Stand Tall

"I said... I need yer f*ckin' 'elp," Catshit whispered...

Quiet. Solemn. But... sea god's f*ckin' arsehole-- the audacity of his words were f*cking brain-blowing. 

Stickyfingers gripped the hilt of his dagger before it could fall out of his hands. 

Something... something had changed in the way Catshit spoke. 

There was something in the way he acted... the way he straightened his back...

His bloodline... had evolved. He wasn't just one of the boys, anymore... he'd become a Tall Boy-- the same rank as Petty Officer Bob.

It was only a half-step down from the Captain and the Bosun, both. 

Just... how strong... had he become over the past few moons? 

And... just how tall would he grow-- if he were allowed to keep living? 

Doc was staring, slack-jawed in disbelief. He noticed it too. 

And that meant...

Bob... 

All of Bob's muscles were tensed tight, ready to cut down a mutinous git at a second's notice.