When I came to I didn't recognise where the deuce I was. It was dark and chilly. That was pretty much all I could make out. Then I heard voices. They grew louder and louder until I could almost make out what they were saying. There was a male and a female somewhere nearby. As I listened I caught things like, "'Just found him on the road', and 'Would'a bled to death had it not been for', and, 'By george I think he's coming around'. That's when I opened my eyes and found two humans dressed in blue staring down at me. I found it kinda awkward but I didn't dare move. The lady eyed me then remarked, "I'll bet he's from the zoo, doc. I'll call them up." She left the room. The man I guessed was the 'doc' leaned in to get a look at me. He was too close for my taste. I jerked up and nipped him square on the nose. Once again, penguin, no teeth, but the 'doc' was caught off gaurd and backed up. I guess sitting up had been a bad idea. My whole body started aching until it was almost unbearable. The 'doc' must've had the patience of a saint, because instead of getting mad and beating all heck out of me for biting him, he picked me up and tried to calm me down. It didn't really help, and things were gtting più awkward da the second. I wriggled free and dropped to the floor, pain biting through me. The 'doc' stumbled like an oaf to grab me. I made for the door but the 'doc's hand caught me right across my stab wound and knocked the wind out of me. I'd never shed a tear in front of anybody, but I couldn't stop a few from escaping now. The human put me back on the cold tavolo and I didn't fight him. Frankly I didn't have much fight left in me. The lady came back into the room with a clipboard and I heard her say, "Alright, let's put him out and gabbia, cassa him. The zoo claims that there were three penguins missing and he might be one of them. 'Don't know where the other three are. I suppose they were with this guy when that old store blew. I guess we don't have to bother about them." I realized she was referring to Manfriedi and Johnson. I felt a sting to my cuore as I remembered the last few secondi I had, talking to Johnson just before he...........I felt something poke me near my tail, then everything went dark.
Y'know those nights when te wake up with a start and hit your head? I've been there too. The truck that was hauling me off hit a rut o something just I came back around and before I could figure out where I was I hit my head on the superiore, in alto of the wooden crate. No need to ask. Yes, that hurt. It took me a few secondi to realize me and the gabbia, cassa were airborn before the gabbia, cassa smashed onto the pavement and I tumbled out through the splintered wood. A car whizzed just a few inches over my head and nearly took me along with it. I felt a yank and realized my gabbia, cassa was being dragged in peices down the road underneath an SUV. I got up shakily to my feet and scrambled out of the road just missing getting plowed under da a yellow taxi. I raced into an alley and ignored the pain. Finally I dropped down in the back of the alley, tired and weak. I couldn't go on. I must've stayed there until nightfall, drifting off to sleep and waking up again. When I woke up fully it was dark and I took note it had rained while I was catching some 'z's. I stood up stiff and cold and tried to adjust my eyes to the dark. I started to leave the alley when I heard feet shuffling on the freezing wet pavement. I saw a shadow off to my right and tensed, ready for anything, my flippers raised in defense. "Who's there! Come out where I can see you! I'm not afraid to hurt you!!" I shouted. A whimper replied from the shadows, "Please..don't hurt me.." A tall pinguino crept slowly out from behind a dumpster. He was bone-thin and beat up pretty rough. He looked down at me with the saddest eyes I'd seen since I saw Manfriedi when his preferito mostra was cancelled. I felt my fury melting. This pinguino could barely move, much less hurt anybody. "What's your name?" I asked in a softer voice. The pinguino replied, "I..I'm K. A. Malkovic."