As Kowalski walked, he cradled the chick close to him. The steady heartbeat of the little one reassured the older ; he was still alive. Still breathing.
He looked down at its closed little eyes and its little innocent head. His chest rose and flattened slowly, like he was finally at peace.
"How could anyone do this to such a young little chick?" He wondered out loud, startling his two comrades.
"This is a cruel world, Kowalski. There are so many "how could" questions, you'd never be able to count them all."
Skippers words sunk into Kowalski. "We are going to help him, right?" He asked suddenly. He mentally slapped himself. Of course they were going to help the frostbitten baby chick!
"Of course, Kowalski. But it needs a name." Skipper said as they walked up to their habitat. He lifted the hatch for Kowalski, and Kowalski slid down it carefully, keeping the little guy close in his arms.
"I'll think of something later, Skipper. For right now, it needs food, and sleep. And tomorrow, a nice hot bath and some cleaning of his wounds." Kowalski said and set the chick on the counter. He went to the closet and opened it, popping open a can of tuna. He set one down on the table next to the chick, who had just woken up. It stared down at the fish, then back up at Kowalski. Then back down at the fish.
"Why isn't it taking the food, Kowalski? " Skipper asked, slightly annoyed. Meanwhile, Kowalski was face-flippering.
"Of course! A mother or a father penguin usually chews a fish and then barfs it back up the the baby." Quickly he grabbed the fish to keep the young penguin from eating it, which could result in him choking to death "thank goodness the little guy knew better...if he didn't he would be choking right now."
"Well.. I've never been a father, so I don't know how to up chuck fish. Do you?" Kowalski shook his head "Rico?"
Rico sighed and muttered something under his breath, then motioned for Kowalski to hand him the fish. Kowalski passed it over and watched intently with Skipper as Rico swallowed it, then waddled quickly over to the penguins. He bent his head down and the little guy did the same.
They grimaced in disgust as they touched beaks lightly at the end and the fish came spilling out of Rico's mouth and tumbling into the youngers. The baby swallowed quickly and ruffled his feathers. He chirped lightly, almost as a way of a thank you.
"Thanks Rico, you'll only have to do that 30 more days until he grows out of that stage." Rico groaned and waddled over to his bed. He was obviously beat. He jumped in and the second his head hit his pillow, he was out.
Kowalski turned back to the little bird and smiled. "Do you have a name?" The little guy thought of a moment, then responded "No, not really. Momma never got to name me."
"Do you remember what happened? Why you were out on the streets?"
"Yes. Ever since our zoo got threatened to close down and all the animals would be shipped out, the males in our habitat started acting weird. Every male except my daddy and two others. My momma and my daddy decided we needed to leave, so we broke out. A few of the males followed us, and they started beating us up. Daddy..." The little guy seemed sad at the name "he stayed back to protect us while momma and I run. It stayed like that for a few hours, just us running. A few more males attacked us, and most of them set on me to make Momma mad. When we found the alley you found me in, momma told me to wait there while she found food for us. She never came back. And then you found me." The little guy said, having trouble pronouncing some words, like "attacking" and threatened".
Kowalski and Skipper looked at each other. The little boy was too small to go through this. To lose both his parents in one night. Kowalski heart went out to the little guy as he looked down at him yawning.
Kowalski wrapped his flippers around the baby and picked him up gently. He rocked the chick to sleep in his flippers, and he didn't stop until he heard his soft breaths and the beating of his small heart. He couldn't see the chicks face, because he had it buried in Kowalski's chest, but he could feel his eyes being closed.
"Where do we but him down to sleep?" Kowalski whispered to Skipper, who was already in his bunk and ready to fall asleep.
"You're acting like a good dad." Skipper yawned "Let him sleep with you for one night."
Kowalski nodded and went over to his bunk, which tonight was the bottom one. Good timing, the thought. Any higher and I would be afraid he was fall off during the night.
He layer on his side and set the chick next to him in the empty gap where he usually sprawling his full body. The chick pressed himself against Kowalski. The warm spot he was making on Kowalski stomach (where he was pressing) felt so good to Kowalski.
He started rubbing the chicks head, and right before he went to sleep we whispered "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you."
HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT! REVIEW AND I'LL UPDATE SOONER! I TRY TO UPDATE AT LEAST ONE OF MY STORIES EVERYDAY, BUT I HAVE A LIFE OTHER THAN FANFIC (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) AND ITS NOT ALWAYS EASY! SCHOOLS STARTING IN A WEEK IN A HALF, AND SINCE IM GOING INTO 6TH GRADE AND IM OFFICIALLY SWITCHING CLASSES (WHICH MEANS MORE HOMEWORK AND SUCH) IT'LL BE VERY HARD TO UPDATE. PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
HAVE A NICE DAY! REVIEW!1