Guys,

Xtr75, lol, no whirlwind around these 2, no! Mind you, it has only been just over a week.

AJ. :-)

Chapter 36

Joey finished checking the reports and animal logs, and they finished their coffees while chatting to Bev.

She'd been telling Charlie all about all the things the things that the aquarium did to rescue animals and mammals, and the conservation and environmental work they were involved in.

"Right, we'd better get moving." Joey said, standing up from her desk. "Thanks for the coffee Bev. We'll see you later on."

"Sure thing. Have a lovely time Charlie." Bev smiled kindly. "I'll no doubt catch up with you later on sometime."

"Yes, thank you Bev. It's been really interesting to find out a bit about what happens here. And yes, I'm sure I'll see you before I leave." Charlie smiled.

"OK Charlie. Let's get to work." Joey chuckled. She opened the door to her office, and directed Charlie down the corridor.

Charlie opened the door Joey indicated she should, and walked into a room that looked like a large kitchen. There were several worktops and sinks in it, and on the wall, there were three sets of knives.

"What's this room for Jo?"

"This is where we prepare the food." Joey chuckled. "And it's our first job of the day."

"Our first job?"

"Yeah. You're a keeper for the day, so you have to help me do whatever I do." Joey laughed.

"OK. Bring it on." Charlie said.

"OK. First we have to go to get the food from the fridge."

"Lead the way." Charlie said, following Joey out the door.

Joey walked along the corridor, and went into another large room, that was this time filled with 3 very large fridges.

There was a man already in there, with one of the fridge doors open. He turned around when they walked in. "Hey, morning Jo. How are you?"

"Good thanks Nick." Joey smiled. "Well, a lot better than I was this time last week anyway." She chuckled. "Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to Charlie, my girl friend, she's here to be a keeper for the day."

"Pleased to meet you." Nick smiled at Charlie, and shook her hand. "I hope you enjoy yourself then." He chuckled. "It can be a mucky start." He said, with a wry smile on his face, as he went back to his fridge.

Charlie looked worriedly at Joey. "Can it?"

"Relax Charlie. You'll be fine." Joey said, with a twinkle in her eye. "Right. Let's get this show on the road." She gestured to Charlie to come to one of the fridges. "We're in charge of the penguins, so we have to get their food ready first."

"OK." Charlie said, as Joey opened the fridge door. "Eww. What's that smell?"

Joey and Nick laughed loudly. "Fish." Joey stated. "Obviously."

"Oh God." Charlie put her hand over her nose and mouth and she held her breath. "Don't tell me I have to feed them this." She gasped.

"I'm afraid so Charlie." Joey began getting loads of food out the fridge, and put it in 4 large buckets. "Right, if you could help me carry these back to the kitchen please Charlie."

Charlie gave Joey a 'you must be kidding' look, before saying. "Sure." And picking up 2 buckets. "But you only take the one, I'll come back for the fourth one."

"I'm fine Charlie."

"Just take one please sweetie. I don't want you hurting your arm." Charlie said, eyeing Joey, to make sure she got the message.

"OK. One bucket." Joey sighed.

"I'll bring them through." Nick said. "Charlies right. We don't want you straining yourself."

"Not you as well." Joey sighed.

Nick chuckled. "Yep. If that's what it takes to look after you, me as well."

"Thank you Nick." Charlie said.

They picked up the buckets and took them through to the kitchen.

Then, after Nick had left, Joey took one bucket, and emptied it into a sink. Then she took a packet of 6 fish out the sink. "Right. This is what we have to do." She opened the packet, as Charlie watched on, and took a knife off the board, and began to cut the heads off the fish. Then she threw the heads into a waste bin, before chopping the fish into 4 smaller bits, and depositing them in the empty bucket. "These smaller bits are for the smaller penguins." She smiled. "The bigger birds get whole fish."

Charlie almost gagged as Joey chopped off the fish heads. "I don't know if I can do this Jo." She said weakly. "And the smell. Gee, it's rank."

"Charlie Buckton." Joey said, as she looked at her girl friend. "I would never have put you down as a wuss."

"Well, now you know I am."

"Nonsense." Joey laughed. "Now pick up a knife, and a packet of fish and get started."

Charlie tentatively did just that, and began, very slowly to do what Joey told her to do.

"Oh God." Charlie mumbled, as she dropped the head in the bin. "Yukkie."

"It'll be worth it, trust me."

"I hope so, because you did promise me a great day out."

"It will be." Joey smiled.

"Chopping heads off fish isn't my ideal start to the day." Charlie chuckled.

"At least you can tell people I know how to treat my girl friends properly." Joey laughed.

Charlie replied back. "I'm sure everyone would be impressed so far." She laughed. "Not."

"Hey." Joey replied, laughing too. "At least it's not boring."

"I guess that is true." Charlie leant over and gave Joey a quick peck on the lips. "You know I'm kidding sweetie." Charlie said. "I think it's going to be fun, finding out what you do."

"I hope it will be interesting, if not fun." Joey smiled.

They finally finished the fish, and then they went back to the fridge to pick up some more buckets, this time they filled them with packets of different whole fish, smaller varieties. They took the buckets back to the kitchen, and this time just emptied them whole into the buckets.

"OK. Good." Said Joey. "We'll take these to the front door, and we'll go and get a trolley." They made several trips to the door, and then Joey took Charlie round the corner of the building to get a trolley. They brought it back, and loaded the buckets on it. "Right. Let's go."

"Let me do that." Charlie said, nudging Joey out the way of the trolley. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you." She looked sternly at Joey. "How are you going to do this tomorrow? You'll strain yourself. You're not ready to come back to work."

"I'll take it easy, I promise." Smiled Joey.

"You'd better, or I'll place you under arrest until you're 100% again."

"Oooh. That could be fun." Joey laughed

"Jo." Charlie warned.

"OK OK. I'll be good." Joey smiled. She was really loving the fact that Charlie was looking out for her.

"Good. So let me push this thing." Charlie said. "Where are we going?"

"To the penguins." Joey smiled. "This way." She walked off towards the penguins, with Charlie following her, pushing the trolley.

When they got there, Joey walked to the brick building to the side of the enclosure.

"OK. So if we park up here, and unload the buckets, and put them inside." Joey said, as she began to unlock the door.

"OK. One bucket at a time for you." Charlie said.

"Yes yes." Chuckled Joey. "OK."

They took a few minutes to take the buckets in, and then Joey locked the buildings door from the inside.

"Right. Let's get to the real fun." Joey chuckled. She picked up a bucket and moved it to the door next to the enclosure. Charlie followed suit, until all the buckets were by the door.

"I can see why you're so toned and fit Jo." Charlie said.

"Really? You been looking?" Joey teased. Charlie blushed.

"Well, of course I've noticed." She said shyly.

Joey walked over to her, and kissed her on the lips. "I know, and I'm very pleased about it." She smiled.

Charlie kissed her back. "Well then."

"Let's feed my friends." Joey laughed. She unlocked the enclosure door, and took out a bucket of the whole fish. "Come on Charlie." She encouraged.

Charlie gingerly followed her outside. "Oh God, how many of them are there?" She hastily looked around, as the penguins rushed over to them.

"Relax Charlie. They know it's feeding time." Joey smiled. She turned her attention to the penguins. "Well, this is a nice welcome. You all missed me?" Joey said gently to them.

Charlie smiled at what Joey was saying. It certainly seemed that the penguins were keen to see her girl friend again. She couldn't blame then for that, she chuckled to herself.

The penguins waddled over to Joey, and stood looking at her, eagerly awaiting their meal. "Hello guys. As an extra special treat, I've brought my girlfriend to meet you today. She's going to help me feed you." She said softly. She picked up a fish, and held it out to the biggest penguin. "That a boy Gonzo." Joey said.

Charlie looked at her. "Don't tell me they all have names?"

Joey looked at her and smiled. "Of course they do. And they all have their own little personalities too." She smiled. "Gonzo's the boss." Joey sniggered. "Aren't you boy." She said as she fed him again. "And he has to eat first."

"Who should I feed then?" Charlie asked. "None of them have come near me yet." She gulped.

"They're just a bit wary because they haven't seen you before." Joey smiled. "They'll soon get used to you."

Charlie took a fish out the bucket, and held it out. A penguin looked at her, and quickly moved towards her, snapping the fish out of her hand, and went back to Joeys side again. Charlie squealed. "Arrh. God Jo."

"That was Missy. She's a right madam." Joey chuckled. "They won't hurt you." She said gently. "And try not to squeal too loud, or you'll scare them."

"OK." Gulped Charlie, as she took another fish out. Another penguin felt brave and walked towards her, taking a fish out of her hand. Joey watched on, as she fed the penguins herself.

One penguin then stuck its beak in Charlies bucket, and stole a fish. "Jo. It's stealing a fish." Charlie said. "What do I do?"

"Let it take it, then lift the bucket up higher so they can't take another one. We have to make sure they get 2 fish each."

"I don't know which ones I've fed though." Charlie looked worriedly at Joey.

"It's OK. I do." Joey smiled. "And Charlie?"

"Yeah?"

"Relax. You're doing great."

Charlie smiled at Joey. "Well I'm trying. Thank you."

"OK. So that smaller one on your left. Give her one more."

"What's her name?" Charlie asked as she fed the penguin.

"She's Pandora." Joey laughed. "She's a big softie. She may even let you tickle her chin later."

"Will she?" Charlie asked enthusiastically.

"Maybe." Joey smiled. "Right, the one next to Pandora, Pingu, with the white mark on his wing. He needs 2 fish."

"OK." Charlie said, as she duly fed him.

"How many fish have you got left?"

"Umm. Only 3." Charlie checked.

"OK, so 2 for the one on your right, Darcy." Joey chuckled. "As he's so handsome, and 1 for the one behind you, Miss Piggy."

Charlie jumped. "I didn't know one was behind me."

"That's because she's a sneaky piggy, and was trying to steal one. Weren't you Miss Piggy." Joey laughed.

Charlie chuckled. "I can't believe you're talking to them like this."

"They do sort of understand." Joey laughed.

They emptied their buckets, and went to get 2 more. "We need to be careful with these, because the greedy ones will try and steal the fish from the other smaller ones."

"OK. Just tell me which ones I need to feed." Charlie said.

"These four coming over to you now need 2 each." Joey said.

"OK."

Joey fed her fish to the other penguins, until they'd got none left. "That's it. These guys are done."

"That was fun." Charlie smiled. "I stink of fish though." She frowned.

"I'm used to it. In fact, as I used to work on the trawler, I didn't even notice it when I started working here."

"I hope you have some good hand cleaner in the place."

"Hey, shush, Pandora's coming over." Joey said quietly. "She likes a tickle." Joey smiled, as the penguin walked towards her, and lifted her head up. "Don't you girl." Joey added, as she tickled Pandora under the chin. "Come over here slowly Charlie." Charlie walked the few steps towards Joey. "Now, just do what I'm doing, and I'll take my hand away. It's just like petting a dog or cat." Joey said, as Charlie tentatively moved her hand towards the penguin, and began to rub its feathers under its chin.

"It likes it." Charlies eyes twinkled at Joey. "How cute." She giggled.

"Yeah. She's a big softie when you get to know her." Joey smiled. "A bit like you." She nudged Charlie.

"Hey. Don't say that too loudly, or someone might hear you." Charlie smiled. "I keep my big softie image for only very special people."

After a few minutes, they took their leave of the enclosure.

"What's next? We've still got the cut up fish bits left." Charlie asked.

"Yeah. I think you might like this one too." Joey smiled, as she opened the door to let them out, locking it behind her. They piled the empty buckets onto the trolley, before taking the full buckets of cut up fish to another door in the building. "Now, don't make too many sharp movements. We'll go in, and sit on the wall on the left, and just wait for them to come over."

"Ok." Charlie replied. "What are they?" She asked, before she went into the room and saw them.

"Baby penguins." Joey said quietly.

Charlie walked in and sat down, as Joey had directed. Joey joined her, sitting down next to her. Then a few tiny fluffy penguins gradually came towards them. They were all squawking.

"How cute are they?" Charlie giggled.

"Very." Joey said, smiling at Charlie. None of the penguins went near Charlie. She looked disappointed. "Don't worry Charlie. Let them suss you out first." Joey smiled. She turned her attention back to the penguins and said. "Now listen guys, I've got a very special visitor with me today, Senior Constable Charlie Buckton. She's my girl friend, so I want you to be nice to her, and introduce yourselves."

Charlie giggled at Joeys words. "You're mad Jo."

"I know." Joey replied smiling.

Slowly, some of the penguins ventured towards Charlie.

"How much food do I give these?" She asked.

"Three bits each please."

"OK." Said Charlie, as she began to feed the first one who approached her. Charlie giggled as she watched the fluffy bundles take the food from her.

"Having fun?"

"Oh yes Jo. It's lovely." Charlie replied happily.

They finished feeding the little ones, then left that enclosure, and locked up. They took the buckets back to the keepers building, and washed them out, before leaving them to dry off on the draining board.

"Right, now we have to feed the tropical fish."

"Lead the way sweetie." Charlie replied happily, as she followed Joey to the tropical fish enclosure.