The shape of the thing is hideous, but it is not what truly frightens Strange. It's the smell. The smell of death and decay, that horrible smell that almost instantly brings him back to the peninsula. Those corpses on the ground might as well be the poor Neapolitans he resurrected. He has to get rid of that smell. Strange takes a step back, ready to cast a spell at that thing—

—and then falls out of the chair that he had fallen asleep in, head hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Damn!" he swears, much louder than he intended to. He brings a hand up to his head to check for any bleeding but stops when he notices it trembling. No matter. If he is wounded (which he isn't), then he would find out soon enough.

Strange gets up, leaves his room, and walks over towards Crozier's door before stopping for a moment. He can't let the Captain see him like this. Not like someone scared. Strange pauses for a moment to take a deep breath and attempt to try (and fail!) to calm his nerves and his trembling. And then seconds after, he knocks on the door.

"Captain? Are you decent?"