Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Scrooge or any other Disney character.

From the author: Little reading aid her. The 'scenes' that take place in LaunchPad's mind are in bold italic to make the story easier to follow. I hope.

PHENOMENON Part 4

LaunchPad felt himself go numb. He'd just spoken to Darkwing only a few seconds ago, now he'd lost communication. The only thing that could be heard was the constant scraunch of the static interference.

"LaunchPad!" Scrooges voice snapped him from his daze. He glanced over at Scrooge who was struggling to get to his feet.

"You'll have to worry about contacting your friend later, we have a real situation here. Mrs. Beakley, keep the kids inside while LaunchPad and I see what's happening out there."

Of course, Mr. McDuck was right. The ship was now atilt severely to one side. He stuck the communicator back in his jacket and followed Mr. McDuck out of the room.

It didn't take long to discover the problem. Scrooge and LaunchPad stood with the captain at the side of the ship. All three clinging tightly to the railing as the ship was canted on the starboard side. The cause, the storm had driven a large chunk of driftwood into the hold of the ship. The Silver Doubloon was taking on water, fast. "Maybe you should get the people evacuated to the lifeboats?" LaunchPad seriously suggested to the Captain.

"In this storm! The Lifeboats wouldn't have a chance!"

"Aye, you're no doubt right about that captain." Scrooge agreed "But we have to do something!" Scrooge looked down again at the whole in the side of the ship. "For starters, we have to plug that whole somehow! LaunchPad, come with me."

In the Emergency Room of the Hospital, Darkwing stood over his sidekick

talking to him. Trying to get him to respond. Only a few minutes earlier, LaunchPad had been calling out to him. When Darkwing had asked LaunchPad if he could hear him the pilot had answered him then fell suddenly quiet again. "Yes, DW! I hear you, boy am I glad.." Those were the words the pilot had uttered. Strange, Darkwing thought, It was like LaunchPad was calling out to him from a far away place. As though he were lost and trying to find his way home. "LaunchPad. I don't know what's happening with you right now. I just know that you've got to keep fighting. Don't give up. You can do it. Come back to us LP." His words went unheard.

On the ship, every effort was being made to keep the Silver Doubloon seaborne. Scrooge had instructed the crew, with LaunchPad's, help to patch the whole with inflated rubber rafts. The ship still careened to the starboard side, however. Scrooge remedied this by loading several of the lifeboats with water to weigh them down and hanging them over the port side to created a counter-balance. The Silver Doubloon was upright in the water now, however, having taken on water, it now sat low in the tossing sea. Waves washed over the now abandoned decks.

All that could be done had been done. Everybody was ordered to stay in their cabins where they were hopefully safe until the storm passed.

In Scrooges cabin the kids were going on about how their Uncle had saved them all. "That was really smart of ya Unca Scrooge!" Huey praised "We'd all been goners if it weren't for you!"

"Yeah, you're a hero!" Lewie chimed in "Isn't he LaunchPad?"

"Yeah, I got to hand it to you Mr. McDuck,That was ingenious," LaunchPad admitted from where he sat in a recliner next to the the be, then smiled at his former employer and added "as usual."

Scrooge returned the smile, only now realizing how much he'd truly missed the pilots help and friendship.

Webby climbed up on LaunchPad's lap "I'm so glad to see you again LaunchPad, I missed you an awful lot"

"Us too," the tripled said in perfect sync.

LaunchPad smiled to himself. This was nice. He'd forgotten how great the kids always made him feel. For the time, he'd forgotten everything else, closing his eyes and putting his head back to relax. He just wanted to cherish this moment while it lasted. It had been so long.

In the Emergency Room, Darkwing watched with horror as the life-support

monitor suddenly lost all readings. Soon, the room was filled with the doctor and nurses as they rushed to try and revive the pilot.

Darkwing could only stand back in a corner of the room and watch. He gazed at his sidekicks paled face. Why did he have a feeling LaunchPad was, somehow, doing all this himself. "LaunchPad! LaunchPad hold on! Don't do this to me LP.... LaunchPad!!"

To be continued..