Who: Fox Mulder and The Doctor/Handy
When: Driving through the desert and growing tired, Mulder decides he needs to find a place to crash for the night.
Where: Hotel Lobby
What: Entrance Post
( A Beginning )
It was late when Handy finally finished his visit to Jack and left room 105, ready to head for his own room a floor up and get some sleep. He probably should have stopped drinking before he had, but the hours had rolled on, as they had a tendency to do, and it wasn't as if he had to be anywhere in the morning.
He made his way down the hall toward the stairs, wobbling slightly as he went and holding a hand out to trace along the wall. The lift might have been a better idea, but force of habit had him planning to climb the stairs. Anyway, he hadn't really trusted the lift for a long time now.
Handy didn't see anyone ahead of him, but that was probably because he was looking at his feet, trying to make sure that one kept going in front of the other.
Mulder tried to locate an elevator or a staircase, but it was beginning to seem futile due to his blurred vision. He had to admit, he was exhausted. Thinking back, he couldn't remember a time he wanted to sleep so badly, but then again he was even too tired to think straight.
With his room key in his hand, he continued to walk forward, keeping his eye out for something that would bring him to the next floor.
He must have been more out of it than he thought, because the next thing he knew, he was colliding into something...someone?
Immediately, he took a few steps back and put a hand out. "Jeez... sorry... sorry."
Handy noticed the man in front of him around the time the pair of them rebounded off one another. He staggered, only staying upright because he fell against the wall rather than away from it.
"Oh!" he said, trying to keep his feet under him. "Sorry - I didn't see you. Sorry."
"Yeah... yeah... Just watch where you're going." Mulder was sure he had heard that on television millions of times. It was all that came to mind. He was cranky and in dire need of sleep. Then he sighed.
"Look, I apologize, uh -- do you know where I can find the elevator?"
"The lift?" The fog in Handy's brain wasn't doing him any favors. He glanced down the hall, then back up it. "Ah...hmm."
The truth was, he wasn't sure right now. He was fairly positive he was heading in the right direction for the stairs, but the lift was another matter entirely.
Mulder eyed the man strangely. He could have sworn he smelled a waft of alcohol. Every now and then he spent a decent amount of time in a bar. It wasn't too difficult for him to deduce if someone had recently been drinking.
"I'm going to the stairs," clarified Handy, feeling that this must need clarifying, based on the look the other man was giving him. "To go up them. My room's upstairs."
That should settle that. He nodded to himself, and gestured in the direction he'd been walking. "This way." He wobbled a bit as he pushed off the wall, but stayed on his feet.
Mulder watched him strangely, but with a slight feeling of amusement. He held back a smile as he watched the man attempt to stay on his feet.
He began to head to the stairs. He had a feeling he shouldn't let this man walk up on his own. "Lead the way." He gestured. The smile he was hiding before had now come through.
Handy grinned back, unaware he was the source of the other man's amusement. He kept a hand on the wall to steady himself, and went back to making his way down the hall.
"I'm the Doctor," he said after a beat, suddenly remembering that he didn't actually know who this was. "What's your name?"
"It's 'Doctor,' not 'Doc,'" Handy corrected him, mildly affronted. "Always shortening it - it's just two slybal - syllal - sylbables." He frowned, knowing he still hadn't got it right, but decided to move on rather than give it another shot. "It's short enough."
"Okay, okay. My apologies, Doc. Doctor. Whatever your name is..." Mulder mumbled. He yawned and soon came across the staircase. "What floor's your room on?"
"Second. Room two hundred - two-oh-oh. But it's only one floor up - bloody American way of doing it." Not that it really made a difference either way to an alien, but when one was used to the British way of doing things, one did tend to get a little set in one's ways. Not that he wasn't simply used to doing things the hotel's way by now.
"Well, let's get movin'." Mulder refused to leave the Doctor's side for now. Regardless of his exhausted state, he knew the man was drunk and didn't want him to end up stumbling down the stairs. He decided he would guide him to his room then head to his own, ultimately crashing onto the bed. Then he'd head out first thing in the morning... Or so he thought...
Jack had apparently figured Handy could make it back to his own room just fine - or else hadn't been in a condition to stop him from leaving. Either was possible.
"Yep - 's not far." This was exactly where Handy had intended to go, so running into Mulder had just been a random quirk of an otherwise ordinary trip. He wobbled his way up the steps, hanging onto the railing as he went. "I haven't seen you before," he commented after a moment, sounding puzzled.
Mulder felt a little confused. "That's because I've just checked in." He explained with a slight tilt of the head. "Do you work here or something?" He asked curiously. This was the first time he'd ever been to a hotel where someone mentioned not seeing him before. It almost felt like moving into a new neighborhood.
He made his way down the hall toward the stairs, wobbling slightly as he went and holding a hand out to trace along the wall. The lift might have been a better idea, but force of habit had him planning to climb the stairs. Anyway, he hadn't really trusted the lift for a long time now.
Handy didn't see anyone ahead of him, but that was probably because he was looking at his feet, trying to make sure that one kept going in front of the other.
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With his room key in his hand, he continued to walk forward, keeping his eye out for something that would bring him to the next floor.
He must have been more out of it than he thought, because the next thing he knew, he was colliding into something...someone?
Immediately, he took a few steps back and put a hand out. "Jeez... sorry... sorry."
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"Oh!" he said, trying to keep his feet under him. "Sorry - I didn't see you. Sorry."
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"Look, I apologize, uh -- do you know where I can find the elevator?"
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The truth was, he wasn't sure right now. He was fairly positive he was heading in the right direction for the stairs, but the lift was another matter entirely.
"I could take you to the stairs," he offered.
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"Yeah, sure..." He said slowly. "Sounds great."
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That should settle that. He nodded to himself, and gestured in the direction he'd been walking. "This way." He wobbled a bit as he pushed off the wall, but stayed on his feet.
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He began to head to the stairs. He had a feeling he shouldn't let this man walk up on his own. "Lead the way." He gestured. The smile he was hiding before had now come through.
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"I'm the Doctor," he said after a beat, suddenly remembering that he didn't actually know who this was. "What's your name?"
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"Nice to meet you, Doc, name's Mulder."
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"Yep - 's not far." This was exactly where Handy had intended to go, so running into Mulder had just been a random quirk of an otherwise ordinary trip. He wobbled his way up the steps, hanging onto the railing as he went. "I haven't seen you before," he commented after a moment, sounding puzzled.
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