For @summerxmelodies - a plotted starter!
It is not the first time he has embarked upon a long, grueling journey to distant, far-flung parts of the world, but each time, he promises it will be the last. The captain of this transport vessel had been happy enough to offer him passage for the right price, as well as the occasional use of his services as needed, but there the pleasantries had come to an end. The doctor is not a sea-faring man, and rather than attempt to put him to work, the crew had made it abundantly clear that the most helpful thing he could possibly do was to stay out of the way.
The cargo hold is kept surprisingly warm, owing to the contents of this particular shipment; three dragon eggs of varying colors and sizes, kept secure in large wooden crates packed with straw. Fascinated, he routinely watches as large heated bricks are placed around these rigs during the coldest hours of the evening, keeping a respectable distance as their minders inspect the eggs for signs of stress or cracking. He knows they are staggeringly valuable, though not much else. This does not keep him from sketching them, attempting to capture the textures and subtle color variations that pattern their shells.
One of the more talkative crewmen mentions to him one afternoon that the beasts within are acutely aware of the outside world, able to hear, comprehend, even learn while in the shell. Fascinated, and perhaps a bit comforted by this notion, McCoy relaxes into a casual routine of visitation. He speaks aloud his thoughts as he pursues medical texts in the dim light, engages in one-way conversation as he adds passages to his personal journal, as a person might speak to a house pet.
It is late afternoon, just before sunset, as he is settled in once more for what has become routine for him. The peace is shattered by the shouts of men above, and soon after, the ship gives a mighty heave. They have run afoul of bad weather before, and the doctor attempts to ride it out without succumbing to feelings of anxiety, but the voices on deck grow more urgent and eventually the ship lists violently to one side.
