Author's note: A warning for this chapter and people who are afraid of needles and injections.
The previous week had quite possibly been the most mentally and physically straining week of Kowalski's life. Even more so than that team training week Skipper liked to put them all on where he had the team perform next to impossible tasks that required an unimaginable amount of strength. Like the time he had them form a penguin chain and withstand the weight of an elephant. Yes, that had been physically draining and Kowalski could feel the burn a week after training was completed but that held no merit. What Kowalski had been working on all this long time had weight and substance to it. Along with the burden of a consequence if things were to go wrong.
Blowhole hadn't changed much more than he already had the previous week. A few more horn like spikes ran down the back of body and his skin was now a complete perfect shade of dark cobalt blue. Kowalski was also sure he had gained a few inches height wise but he could never be sure. Though, Blowhole had complained that his body ached often, an effect of his growing muscles and bones, no doubt.
As for the production of the cure, they were so close to having developed the enzymes that would kill the virus and free Blowhole from this nightmare. Working day and night had them finally able to see the end of the journey. Blowhole's spirits were high and so was Kowalski's.
Doris was also present in the lair more than she wasn't. Helping keep the boy's spirits up and providing care for her brother wherever she saw fit. This meant, however, she was at risk just as Kowalski was at catching the virus from her brother. Which was why Kowalski had pulled an all nighter to complete a vaccine. This vaccine held a lot of the same components that Blowhole's cure contained. Only, there were a few differences. Blowhole's dose was going to be a lot stronger, strong enough that it could be potentially dangerous for someone like Kowalski or Doris to take. For, like he had said before, it's hard to kill a virus inside you without killing the rest of your cells too.
"Finally. It's been weeks but it's finally done," Kowalski said proudly.
Doris was in the room with him, Blowhole was in his office concentrating on other things so she thought it best to distract Kowalski instead. And thankfully, there was no awkwardness about the breakup.
"The vaccine?"
"Yes. I've tested it, it's safe and working. Here, let me do you first."
Doris smiled brightly from her seat in Blowhole's swivel chair. She found it fun to sit in and twirl around and it had wheels on the bottom so she could easily move herself around as she pleased.
"At least now we can get somewhat handsy with him if we need to. It'll make things a lot faster," she replied as she pulled herself over to Kowalski who had a very sharp, very long needle in his flippers.
"Woah, what is that?" Doris said in a fright.
Kowalski looked to Doris and followed her gaze to the needle.
"This? It's the vaccine."
"It's sharp."
"It won't hurt as much as you think."
"It's going to hurt?"
Kowalski sighed and gave himself a mental face flipper. He should really stop talking, he wasn't helping the matter.
"Doris, I promise it'll be fine. The dosage is exact, the formula is perfect. You take this and you can hug your brother as much as you like."
Doris seemed to mull over it as if it was a choice. It certainly wasn't. Kowalski would throw the needle like a dart if he had to, to get her to take it.
"Can't I just drink the liquid instead?" She asked.
"No, vaccines are meant to be injected not consumed. Ingesting a vaccine could cause nausea, fits, seizures, organ failure and even death in some cases."
Kowalski should definitely have stopped talking ages ago, because Doris now looked 10 times more worried than she was before.
"I'll just keep my distance from Francis then. It's worked so far." She smiled.
Kowalski sighed again and shook his head.
"Doris, it's ok to be afraid. Skipper is deathly afraid of needles too. I'll tell you all about that one time he nearly made us pack up and move zoo's all because he didn't want to take a shot. But right now you have to take it."
Doris shook her head and backed away by pushing the swivel chair away from the table.
Kowalski sighed again and sat down, the needle still clasped in his flippers.
"I'll hold you down if I have to."
"No you won't. You're not strong enough," she said with a somewhat triumphant smile on her face.
"He's not strong enough," Blowhole said as he suddenly appeared in the door frame with a wild smirk on his face. "But I'm strong enough."
Doris panicked as she pushed herself further away on the chair, until she ran out of table and couldn't go any further.
"No, Francis! No!"
But of course Blowhole wouldn't listen. In fact, he looked like he was enjoying chasing Doris down.
Doris panicked one last time before she pushed the table with all her might and the chair rolled into the middle of the room where she had no way of moving herself again. Realising her mistake, she put out her flippers defensively as Blowhole rode closer.
"Now, Doris, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."
"You can get lost!"
Blowhole sighed and smirked one last time before he firmly grasped both of Doris' flippers. She didn't like that though, she tried to yank her flippers back, nearly knocking Blowhole from his segway. The struggle continued for a minute more, as Doris yelled and kicked at Blowhole before he had had enough. He knew a sure fire way of getting her off that chair so he could pin her down, so he did exactly that.
Setting himself up, he placed himself right in front of Doris, grabbed her flippers tightly and just let himself fall backwards. After a moment of bracing for impact, his back hit the floor and Doris soon landed on top of him after she had been dragged out of her chair. Then, Blowhole rolled over, forced Doris to the floor and kept her flippers pinned to the ground.
"Quick, Kowalski!" Blowhole exclaimed.
"No! You jerks! Francis, I'll tell mom! What's she gonna say when she finds out you're putting stuff in my body without my consent!"
Blowhole ignored her and kept his weight down on her flippers that she was so desperately trying to pull free.
Kowalski quickly jumped down from the table and ran across the floor to where Doris was flailing around in a right panic. Kowalski did feel bad. There was probably a better way they could have done all of this. Like with Skipper, when he learned his actions had consequences and something bad would have happened if he didn't get the shot. In his case it was Private who would have been in danger. In Doris' case she was putting herself in danger. But Kowalski supposed Blowhole just wanted to mess with and terrorize his sister for a while.
"Kowalski! You do this and I'll never forgive you!"
But it was too late. The needle had already pierced her skin and was well down in to her intramuscular tissues. She was still wailing and cussing at them both as Kowalski withdrew the needle and put the cap back on.
"Cyclops science freak! Let me go!"
Blowhole released her flippers and she instantly dragged herself back and away from Kowalski. Still scared for her life.
Kowalski couldn't help but chuckle.
"Cyclops?"
Blowhole chuckled back.
"She only uses that one when she's really pissed with me."
Doris scowled back at them both from her position, now a good few meters away. She caught her breath and kept a keen eye on Kowalski as he moved back to the desk where Doris had dragged herself.
"Kowalski, I'm not even joking, take one more step towards me and I'll shove that needle in your eye."
Kowalski cocked a brow as he stopped moving, then held the needle out in front of Doris, showing her the glass compartment and how it was very much empty.
"Doris, we already did it."
She went silent for a moment. Then a slight pink hue raised to her cheeks as she blushed and shrank herself down in embarrassment.
"I didn't even feel it."
Blowhole laughed as he dragged himself back into his segway and off the cold floor.
"He told you it wouldn't hurt as much as you thought. It's all that blubber on you."
Doris still growled and turned her head dramatically away from her brother. But Kowalski just sighed as the siblings exchanged further jabs at each other. At least she was safe now and Blowhole wouldn't ever have to live with the thought of hurting her again. And this was just one small victory amongst a lot more victories to come. Blowhole's cure was just a few days away from completion and Kowalski honestly couldn't have been happier in that moment.