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 6

"DW, there starting to evacuate everybody, help us, please!" LaunchPad begged alarmingly. Again his vital signs began to falter.

"Keep talking to him!" the doctor urged Darkwing. Watching the life-support monitor as he spoke Darkwing continues to humor his friends delusion. "OK, LaunchPad you know better than to panic. Stay calm. Tell me.....?"

....has the ship taken on much water?"

"Has it ever!"

"OK," Darkwing's voice came through clearly now. "You said you have lifeboats? How many?"

LaunchPad looked at Scrooge for the answer.

"Twelve." Scrooge replied bluntly. He wasn't convinced that this Darkwing Duck could do anything to help them.

"Twelve," LaunchPad answered into the communicator.

"Hmmm... that might do it." Darkwing voice through.

"DO what?!" Scrooge demanded to LaunchPad.

"Shh," was the only response he got from the pilot.

"LaunchPad, you'll have to work fast."

Darkwing saw the monitor registering his sidekick's vital signs. They were stabilizing! For some odd reason, Darkwing felt that he needed to tell LaunchPad exactly what to do, as if it we're all real. If LaunchPad couldn't make it through the disaster that was playing out in his mind, he may not make it in real life. He continued on "Your going to turn that ship into a pontoon boat!"

"Your going to turn that ship into a pontoon boat!"

"A what boat DW?"

"Just listen. This isn't going to be easy. First, you need to get as many Lifeboats as you can into the cargo hold and right under the deck.

You're going to have to blow the entire bottom of the cargo hold. Can you do that?"

Launchpad scratched his head "I guess so DW, but won't blowing a whole in the bottom of the ship make us sink even faster?"

Scrooge had been listening in on the conversation and realized what Darkwing was trying to do.

"That might just work!" he exclaimed "LaunchPad, I know what he's trying to tell us. Come on. We need to act fast."

It had been a struggle, not only to convince the captain to postpone the evacuation, but to get into the hold. It had been very difficult, through the down-poor of rain and the tossing of the careening ship on the restless waters, to managed what had to be done. LaunchPad and the crewmen had to tread water that was nearly over their heads in order to place the life boats n the flooding hold. They'd gotten ten of the twelve lifeboats into place, directly under the deck. Following Darkwing's instructions, they'd secured the canvases over the lifeboats so no water could get in.

Blowing the bottom out of the hold was the biggest challenge. They had no explosives on board. Fortunately, the boys Junior Woodchuck Guidebook had the formula for a fairly potent acid which they used to burn away the bottom of the hold.

As the entire bottom of the ship disintegrated, it began to sink, rapidly, lurching from side to side before coming down on the secured lifeboats.

Sure enough, they held the rest of the ship afloat, acting as pontoons, just as Darkwing had predicted. Darkwing had suggested that they use the two remaining lifeboats as balances, fastening each one to either side of the ship with beams salvaged from parts of the liner.

For several hours, the storm drove the Silver Doubloon on the waves, but it stayed afloat. Finally, the winds began to die down and the rain slacked off. It was now safe for the passengers to come out on deck. Scrooge's party walked cautiously out onto the still slippery deck. They all stood mystified, looking out over the water that was now only a few feet below them. Scrooge's luxury liner was now a makeshift luxury raft! He didn't feel he had any place to complain however, they were all alive and well.

Scrooge sighed wearily and glanced up at LaunchPad who stood next to him. "Well Launchpad, we've had quiet and adventure of it."

"You can say that again Mr. McDee. Of course, this is nothing unusual working with Darkwing. Which reminds me. I never found out if he was okay. He did tell me he was in the hospital." Launchpad stated as he reached into his jacket for the communicator "Maybe I can raise him again, now that the worst of the storm is over." he flipped on the communication devise and spoke into it. "Darkwing... Darkwing can you hear me?are you....

......still there DW?"

"Right here, old buddy?" he heard Darkwing reply. Strange, Darkwing sounded as if he were standing right next to him.

LaunchPad's eyes fluttered open. Things were a bit blurry for a moment, but as his vision cleared, he found that he was in a hospital! Surprised by his surrounding he tried to sit up but a sharp throbbing headache caused him to fall back into his pillow.

"LaunchPad?" he heard a familiar voice near him. He glanced over to his side to see Darkwing standing over him with a big grin.

"DW. wh... what's going on? How did I get here? I was on the ship with Mr. McDuck and the kids and.. and.."

Darkwing held up a hand signaling Launchpad to stop. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, there LP. It's alright. It was just a dream."

A dream? It couldn't have bee just a dream, Launchpad was certain. "But, but... I was there... and you told us how to stop the ship from going under and then I was on the deck with Mr. McDee and the kids after the storm..."

Darkwing drew a long deep breath and began to explain everything to his sidekick.... slowly.

To be concluded....