Chapter 14 – Not All There
Dewey pulls up into a parking lot and parks his vehicle in front of a building. Scrooge steps out to look up at the sign above the entrance; Cape Suzette Psychiatric Hospital.
"So, who are we seeing here?" The elder duck asks though he might have a suspicion.
Dewey glances over to his Uncle after lifting his kids out of the back seat. He realizes that Scrooge deserves to know who's in the institution.
"Launchpad," He says simply.
Dewey presses the SUV handle. The vehicle makes a beeping noise to tell it's now locked. He grabs each of his kid's hands and continues walking towards the building.
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Scrooge mutters mostly to himself as he follows.
Inside, Dewey stops at the front desk to sign the visitors form for him and his family before signaling Scrooge to follow them down the corridor. They come to a door, and Dewey stops to face Scrooge once more.
"Before we go in, I should tell you," The young adult whispers. "Launchpad is, well, worse now than he was fifteen years ago."
"How so," Scrooge questions.
"Um, I found him about twelve years ago. He must have escaped from Duckburg somehow." Dewey explains. "It isn't a big surprise that he crashed his plane, and I just happened to discover it off the south coast. However, when I went inside, I saw him still in the cockpit, badly hurt. He made no sense when he spoke, and he drifted in and out of consciousness. Needless to say, I was worried.
"So, I took him to a hospital, and that's when I found out he is suffering from some kind of a psychosis disorder. Doctors are not sure what caused it. You'd think it would be from all the crashes he survived, but it's not related to that. I'm betting Magica must have cursed him with a spell or something."
"Bless ma bagpipes," Scrooge gasps.
Dewey is about to face the door but quickly brings himself back to Scrooge once more.
"I must warn you, though, Launchpad can be calm one moment, then filled with violent anxiety the next. Also, don't be surprised if he doesn't recognize you at first, then acknowledges you in a conversation after. He tends to do that often." The younger duck adds.
Dewey opens the door, and they all walk inside.
Scrooge isn't sure what to expect. He imagines a white padded room, but instead, it is a simple living area with a bed, a table, and a chair by the windows. A flat-screen TV is mounted up on the wall across from the bed, and facing the patio is an armchair. In the armchair, they see Launchpad, sitting. He stares vacantly out in the courtyard – watching the breeze blow gently through the trees.
"Hey, Launchpad. How are you doing today?" Dewey says gingerly. He leans over slightly to get the former pilot's attention.
Launchpad slowly moves his gaze from the window and over to where Dewey and his kids are standing. At first, he looks confused, like he's staring at a group of strangers. Launchpad scans at each of his visitors before stopping at Dewey. His eyes widen as if he is suddenly worried about something. It is only for a moment before he calms down. Launchpad lets out a sigh of relief and smiles up at the younger duck.
"Donald, it's only you," the aged McQuack says. "I thought you might have been the Mole People come to seek their revenge, again."
Launchpad adjusts himself in his seat to get a better view of his visitors.
"How come you don't wear your sailor outfit anymore?" The deranged duck asks Dewey.
"Oh, um, it's actually at the cleaners today," Dewey responds, hoping that answer would satisfy his old friend.
Launchpad nods, accepting Dewey's excuse.
"You've come at a good time. I just got back from the Underwater Kingdom. My old flame, Queen Diane, needed help with terrorist squid people from Mars." Launchpad says, changing to a new conversation.
Both Turbo and Tessa snicker at the incoherent rambling of the former pilot. Dewey gently nudges his kids, which they took the hint and stifled their giggles.
"That's, uh, great Launchpad. I see the new meds seem to be working, sort of, that's good." Dewey forces a crooked smile. He glances over his shoulder briefly before adding, "I brought someone special here to see you today."
The young adult moves aside to show Scrooge standing behind him. Seeing Scrooge for the first time in over a decade causes some panic for McQuack.
"Oh no, Mr. McDee." Launchpad leans forward with an anxious expression. "I'm not late for work again, am I?"
"Ah, no," Scrooge glances over to Dewey for advice, and the younger duck shrugs and jerks his head over to 'play along.'
"I mean, i-it is your day off. We, ah, were hoping we could just sit down and talk for a bit." The Scottish elder adds with an insecure chuckle.
Launchpad sucks in a gasp as another horrible thought comes in.
"I'm being fired, aren't I?" He asks in a fearful voice.
"No, no one will ever replace you," Scrooge says. He is trying to hide the fact he's a little uneasy about this whole situation.
Launchpad doesn't reply but now takes notice of the twins and smiles.
"Dewey, Webby, you are looking well. Should I put on a Darkwing Duck video?" He leans in to ask them.
"Daaad, he's doing it again." Tessa whines.
"My name is Turbo." The young boy growls through gritted teeth.
"Guys, I know this is difficult, but try to play along, alright," Dewey whispers to them.
"He thinks your kids are you and Webby?" Scrooge asks.
"Yeah, told you he's not all there." Dewey shrugs. "If you noticed earlier, he referred to me as Uncle Donald."
"Aye, I did," Scrooge nods in acknowledgment.
"Oh boy, the faeries are back." Launchpad cheers. "They are about to entertain us with a dance."
"Faeries?" Scrooge questions again, looking back at Dewey.
Dewey sits down on the bed with his kids sitting on his lap. He glances up to see Scrooge's confused expression.
"He's talking about the hummingbirds outside," Dewey explains, pointing at the window.
"He tells a funny story with them." Tessa giggled.
It takes a lot of will for Scrooge not to break out in laughter. Something about confusing hummingbirds as faeries seems too perfect. Scrooge's beak curls up into a smirk as he takes a seat in the other chair.
Following Launchpad's gaze, the Scottish elder sees a hummingbird feeder hanging from the patio awning. A hummingbird or two will speed up to the feeder every few minutes, sample the nectar, and then fly off. Scrooge can see how this could be hours of entertainment for someone like Launchpad, with or without a psychosis disorder.
"Oh, look, there's Prince Fancy McFargins." Launchpad points at one of the brightly colored birds. "He thinks he's so tough – always keeping the faery treasure all to himself."
Scrooge assumes the 'treasure' is the hummingbird feeder. He turns over to catch Dewey trying to keep his snickering under control while his kid stifles their giggles.
"What else can you tell us about these, erm, faeries?" The elder asks, returning to Launchpad.
"That's Colonel Flutterington, he does his best to stand up to the Prince, but he isn't strong enough. Also, there seems to be a love triangle between them and one Lady Sparktini of Daisypond."
"You don't say," Scrooge lets a subtle chuckle out.
The Scottish elder can also hear the twins giggling and Dewey trying hard to quell them while not breaking out with laughter himself. Scrooge knew Launchpad to have strange ramblings, but this is further out there than usual.
Launchpad goes quiet for a moment. The tall duck stares out the window, looking at nothing in particular. Not even the hummingbirds are attracting his attention anymore.
"Launchpad?" Scrooge leans forward.
The former pilot seems to ignore Scrooge and turns to face Dewey and the twins. He leans towards Turbo with excitement in his eyes.
"Hey, Dewey," the damaged duck whispers to the four-year-old.
Turbo gives Launchpad a suspicious look. The little boy turns his head up at his dad, hoping to get some support. Dewey simply nods, indicating that he's got his son's back.
"What?" Turbo snaps.
"Did you know that Drake Mallard is really Darkwing Duck?" Launchpad says. He speaks as if he and the boy are the only ones in the room.
Turbo let out a frustrating sigh before glancing up at his dad again. Dewey smiles at him before leaning forward. He whispers something into his ear. Turbo opens his beak to repeat what his dad has told him.
"Of course I did; he and Gosalyn are on a road trip, remember." The small boy groans.
The dotty man-child looks disappointed for a moment. "Oh yeah, I guess I forgot about that."
Scrooge notices Launchpad going quiet again. It is like a light switch turning off as he slowly turns to face the window once more.
A few moments pass, and everyone is as quiet as Launchpad. Turbo lets out a big yawn, and Tessa leans up against her father's chest.
"Daddy, I'm hungry." Tessa eventually whines.
"We'll go soon; just give us five more minutes, okay," Dewey whispers to her.
Scrooge overhears the conversation between Dewey and his daughter and decides to let Launchpad know they are leaving soon.
"Well, Launchpad, it looks like we are getting ready to go now."
Gradually, Launchpad turns to Scrooge. He blinks a few times before lifting his hand and gestures to Scrooge that he wants him to come closer.
"Mr. McDee, I need to ask you something," Launchpad whispers loudly.
"Sure," Scrooge assures him.
The dubious duck points to Turbo before asking, "Did Dewey shrink? I could've sworn he was a bit taller."
The twins instantly react to this. Tessa bellows into a fit of giggles, and Turbo snarls in rage.
Turbo is about to leap off his father's lap to hit Launchpad; however, Dewey's fast reflex prevents an outburst. The young father wraps one of his arms around him. Tessa slides off her father's lap, allowing Dewey to use his other hand to pats Turbo on the head gently. The action does calm the hot-tempered duckling slightly, but he's still irritated.
"Can we go now," he growls up at his father.
To Turbo's relief, Dewey replies, "Yeah."
While Dewey organizes his kids, Scrooge notices a disappointing look on Launchpad. It's like the ill duck knows everyone is leaving him.
"It was great seeing you again, Lad," Scrooge says calmly.
Launchpad turns his attention to the Scottish elder and suddenly reaches up to grab the elder's wrist.
"You don't belong here!" He snaps.
"I beg your pardon," Scrooge is shocked by this abrupt change.
Dewey quickly shoots his gaze in the direction of Launchpad and Scrooge. He has never seen Launchpad this aggressive before.
"The timeline is all messed up. Everything is wavy. Dogs and cats are falling from the sky. Something needs to be done to balance this." The former pilot says with an enigma tone.
"I dinnae understand," Scrooge responds in a bit of a shock. He jerks his arm out of Launchpad's grip and backs away.
In a sudden twist, Launchpad stands up and begins to flare his arms around.
"Ah, it's the Mole People! They've returned! Everyone run and hide!"
Dewey grabs Scrooge and pulls him away from Launchpad.
"Uncle Scrooge, can you take the twins out of the room for me, please," Dewey asks.
Scrooge does as told. He glances over his shoulder to see Dewey attempting to calm the crazed Launchpad down. The young adult reaches over to the wall and presses a button which almost instantly gets the attention of the nursing staff. Scrooge holds the twins back as two female, and one male nurse rushes into the room and closes the door behind them.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
After lunch, Dewey and the kids take Scrooge to a coffee shop. Considering his current financial situation, Scrooge is grateful that Dewey paid for the meal without a second thought, and now he is ordering drinks for everyone.
"Next, please." The anthropomorphic teen bear calls out from behind the cash register.
"Yes," Dewey responds. "I would like to have two kids hot chocolate, an Earl Gray, and a caramel macchiato with extra caramel on top, please."
"Can I get your name, sir?" The young bear teen asks.
"Sure, it's Dewey." The young adult replies.
Dewey looks down and catches his kids picking up a package of cookies, but before they ask for some, he stops them.
"Put those back." He demands.
"But daddy," Tessa whines.
"Can we please have some," Turbo adds with an equal whinny tone.
"No, you just ate lunch, and now you're getting hot cocoa, so do as you're told."
Dewey watches his kids as they reluctantly put the cookies back on the shelf. He hands the barista some money. When she gives him change for his twenty, he puts a couple of dollars in the tip jar before walking with his family to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks.
From the corner of Dewey's eye, he notices Scrooge smiling at him.
"What," he snorted.
"Just you, being a dad. I still can't get over it." Scrooge chuckles.
"Seriously, is this going to be a new thing between us?" Dewey asks in amusement.
"What are you talking about?" The elder raises his brow in question.
"You know, the thing that we would say to each other, back when I was a kid." The younger duck vaguely explains.
"I must stress, there was never a thing." Scrooge insists.
"Sure there wasn't," Dewey chuckles.
Scrooge shakes his head in annoyance.
"Dewey," the barista behind the bar calls out.
Dewey steps up to collect the drinks for his family. Afterward, they leave the store and head for the park across the street.
The two adults find a nice park bench to sit on. Once again, things are quiet between Scrooge and Dewey. Other than a small conversation during lunch, the two have been this way since the visit with Launchpad. They are content to watch the twins play in the jungle gym while sipping on their beverage.
"Uncle Scrooge, I'm sorry for what happened at the hospital. I really thought Launchpad was getting better." Dewey breaks the silence with an apology.
"No need for that, Lad. I'm glad you brought me to him." Scrooge assures his nephew.
Dewey turns his head to look at his Uncle.
"You are," he questions.
"Aye, it has put some perspective in my situation. As well as getting me thinking."
"It has?" Dewey asks, wondering where this is heading.
"The Scythe, my boy, if it brought me here in this timeline, there's a good chance it could get me back. We need to find a way to beat Magica and get that Scythe, and we should do that sooner rather than later." Scrooge explains.
"Oh," Dewey responds after another moment of silence.
Scrooge glances over to see a worried expression on his nephew's face. His eyes are locked on his children as they stop playing briefly to take a sip of their hot cocoa. Dewey, himself, takes a sip of his macchiato while deep in thought.
The elder has a feeling he knows what on his nephew's mind. Looking forward, Scrooge watches the twins as they now put down their cups and resumes playing on the jungle gym. He turns back to Dewey with sympathy.
"I know you want to protect your kids, Dewey, but our family is equally important. We need to save them and free Duckburg. What say you?" The Scottish billionaire asks.
Dewey slowly nods his head in agreement.
"You're right, Uncle Scrooge. I have wanted to go back for a long time, but you know, protecting the Dime – and now my kids. In fact, over the years, I collected some books and scrolls on the Scythe. You just reminded me that I need to show you them when we get back." He tells him.
"You researched the Scythe?" Scrooge is pleasantly surprised by this news.
"I'm not as good as you, Webby, or Huey with researching stuff. When we first saw the Scythe in Magica's hands, Webby explained what it was. I just went by what she said and found anything that could help fight Magica. Perhaps you might see something I have missed, especially the books that are written in different languages." Dewey explains.
"Sounds like a plan," Scrooge nods approvingly.
"Hey, dad!" Turbo shouts from on top of the slide. "Watch me!"
"I'm watching," Dewey assures his son.
As Turbo leaps, both adults observe the child landing on the wide metal slope and glide down the slide on his webbed feet. When he gets to the end, he jumps off but trips on the soft woodchips as he lands.
"Not bad, buddy. You're landing could use improvement, though. Next time try to keep your knees bent, especially before you jump and after when you land." Dewey instructs the child.
"Okay," the boy happy chirps. He runs over to climb the ladder so he can try again.
"Your kids will be fine adventurers one day." Scrooge acknowledges. He can't help but smile proudly with the new additions to the McDuck clan.
"Yeah," Dewey agrees. "One day."