Sorry for the wait: enjoy the long chapter
Chapter 2
Rico woke up six hours later, hoping everything had just been one big nightmare; his hopes were crushed when he saw Skipper's empty bunk. Realization struck him as the events came flooding back to him, Skipper's beaten body, blood spattered all over his chest, ragged breathing, Rico shook the memory away.
Looking for something to do, he wandered into Kowalski's lab and was surprised to find the tall penguin sitting and muttering under his breath. "Carry the two? No…it shouldn't be green." It was a pigsty: papers were scattered, test tubes spilling on the floor, empty soda bottles littered the ground, and then there was Kowalski. His eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles under them, his feathers were ruffled; he looked like he hadn't slept all night.
He slapped himself to stay awake and gave a start when he noticed Rico. "Good morning," he mumbled wearily, "didn't see you there." Rico gazed at him in concern, but Kowalski shook it off.
"I know I'm close to something." Kowalski slurred, "I'm fine Rico, honestly." He said, noting the concern on his friend's face.
Before Rico could respond, a scream shattered the melancholy mood. "Skipper! No…help me! Rico? Kowalski?" Private's yells echoed through the room.
Rico and Kowalski found Private awake and sweaty with terror, holding a pencil as a weapon, he was panting and his eyes were livid. "I want to see Skipper." He gasped.
No one argued, they made their way to the zoo's hospital and were accompanied by the lemurs and Marlene. Silence surrounded them as they walked the cobblestone ground of the zoo.
Kowalski couldn't remember a time when it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Julien's voice broke the silence, "I like Skipper, he's fun to annoy, like a brother." He said in a low whisper.
Kowalski felt the same way, but couldn't speak at the moment because he thought Private would cry again. Private and Rico felt the same too, they were all one big zoo family that cared for each other and annoyed each other too.
Private was scared of what he would see and that he would be to blame for everything.
"I brought a mango," Mort announced, "Will the penguin like it?"
Maurice smiled sadly, "I don't think he can eat this one, bring him one when he's all better."
"You mean if he gets better" Julien said.
Private stopped, everyone else glared at the lemur.
"Don't say that!" Private said angrily, "He will get better. I bet he'll be himself again in no time."
"You are just avoiding a sad fact my friend," Julien said, unaware of Private's increasing anger. "He could be too injured to be himself or you know…d-"
"Julien." Kowalski said warningly, Private was shaking now.
"What?" Julien snapped, "Your kingly king is just saying dat he could be d-aaah!"
He had been tackled to the ground by Private, his crown flew into Maurice.
"Don't say it! Don't you DARE!" Private yelled, "There is no sad fact! HE WILL BE FINE!"
Kowalski, Rico, and Marlene pulled Private off of Julien. Maurice gave the lemur his crown back and shot him a warning look that told him to be silent.
Private ran ahead, he felt bad about losing his temper, but Julien deserved it.
"FEEET!" Mort squealed, Julien yelled and kicked him, right through the open window of the animal hospital.
They heard Mort gasp loudly and jumped in after him. The little lemur, his eyes wide, pointed to a table in the corner of the room. A bed surrounded by machines and medicine indicated Skipper was in bad condition.
They approached his bed. Skipper was unconscious, but breathing.
"What is that?" Julien asked, pointing at the plastic around Skipper's beak.
"Oxygen mask," Kowalski answered, "delivers filtered oxygen to his brain and lungs."
"Eh, you lost me at oxagation thingy." Julien said, puzzled.
"Oxygen," Marlene corrected softly, "gives him clean air."
Maurice pointed to Julien's feet; Mort was hugging them. Julien almost kicked him out the window. The lemurs left after Julien threw Mort's mango out the window and complained about the feet touching.
Kowalski stared, never had he seen his leader broken, defeated. There were bruises on his stomach and neck, his flipper, feet, and head were heavily bandaged. He put a gentle flipper on Skipper's, feeling the broken bone. Kowalski eyed the machines, not fully trusting human medicine.
Kowalski broke. He cried for his leader, his best friend, the one who always encouraged him, who brought the team together. Rico was stunned, Kowalski usually held himself well, not betraying a single tear. Not today though, Private and Marlene burst into tears as well, hugging each other.
"Skipper?" Private said shakily, "S-skipper, wake up. You-you said you'd tr-train with me today."
Footsteps were heard, Marlene left, but Private stayed. Rico and Kowalski waited on the window-sill for him, he didn't move.
"Private, come on!" Kowalski begged.
"No, I won't leave him!" Private replied.
"We're going to be caught if you don't move!"
"I don't care."
"Skipper would. How would you explain your presence?"
"I-"
"You can't. What would happen if they found you?"
"We could be compromised and…they would think we hurt him."
They managed to hide outside just as the door opened. They stood on top of each other so they could see what was happening. Rico stood on a small chair he regurgitated, Private climbed on top of him, and Kowalski was at the top. He saw two doctors changing Skipper's bandages, talking in low voices.
The older doctor said that he thought it was highly unlikely that Skipper would survive, and then they discussed how the penguin could have gotten hurt; Private groaned when the younger doctor said that the others could have done it. Then a nurse came in with a tray of medicine.
"The rumor about what happened is that it could have been the food truck." She said, "He could have climbed in, gotten stuck, freed himself, then he was hit on his way home."
"Well, how did he come back, magic?" the younger doctor asked.
"No," the nurse said in an annoyed tone, "It was probably someone who was afraid of being seen with an injured zoo animal."
At that point, the stool broke and the penguins tumbled down on each other. They hurried back to HQ. Kowalski recalled what he heard and went back in his lab. That evening, in the souvenir shop, Private told the zoo what Kowalski heard.
"Eh, where is he?" Julien asked.
"In his lab," Private sighed, "I'm worried about him."
They had obviously forgotten about their fight from earlier, Maurice and Rico were glad about that.
Private and Rico trained a little before going to bed. Kowalski was getting closer to results than he thought. He was still unaware of his friends' increasing concern for him; he was the only one, besides nocturnal animals, awake in the zoo that night.
Rico and Private woke up the next morning to find Kowalski's bunk empty.
"Up all night again?" Private said sadly, "Rico, are you as worried as I am?"
Rico nodded and babbled something.
"What? He hasn't slept for two days?" Private asked, shocked.
"Uh-uh." Rico replied.
"Oh dear."
They waited for Kowalski to come out so they could visit Skipper together, but he didn't come out. Kowalski said he wouldn't come out until his experiment was complete and that they could visit Skipper without him.
Marlene and the lemurs were already at the hospital when the two penguins arrived.
"Where's Smarty Booty?" Julien asked.
Rico rolled his eyes, Private sighed, "In his lab, he's been awake since Friday morning. He was in his lab all night; I'm worried about him." Private trembled and moved his gaze to Skipper. "Oh, it's all my fault!"
""No Private, I don't think that it's your fault." Marlene consoled, "Skipper wouldn't blame you."
"How do you know?" Private demanded, "Marlene, if I didn't go all sugar crazy then Skipper would be fine."
"Sugar crazy?" Julien said, "Oh, then yes, it is all your fault."
"Julien!" "Your Highness!" Marlene and Maurice shouted at the same time.
Rico regurgitated a hammer and growled at the tall lemur.
"Wait! I can ask the sky spirits to forgive you." Julien said, nervously eyeing the hammer.
"Sky Spirits!" Mort squealed happily
"Sky spirits want you to GET OFF THE FEET!" Julien snapped at him. Rico swallowed his hammer and rolled his eyes again.
Private ignored the lemurs and stared at Skipper, he felt guilty about what happened.
"The sky spirits may forgive me, but I won't because I know I'm responsible." He whispered.
The lemurs went back to their habitat because Julien and Mort were making a big commotion again. Marlene stayed for another hour before she left. Private still felt guilty and Rico couldn't cheer him up.
The quiet was disturbed by laughing, but it wasn't normal. It was the kind of laugh that made one think you were insane. It was Kowalski.
"I've done it!" Kowalski said, still laughing crazily, "Out of my way, Skipper's going to be okay!"
He pushed the other two away, jumped on Skipper's bed and began pulling all the machines away from him, including the oxygen tank.
"Kowalski, no!" Private said, "You're not in your right mind, those are helping him!"
"No, this will!" Kowalski giggled maniacally, he was holding a test tube with dark purple liquid in it. He opened Skipper's beak and poured it in. Skipper started choking, and then he swallowed.
"Kowalski, what did you do?" Private asked; he was worried about Skipper and Kowalski's sanity.
"I saved him." Kowalski answered, swaying on his feet, "I…he…Skip…ughh."
Kowalski fell down, he was asleep now. Rico took Kowalski to bed while Private checked on Skipper, making sure he was okay. Private was about to leave when he heard a groan. He looked back, hoping it was Skipper, and it was. His beak was still open and another faint groan came out of it. His foot twitched and he was still. Private was happy that Skipper could move and make noise again.
The penguins spent the next few days taking care of Kowalski, plus the zoo was open so they were busy.
Thursday evening came quickly and the three penguins were planning on visiting Skipper again. They heard that he was moving and drinking water again; he had also been opening his eyes, but only for a few seconds at a time.
They were ready to go when Julien came rushing in, followed by Mort and Maurice.
"What is it?" Private asked.
"Skipper…he's being…moved." Julien panted.
"What do you mean?" Kowalski inquired.
"I was hearing de doctor saying they are putting him in an animal care place until he is feeling all better. It's on de other side of the city." Julien explained.
The penguins stared at each other, Private was sad again.
"We're going to see him, we have a car." Kowalski said brightly, Private looked at him in disbelief. "Don't worry, I've made changes and improvements." The taller penguin said proudly.
"Oh, wow! Do you think it will work?" Private asked, Rico grunted happily.
"No, I know it will work. You just leave all the worrying to me boys." Kowalski replied, "I'll be sure to have it ready by tomorrow night, we leave on Saturday."
The plan was set in motion. Kowalski spent Friday working on the car; they were excited to get on the road. They also relied on the other zoo animals to keep the zookeepers from noticing their absence. Rico and Kowalski slept well on Friday night, knowing they would see Skipper very soon. Private, however, was guilt-ridden and scared that he would be punished for breaking his leader.
Whoa, what will happen next? Stay tuned to find out. Please review, Thanks -T.K
?- Hey, when do I come in?
T.K- next chapter, now shush.