wanna cry in front of you.” House’s obnoxious voice sang through Wilson’s door as he opened it rudely.

“Nice try, House. You’re not going to catch me jerking off under my desk,” Wilson was flipping through some files, making notes here and there.

“I don’t wanna talk about it ‘cause I’m in love with you.” House crooned as he plopped into the chair in front of Wilson’s desk.

“Stop singing songs you’ve heard on Cameron’s iPod.” Wilson didn’t bother to look up.

“Fine. If you think Avril Lavigne is too girly for me, you can claim I heard it from Cameron.” House shrugged. “I heard she wants you to get back at me. Good luck, by the way.”

At this, Wilson did look up.

“Oh? Is that a challenge?” Wilson raised one bushy brown eyebrow.

“It could be. It depends. Are you up to it?” House raised an eyebrow back.

“Ten bucks every time we make each other lose The Game. I lose it, I pay you. You lose it, you pay me. Whoever ends up with fifty first wins. And your previous times don’t count.” Wilson set his pen down and leaned forward.

“Deal.” House smirked and stood. He stared at Wilson for moment before leaving the office quickly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cuddy ordered House to work in the clinic. House grudgingly limped his way down to the clinic to be tortured by insufferable idiots. He walked up to the nurses’ station out front and signed in. Nurse Brenda told him that there was a patient in exam room three waiting for him.

Giving her a grunt of acknowledgement, he found his way back to exam room three. He grabbed the patient’s file from the tray outside and walked inside. A middle aged man was sitting on the table looking around. House opened the file and glanced at the patient’s name.

“Holy crap,” House’s eyes widened at the name. On the chart, it read as “Thagayme, Yulahst”

“Hello Mr. Yoo-lah-st Thah-gay-mee,” House carefully sounded out the name. His eyebrows drew together as he stared at the paper. “Yoo-lahst Thah-game.” He muttered. “You lost the game.” He looked up. “Dammit! Wilson! I lost The damn Game!”

Wilson stepped out from behind the door where he had been hiding, his palm extended. “Ten bucks, House.”