Healing a Sick Friend

It was just a regular day. Gil and Goby are swimming to school together but Goby is swimming much slower than usual. After Gil realized Goby wasn't behind him, he went back for him.

Gil: Goby?

Goby (groaning): Ohhh, Gil.

Gil could tell something wasn't right.

Gil: Are you ok?

Goby: I don't feel so good.

Gil: You don't?

Goby: No. My tummy hurts.

Gil: Maybe you're hungry.

Goby: But I ate breakfast this morning. Ooh! Uhhhhh!

Goby held his stomach and laid down on the ground.

Gil (worried): Oh, my gosh! I'll be right back.

Gil swam to school as fast as he could. Inside, the guppies greet Mr. Grouper and he greets them back, as usual. Gil came in.

Gil: Mr. Grouper! Mr. Grouper!

Mr. Grouper: What is it, Gil?

Gil: Something's VERY wrong with Goby. Come with me!

Gil led the others to the place where Goby is lying. He's practically motionless.

Mr. Grouper: Goby?

Goby looks up at everyone. Mr. Grouper puts his fin on Goby's forehead.

Mr. Grouper (concerned): Wow. You're really burning up.

Goby: Too…weak…to…move. (groaning)

Mr. Grouper: I'm going to have to call a clambulance.

As Mr. Grouper calls the hospital, the guppies look at Goby with great concern. Soon, the clambulance shows up and takes Goby to the hospital. Mr. Grouper and the guppies follow it to the hospital. When they get there, Goby is laying on a gurney (those beds with wheels) and taken to a room where a female snail doctor with short red hair is.

Doctor: Hello. I'm Dr. Fisher. Who are you?

Mr. Grouper: I'm Mr. Grouper.

Gil: We're the Bubble Guppies.

Mr. Grouper puts his fin on Goby's head.

Mr. Grouper: This is Goby.

Goby coughs twice and then moans while holding is stomach.

Dr. Fisher: Aww. The poor thing. Well I'll give Goby a full examination while you wait out in the waiting room.

Mr. Grouper: Thank you.

Everyone goes into the waiting room and Dr. Fisher closes the door to her hospital room. The guppies talk among themselves.

Gil (to Molly): I'm worried about Goby. He's my best friend.

Molly: I know Gilly. Me too.

Deema (to Oona): Gee, Oona. What do you think made Goby so sick?

Oona: Who knows, Deems.

Nonny (to himself): It's a good thing we brought him here. I wonder what's wrong with him.

About 10 minutes later, Dr. Fisher exits the room with a look of concern.

Mr. Grouper: Well, doctor?

Dr. Fisher: He has Arklampsia or Ark. We are able to cure him, but we need special coral tonic and I'm afraid we're all out. (A/N: Arklampsia is not a real disease, at least, not that I know of)

Gil's eyes fill with tears.

Dr. Fisher: The only place we can get coral tonic is Sea Foam Village, but it'll take a long time to get there.

Gil: Then Mr. Grouper will go and we'll stay with Goby.

Dr. Fisher: I'm afraid we can't do that. Arklampsia is unbelievably contagious.

Oona: What does contagious mean?

Nonny: Contagious means we could all get it.

Dr. Fisher: That's right and if you all have it, you'll all die before we can cure you.

All the guppies gasp.

Mr. Grouper: Is there any way I can stay with him? I don't want him to be alone.

Dr. Fisher: Yes, you can. The virus that causes Arklampsia doesn't spread throughout the body as quickly in adults as it does in children.

Deema: So…how do we get to Sea Foam Village anyway?

Dr. Fisher: It'll take about 20 minutes to swim there.

Oona: Will that be enough time?

Dr. Fisher: Yes. When you get there, go straight to the hospital and find the pharmacy. Ask for coral tonic and bring it back here. Quickly.

Gil: Can't I at least say goodbye to him?

Dr. Fisher: Yes, but you'll have to be quick.

Mr. Grouper and Gil go into Goby's hospital room. The sick little guppy is lying on the bed sleeping soundly.

Gil (whispering): Don't worry, buddy. We'll get you the medicine you need. I promise.

Goby starts squirming and breathing in a strange way.

Gil: Doctor!

Dr. Fisher rushes into the room. She puts a breathing mask on him and he starts to calm down,

Gil exits the room.

Gil: We got to go now!

The guppies swim out of the hospital and head toward Sea Foam Village. Ten and a half minutes after they leave Bubbletucky, they pass a very rocky terrain.

Gil: Careful, guys.

Nonny wasn't careful. He tripped on a little rock and landed really hard on a bigger rock.

Nonny: Ouch!

Oona: Oh my gosh!

Oona looks closer at Nonny's tail, which starts bleeding.

Nonny: Ow. I can't move.

Oona has a concerned look on her face.

Oona: Oh, Nonny.

Nonny: You guys are going to have to go on without me.

Deema: But…

Nonny: Go. Leave me to bleed.

Oona: I'll stay with you.

Nonny: What?

Oona: I'm not going with. Not while you're hurt. I'm going to take care of you.

Nonny: You don't have to. Really.

Oona (impatiently): Quit being so stubborn! I'm staying and that's final!

Nonny raises his eyebrows.

Nonny: Ok.

Gil: Ok then. Molly, Deema, let's go.

Gil, Molly, and Deema swim away and ten minutes later, they come across a big sign that said "Welcome to Sea Foam Village".

Molly: Ok, we're here. Now let's find the hospital.

The three guppies swim cautiously through the strange town.

Gil: Nonny is such an attention hog.

Deema: What?

Gil: When he got hurt back there, that was so fake.

Deema: Dude! Did you not see the blood?!

Gil: He totally fell on purpose!

Molly: Why would he do that?

Gil: To get attention! He wanted us to feel sorry for him instead of Goby!

Deema is furious.

Deema: You know what Gil! I'm not going to listen to you verbally abuse Nonny like this! I'm going to find the hospital myself! Goodbye!

Deema angrily swims away.

Molly: Now look what you did!

Gil: Oh, she'll get over it! Now let's go find the hospital to save Goby.

Several seconds later, they hear screaming in the distance.

Molly: It's Deema! Her scream is coming from a back alley. I can tell.

Molly and Gil follow the screams which lead to Deema being cornered by three gang members.

Gang Member #1: Who are ya?

Gang Member #2: Where ya from?

Leader: And wadda ya doin' here?

Deema covered her eyes to keep herself from crying.

Molly: Leave her alone!

The gang members turned around and Deema uncovered one of her eyes.

Leader: Ey, boys, look. It's a damn purdy girl.

Molly (offended): You're sick!

Suddenly, there were sirens wailing and they grew louder. Everyone realized it was a police cruiser. The police cruiser's massive headlights blinded Deema and the gang members.

Molly: Who called the police?

Gil: I did.

Molly: Good job, Gilly.

A male police lobster exited the police cruiser.

Police officer: Well, well, well. If it isn't you guys again. You're under arrest.

Leader: Uh-oh. Busted.

The police officer handcuffed all three gang members and they piled into the car. The police officer decided to comfort Deema.

Officer: You ok there, little girl?

Deema: Mm-hmm.

The police officer took a good look at Deema, Molly, and Gil and smiled.

Officer: Why, hello there. I'm Officer Richmond. My sister's told me a lot about you.

Molly: Your sister?

Officer Richmond: Yep. Officer Miranda. Remember her?

Gil: I do. She gave us our junior police badges.

(A/N: For those who don't know, Officer Miranda appeared in the second episode of season 3: "The Police Cop-etition")

Officer Richmond: That's right.

Officer Richmond walks up to Gil and put his claw on Gil's shoulder.

Officer Richmond: You did the right thing by calling the police. They could've been dangerous.

Officer Richmond got into his cruiser. As he drove away, he rolled down his window.

Officer Richmond (yelling out his window): Bye kids! Be careful!

Deema: Wow. Thanks, Gil.

Gil: Sure.

Deema starts crossing her arms and turning away.

Gil: What?

Deema: Hmph.

Gil: Oh, right. The Nonny thing. Listen, I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean it. I was just depressed about Goby.

Deema hesitantly turned her head to face Gil.

Gil: What do you say? Truce?

Gil puts his hand out and smiles. Deema shakes hands with him.

Deema: Truce.

Molly: I'm glad to see you guys are friends again. But we have another problem. We still have no idea where the hospital is.

Deema: Well let's not just stand here. Let's go find it.

The guppies swim around trying to find the hospital. Molly sees a large white building in the distance.

Molly: I think that's it. Let's go.

The white building has a sign outside saying "Sea Foam Village Medical Clinic"

Gil (to Molly): You're a life saver.

The guppies enter the clinic and spot the pharmacy which is right by the entrance. They stay right by the entrance.

Gil: What was that stuff we needed?

Molly: Coral tonic.

Gil: Right. Now you guys stay here while I go ask for it.

Gil approaches the pharmacy counter. There is a female pharmacist with flowing black hair whose back was to Gil.

Gil: Excuse me.

Female Pharmacist: Yes?

The pharmacist turned around.

Female Pharmacist: Can I help you?

Gil was amazed by the pharmacist mermaid's beauty. She had large dark green eyes with super long eyelashes. She also had cream colored shin that glistened in the light. Her name tag read "Juliet".

Gil's heart began to beat really fast.

Gil (stammering): Hello…I…I, um…need…need…need…

Juliet: Yes? You need what?

Deema (whispering to Molly): Great. He's lovestruck.

Molly swam toward Gil and Juliet.

Molly: We need coral tonic.

Juliet: I see.

Juliet turns around to find the coral tonic on the shelf.

Molly smacks Gil on the face.

Gil: Ouch!

Juliet turns around and hands Molly a jar filled with a sort of light pinkish orange colored liquid.

Juliet: Coral tonic.

Molly: Thank you.

Molly and Gil swim toward Deema when Gil's cell phone rings.

Gil: Hello?

Mr. Grouper (on the other line): You guyes have to get here as fast as you can! Goby's getting worse! Hurry!

Gil: We're on our way!

Gil hangs up.

Gil: We got to go now!

The guppies swim outside the clinic.

Gil: We're going to have to ask someone to give us a ride.

Deema: Ok. I'll hail somebody.

Deema (yelling): HEY! WE NEED A RIDE! PLEASE?!

Gil: Geez, Deema!

Suddenly, an SUV pulls up with a male crab behind the wheel.

Crab: Hey, where ya headed?

Deema: Bubbletucky.

Crab: I've visited there, nice town. The name's Fin.

Deema: I'm Deema. This is Molly and Gil.

Fin: Nice to meet ya.

Fin looks at the jar of coral tonic in Molly's hand.

Fin: Whatcha got there?

Molly: Medicine for a sick friend.

Gil: Sorry to interrupt, Fin. But could you please hurry up and get us home? Our friend Goby is sick and doesn't have much time left.

Fin: Absolutely. Hop in.

The guppies all get in and Fin starts driving.

Deema (shouting): STOP!

Fin hits the brakes. Deema rolls down the window.

Deema: Oons! Nonners!

Oona and Nonny look up. Nonny has leaves on his tail.

Oona: Who's that?

Fin: I'm Fin. I've come to take you back to Bubbletucky.

Nonny: Good.

Oona and Nonny get into Fin's car and drive off.

Deema: Hey, Nonners. What's with the leaves?

Nonny: Oona tried to stop the bleeding.

Molly: Did it work?

Nonny: Kind of. But I still have the cut.

Eventually, they get back to the Bubbletucky hospital. Fin drops them off right at the entrance. Gil grabs the coral tonic from Molly.

Gil: Come on!

Gil rushes out of Fin's car and swims as fast as he could into the hospital.

Deema: Thanks again Fin.

Fin: Anytime kids. I hope your friend gets cured.

Molly: We do too.

The guppies all exit Fin's car and Fin drives away. They go inside.

Gil (shouting): We got it! We got the *pant, pant* coral tonic!

Dr. Fisher and Mr. Grouper exit Goby's hospital room.

Dr. Fisher: Shh!

Gil (whispering): We got it! We got the coral tonic!

Dr. Fisher (quietly, but not in a whisper): Excellent. I'm going to give him some. Now, it might take a while for it to have a full effect, but he'll be good as new.

Mr. Grouper: Thank you.

Dr. Fisher goes back into the room and closes the door behind her. She looks t Goby. He still has the breathing mask on and he's sound asleep. His heart rate monitor is steady "beep…beep…beep". Dr. Fisher grabs a syringe (those needles used to give shots) and opens the coral tonic jar. She fills the syringe with the pinkish orange liquid.

Dr. Fisher (gently): Goby.

Goby slowly opens his eyes and gives a barely audible moan.

Dr: Fisher: This is coral tonic. It's the medicine that'll make you feel better. Now, your shot may pinch a little, but I guarantee you'll feel like your old self again.

Goby nods.

Dr. Fisher lifts up Goby's arm and sticks the syringe in him.

Goby flinches and closes his eyes.

About an hour later, Dr. Fisher opens the door. Everyone gets up from their chairs.

Dr. Fisher (cheerfully): Looks like someone's healthy as ever.

The guppies carefully look at the door. Goby comes out, healthy as a seahorse. (A/N: Notice the phrase "healthy as a seahorse" is a pun of the phrase "healthy as a horse)

Goby: Hi!

Everyone: Goby!

They all crowd around him.

Molly: You made it!

Gil: You're ok!

Deema: I was so worried!

Oona: You're not sick anymore!

Nonny: You're healthy again!

Gil calmed down the hulabaloo with a question that's been burning in his mind since this insanity started.

Gil: Wait! There's one thing I don't understand. How did Goby get so sick in the first place?

Deema: Yeah.

Dr. Fisher: Arklampsia is mostly caused by food poisoning. Goby, did you eat anything…strange?

Goby: Actually, I did. My dad got me some breakfast from this one place called…um…Clam Supreme. I thought the food didn't taste right.

Dr. Fisher: I'll have to alert the health inspector to make sure that restaurant gets shut down immediately! In the meantime, you're free to go.

Guppies: Thank you, Dr. Fisher!