Embark on a quest to the commencement at n0v#lbin★
Chapter 46. Doctor
With beads of cold sweat on his forehead, Charles took a sip of water. He turned his gaze toward his crew member, "Thanks, James."
The burly man, James, flashed his usual good-natured smile. "That's what I should do anyway. You are our captain after all."
"Please gather the others. We need to discuss our next steps."
"Alright," James answered and exited the room.
We are finally in Sottom... Charles slowly laid himself back down on the bed. A hint of relief crept onto his exhausted visage. Putting the process ahead, he was one step closer to home now.
Cough!
A sudden coughing sound prompted Charles to instinctively reach for his revolver holster.
Propping himself up on the bed, he turned to see an old man at the doorway. He donned a dirt-stained white coat and was holding a wooden cup in his metal prosthetic arm.
But compared to his countenance, the rest of his eccentric appearance was nothing but normal.
A myriad of scars etched deep on his originally wrinkled face. It looked as though a piece of mirror had been shattered and pieced back together. On this nightmarish visage, two yellowed eyes move incessantly. His gaze looked eccentric too.
The old man seemed oblivious to Charles' move toward his weapon as he limped toward the bed with a rhythmic clicking sound. It was then that Charles realized that even his left leg was a metal prosthetic limb.
"Drink it, don't chew." The old man instructed briefly in a voice fitting of his appearance as he placed the cup in his hand down on the bedside table.
Charles picked up the cup and peered into its contents. There seemed to be some living creature wriggling within the black liquid.
"Were you the one who saved me? Thank you. I thought I was going to die from that severe injury." Charles expressed his gratitude before he lifted the cup to his lips, tilted his head back, and downed the contents in one shot.
Instantly, a bitter taste that was even more bitter than the infamous Chinese herb, the Chinese goldthread, flooded Charles' mouth. The living creatures within the concoction seemed to have a prickly surface. They brushed against his throat, leaving a harsh sting, as they went down his gullet. He felt like he had just swallowed a stone wrapped in sandpaper.
"Your physical injuries are nothing compared to the damage in your head." The old man turned around and squatted down. Using his metal hand, he seemed to be searching for something from the jars lying around.
"Are you referring to the auditory hallucinations?"
"Hah! Auditory hallucinations? If it were just hallucinations, I'd chop off my other hand right now!" The old man's voice was laced with mockery.
Charles had to admit that the old man was spot on. His auditory hallucinations had worsened to become visual ones, with everything living around him morphing into grotesque monsters. Charles had no idea what would happen if his condition worsened further, but he was certain it wouldn't be pleasant.
"Better make a decision soon. I don't really care either way but your mind won't hold out much longer."
Charles then turned his gaze on Bandages at the edge of the room.
"First Mate, report the casualties," Charles said.
"Two sailors dead... One... sacrificed. Second Engineer lost a limb. Others... various degrees of injuries. Captain almost dead..."
The situation was better than what Charles anticipated. He thought he would have to replace half of his crew after that battle.
Looking around the room, Charles asked in doubt, "Where's that kid, Dipp? He's not dead, right?"
The crew's gazes turned toward the wooden door in the distance. A silhouette stood outside of the door.
"Dipp, come here."
Dipp stepped through the door. His face was battered and bruised and he was also wrapped up in bandages.
"What happened to your face?" Charles asked.
"I beat him up. The kid deserves it," Chef Frey spat as he lifted his arm as though he wanted to strike Dipp again.
With his eyes red, Dipp knelt on the floor. Remorse was written all over his face.
To Dipp, Charles was almost like half a father. But yet, he had nearly killed this fatherly figure of his. Sorrow and guilt weighed down heavy on his heart. If Charles had died because of him, he would never have been able to forgive himself.
"You won't be paid for this mission. Case closed."
Dipp looked up in astonishment. He thought he would be kicked off the Narwhale and had to return to roaming the streets once again. The Captain decided to let him off that easily?
"Remember this lesson. Don't let anyone make use of you again."
Charles had his own plans. Dipp might be somewhat gullible, but after all, he had shown Dipp the ropes from the first day the latter embarked on his seafaring journey. Dipp held utmost loyalty toward him. Also, death was common among sailors, so it was crucial to have loyal ones.
Not having a loyal crew was an extremely terrifying thought. If his crew had all been disloyal ones, they would have thrown their dying captain overboard when faced with the same situation. After that, they could sell the ship and split the gains.
Tears flowed down Dipp's cheeks as he nodded vigorously. He made a silent vow to himself that he would never allow such a thing to happen again.
Charles' gaze turned from Dipp and onto Conor. "Have you moved the gold from the wooden ship?"
"Yes. There's a place in Sottom that buys wrecked ships. I sold the wooden ship too. After settling everything, we got 1.54 million Echo. That old dude took three hundred thousand for the treatment cost. Also, we found something else in the ship apart from the gold."