Chapter 12
Ashima slept well into the next day, the filly still feeling groggy and dazed as she finally struggled out of bed late in the morning. Her legs quaked as the room spun, the filly canearing into the wall to steady her. What, on earth, just happened?
She stood with her head down, waiting for the dizziness to pass as the fog began to dissipate from her mind. What happened? Her legs shook again, the filly lying back down before she fell down. She knew this feeling, she'd had this happen to her back at the lab.
A shiver ran through her body and she gave a little squeak of terror at the realisation. No, they didn't do that to her, did they? Why would they do that to her?
'Ashima, you're awake.'
She looked around, the Captain poking his head through the partition. 'Y-yeah. I'm up.' She struggled to her hooves, shaking and the Captain came over to her and helped her stand. 'Thanks.'
'No worries.' He replied, rubbing her neck. 'How are you feeling?'
'Exhausted.' She glared at him. 'You had me sedated, didn't you?'
'Ashima, you were very worked up last night, we had to. For your safety, and ours.'
'What-what did I do?'
He rolled his sleeve up after a moment, showing the filly the bandage. The filly looked at it then turned away, hanging your head. 'What happened? What's wrong?'
'Nightmare.'
'Do you want to talk to me about it?'
'No.'
Barnacles patted her shoulder gently, the filly still with her head near the ground. 'It's alright Ashima, it's alright. Come on, let's get your mind off things. It's time for another Octonauts lesson.'
It was evening after the Captain and Ashima finished with her diving lesson, the filly having shown great improvement since her earlier attempts during previous lessons. Barnacles was pleased with her progress, telling the filly so. She seemed to perk up a little at the compliment then went back to being quiet and reserved again, even verging on dull and her eyes were expressionless.
He sighed, looking over at her as she stood next to the glass across the HQ, her head down. He really didn't know what else to do. Didn't know how to help her. What was going on inside that head of hers? Why was she so frightened? Was there more of her past haunting her that she was yet to reveal?
The Captain turned back to the screen, watching the pictures Dashi was sending back of a cave she'd started exploring. They'd come into the reef a couple days back, Dashi being eager to get out there and start searching. He glanced over at the filly, hoping she'd find some interest as he exclaimed his thoughts loudly. 'Look at these pictures coming in from Dashi.'
The filly glanced up, walking over to join the Captain as he and Shellington watched the screens with the photos coming in. The photos were amazing, her ears pricking up as she watched them with great interest. 'Wow! Dashi takes some amazing photographs.'
'She certainly does Ashima.' Shellington agreed. 'Dashi's the best photographer I know.'
'When can I go out with Dashi to get photos?'
Barnacles smiled, thankful that the filly seemed to be genuinely showing an interest. 'Not for sometime yet I'm afraid Ashima, you've still got quite a lot to learn.' The filly sighed, lowering her head but he continued. 'However, your doing very very well Ashima, I think it'll be time soon for your first exploration outside in the ocean.'
'Brilliant!' She exclaimed with excitement. 'I can't wait!
He chuckled. 'How does sometime next week sound?'
'Really?'
'Well, depending on how well the rest of your lessons go.'
'That'd be great-' She looked up as another photo came in. 'I'll have something to look forward to.'
Peso walked into the HQ, glancing up at the screen. 'Where is Dashi Captain?'
'She's exploring a strange underwater cave.'
Dashi took a couple more photos then radioed into the Octopod. 'There's some amazing stuff in here.'
Shellington pressed a few buttons on the computer. 'Let's run these pictures through the computer to get a good look at the whole cave.'
'Pretty cool I'd say.' Ashima added, watching the pictures. 'Where's this cave?'
'Somewhere in the reef, Dashi's been exploring and mapping the reef while she's out there.'
'Looks like there's squid and some tropical seaweed.' He continued, going through the recordings Dashi had sent through. He frowned, this didn't actually look like a cave after all-
'The cave floors red and wiggly.' Peso exclaimed.
Barnacles squinted with concentration, focusing on the screen. 'Those little rocks hanging down kind of look familiar.'
Shellington gasped as he put the pieces together. 'That's because their teeth and the floor is a tongue.'
Ashima frowned, wondering what on earth was going on.
'How can a cave have teeth and a tongue?' Peso wondered out loud.
'Because it's not a cave Peso.' He pressed a couple more buttons, both he and Barnacles exclaiming in horror together. 'It's a whale shark!'
The Captain slapped his paw down on the radio button. 'Dashi, can you hear me?'
'Loud and clear, sort of.'
'Your not in a cave, you're in a whale shark. Get out! Now!'
She turned around, the mouth of the huge beast starting to close. 'Uh oh. Closing time.' She started to swim for the entrance, but her camera slipped from her grasp 'My camera.'
The screen went static, Barnacles pressing down on the radio button urgently. 'Dashi. Can you hear me?'
Through the static she started to reply. 'I'm alright Captain, I'm-'
The radio cut out, the beeping sound of the radio announcing that communication between the octopod and Dashi had been cut. 'The signal can't reach now that the mouth is shut.'
Peso gasped. 'She's trapped inside a whale shark.'
Ashima swished her tail anxiously, snorting. Turnip standing at her feet fainted, the filly glancing down at him then back to the Captain. 'What are we going to do Captain?'
'We need to get her out.' He exclaimed. 'Ashima, sound the Octo-alert.' The filly ran to the the alert, bumping it with her nose. The octoalert sounded, the Captain giving out the order. 'Octonauts, to the launch bay!'
The filly was hot on the Captains heels, running behind him as they hurried down the octochutes, the rest of the Octonauts joining them in front of the screen in the launch bay. 'Octonaughts-' Barnacles exclaimed, looking a the crew gathered around. 'this is a whale shark.'
Turnip chirped in vegimalise, Shellington replying to his question. 'No Turnip. A whale shark isn't a whale, it's the biggest fish in the sea, as big as a school bus.'
'It's so big that Dashi thought it's mouth was a cave and now she's disappeared inside it.' Barnacles continued, the vegimal fainting again.
'How dare that dastardly beast swallow our mate.' Kwazii exclaimed loudly.
'I'm certain he didn't do it on purpose Kwazii-' Inkling interjected. 'The whale shark is a filter feeder. A filter feeder doesn't use his teeth for biting, he just opens his mouth and swallows whatever's there.
'And this whale shark swallowed Dashi.'
Ashima rolled her eyes as the vegimal fainted again then turned back to the Captain.
'We have to get her out.'
'Then you'll have to take this whale shark detector.' Tweak handed the Captain a large button. 'It flashes when a whale shark is near.'
'Kwazii, Peso, into the gup.'
'What about me Captain?' Ashima asked, trotting to the edge of the platform as they got into the Gup. 'Can't I help?'
'No Ashima, you stay here.' Barnacles replied, putting the windscreen up. 'Tweak, open the Octohatch.'
'Got it Cap.'
The filly snorted as the gup went underwater then sighed. She was worried about Dashi, she really liked her. Next to the Captain, Dashi was the closest Octonaut she had started to bond with.
'She'll be alright.' Tweak encouraged, patting the filly on the shoulder. 'The others will get her out.'
'I hope so.' She wasn't convinced and she didn't want to just stand around and wait to hear what had happened. 'So, what to do the rest of us do while they're out there?'
She shrugged. 'Wait. Carry in with our duties, but be available if back up is needed.' She turned to head up to the HQ where she'd been upgrading the hot cocoa machine. 'Want to come help?'
'No thanks. I might get some more diving practice in.'
'Suit yourself.' She shrugged again, climbing up the ladder and out of sight.
The filly turned back to the water, snorting then stamped her hoof. Dang blast it. Wasn't she good enough to go out there? Wasn't she good enough to help? Even the Captain had said she was going well in her lessons. It wasn't fair that they wouldn't let her help. Dashi was important to her.
She snorted again, stamping her hoof another time then as she looked up and saw the Gup C floating in the water. An idea came to mind, the filly smirking then glanced around to make sure no one was watching. The launch bay was still and empty, void of any other members. 'You little beauty.' She chuckled, trotting over to where the air tanks were stored. Quickly she slipped into the harness Tweak had made for her then placed on her set of air tanks and headed for the Gup.
Jumping inside she looked at the controls. The Captain had run through the basics of driving a Gup with her last week but it had only been the basics and it had been in the Gup A. This was the Gup C, but it couldn't be that hard to drive it though, could it?
She pressed the button to close the windscreen, pressing another button to start the engine then dived the Gup down under the water and started to drive out of the Octopod. She stopped as the closed octohatch loomed ahead, sighing. Why hadn't she thought of that?
She wasn't giving up that easily though, spying a red button on the side of the hatch. That had to be the button to open the hatch up. She parked the Gup, activating her helmet before heading out of the Gup into the water.
The water was a bit nippy as she swam to the button but she didn't mind. Much. As much as she hated to admit it, she was scared of being in the water. Well, being tied up to a sinking ship and left to drown would make anyone a bit frightened of being in water. She hadn't admitted it to anyone, she couldn't. They lived under the water. What good would she be if they knew she was scared of water?
She hit the button with her hoof, the hatch opening and she swam back to the Gup. Shaking herself dry she went back to the controls, turning the radio and radar on as she left the Octopod, the hatch closing behind her.
Right. She looked around as she drove away from the Octopod, getting the map up on the screen. Half shaking with nervousness and half with excitement she managed to locate them on the map, setting a course towards them…
'That's strange.' Barnacles exclaimed, bringing the Gup to a stop as he looked at the map on the screen. 'According to the map the whale shark was right here but I don't see him anywhere.'
'Probably planning a sneak attack.'
'The whale shark detector hasn't flashed once.' Peso added nervously.
'We'd better get out and take a look-' He placed his paws on his hips, glaring as he saw Kwazii swimming past the windscreen. 'Around. Peso, you stay here and keep a lookout.'
He nodded. 'Right-o.'
Barnacles swam out of the Gup, catching up to the Lieutenant as he sat outside, waiting for him to catch up. 'Kwazii, when we find the whale shark here's our plan.' He grabbed a waterproof notepad from his pocket, drawing a diagram. 'We'll need to open its mouth to slip in and get Dashi.'
'But first-' Kwazii took the pen, scribbling random lines over the diagram. 'I'll confuse the beast by leaping all around like a heap of spaghetti.'
'Meanwhile, I'll slither through your spaghetti-'
Peso, back in the Gup sighed, watching the Captain and Kwazii problem solving. Suddenly the detector began to flash, the whale shark swimming up behind them. 'Captain, Kwazii.' He tried to get their attention but couldn't. The detector beeped louder, the penguin slapping the radio button with his flipper. 'Captain, behind you. It's the-' The whale shark opened its mouth up, swallowing both of them! 'whale shark.'
'Kwazii, Captain.' Peso hit the radio button repeatedly but there was no answer. He started hitting other buttons, trying to get in contact with someone. 'Can anybody hear me?' Suddenly the airbag was deployed, knocking him into the back of the Gup. 'I guess not.'
'What's the news?'
He jumped back in surprise as the filly came through the hatch, shaking the water off herself as she deactivated her helmet. 'Ashima? What-how?'
'Never mind that-' She looked around. 'Where's the Captain and Kwazii?' Peso motioned towards the whale shark outside the windscreen. 'Oh. Right.' She shook her head, then rubbed it against her leg, thinking. 'Well, I guess we'd better get them out then. This whale shark seems to have an appetite for Octonauts.' She walked to the glass, Peso following her. Looking at the whale shark she thought for a moment, then the whale shark made a noise.
'Don't roar at me.'
'That's not a roar. That's a moan.' She corrected. 'He's probably not feeling too great. Come on Peso.' She activated her helmet as she headed for the hatch, Peso following her as they swam outside. 'I'll stay out of your way Peso. Do your thing.'
Peso nodded, swimming towards the whale shark with his medical bag. 'You must be sick. When a sea creature is sick, I'm there.' He gulped, looking at the size of the whale shark as he got closer. 'Even if he is as big as a school bus.'
Ashima stood back, watching Peso as he did his examination of the whale shark. A shiver ran up her spine, this was her first time out in the ocean- She shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand. Getting Dashi and now both Kwazii and the Captain out of the whale shark.
'Looks fine in the ear. Nose looks good too. Now I'll check your tummy. His tummy hurts. Poor whale shark. My friends must be in there, that must not feel too good. You usually only eat small things. I've worked out your problem whale shark. You don't have measles or chicken pox, you've got Octonauts.'
She chuckled, swimming down to Peso. He was so good with his patients, it was really something to watch how much he cared for them and helped them get better. Just like he had done for her. She wouldn't be alive now if it hadn't been for him. 'I'm sure that diagnosis is a first Peso.'
'Any ideas on how we're going to get them out?'
'You got a research book on whale sharks? There must be something in them.'
'Here-' He opened his case, pulling a book out. 'Whale shark, tummy ache. If you tickle a whale sharks gills he opens his mouth.'
Ashima looked down at her hooves. 'That's one on you I'm afraid, won't be doing much tickling with these.'
'Here we go-' They both swam around to the whale sharks side, the penguin starting to tickle the whale shark. 'Guji guji goo-'
The filly chuckled, watching the penguin tickling the whale shark. The whale shark began to giggle, still not opening his mouth yet but Peso kept at it. Finally it opened its mouth, the three Octonauts swimming out.
'Peso!?' The three of them exclaimed together.
'I got the whale shark to say ah.'
'Well, his flippers were better at tickling then my hooves.'
The three of them looked up as Ashima swum over, Barnacles narrowing his eyes. 'Ashima, how did you get here?'
She nodded towards the Gup C parked next to the Gup A. 'Same way you lot did.'
'We'll talk about this later-'
Ashima crossed her hooves, glaring at him then rolled her eyes, swimming back to the Gup C. 'Whatever.'
Barnacles sighed, turning back to Peso. 'Good work Peso.'
'You freed us.' Dashi added.
'And your the whale sharks tummy ache.'
Kwazii chuckled. 'ahaha. Cute little beast.' The whale shark shook his head. 'Not so little.' It burped, the four of them getting pushed back by the current. 'Ewww.'
'Alright Octonauts, time to head home.'
'Ashima, are you even listening?'
The filly sighed, glancing up at the Captain as they drove back to the Octopod. 'Yes Captain.'
'What you did today was very dangerous. You haven't learnt fully how to drive a Gup, you could have crashed, you could have gotten lost-'
'But I didn't!' She snapped. 'I was just fine. I wasn't going to just sit around and wait for you guys to come back if I could help in any way.'
'There was nothing you could have done-'
'Well, I did give Peso the idea for looking through his book to figure out a way to get you guys out.'
'That's beside the point-'
'No, it's not!' She stamped both front hooves down heavily, tossing her mane as the Captain brought the Gup to a stop. 'You've got no idea what it's like, I feel so damn utterly useless. There's nothing I can do, I've got nothing. I've got nothing to live for, no reason to still be stuck on this planet-' The Captain went to speak but she wouldn't let him get a word in. 'You all treat me like a child, or the next moment, like I'm some kind of monster and your getting that medic to pump me up on sedatives. Yes, I've been through hell, yes, I don't think before attacking. Do you think I want to be like this? No! I didn't ask for it. I didn't ask to be an experiment in a lab where getting jabbed, poked and prodded in the name of science was a horrific everyday occurrence. I didn't ask to be an orphan, I didn't ask to lose my best friend, I didn't ask to be attacked and almost killed by pirates and I most certainly didn't ask to be treated like an idiot, fragile, unable to do anything for herself China doll by you!'
'Ashima-'
She turned around, ignoring him. 'Talk to the tail.'
He sighed, the radio crackling to life.
'What's the matter Captain? You got a problem?'
'No Kwazzii, was just stopping so I could talk to Ashima. We're on our way back now.'
The filly took a glance at the Captain as the Gup gained speed then headed into the back and lay down. A single tear rolled down her face, dripping onto the carpet. She had thought she'd done the right thing, she hadn't wanted to stay behind when one of them was in trouble. That was what being part of the crew was, wasn't it?
It didn't matter now. It seemed to just confirm what she'd been thinking all along. That there really wasn't a place here for her. She didn't belong here. She wasn't included. She was just out of place and getting in the way. It would just be better if she disappeared- She shot a look up at the Captain, the polar bear steering the Gup back to the Octopod. Nope, they didn't need her. There wasn't anything left keeping her here with them…
'I can't decide which of these photos I took to send into the national sea-oh-graphic.'
Ashima stood at the back of the group as Dashi went through the photos she had taken, standing there rather begrudgingly. The Captain had dragged her along, telling her their conversation was far from over. She wasn't planning on sticking around to hear it.
Shellington watched in awe, exclaiming genuinely- 'they're all amazing.'
'You must send each and every one.' Inkling added, then the crew chuckled as a photo of Barnacles holding Kwazzii came onto the screen.
Barnacles coughed. 'Actually, not all of them.'
'You might want to skip a few.' Kwazzi agreed.
Even Turnip jumping into Groupers flippers didn't put a smile on her face, the filly silently walking away and sneaking out of the HQ as the Octonauts laughed and giggled. She glanced back at them one last time, they hadn't seen her leave and she jumped down the Octo-chute. They wouldn't miss her. They'd be better off without her.
She landed in the launch bay, heading over to where the air tanks were. Taking off her Octonaut cap and radio she left them on the floor, strapping on her air tank. She thought for a moment about taking another then decided against it. If she drowned, she didn't care.
She looked at the cap for a moment then planted her hoof down in it heavily, squashing it to a pancake. They'd get the message. With one last glance around she turned to the water, activating her helmet then dived in. Letting herself out of the octopod she swam back out into the ocean, swimming fast away from the octopod. No one even noticed her leaving….
