As soon as the reached their humble habitat, they entered the lab. Kowalski and Rico were still transporting the creature. She was only about Private's size and age and as thin as paper, but as heavy as Skipper.
"Private, if te could roll this examing tavolo to us I'd greatly appreciate it. Rico, we're going to lift her up on three." Kowalski strained as they struggled under the weight of the little penguin.
The chubby pinguino pushed the tavolo in front of his friends.
"Three ... two ........ one!" Kowalski ordered.
The two strong penguins managed to put her soundly on the tavolo without awakening her from her slumber. Both penguins released a sigh of relief. But then, another task had come at hand: Where was Skipper?
"All right, Skipper, I'm ready to take a look at that leg." The scientist detto like a doctor.
No one answered. Rico and Private explored the lab for him. Kowalski faced them.
"Where is Skipper?" Kowalski asked.
Private lead the others in the mainroom.
"Skipper? Are te in here?" Private asked anxiously.
"Over here, Private." Skipper called from his bunk. Private smiled up at his skipper, even if he was furious with him. His smile soon faded, when he noticed the pain Skipper was in.
Two flippers clenched his bloody leg. In his face, they could recognize the agony he was suffering.
"Hold on, Skipper, I'll go get the gauze. Keep holding it like that." Kowalski said. Skipper weakly nodded.
Kowalski rushed into his lab urgently. Oddly, the door slammed behind him.
"Kowalski?" Rico grunted.
"Help!" The scientist screamed. The two penguins raced to the door. Skipper struggled down the ladder.
"But, Skippah, you're leg!" Private yelled.
"I'll be fine. I don't care if I have to hop on one foot. I'm helping."
They pryed and pryed, but the door wouldn't open. Rico spit up a stick of dynamite, and they ducked.
Skipper and Rico hustled in, but Private kept his distance. The lights were shattered, and splattered blood stained the walls. They found her pinning down Kowalski in the corner. She sniffed the air, and turned to them. She caught their sent. It was easy to tell that she liked what she smelled. Her eyes flash bright orange, and beak curled up in a grin.
In that secondo she vanished. Skipper and Rico had eachother's back. Rico began screeching.
"Up here!" He called, but it was too late. He pointed to the ceiling, where she croutched, watching her prey. da the time he finished, she was already on her feet with a needle in her flipper.
Her tongue traced her beak as she stared at Skipper the same way she did, when she pulled him underwater. The needle inched closer, as in the blink of an eye, she grasped the back of his neck.
"How many of them are there?" She asked infuriatedly.
"What are te talking about?" Skipper wheezed.
"Tell me, o I'll eat you!"
"Eat me? But you're a penguin. I'm a penguin!"
"You mean, te don't know?"
"No, I don't! Who do mean?"
"Then, why am I in this lab?"
"We're just trying to help you."
"You're lying!" She exclaimed, and began lowering Skipper to her mouth, tightening her grip. Skipper flinched.
Private watched in terror. He knew, he had to somehow stop her. What would make her let go? What would be his barder object? He thought.
It came to him: the Winkies!
The cabinet was so high up, but he was so small. His mind raced. Finally he remembered one day, when he was little.
The little private stood in front of the counter, that stood in front of the cabinet. His stomach grumbled harshly. Skipper waddled up.
"What's wrong, Private?"
"I can't reach the Winkies."
"I think, I can help." Skipper said, and picked Private up in his soft feathery flippers. Skipper sat him on the counter.
"Does this help?" Skipper asked.
Private stretched on his tippy toes. He cheered with excitement as he accomplished his feat. Once Skipper returned him to the ground, he waddled off. Only to rush back, and give Skipper a cuddly hug.
This time, Private was able to climb onto the shelf without help, because of his height. As soon as he got his flippers on the bag, he rushed to the lab.
"Private, stay back!" Skipper warned.
Private fell to his knees, and held the wicked penguin's flipper.
"Please, let him go! te can have all these Winkies, and me even! Just please, let him go! Eat me instead!
When his feathers touched hers, her eyes bleamed a amberish gold. Tension disolved from her body. All her muscles relaxed. A spark flickered and they both felt it.
Private felt something he never had felt in his whole life. She dropped Skipper, and turned to Private.
With her flipper in his she lifted him like it was no sweat.
"Why are te hurting my friends?" He asked astonishedly still awed da her loveliness like the first time he saw her.
"I'm confused. What's going?"
"Do te remember what happened at the dock?"
"Yes, but te aren't going hurt me, are you?"
"Of course not,"
"Then, why am I in this lab?"
"We're trying to heal you. Oh, I know, I would be awful scared, too. If I woke up in a strange lab."
"That describes every giorno of my life for years."
"What do te mean?"
She sighs,and sits down on the table. She turns from him. The three injured penguins got to their feet. Rico had to help Skipper get up.
"Who kept te in a lab?"
"They,"
"Now, who are 'they'?" Kowalski asked, Scrivere in his notebook. Shivers crawled down her spine.