[Hookbill the Goomba]

Hookbill lifted himself out of the sludge left by Freud and wandered down the corridor, following Félin until he was forced into the operating theatre. On the floor, he saw Alli with bone splinter. "We'll have to operate," he said, and then added, "What am I saying? I need to get out of here! My wife’s going to kill me!"

"You have a wife?" asked the nurse, bandaging herself up.

"It's a figure of speech." Hookbill followed the nurse to the operating theatre, mainly because two Orcs with swords were guarding the exit. The nurse began to snigger, "What's so funny? I, personally, cannot see anything funny about the last few days!"

"Oh its just..." she laughed again, "Well, the idea of you having a wife, its quite amusing." Hookbill sulked. She was right, of course, but he didn't like being made fun of.

"What's so amusing?" he asked angrily.

"Well, you don't strike me as the..." she sniggered again, "Well, the 'attractive' type."

"Look," shouted Hookbill, thumping his fist on the table, "I've taken abuse, injury, threats, and even a knife or two, but this is really going too far!" The burse rolled her eyes and threw Hookbill towards the operating table. Slowly, he got up and looked to see Panakeia already prepared for the operation.

"Severe arctic Heartic," said one of the Orcs, "I had that once. I think I may be the cause."

"I heard that rumour," said another,

"I know, I started It." sniggered the Orc. Hookbill hushed them with a wave of his hand and looked at the instruments again. When he looked back, an Orc had made the first incision, again.

"Hay!" cried Hookbill, "Stop doing that! Its not nice!" the Orcs howled with laughter, Hookbill swore at them, that only increased their laughter, even Panakeia began to chuckle. "Just stop it!" shouted Hookbill, feeling really dejected, but they only laughed more, pointing at him and rolling around. Panakeia began to laugh heartily, so much so that the second heart flew out and hit Hookbill square in the face and splattered him with more blood.

Three of the Orcs passed out.

Hookbill got up and closed up the wound and lead Panakeia back to the Offending Party. Mardil was walking towards him with a grinning face. "What are you so happy about?" snapped Hookbill.

"Oh nothing." he replied, "You've got something on your face there. Down a bit, left, in the sort of all over your face vicinity." Hookbill groaned and slumped in the corner and looked at his blood covered hands.

"So much blood!" he sobbed, "I can't go on! My hands are shaking like a leaf!"

"Who are you?" asked Mardil

"I'm the Doctor," he moaned and Mardil felt a weight of foreboding fall upon him. All that blood, although he wasn't the sort to faint at the sight, made him feel uneasy. "Any way, I must dash, I'll diagnose you on the way." he only said this because three Orcs with swords came around the corner. Mardil reluctantly followed. What had this person been doing? There was blood on his back! Suddenly, the prospect of a simple clip of the toenails seemed less likely. He gulped.

Hookbill was shoed into the theatre where Alli was all set up. The crab's claw was sticking out of her leg. He hadn't remembered it being that bad. "It attacked again," explained the nurse. Her injuries really began to disturb Mardil. This hospital was insane.