riptide_asylum (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
riptide_asylum) wrote2010-11-22 06:59 pm
riptide_asylum) wrote2010-11-22 06:59 pm
Entry tags:
"First-Hand Knowledge" (Stepping Stones, 1984)
Title: First-Hand Knowledge
Rating: PG
Summary: The Riptide has a small problem. Nick's about to have a bigger one.
"Ew," Nick and Cody said in unison.
"I know!" Murray responded happily. "Isn't it great, guys? I thought they would've had to stop at the edge of the slip, but somehow--it's like they've evolved! Like we're seeing one giant step for evolution right here in King Harbor!"
The three of them stood together in the Riptide's cramped galley. A variety of well-nibbled objects were laid out on the table, along with some other small, brown evidence that the Riptide had a rodent problem.
Nick looked at him levelly. "They're just mice, Murray."
"Just mice? Just mice?" Murray spluttered. He launched into a litany of the valiant benefits of mousekind, hands fluttering excitedly.
"Now you've done it," Cody muttered.
Nick shot him a sideways glance and waited for the inevitable.
"So what I was thinking, guys, was that this would be a great opportunity to study mice in a new and untried habitat. I mean, we didn't have this problem last week, or even a couple days ago, so that means that the mice currently on board the Riptide--"
Cody looked around nervously and took a step closer to Nick. Nick glared at him.
"Well, they're practically pioneers! The first wave of adventurers for mousekind!" Murray pumped his fist excitedly. "So whaddaya say?"
"No," they said in unison.
Murray's face fell.
"Look Murray," Nick said, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings but these mice aren't like the ones you see at Disneyland. Rodents carry all kinds of diseases, Boz."
"Like the plague," Cody offered. "And rabies, and the flu, and--"
Nick laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Boz, but we just can't have mice running loose in our home! It's not sanitary. I mean, they're eating our food, doing--" He gestured to the pile on the table. "That all over the counters. No. No way. I'm sorry, Boz, but they're not cute or cuddly, and if they start talking to you, we're checking you into Gateways. They've gotta go."
Murray's bottom lip quivered. "What are you saying, Nick? Surely you're not suggesting we lay out..." His mouth opened and stayed that way.
"I don't like it any more than you do, Boz, but that's just the way it's gotta be. I'm not gonna sit up nights trying to herd them into...boxes...and walk them up the slip to a waiting cab. Look, traps are--well, they're quick, is what they are. Just bam!" Nick smacked his hand over his fist and both Murray and Cody jumped. "That's all she wrote."
Murray's mouth still hung open. His eyes grew big and round.
Nick fumbled behind him, retrieving a brown paper bag from one of the bench seats. "We picked up a couple at the hardware store while we were getting groceries, okay? These are real good, Boz. They'll get 'em on the first shot." He pulled out a couple of mousetraps and handed one to Cody to unwrap. He gave the other to Murray to examine. "No fuss, no muss. And no mice after a couple days, either."
Murray turned the mousetrap over in his hands. He made no move to unwrap it. "Get 'em on the first...Nick, this--this just doesn't seem right."
Nick frowned. "What's not right about it? We were on the boat first, remember." Behind him, Cody laid a trap on the table and began fumbling with the half-eaten evidence.
Murray said nothing.
"Aw c'mon, man. We can't have mice on our boat! It's not sanitary! Now look, I promise you, these little fuzzy critters won't feel a thing, okay? These traps are top of the line, and there's no way they'll feel anything at all. They'll just be going about their business, okay, and then when they spy a piece of our food--food we paid for, all right, not them, they'll just creep right up and--"
Behind him, there was a sharp snap.
Nick closed his eyes.
Cody let loose with a shout like an startled badger and began frantically shaking his hand around, trying to dislodge the trap.
As Murray rushed forward to help, Nick turned around and grabbed Cody's hand. He deftly yanked the trap off his partner's fingers and set it on the table. Cody yelped again and shot daggers in Nick's direction.
"Cody! Oh my goodness, Cody, are you okay?" Murray helped Cody into one of the galley seats, where he sat rocking and holding his injured fingers under his arm.
"I'm fine, Murray, just...fine," Cody said in a strangled voice. His look at Nick said he was anything but.
"C'mere, let me see that," Nick said softly. He ducked round behind Murray and slid into the booth next to Cody, holding a hand out for the injured paw.
Cody sheepishly gave it to him for inspection.
Nick sighed and looked back up at Murray. "On second thought, Boz, maybe we should just call 'em a cab after all."
Rating: PG
Summary: The Riptide has a small problem. Nick's about to have a bigger one.
"Ew," Nick and Cody said in unison.
"I know!" Murray responded happily. "Isn't it great, guys? I thought they would've had to stop at the edge of the slip, but somehow--it's like they've evolved! Like we're seeing one giant step for evolution right here in King Harbor!"
The three of them stood together in the Riptide's cramped galley. A variety of well-nibbled objects were laid out on the table, along with some other small, brown evidence that the Riptide had a rodent problem.
Nick looked at him levelly. "They're just mice, Murray."
"Just mice? Just mice?" Murray spluttered. He launched into a litany of the valiant benefits of mousekind, hands fluttering excitedly.
"Now you've done it," Cody muttered.
Nick shot him a sideways glance and waited for the inevitable.
"So what I was thinking, guys, was that this would be a great opportunity to study mice in a new and untried habitat. I mean, we didn't have this problem last week, or even a couple days ago, so that means that the mice currently on board the Riptide--"
Cody looked around nervously and took a step closer to Nick. Nick glared at him.
"Well, they're practically pioneers! The first wave of adventurers for mousekind!" Murray pumped his fist excitedly. "So whaddaya say?"
"No," they said in unison.
Murray's face fell.
"Look Murray," Nick said, "I don't mean to hurt your feelings but these mice aren't like the ones you see at Disneyland. Rodents carry all kinds of diseases, Boz."
"Like the plague," Cody offered. "And rabies, and the flu, and--"
Nick laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Boz, but we just can't have mice running loose in our home! It's not sanitary. I mean, they're eating our food, doing--" He gestured to the pile on the table. "That all over the counters. No. No way. I'm sorry, Boz, but they're not cute or cuddly, and if they start talking to you, we're checking you into Gateways. They've gotta go."
Murray's bottom lip quivered. "What are you saying, Nick? Surely you're not suggesting we lay out..." His mouth opened and stayed that way.
"I don't like it any more than you do, Boz, but that's just the way it's gotta be. I'm not gonna sit up nights trying to herd them into...boxes...and walk them up the slip to a waiting cab. Look, traps are--well, they're quick, is what they are. Just bam!" Nick smacked his hand over his fist and both Murray and Cody jumped. "That's all she wrote."
Murray's mouth still hung open. His eyes grew big and round.
Nick fumbled behind him, retrieving a brown paper bag from one of the bench seats. "We picked up a couple at the hardware store while we were getting groceries, okay? These are real good, Boz. They'll get 'em on the first shot." He pulled out a couple of mousetraps and handed one to Cody to unwrap. He gave the other to Murray to examine. "No fuss, no muss. And no mice after a couple days, either."
Murray turned the mousetrap over in his hands. He made no move to unwrap it. "Get 'em on the first...Nick, this--this just doesn't seem right."
Nick frowned. "What's not right about it? We were on the boat first, remember." Behind him, Cody laid a trap on the table and began fumbling with the half-eaten evidence.
Murray said nothing.
"Aw c'mon, man. We can't have mice on our boat! It's not sanitary! Now look, I promise you, these little fuzzy critters won't feel a thing, okay? These traps are top of the line, and there's no way they'll feel anything at all. They'll just be going about their business, okay, and then when they spy a piece of our food--food we paid for, all right, not them, they'll just creep right up and--"
Behind him, there was a sharp snap.
Nick closed his eyes.
Cody let loose with a shout like an startled badger and began frantically shaking his hand around, trying to dislodge the trap.
As Murray rushed forward to help, Nick turned around and grabbed Cody's hand. He deftly yanked the trap off his partner's fingers and set it on the table. Cody yelped again and shot daggers in Nick's direction.
"Cody! Oh my goodness, Cody, are you okay?" Murray helped Cody into one of the galley seats, where he sat rocking and holding his injured fingers under his arm.
"I'm fine, Murray, just...fine," Cody said in a strangled voice. His look at Nick said he was anything but.
"C'mere, let me see that," Nick said softly. He ducked round behind Murray and slid into the booth next to Cody, holding a hand out for the injured paw.
Cody sheepishly gave it to him for inspection.
Nick sighed and looked back up at Murray. "On second thought, Boz, maybe we should just call 'em a cab after all."