How Not To Have A Relaxing Holiday

Solo Surprises

FIVE: Solo Surprises

Hiccup was still steaming when he hit the sidewalk and barely paid attention, almost getting run down by a taxi, the blaring horn the only thing that jolted his attention back to the present. His mind was a mess of anger, hurt and humiliation and he stepped back, angry at himself for not paying attention. He paused, fishing out his phone and masochistically logging onto Berkbook, locating his cousin's profile and finding, as he had expected, several pictures of himself crawling up the beach, digging vainly in the sand and looking furious. There were already a bunch of unkind comments about him and he felt his heart sink-as the buzz of a scooter approached and he felt a hand snatch at his, grabbing his wrist. Realising that he was being mugged, he looked up-to meet a fist in the face.

Stunned, his hand curled tighter around his phone, ducking a second punch as he realised he was facing two men, a driver and a passenger on a beat up red scooter. But Hiccup treasured his phone, for it had a host of Astrid pictures on it that he hadn't backed up. So he jerked the phone free and back-pedalled away leaving the would-be muggers to drive off empty-handed. Miserably, he shook his head and winced, tenderly feeling his lip where the attacker's fist had connected and felt blood on his fingers. But his precious phone was still clamped in his grasp as he crossed the road and headed for the back entrance to the hotel-though his swipe card failed to work. He tried it three times-then growled in his throat and reluctantly headed off along the road, turning the corner and walking slowly up the road, panting up the steep incline and round to the front entrance of the hotel. Tired, salty and limping slightly because there was a little irritating sand in his prosthesis, he walked into the gleaming lobby, waiting at the reception as a little hunch-backed old woman with a stick was complaining about the lack of facilities for her five rather naughty Pekingese. Finally, having mollified her, Manuel the receptionist looked up and gave a smile.

"How may I help?" he asked and Hiccup explained. Manuel inspected the card and ran it through the reader. "Sir-this card has been tampered with...and isn't the card to your room anyway," he explained as Hiccup frowned, guessing what had happened. Swiftly, he explained it was a prank and Manuel willingly cancelled the other card for their room, the card he had and issued him with a new card for 814, the double room. Thanking the man, he headed back for the room and sat on the bed, still furious.

He had heard Astrid and Ruff talk and though he had told her to stay, he was disappointed that she hadn't come after him. Of course, she was Astrid Hofferson, the fiercest and most independent woman he knew and a part of him couldn't see her running after a boyfriend...but the rest of him really wished she had. Most of the time, he was an easygoing man, very patient and tolerant and thoughtful of others, but he did have some pride and having to crawl out of the sea because his friends had basically forgotten about him had cut him to the quick. The unfunny prank of stealing his leg and then not handing it over immediately had just poured salt into his wounds. The photos were the last straw. But what was worst was the fact that no one else had spoken up for him, had intervened in something that was clearly wrong.

He ran his fingers through his hair, the auburn locks caked with salt and he rose, limping, and headed for the shower. Swiftly, he ran a nice cool shower, sluicing the salt off and washing his hair clean, then drying off and sitting on the balcony. The sun was in his eyes as he carefully tended his stump and then winkled out every grain of sand from the cup and sock of his prosthetic leg. Automatically, he reached for his phone, opening texts and almost firing off a short message to Astrid...but then he looked over to the beach and if he squinted, he just make out the shapes of his friends. A surge of righteous anger ran through him and he laid the phone down, slowly reattaching his leg and walking into the room. Swiftly he dressed, then grabbed his phone, the card key and his ear buds and headed down to the bar.