Felix rubbed his hands together and shifted his weight from foot to foot as he stood in the gentleman's washroom at 'Tapper's.' In front him laid the unconscious, yet still imposing figure of his colleague, Ralph, whose snore reminded the little handyman of a sleeping bear.
The hero of 'Fix-It Felix Jr.' looked up at the clock on the wall. The arcade would be opening in thirty minutes, and Felix had been sent out by the Nicelander's to retrieve Ralph after they became aware of him absence. 'Tapper's' was the first place he looked, and the man himself had pointed Felix in the direction that led him here…having to wake a sleeping (and possibly drunk) Ralph by himself.
Sweating, Felix looked from the clock back to his colleague. Mustering up the courage, the handyman extended an arm and gently tapped Ralph's left foot.
"Uhh, Ralph?" Felix said softly, not wanting to startle the large man, fearing he might react violently. "Ralph?"
The wrecker didn't stir, and Felix removed his cap to scratch the back of his head. This was going to be a challenge. Taking in a deep breath, Felix raised his voice, if only a little.
"Ralph, you need to wake up right now," he mustered a command, flinching when Ralph stirred and mumbled something in his slumber. Felix put his fists on his hips, starting to get a little cross. He had to wake up Ralph somehow before the arcade opened, or they'd really have a problem.
Becoming more determined, the little handyman stepped up to Ralph's side. Tentatively, he placed his hands on Ralph's chest and shoved, attempting to shake Ralph awake.
"Come on, Ralph! The arcades opening soon!" Felix spoke loudly in his growing desperation.
"RrrrrRRRRRRGHH," Ralph finally stirred, the growl from his throat scaring the little handyman beside him.
"ohhh my…" Felix removed his hands from Ralph's chest as the wrecker turned towards him. He attempted to step back, only to realize one of his feet had been caught under Ralph's weight. "Oh boo…" Felix squeaked as the still sleeping Ralph continued to roll over.
"Ralph, n-" Felix shouted, only to be completely smothered by the wreckers torso as he laid over him.
Only Felix's legs were free, and he flailed them about as he panicked. Ralph was enormously heavy and he couldn't breathe.
'Oh lands, oh lands, oH LANDS'
With nothing left to do, Felix brought his heels down to the floor and kicked his legs upward, his steel-toed shoes jabbing Ralph in the side. It took a few kicks, but the wrecker was stirring, and hopefully finally waking up.
"Rrrrgh…What the?" he felt another kick to his side. "Ow!"
As Ralph shifted, a muffled voice came out from under him.
"Ralph, get off. GET OFF!"
Completely awake in a snap, Ralph got up to sit on his knees, watching Felix, his colleague gasping on the floor. The poor little guy looked traumatized.
"Felix?" Ralph reached out a hand to help the handyman up. "Are you oka-"
"No!" Felix shoved Ralph's large hand away, shaking. "Please, just. Don't touch me."
The wrecker frowned, feeling awful and incredibly embarrassed. He'd nearly killed Felix…this wasn't going to help his current standing with the Nicelander's.
Ralph stood up and gave Felix some room as he slowly got up himself, the both of them avoiding eye contact.
"The—The arcade's opening pretty soon, we need to get back to our game," Felix knew what Ralph just did was an accident, but he couldn't help but feel a bit fearful around the wrecker nonetheless. The both of him shared an awkward silence before Felix shuffled away, leaving Ralph to himself in the washroom.
"Aye yai yai…" Ralph mumbled to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. Felix was going to tell the Nicelander's for sure. * He'd never be able to convince them that he's a good guy now… Still, the wrecker sighed, and left 'Tapper's 'to return to 'Fix-It Felix Jr.,' hoping that, maybe some day, things would be different.
* Felix never told the Nicelander's about what transpired in the washroom of Tapper's that day.