For once, Camdyn started thinking that she shouldn't have worried. When she finally got to the makeshift 'hospital', which was really the kitchen, she found Mad Dog was keeping himself busy by trying to remember every curse word he knew in seven different languages.
"You're going to go, whether you like it or not." Sophie said calmly. There was another outburst from the mutt.
"If you're going to yell at her, do it in a language she understands." Mina said.
"I said I ain't goin. You can't make me."
"You sound like a little kid."
"I don't care! I ain't going to Breaker Island. What if...what if someone follows me there and murders everyone in their beds?"
"No one is going to follow you Mad Dog. The only person who had the slightest interest in following you was shot and killed this morning." Mina stated flatly.
"But..."
"No 'buts'. I'm telling you that I know you wouldn't take care of this here because you'd make up excuses. You have to keep it clean or you're going to get an infection. You get an infection and you could die. You were lucky, very lucky. That shot didn't hit anything important." Sophie continued nagging at him. Mad Dog looked at Camdyn.
"I came to see how you were doing, but from what I hear you're fine."
"Yeah, if you call being tortured 'fine'."
"Well, I think it might be a good idea for you to go. Think of it like a vacation."
"A vacation?"
"Yeah. You wouldn't really have to do anything too hard and you'd get to laze around on a tropical beach. I thought that was what pirates were supposed to want to do?" Camdyn continued listing the various things that one could do on a tropic island. "And just be glad that there aren't any sharks in the area."
Mad Dog shook his head.
"You talk too much, you know that?"
Camdyn stuck her tongue out at him. Sophie and Mina glanced at each other, then back at the two canines.
"Well, you aren't even a pirate yet, so what are you talking about?" Mina said, laughing.
"You've got a crew so you won't have time-"
"Nonsense. The only reason they wanted a captain was for looks. They could lead themselves if they wanted to. By the way...I wanted to talk to Don Karnage about something. Have you seen him?"
"The last time I saw him he told me I smelled."
"Really?" Mad Dog asked.
"Yes, really!"
"But where did he get off to?" Mina pressed.
"I'm not sure. I think he went to his office, but I never know where I'm going on here. It's so confusing."
"I'll check there first. See you later Sophie. If he tries to bite you again, let me know." with that Mina trotted off down the hall.
"Bite you again?"
"Yeah. I tried to bite her 'cause she keeps poking at me with that spear she calls a claw."
"I ought to bite you back for that, too. Only I'm afraid I might catch something. Who knows where you've been..." Sophie grinned at Camdyn. "You know, Mad Dog used to have white fur." She laughed as the mutt threw a spoon at her. The sink was the only thing in reach of him that had any sort of ammo to throw at the tigress.
"Yeah and you know what? Sophie is the illegitimate child of Shere Khan and Tonia."
"Shut up. I am not related to Shere Khan. He's such a...a..."
"Creep? Stuck up snob? Rich tycoon? Pigeon for the Plucking?"
Camdyn laughed at the fact that Sophie would rather be related to Tonia than Shere Khan. Tonia was famous for her cereal commercials.
"Ok, ok." Sophie said, waving a towel in the air before throwing it at Mad Dog. "I get the point and I'm throwing in the towel."
Sam laughed from behind Camdyn, just having stepped in in time to see Mad Dog's head draped with a dish towel.
"What do you want?" Sophie asked. "And don't tell me a snack."
"Actually, I'm here for Camdyn. The captain told me to take her back to the radio room and show her how to work some of the stuff. So, since I've found you O Glorious Queen of the Vulture, would you follow me?"
"What's all that 'O Glorious Queen' junk about?" Sophie asked.
"Just a little joke." Sam said in a tone that said he'd explain later.
Camdyn shrugged and pointed out the door. "We are not amused. Lead on, foul servant, so we may see this radio room."
"We?" Sam said in confusion.
"The Royal We." Sophie said, laughing.
"Oh, I see. Well, We are not amused either. Come on." Sam laughed and started to the radio room.
Upon their arrival, he walked through a hatchway that had been jammed open with a brick to let some air in. Camdyn looked around at all the equipment. It was just like everything else on the Vulture. Antiquated mixed with cutting edge technology. It appeared that they must have pilfered many cargo planes and possibly even some larger ships to get it all. Sam nodded to the other radio op and slumped into a chair and stared at the radio.
"What now?"
"Just sit and wait."
"That's all ya' can do." stated the other radio operator, who happened to be a raccoon.
Camdyn supposed that he must be the night operator since he seemed to have been sleeping. She sat down in an extra seat and started examining stack of paper. From the looks of it, Sam and Trent, she guessed that was the raccoon since it was the only other name on the papers, took notes down on everything they encountered on the airwaves. There was something written about a cargo plane carrying tires and another one about a tanker with airplane fuel. They were the more useful of the entries. There was also something about a group of air show stunt pilots passing through and something about a lost chimpanzee.
"Here...if you're gonna sit in here, you might as well be useful." Sam handed her a book. The cover stated very plainly that it was a guide to Morse code. "Try to remember some of that."
Camdyn opened it up and stared for a moment at the dots and dashes. The meanings were listed next to the dots and dashes. She bet she would have a headache before it was all said and done. Camdyn started studying.