The Bronze Seagull - Ch. 3

"Good.  That's what I thought.  Now go back and accompany him for a while... and try to be discreet with your information."

----

DING-A-LING.

"Your attention, passengers of the Bronze Seagull!  This is Captain Silvermane.  As a result of the recent attack, luncheon will be delayed by half an hour.  I apologize on behalf of the crew for any inconvenience.  That is all."

Steve didn't pay much attention to the public announcement that echoed through the speaker tubes as he lay on the examination table in the airship's surgery.  He was more concerned about, among other things, his bruised shoulder.  Of course it would've been worse had the pirates been using actual bullets, but it still hurt like heck whenever he tried to move his arm.

"Just relax, Steve," the doctor chimed in.  "The more you stress that shoulder, the worse it'll get."

The airship's doctor, or "the Doc" as Dolly had so affectionately referred to her, was a Mobian crane with pastel blue feathers.  Her name was Dr. Lindsey, and she reminded Steve of his own character Marie Vex in a lot of ways.

Dr. Lindsey had just strapped an ice pack to Steve's swollen shoulder, and gave him a quick full-body check to make sure he didn't have any other problems.

"...huh.  That's strange.  Steve, you got that bruise during the pirate attack a moment ago, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"It looks a few days old.  It's healing up a lot more quickly than any other I've ever treated, and I've treated a lot during my years aboard the Seagull.  Normally a bruise like that would take about a week to heal up completely, but yours could be gone before sundown."

Steve blinked.  As if he didn't have enough questions, now he apparently had some sort of rapid healing ability?  He wasn't sure what to make of that.

"...Anyways, I can't see anything else wrong with you, so you're free to go.  Keep that ice pack until the bruise is completely gone, then return it to me.  And remember, try to stress that arm as little as possible.  Have a nice day, Steve."

"Okay, Dr. Lindsey."

----

Much to Steve's relief, Hisser had returned to Cabin 38 in his absence.  Steve found himself sitting in the chair in front of his cabin's desk, holding the clockwork snake in his hands.  His right shoulder was still sore, so he took Hisser in his left hand and set him on the desk.

Steve's mind was filled with questions, and he knew Hisser had the answers.  Before he could ask one, though, the snake "spoke" first, its back lights lighting up in familiar patterns.

ARE
YOU
OKAY,
STEVE?

"I suppose so, mate," Steve replied, visibly annoyed.  "The doctor said my shoulder will heal up quickly.  Which brings me to the fact that I've got even more questions for you.  First of all, where did you disappear to when the pirates attacked?"

I HAD
TO SEE
SOME-
ONE.

"Who?"

HE
TOLD
ME NOT
TO SAY.
YOU'LL
MEET
HIM IN
DUE
TIME.

Steve let out a frustrated sigh.  "Fine then.  Next question.  How did I get turned into a wolf?"

THAT'S
NOT
QUITE
TRUE.
YOU'RE
NOT A
WOLF,
YOU'RE
A
WERE-
WOLF.

Steve was about to call Hisser out on getting hung up on semantics, but paused.  The revelation that he was a werewolf did answer a few questions, like how he was healing so quickly and why he looked a bit more savage than a typical Mobian wolf.

"...Go on."

WHEN
YOU
PASSED
INTO
THIS
WORLD,
THE
PASS-
AGE AL-
TERED
YOUR
BODY
SO YOU
WOULD
FIT IN.

At least that much made sense.  Steve breathed a sigh of relief as he got at least one direct answer from Hisser.

THERE
IS ONE
MORE
THING
I
SHOULD
TELL
YOU
NOW.

"...What?"

THE
PIRATE
ATTACK
WAS A
DIVER-
SION.
SOME-
ONE
BOARD-
ED THE
SHIP
DURING
THE
FIGHT.
BE
WARY.

Steve bit his lip (and was immediately and painfully reminded of his new werewolf fangs).  He already had enough to worry about, and now someone had sneaked on board the Bronze Seagull?  This was getting crazier by the minute.

DING-A-LING.

"Your attention, passengers of the Bronze Seagull!  This is Captain Silvermane.  The ship's dining hall is now open for luncheon, and will remain open for the next full hour.  Please go and enjoy a well-deserved meal at your earliest convenience.  That is all."

A grumble came from Steve's stomach, and it occurred to him that he did feel rather hungry.

"I'm going to get some lunch, Hisser.  And this time, you're coming with me."

IF YOU
INSIST.

With that, the clockwork snake quickly slithered up Steve's left arm and looped itself around his neck like a scarf, resting its head on the ice pack still on his shoulder.  Only after it'd taken its position did Steve actually realize what it had done.

"...Alright, that'll do."

Steve marched out the door, half confused and half confident.  He'd gotten a few answers, but even more questions had stepped in to fill the void, and he couldn't trust Hisser to provide straight, timely answers to all of them.  Perhaps after he'd eaten his fill-- and seen who else was aboard the Bronze Seagull-- he'd be able to learn a bit more...