The Urk Expedition: Cold in the Crow's Nest

Morgan's teeth chattered as she drifted closer to consciousness, some of Silvertongue's words reaching her. The belowdecks was darker, but also warmer, the massive boiler radiating heat through the ship. "S-Silv," she managed to get out, still not opening her eyes more than a crack. "W-w-where's Vim?"
 
"She's right behind us." Silvertongue reassured her. "Come on, we've got to get you into bed."

For being a new arrival on the ship, Silvertongue navigated the lower decks with ease. He guided Morgan to the infirmary, knocking on the door repeatedly.

"Excuse me? I've got a crewbeast out here in need of immediate medical attention!"
 
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The ship's doctor, an elderly pine marten with spectacles thick as harbor ice, blinked at the party assembling. "Ah," he wheezed, "the young mutineer. I heard there was some trouble on deck. Minister Ryalor must have been in a very forgiving mood today. Come," he instructed, pointing to a surgical table. "Lay her down there, and I'll get those frozen garments off her." He caught the expression on Silvertongue's face and noted, "It's just fur and flesh, young todd, that's all we are. If it's too much for you, go to that tub there and run a hot bath." He gestured to where pipes from the boiler network ran along the wall. "Red knob is for hot, blue is for cold. Best to do nearly full with the hot, then top it off with the cold."
 
Silvertongue at first went to oblige the elderly doctor, but then he recalled Talinn’s instructions.

“I, um- Pardon me for speaking out, sir, but the Captain gave me different instructions. We should only just give them new clothes and some blankets for now.”
 
The doctor raised one fuzzy brow at Silvertongue's objection. "Young lad, in this surgery, I am the Emperor. Well, not really," he amended. "If the Empress showed up I would still have to obey her, of course. The point being, what some stuffy captain knows is secondary to my knowledge, and mine says to warm this girl up as quickly as possible. Now, if you don't mind, kindly either draw the bath or step aside so I can treat my patient."
 
Vihma was feeling warmer just being out of the wind. There was more to it - the Hide just seemed warmer than her previous ship, perhaps on account of the infernal device MinoInn had built inside its hull. She was welcome to it now, stumbling through to the infirmary with her arms over her chest, still desperate to retain the core heat she felt slowly returning.

She entered with Silvie and the ship's doctor already in discussion about what to do with Morgan - who, thankfully, looked to still be breathing, still conscious, if only barely. There seemed to be some argument over the best course of action to bring her back to warmth.

The weasel looked to both of them in turn, trying to get a measure of who might be right. Though she'd survived such cold as even the icy waters around Urk before, it'd been more by staying warm and dry to begin with. Those who hadn't had that good fortune didn't fare well, and there hadn't been much in the ways of hot water nor time to save them all. Perhaps a hot bath would have helped.

Besides, certainly the bespectacled pine marten knew what he was talking about, being physician on the flagship of the Imperial navy. At the very least, he had to have better things in mind for their health than the Minister who'd seen them to be punished in this way.

Vihma mulled it over, though ultimately deciding not to weigh in on the matter. She'd already made a fool of herself abovedecks. Why dig the hole deeper here below, talking about things she didn't know anything about?

"G-gotta get 'er warm s-somehow. But s-some new clothes 'n a blanket would be n-nice, eh?"

Though no longer freezing, nor soaked, she still felt cold - Silvie's shirt the only warm, dry clothing she had on, with even that starting to become cool and damp from the residual moisture she'd still had in her fur.
 
Silvertongue hesitated when the doctor told him off, but he was much more afraid of disobeying Talinn.

"Right, so... we can run a bath, and when their health inevitably fails, I can tell the Captain it was you who refused to follow his orders, or we can do it the way he has suggested." He said, raising an eyebrow in return. "Sir Talinn put me in charge of overseeing the wellbeing of these two ladies, so if you don't mind, I will be doing it the way the Captain wants me to."

He crossed his arms, staring the eldery pine marten down.
 
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The marten rolled his eyes behind his glasses, throwing up his hands. "Fine!" he snapped in exasperation. "Go ahead, take over my surgery, you be the surgeon for today. Let's see you handle the patients without any medical training at all." He went to the desk shoved in the corner and pulled out the chair that was mounted on a small track, clicking as it moved until he locked it in place with a small foot petal. Then he sat, watching Silvertongue grumpily.

Morgan caught Silvertongue's paw, her eyes briefly lucid. "Th-th-thank you," she managed.
 
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