" Days with the Down Feathers"
Thanks for the reviews everyone. They were wonderful. Now here's the next chapter. Warning: I may revise this chapter, again. Please enjoy.
Chapter 3
" I don't know," Kowalski squeaked. " I didn't even think of that."
" Oh, for the love of Halibut," he smacked his forehead on the box.
" Tired," Rico yawned about ready to fall asleep. Holding his older brothers up on his shoulders was
exhausting him.
" Rico," Skipper barked, lifting his head up from the box. " Now's not the time to be taking a nap. We need to
figure a way out of this jam." He paused and pondered for a moment. " Maybe if I jump off..."
" I don't think that that would be such a good idea, Skipper," Kowalski suggested, trying to be reasonable. "
You could get hurt."
" Kowalski," Skipper ruffled his feathers. " I've jumped off of several high things before and have never
gotten hurt once."
" But you haven't jumped off of anything this high before without a mat to help break your fall," Kowalski
raised his voice. " The cement floor could really do some damage to you."
" Kowalski," Skipper scoffed. " With the gymnastics training that I've had, I should be able to stick the
landing, just fine."
" If you say so," Kowalski muttered underneath his breath. " But, what about the box? You can't perform
gymnastics with it. It's too heavy."
" Here," Skipper handed the box down to Kowalski. " If your so worried. Take it." Kowalski took the box then
passed it down to Rico, who accidentally let it smash loudly onto the floor. " Nice going, Rico," Skipper put his
flippers on his hips, using his stern voice. " Jeopardize the mission, why don't you?"
" Sorry," Rico shrugged, guiltily.
" Skipper," Kowalski snapped defensively. " Could you please try to be a little more sensitive? He's just a
toddler."
" Can it, Kowalski," Skipper snapped back. He looked over at the door, which led to the bunkroom. Nothing
stirred. " Well, it looks like you got lucky this time, Rico," he looked down at Rico. " Now. Back to the mission."
" Skipper," Kowalski uttered curiously. " Are you sure that you want to do this?"
" Yes, I'm sure, Kowalski," Skipper barked. " Now, will you please can it, so I can get down from here?"
" Okay! Okay," Kowalski growled then whispered. " Jerk."
" I heard that! Alright," Skipper took in a deep breath and let it out. " Here goes nothing." Soon, Skipper
leaped off of the top of Kowalski's shoulders and attempted a back flip. Suddenly, without warning, he
accidentally twisted the flip, making it crooked, and landed on his right leg, hard, breaking it. Skipper crashed
down onto the floor, grabbing it in pain. Kowalski saw what had happened and jumped off of Rico's shoulder.
" Skipper," he shouted worriedly as he ran to Skipper and stopped. " Are you okay?"
" Does it look like I'm okay, you nerdy knucklehead," Skipper shouted at him with another crack in his voice.
" Uh, no," Kowalski retorted, feeling insulted.
" Then go get me a medic, now! Please," Skipper wailed as he still held onto his leg.
" Okay," Kowalski readied himself to run off. " I'll go get Momma and Daddy. They'll know what to do." He
sprinted down the hallway, dropping the clipboard, and disappeared behind the door to the bunkroom.
Meanwhile, Rico stayed behind and tried to help Skipper stand up. After a few moments, he had Skipper's
flipper supported around one of his shoulders. Together, the two began to make their way toward the door,
with Skipper limping on his left leg.
Out of breath, Kowalski barged into the room, causing the door to hit the wall. Soon, everybody woke up
with a startle, including the baby, who now began to bawl. " Momma? Daddy," he shouted as he ran up to
them. " Skipper broke his leg! Come on!"
" He what," the parents shouted simultaneously, after waking up. They were now worried sick.
" Kowalski, where is he," Juan questioned nervously.
" He's in the hallway," Kowalski retorted pointing to the hall. Without hesitation, the parents left the room,
leaving Kowalski alone with the baby. Kowalski stayed behind and waddled up to it, trying to figure out how
to make him stop crying. He picked Ace up and supported him on one of his shoulders. From there, he ran
through the door and back down the hallway.
Shocked, the parents saw Skipper being supported by Rico and ran up to him. " Skipper," Maggie shouted,
hugging the oldest son, with Juan not too far behind. " You're alright. Thank-goodness."
" What do you mean I'm alright," Skipper raised an eyebrow as his parents pulled away. " Look at me."
" I don't understand, Skipper," Juan scratched is chin. " How did you manage to break your leg?"
" I fell," Skipper hesitated, looking away.
" Fell like how," Juan folded his flippers. He knew that Skipper was trying to hide something from them.
" Well…I," Skipper stuttered.
Suddenly, Kowalski ran up to the group with Ace still crying in his flippers. Kowalski was now completely out
of breath. " Here," he held the baby out to his parents, who were now looking at him. " Please...take...him."
The mother took the baby from Kowalski's flippers. Afterward, Kowalski collapsed onto the floor, too tired to
get back up. Soon, the baby stopped crying and went back to sleep in his mother's flippers.
" So," Juan turned back to Skipper. " As you were saying about how you broke your leg by falling."
" Well," Skipper thought of a lie to avoid getting into trouble with his parents. " I was running fast when I
fell, landed on my leg, and then I broke it."
" Skipper," Kowalski shouted, standing back up. " That's not how you broke your leg."
" It's not," Juan glared at Skipper, with a raised eyebrow.
" No," Kowalski looked at his father.
" Then how did it happen," Maggie raised an eyebrow. Kowalski explained the story about how Skipper
broke his leg, right after he had gotten something out of the hallway closet. When he was finished, the
parents glared at their three eldest sons. " Kids," the mother put one of her flippers on her hips. " We're very
disappointed in you."
"Especially you, Skipper," the father put both of his flippers on his hips. " You almost set a very bad example
for your brothers, by lying. And just for that, you are grounded for two weeks for that, digging through the
closet, and performing dangerous stunts without permission and adult supervision. Now apologize to your
younger siblings, at once."
" Two weeks, but," Skipper stuttered, but his father growled at him. " Yes, Daddy." He turned to Rico and
Kowalski, who were now standing next to each other, and sighed. " I'm sorry that I almost set a bad
example for you two, by lying." Rico and Kowalski, swiftly accepted his apology by simply nodding their
heads.
" And as for you two," Juan looked over at Rico and Kowalski, too. " You are both grounded for one week,
just for tagging along with Skipper in the stunts and digging through the hallway closet without permission
and adult supervision, as well."
" And speaking of that," Maggie pondered. " Why were you boys digging through the closet, in the first
place?"
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Oh, no. Skipper broke his leg. Why, oh, why, did he choose not to listen to Kowalski? Anyways. Coming up next in Chapter 4. Catch the little penguins' answer to their mother's question, along with Kowalski's plan. Please stay tuned and find out more.