Chapter 5: Rescue

With the GUP-X's ability to be in water and on land, it didn't take the Octonauts long to get to the canyons that Barnacles was trapped in. At the entrance of the canyon, the Octonauts jumped out of the GUP-X and looked around.

"This is the place alright." Shellington nodded, looking at his map. "But I don't see the captain anywhere."

"He must be deeper in the canyon," Inkling gasped. "Somewhere."

"Aye, then we better go find him." Kwazzi nodded. "Shellington, Professor. You take the East side of the canyon. Dashi, Tweak, take the West. Peso and I will go looking at the South."

Kwazzi turned back to the GUP-X and brought out some flare guns. He handed one to each Octonaut, explaining what they were for.

"If you get into any trouble or you find Captain Barnacles, fire your flare gun." Kwazzi explained. "The others will come running to you. Octonauts, let's do this."

The Octonauts nodded and smiled, knowing that Kwazzi had just recited Barnacles' usual line. They left with their partners, going the ways they were told to go. They had to hurry, for night was already starting to take over.

"CAPTAIN!" Peso called. "CAPTAIN!"

"Aye, where are ya' me hearty?" Kwazzi called.

"Kwazzi, what if we never find him?" Peso asked.

"Don't say that Peso," Kwazzi frowned. "We'll find him."

"But, we have a whole 20 acres of canyon we need to search in order to find him." Peso sighed. "That could take time, and time is something that the captain does not have."

"We'll find him me matey." Kwazzi placed a paw on his shoulder. "Trust me, we will."

Back with Barnacles, the polar bear silently laid his head on his paws, just waiting for the others to find him and get him out of this nightmare. Suddenly, he lifted his head, hearing something in the distance.

"Captain!" Came a faint voice.

"Captain, where are ya'?" Came another faint voice.

Barnacles smiled, tears of joy in his eyes as he recognized those voices. They were Kwazzi and Peso!

"Help!" Barnacles tried to call out, his voice dry and raspy. "Help!"

The voices were getting fainter, proving that Kwazzi and Peso were going AWAY from him. Barnacles couldn't let them get away, not when he was so close to being rescued. He took a deep breath, and screamed with all his might.

"HELP!" Barnacles screamed, his voice echoing in his area. "KWAZZI, PESO!"

"Kwazzi, I think I hear something." Peso said to the cat.

Kwazzi and Peso stood, listening very hard for a sound.

"HELP!" They heard the cry.

"The captain!" Kwazzi and Peso both said at the same time.

"KWAZZI, PESO!" Barnacles cried again. "OVER HERE!"

"Follow that voice." Kwazzi ordered, pointing the direction towards the voice of Barnacles.

Barnacles continued to scream, guiding the two closer to him. They turned a corner and gasped. There, laying in front them, was Captain Barnacles.

"Captain, we've found you!" Peso cried with joy.

"And not a moment too soon." Barnacles cried, tears of joy running down his face.

Kwazzi took out his flare gun and pointed it to the sky. He pulled the trigger and the flare shot up, lighting the sky. The other Octonauts saw this and came running towards the area the flare was fired from. When they got there, they gasped at what they saw. Captain Barnacles looked extremely helpless.

"Captain, what's happened to you?" Peso asked, feeling his legs and his midsection. "You're all banged up from the waist down."

"Don't remind me." Barnacles sniffed. "It's been a nightmare these past three days."

"What happened?" Shellington asked.

"Well, I won't lie to you." Barnacles sighed. "I was stupid. Up on the canyon wall 60 feet above the ground. I turned a corner and stepped on a loose plate. My feet slid out from underneath me and I tumbled down the canyon."

"Oh no." Dashi gasped. "I bet you were terrified."

"Not as terrified as I was when I looked ahead of myself." Barnacles laughed. "The tumble was just 40 feet. The last 20 feet was an overhang."

"Uh, what's an overhang?" Tweak asked.

"An overhang, Tweak," Shellington began. "Is a free fall. It's when you plumet down at top speed."

"That's right Shellington." Barnacles nodded. "The last 20 feet was a free fall. I fell and landed roughly on my feet."

"How ever did you survive that?" Shellington asked.

"I don't know." Barnacles shook his head. "But it was a miracle that I did. But, the impact of the landing had shattered my pelvis, not to mention start an internal bleeding."

"You mean you're bleeding to death?!" Peso's eyes widened.

"On the inside." Barnacles nodded.

"That's why your midsection looks so swollen." Peso gasped, turning to Tweak. "Tweak, hurry. I need the GUP-X in ambulance mode, NOW!"

"You got it Peso." Tweak nodded, running back to the GUP-X.

"You say that you were stuck like this for three days straight." Kwazzi frowned. "Why didn't you call for help?"

"I bet I know the answer to that." Inkling cleared his throat. "You were putting everything before yourself, weren't you Captain?"

"... Yes..." Barnacles nodded. "I'm sorry if I disappointed you by calling for help."

"Disappointed!" Inkling was shocked. "Barnacles, I'm not disappointed."

"But I..." Barnacles began, but Inkling cut him off.

"Barnacles, you didn't call for help on the mission of the manatees because you knew you could handle the problem yourself." He sighed. "But you called for help this time because you really needed it. And that's why I'm proud of you. You only called when you truly needed help."

Barnacles smiled, happy to hear that he had not disappointed his mentor. The ground started to shake as Tweak drove up with the GUP-X, in ambulance mode. Tweak got out and went to the back of the GUP-X, pulling out a gurney. Tweak rushed it to Peso's side, stepping away.

"The gurney and GUP-X are all ready, Peso." Tweak told the penguin.

"Thank you Tweak." Peso smiled. "Now, I'm going to need everybodies help to get him on the gurney."

"You got it Peso." Kwazzi nodded, standing at Barnacles right side.

The others nodded and stood by a side too. They dug their paws/tentacles/flippers under Barnacles and quickly lifted him onto the gurney. It hurt Barnacles a little, but not too much. Peso took ahold of the gurney and pushed it to the GUP-X. With everybodies help again, they got the gurney into the GUP.

"Alright, now that that's over," Kwazzi dusted his paws off, climbing into the GUP with the rest. "Let's head home."

"Do be quick, Kwazzi." Peso begged. "The captain's lost enough blood as it is."

Kwazzi nodded and put the GUP-X into hyprodrive, driving as fast as he could to the Octopod. Barnacles frowned, a nagging question on his mind. He had to ask, or else it would keep eating at his brain.

"Peso," He said to the penguin. "Am I going to be alright?"

Peso was shocked by this question. He looked into Barnacles eyes and sadly frowned. For the first time ever, Captain Barnacles was truly scared.

"You're going to be fine Captain." Peso smiled warmly, placing a flipper on his arm. "Trust me. But..."

Oh no, not the "but"! Barnacles always feared these. He tensed up and prepared himself to hear what Peso was about to say.

"But I'm afraid that there's a chance you'll never walk again." Peso sighed.

"N-Never walk again?" Barnacles eyes widened.

"Yes, I'm afraid there is that chance." Peso nodded. "But there's also a chance that you WILL walk again. We just have to wait and see."

Barnacles nodded, sighing as the GUP-X went through the Octohatch to the Octopod.