Nailed

…

Link had only meant to pick up his boot. So when his head struck the floor, he was understandably confused. And disoriented.

When his head cleared, he glanced around to get his surroundings. He was in the berths in the forecastle of the Grand Sails. In particular, he was in the row where his hammock was slung. He looked up and down the narrow row as heads peeked around the berth frames to find what had made the racket. The row smelled of sweat and old grog, the kind of smell one could find in the berth bay of any airship. His eyes swiveled back to the deckhead.

Line was looking at him over the side of his hammock, an indifferent expression on his face.

Link sat up and looked at the boots on his right, underneath his hammock. He had been trying to pick them up while leaning out of the hammock. Generally not a good idea, but the small bout of dysentery he had had to deal with yesterday had left him feeling a little weak, perhaps even a little lazy. At least, he had been told it was dysentery when Lieutenant Luke cleared him from duty for the next few days just to be sure. Considering that he was not suffering from it anymore, he had concluded earlier that morning that it may have simply been a bit of gas. He had actually been discussing it with Line, and Line had recommended that Link go back to the sick bay just to double check with the doctor. He had leaned out of the hammock to grab his boots. Then he had fallen out.

He frowned at the scuffed, worn boots for a moment. Then he grabbed one boot and tried to pick it up.

The heel picked up, but the toe remained on the floor. Link tugged again, and then he felt around the toe until he found a metal head hidden between the sole and the leather in the instep. He looked up at Line.

"Well?" Line said. "Are you going to the sick bay, or are you gonna clown around?"

"Seriously, Line?" Link asked. "You nailed my boot to the deck?"

"No," Line replied, still holding a straight face. "I nailed both your boots to the deck." Link let out a frustrated sigh and reached to the drawer at the back of the berth. "What? We thought you'd be off-duty for a while, remember? I was waiting until the doc cleared you. Besides, you've been wearing your shoes the whole time. I thought you wouldn't try putting them on for a while."

"I'd have to put them on if the captain calls for me," Link said. He retrieved a claw hammer and pried his boot from the floor.

"So wear your shoes."

Link started tapping the nail's point into the boot. "I'm not going to wear my shoes to go see the captain."

"Why not? I do."

Link glanced up at him. "Really? When was the last time the captain called you?"

"He does!" Line argued, slinging one arm over his hammock as if to slap Link's head. However, the hammock was high enough that Line would have to stretch much further to even brush Link's hair. "It's not like he needs to tell you!"

Link just shook his head and pried the other boot off the floor. "You know, this is just stupid."

"What, nailing your boots to the floor? Of course it was. I was bored, and you were sick. And it was the only prank I could think up. I think I'm on a bit of a dry spell; I haven't come up with a good joke in weeks."

"And your bad jokes are just as lame."

Line sighed and lay back in the hammock. "I can't think here. It sucks that we can't roam around like we used to."

Link, after having knocked the second nail back into his right boot, pulled the nail out. "The lieutenant catching us relaxing in a coffin probably didn't help us."

"That would've been nice if we didn't get caught."

"He said we can roam around up on the weather deck if we wanted."

Line clicked his tongue. "Yeah, but Captain Alfonzo doesn't like us wandering around the weather deck, not without our uniforms on. That's the whole point of getting to take off our tunics."

"Would you two shut up down there?" someone further inside the row called down to them. "M'tryin' to sleep here."

"Just finish being drunk, Jacob, you'll be fine," Line said, waving one hand so it could be seen outside the berth.

In the middle of putting on one boot, Link spotted Line's discarded tunic in one corner of their berth. He glanced down at the hammer and two nails next to his thigh, and then up at Line to see that he was not paying attention. He put on the other boot, then pulled Line's tunic over to him. After a quick glance to see if Line was watching or not, he picked up a nail and gave it a few soft taps so Line would not hear Link nailing his tunic to the floor.

"I thought you were going to the sick bay," Line said.

"I'm nailing these down so you can't use them again," Link replied, picking up the tapping now that he had an excuse.

"Riiiiight," Line droned. "Because I can't possibly steal anymore from the ship's store."

"You'll have to be able to get to the store first," Link said. He dropped the hammer into his drawer and slid it shut.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Line asked, leaning over as Link started down the row.

"You figure it out!" Link replied before jogging out of sight.

About half a minute later, when Link had stepped out of the berth bay, he could hear Line shout his name as he took the stairs down to the sick bay.