It was a very late night for the both of the boys. 2am before they parted ways and Blowhole left Kowalski to sleep on the couch in the entertainment room.
Kowalski did managed to get some precious sleep, though not until after he woke in an anxious fit only an hour after he had fallen asleep for the first time. Too many things circling around his head. Way too many things. And not just things that had been obvious to him before, now he had a myriad of new things to think about in the shelter of the dark night. Was everyone right? Skipper and Doris? Was he falling for Blowhole?
He quickly turned to bury his face in the couch cushions, moaning painfully at his misfortunes. He was a sucker when it came to love, just as Skipper had said. He was both oblivious to the obvious but so desperate once he got the grasp for it. Blowhole had been extra nice to him the past few weeks. What did he feel to Kowalski? 4am was overthinking hour. Mistakes are made by thinking at night. Kowalski had to think logically. He was in the process of saving the dolphin's life, so of course he was going to be a little extra nicer to the penguin. But he made a comment about being the next best thing to Doris. Skipper made that comment too! Gah! No! Now was not the time to be thinking about courting Blowhole! He needed to keep his mind free and fresh with knowledge about how to kill the virus.
Anyway, Blowhole was a villain. But he showed interest in wanting to change. Kowalski could be his mentor. Enough! Sleep!
"Kowalski, I love you!" Blowhole suddenly exclaimed.
Kowalski blushed and had to look away. He couldn't believe something like this would happen. He knew he shouldn't have driven so deep into the dolphins life.
"It's not right," he replied.
Blowhole shook his head, on the verge of tears. Life would always kick him down and take the things he loved away.
"But it is. Kowalski, no one loves you more than me. I understand you completely like no one ever can. Everything we've been through together..."
"You want to destroy the world, I want to save it. Can't you see the irony of being together?"
Blowhole let a tear slip from his eye. He was conflicted. This project he had been working long years of life for. To finally get revenge but at the cost of someone he loved? Revenge or Kowalski? What should he chose?
Kowalski began to walk away, turning his back on the dolphin. He had other things to worry about, other things he needed to focus on. He needed to cure the dolphin first before he thought about perusing anything.
Blowhole was distraught as he watched the penguin waddle away.
"Kowalski!" He shouted.
Kowalski felt nothing.
"Kowalski! Kowalski!"
"Kowalskiiiii."
Kowalski felt a nudge on his side. It was gentle but it was followed up by an annoying poke to his temple. He tried to ignore it but it persisted and followed an amused chuckle.
"Kowalski, wake up."
Kowalski suddenly snapped his eyes open and glared around quickly. His heart racing, his head pounding and his eyes straining as he looked up at the silhouette of an angel blocking the light of the room.
"Deep sleeper? I thought I'd have to pour a bucket of ice water over you... Or acid."
The dolphin moved around the sofa and sat down next to Kowalski. It was only Blowhole. He seemed cheery, or as cheery as he would let himself appear.
Kowalski sat up fully, leaned back on the sofa and rubbed his tired eyes, groaning at the bright lights. His waking senses slowly returned after a minute of sitting like a brain dead jellyfish. He glanced at the clock and shook his head in shock as he realised the time was 10:30am. He quickly jumped up and was about to jump off the couch before Blowhole lifted a flipper to stop him.
"It's so late! We've got to get to work!" He exclaimed.
Blowhole just chuckled as he took his flipper back and looked to the huge flat screen TV.
"Why didn't you wake me up?!"
Blowhole chuckled again, before reaching for the TV remote and turning it on.
"I just did, didn't I? Or are you still asleep?"
Kowalski shook his head and slapped himself. Nope, he was definitely awake.
"Come on! We've got to get to work! Half the day is already gone!"
Again, Blowhole reached his flipper out and pushed Kowalski down until his legs gave in under the pressure and he sat back.
"Relax. I've been working all morning and the tests are in incubation. There's nothing you can do for at least another hour."
Kowalski shook his head, slightly agitated and attempted to stand up once again.
"I've been working on a vaccine too. I have to work on that."
Blowhole cocked a brow and turned his gaze from the TV.
"A vaccine? Kowalski I told you a vaccine won't help me."
"Not for you, moron, for me! For Doris."
Blowhole froze for a moment before his face fell with a look of mixed anger and offense.
"Kowalski, the only way anyone would catch it from me would be through exchange of bodily fluids. That's not going to happen."
Kowalski pushed past Blowhole this time and managed to hop down from the couch. He was cranky, he was hungry and he needed to get a move on with work.
"It's careless accidents. Need I remind you how you contracted your own virus?"
"Hey, that wasn't my fault! I was attacked!"
"A careless mistake, leaving it where anyone can get it."
Blowhole shook his head in anger.
"So what? You're implying I'm going to purposely give it to you and Doris?"
Kowalski crossed his flippers as he began waddling to the door, being closely watched by Blowhole as he began to ball his flippers into fists in anger.
"I'm just saying anything can happen. We have to be vigilant and not stop working. But all you seem to want to do is slack off. Is that a persistent problem? Because you were always behind in the virus development too."
Blowhole sprang up and on to his segway in an instant, still clutching the TV remote tightly in his balled flippers.
"Kowalski, you're walking on thin ice. Be careful there buddy," he said through grit teeth.
"Do you want to be the reason me and Doris dies too?"
Blowhole shook his head, enraged, he shrieked and lobbed the TV remote at the little bird. It hit the floor, a mere foot away from Kowalski with tremendous force that shattered the plastic shell and caused fragments to bounce around the room and off of Kowalski. Kowalski stood in shock for a moment before Blowhole came forward and leaned down to him menacingly.
"I couldn't care less about what would happen to you. Or clearly I was stupid enough to care because I took the poison out of you before I got the chance to properly use it. That's the problem with everyone, you all think you can step all over me when I show mercy!"
Kowalski shook himself back to sense and glared up at the dolphin.
"I'm just saying you should use your brain in this situation."
"Oh, like you don't! You're only doing this so Doris will sleep with you again! Well good luck with that!"
This time Kowalski balled his flippers defensively. But he couldn't let himself get enraged, not unless he wanted to damn Blowhole and leave him to decay into the monster he already was. But he managed to breathe himself back to sense and just looked up to Blowhole disappointed.
"Insults will get you nowhere."
"Is it technically an insult if it's the truth? Get over yourself Kowalski. Doris doesn't want to be with you. You're like a desperate little leech."
"How would you know anything about us and what we want?"
"Because she tells me! She's my sister! She's waiting for another excuse to break up with you! You're a freak! You're so desperate, you're embarrassing! Just give up already!"
Kowalski stood in silence for a moment, the only sounds being Blowhole's angered breaths. A lot of the things Blowhole had shouted in rage were hurtful. Very hurtful. But Kowalski was the bigger man and chose to ignore most of them because he knew they were rooted in fear.
"It doesn't matter who I'm doing this for. For you, for Doris, just for my God damn amusement. I'm still saving your worthless life. Be grateful."
He turned on his heel and headed to the door double time. He didn't want another shouting match, didn't want another remote thrown at him, he didn't want to get mentally abused anymore. He wanted to hurry up and get this cure made so he could leave and just throw himself back into commando work so he could forget about all of this mess. Perhaps he was an idiot for wanting to help an enemy. Perhaps he was an even bigger idiot for considering an enemy a friend. What a turn around this had been from his dream. Perhaps it would have been better if Blowhole didnt wake him at all. He couldn't believe he nearly admitted to liking Blowhole. Who could fall in love with that monster?