Take Me Drunk, I'm Home

Posted on Wed Jan 13th, 2016 @ 11:27pm by Commander Louie Rousseau & Lieutenant Commander Cyrus Thorn

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Lt. Commander Rousseau's Quarters

* Louie’s Quarters *

“Cy, my friend, have I got a tory..a story..to tell you, brother.” Louie was weaving his way along the corridor, his quarters within sight now. “An’ yer not gonna believe it either. Not sho sure...so sure...I would if I hadn’t seen it. Are we there yet?”

“Just about,” Cyrus was slowly following Louie, intervening when he careened too close to a door or a wall. He knew from experience that helping Louie - actually taking some of his weight and hobbling along with him - would result in wearing, worst case scenario, vomit; best case scenario, spittle. He didn’t care for either. “Two more doors, Lou. Keep moving. And tell me the story once we’re inside.”

They reached the door and Louie pressed the chime, then waited. When nothing happened, he pressed it again. A moment later, he gave Cy a sheepish look. “Oh. This is mine. Gotcha.” It took a few attempts but he finally got his fingers to cooperate and entered the code. He leaned against the doors waiting, and when they parted in the middle, he went with them, landing in a heap on the carpet.

“Well, that sucked.”


Barely suppressing his laughter, Cyrus watched his friend then stepped in to help him up. “Up ya come,” he said and helped him to the couch. “Just sit and I’ll get you some water and an antidote.”

“Sure thing.” Louie leaned his head back, looked at the ceiling and immediately regretted it when the room began to spin. “Let’s not do that again,” he mumbled. “So what do you think about this Cy?”

“I don’t know what to think.” He came back from the kitchen with a glass and two pills. “Take these and ...well, I’m not sure who you’d call in the morning.” He handed the items to Louie and sat in the armchair. “She looks just like Celine and has her name. There’s a whole lot of weirdness and then even more weirdness there.”

“Yeah.” Louie swallowed the pills, then took a sip of water. “What’s so messed up is that I’m trying to look at her as somebody else, not...well...you know.” He drank some more water and was glad to see his head was clearing. Whatever was in those two pills the nurse had sent with them was good stuff.

“You should have called me instead of getting drunk and letting Helena call me,” Cy admonished him.

“Yeah, hindsight. I actually just popped in to hear the music and think and thinking is what did me in,” Louie admitted. “I was circling that same old black hole and fell into it.”

"Uh-huh." Cyrus shook his head. "Well, those pills should wipe out the alcohol in your system in a few minutes. Drink some more water."

Louie obediently drained the glass of water. “The fizz in my head’s going away, thank goodness. Thanks for ferrying me home, Sly.” He grinned at Cyrus. “I need to think straight, especially where Celine is concerned. I’m the old man here, I need to be able to give her some support here and be the voice of reason. That’s going to be hard, given her face.”

"Don't look at her, then," Cy suggested, not entirely joking. "Just leave her be."

“That’s not going to happen.” Louie rubbed his eyes, then rose to go get more water. “Moth and flame and all that.” He stopped as the door chime rang and waved at Cy to see who was there. He was in no mood for company at the moment.

Getting up, Cyrus answered the door and was surprised to see Helena there. "Hell, did you know I was here?"

“Well, given the shape Louie was in when you came to get him, it was an easy guess. Also, I just left Celine’s place.” She lowered her voice and glanced past him to see if Louie was close. “She wasn’t in much better shape, at least mentally. By the time I left, she was a little more liquid than Louie.”

"More liquid?" Cy looked back at Louie. "That's tough to believe." He lowered his voice, too, "What the hell is going on, do you know?"

Helena nodded slowly. “I do but I think it’s her place to discuss this with Louie. She’s pretty freaked out, and understandably so, you know? I’m sure he is too. I mean what would you do if I walked into your office and had your old wife’s face and name?”

"Um... Well, since I don't have an old wife, that'd be really weird," he whispered back. "But, your point is taken. Come in and talk to him."

“I will but I am leaving it to her to tell him what she found out,” Helena whispered. She leaned in and kissed Cy, letting it linger. “Then I’ll see you home.” She winked and passed by him into the living room.

Suddenly, Cyrus didn't care if Helena talked to Louie. He wanted to go home and finish that kiss.

“Hey handsome, you look much more..upright,” she teased Louie.

“I am.” He smiled as he carried his coffee out of the kitchen. “Thank you, by the way.”

Helena waved that aside. “Don’t mention it, darlin’. How’re you holding up?” She sniffed the air and the aroma of coffee. “I need some of that. Celine and I put away a few pitchers of martinis.”

Louie followed her into the kitchen like a hound on the scent. “You were at Celine’s? How is she? What did she say? Has she found out anything?”

Helena glanced past Louie to Cy, who stood at the kitchen door, then back. “She’s weirded out like you are, Lulu. Right now, she’s numb and asleep as she should be. She’s also worried about you, just as you are her. You two will get to the bottom of this, just don’t rush things. I told her the same thing. It’ll be better for both of you. One step at a time.” She rested her hand on his arm and he nodded.

“I want to know what the hell’s going on but I want to make sure that she’s okay more than anything. I can’t imagine what this is like for her.”

Helena smiled and sipped her coffee. Given what she knew, Louie had no idea but he would soon. She met Cy’s gaze over the rim of her cup. “So what’s the plan you two?”

"Take you home, let this lug get himself to bed," Cy winked at her.

“About time,” Louie answered before Helena could. “Go on, get outta here. I am going to bed but I have a few messages to send first. Go on.” He waved them out of the kitchen.

“Since you insist.” Helena set the coffee mug on the counter and slipped her arm around Cy. “Call us in the morning...and by morning I mean about noon.”

"He's got class early," he laughed. "No hangover, though." He pulled Helena close and steered her toward the door.

“Hey I'm taking the day off tomorrow,” Louie Called out.

“So is Celine but she likely will have a hangover, so not before noon.” Helena flashed him a smile, then followed Cyrus out to the corridor. Once the doors closed she looked up at him. “What a mess.”

"Yup." He was closed mouth about Louie and Celine. He'd known the woman who'd been Louie's wife and couldn't fathom what would happen now that her doppelganger was around. "Let's get home." He again put an arm around her and moved off down the hall.

***************
Lt. Commander Louie Rousseau
Drying Out

Cyrus Thorne
Designated Decider