Chapter 58 (Part - A)



In the meantime, the Sirius is docked in Dublin unloading cargo for its first stop. Captain Chester is busy checking off everything that they are supposed to unload is unloaded. The crew is in full swing doing their duties while a couple crewmen run into town to pick up a couple of mechanical parts. Professor Calculus finishes his lunch and steps outside to see the cranes, the crew, and Captain Chester carefully unloading cargo onto the dock.

The weather is nice as the clouds are clearing away from the storm the other night. He walks up to Captain Chester who barely even notices he’s standing next to him. The Professor sees a couple of boats recovering some debris which slightly alarms him.

“A little higher!” Chester shouts out as he looks up from a clipboard with a pencil in his hand.
“Excuse me Captain…” the Professor politely interrupts.
“What is it Professor?” Chester asks looking back down at his clipboard as the crane successfully lowers a huge crate onto the docks.
“I think I’m going to take a quick stroll into town, it’s a really nice day” Calculus says taking a sniff of sea air.
“Crate number three hundred forty-eight!” Chester looks up and shouts to the man running the crane.
“Don’t be gone too long Professor, I don’t plan on being here long…” he pauses tallying up how many more crates that need to be unloaded.
“I won’t, I just would like to get off the boat for a bit and find out why so many officers are around” the Professor explained.

“Fine, but don’t stick your nose in business it doesn’t belong in and don’t be gone too long. I plan on raising anchor in two hours with or without you” Chester replied.
“Very well, I’ll see you when I return” Calculus nods as he makes his way down the gangway.
“Be careful!” Chester warns.

The Professor gets almost to the bottom of the gangway but manages to trip down the rest of the way. Chester rushes over looking down as Calculus is straightening his glasses.
“Are you alright? I told you to be careful!” Chester scolded.
“Sorry… I must be intoxicated with the wonderful weather” the Professor said dusting himself off.
“Remind me not to give you anything to drink…” Chester rubbed his forehead returning back to his work.

The Professor saw an officer standing in the docks keeping people moving along.
“Good morning officer, was there anyone on that boat?” the Professor asks curiously.
“No bodies have been recovered if that’s what you’re askin’ now move along…” the officer waved him away.
The Professor sighed in relief hoping whoever was on the boat survived. He slowly made his way into town.

XXXXXXXXX

The sun began peeking out from behind the clouds as a warm breeze brought the smell of the fresh sea air. Captain Haddock couldn’t believe it, for a moment he was just about to share with Lucille and her sudden mirth; but was quick to reel back in his new found joy. Ballard and Yates were indifferent to Lucille’s sudden outburst. Cocoa stood next to Captain Haddock with a confused look on her face. The Sirius was in the middle of unloading cargo.

“Captain Chester may help us” Lucille started to run towards the Sirius.
“Woah! Hold your horses lass! We can’t just march on the Sirius and expect Chester to just drop what he’s doin’!” Haddock said grabbing Lucille before she could get a step away.

“What else are we going to do?” Lucille turned to him defensively folding her arms.
“Blisterin’ Barnacles lass! You know the reason!” Haddock said with frustration.
“Do you want to save Fenton?” Lucille asked throwing her hands up.
“Of course I do but I just can’t expect Chester to help me after…” Haddock turned around walking back the other way.

“Listen! What happened to Enzo was not your fault! I thought Fenton and I had convinced you” Lucille began following him.
“Well ya didn’t!” Haddock turned to her abruptly.
“Do ya always row with yer daughter?” Yates butted in.
“She ain’t…” Haddock stopped himself putting a hand up.
“She ain’t what?” Yates asked as Ballard watched quietly.
“She ain’t… right about the situation!” Haddock quickly backpedaled.
“What situation?” Yates threw his arms out hitting someone walking up from the dockside by him.

“Oooff! Please watch where you’re going sir!” an irritated older gentleman said.
“Cuthbert!?” Haddock suddenly noticed the Professor.
“Captain! My word! What luck!” the Professor ran up to him giving a hug.
“Yea, yea, yea, what are you doing here?” Haddock said awkwardly patting him on the back.
“Whose this ole man?” Ballard demanded.
“An ole friend…” Haddock quickly answered.
“Wait a minute! I saw you at the Bed and Breakfast!” Lucille exclaimed.

“That’s true, and I recognize that dog and thought of Snowy” Calculus agreed.
“Cuthbert, you saw Cocoa when we brought her home?” Haddock asked.
“I did, but my mind has been on so many different things Captain” Calculus explained.
“So tell us what you’re doing here” Haddock repeated his question.
“Well I came with Captain Chester in hopes that I would find you and Tintin” the Professor looked back over to the Sirius.
“Well isn’t Chester in the middle of a job?” Haddock asked a bit confused.
“Yes he is, but where’s Tintin?” the Professor asked noticing Tintin’s absence.
“We didn’t find him…” Haddock said with much disappointment in his voice.

“That wasn’t your ship that looked like it had been blown up was it?” Calculus asked a bit concerned.
“No, it was a couple of HM Customs men who accompanied Tintin, the Detectives, Snowy, and Chang this way” Haddock explained.
“Well where’s your ship?” the Professor continued his barrage of questions.
“She’s sunken down below” Ballard spoke up spitting on the ground.
“Wha-?” the Professor started but was cut off by the Captain.
“Don’t ask, we’re all fine” Haddock straightened his hat.

“We only found the two HM Customs guards at the hospital, Fenton…or Tintin and the others boarded the Sea Serpent and that’s the last we’ve heard anything about them” Lucille explained.
“This is most distressing…” the Professor stood quietly for a moment pondering the present situation.
“What now Captain?” Yates asked.
Haddock took out his pipe and small pouch of tobacco quietly giving the situation some thought. Ballard, Lucille, and Cocoa regarded both the Captain and the Professor carefully.

“Captain, take me to see the guardsmen who accompanied Tintin, I need to make sure they aren’t infected” the Professor spoke up after a couple minutes.
“I can’t Cuthbert, we had to sneak in earlier to see them” Haddock objected.
“Then we’ll do whatever we have to do, it is absolutely imperative that I go and see them” the Professor insisted.
“Thunderin’ typhoons Cuthbert! Do you not have your hearing aid on? What makes you think they’ll let you in?” Haddock argued.

“Let me deal with it…” Lucille finally spoke up.
“Both of you are going to get in a world of trouble, then what?” Haddock lit his pipe shaking his head.
“I only have a couple of hours. Will you take me to the hospital?” Cuthbert asked Lucille.

“It’s Lucille, and we can try” Lucille shrugged her shoulder looking at Haddock helplessly already seeing the determination in the Professor’s eyes.
“Fine…” Haddock exhaled a plume of smoke.
“We should probably get a cab” Lucille suggested.
“Good thinking young lady. Then let’s be off then” the Professor began marching away. Lucille shrugged her shoulders at the Captain as she followed the Professor. Cocoa took off after Lucille.
“Cocoa sweetie you stay with the Captain, I’ll be back soon” Lucille bent down petting her.

“You should probably go talk to Captain Chester” Lucille suggested before she got out of earshot.
Haddock nodded staring out into the bay.
“Guess we can go hit a pub or somethin’” Ballard mumbled to Yates.
“May as well, looks like we’ll be here for a while” Yates agreed.
“Come on ya lazy blokes…” Haddock mumbled walking past them.
“Where are we going?!” Ballard asked acting as if he was surprised.
“I’m going to the Sirius…” Haddock said in a low voice keeping his calm.

“Do we have to come with you?!” Ballard complained.
“I don’t care what you do…I know what I’m doin’ and that’s that!” Haddock replied without turning around.
Yates shrugged his shoulders as he followed Haddock. Ballard stomped his foot and followed suit pouting. Haddock was a bit leery of seeing Chester at that moment, but knew realistically he was his only chance at getting to Tintin. The more he thought about it, the bigger and more confident his stride became.

XXXXXXXXX

The Professor and Lucille promptly made their way back to the hospital, but Lucille was a little wary of returning.
“I think I will just sit down here in the waiting room, someone may recognize me” Lucille told the Professor as they entered.
“Of course they will recognize you, you’ve been here already young lady” the Professor didn’t see her point.

“I disguised myself as a nurse to get access to them, I think it may be best if I wait down here” Lucille explained.
“Oh I see…” the Professor thought for a moment.
“Well come with me anyway, you know how to find their room. I’ll just end up getting lost” the Professor suggested.
“Ok, but don’t look at me if we get sent away?” Lucille said adjusting her purple bandana so no one would recognize her instantly.
“Come on, we’ll go up the stairwell” she said watching the staff careful not to make them suspicious.
The staff seemed to be occupied when they arrived on the proper floor, so they took full advantage to return to their rooms. They were both surprised to see Lucille when she returned.

“What are you doing back here?” Riley asked taking a sip of water.
“Gents, this is…?” Lucille introduced.
“I am Professor Calculus, I understand that you may have been introduced to a foreign poison and wanted to make sure that you had the proper antidote to counteract any reactions” the Professor explained.
“Well if you’re asking if we were cut and infected, the answer is no” Riley answered quickly.
“So you didn’t encounter any ‘alien’ like beings?” the Professor asked in a low voice.
“So they ARE aliens?” Jenkins asked incredulously.
“I don’t know…what did you see?” the Professor asked.

Both of the patients in their beds buried their faces in their hands.
“Professor we need to wrap this up…I’ll tell you on the way back” Lucille said peeking down the hall.

The Professor took out two small vials and placed them on the stand next to the beds.

“What are those?” Riley asked a bit confused.
“Antidotes just in case you were infected by those things… if you feel funny and what you’re getting isn’t helping, take these” the Professor said for lack of better terms.
“We’ve got to go!” Lucille alerted the Professor.
“Wait!” Jenkins spoke up.
“What?” Lucille and the Professor turned around.
“Tintin gave this to us for safe keeping, take it” Jenkins said tossing it to Lucille.
“Someone has been in here searching for something…the security guards arrested him and are busy restoring order. Best we not have it, now go before they catch you here!” Riley quickly replied.

“What is this thing?” Professor asked looking curiously at the small yellowish cube.
“No time! Let’s go!” Lucille said grabbing the Professor by the arm quickly dragging him to the stairwell. All the way at the other end of the hall a group of nurses and a couple of security guards seemed to be engrossed in discussion.
“Ms. Lucille, why is that little cube so important?” the Professor asked as they rushed down the stairs.

“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you…but my husband had something similar…” Lucille said suspiciously as they rushed out of the hospital.

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