Penguins of Madagascar: Moving Situations

Chapter Nineteen

Kowalski
A couple of weeks with no inventing feels like much longer than it is. Time drags on, like walking through syrup or quicksand. Skipper and I are still not particularly getting on, him seeming angrier than usual and me avoiding him because he is being a complete jerk. Banning me from inventing is such an overreaction! It is one of the few things that I enjoy doing. Even just reading has gotten boring because every time I read Sci-Fi and the unique inventions make me miss inventing even more. Not to mention I don't have it to distract me from how Gale treats me and I no longer have the safety of locking myself in the lab. The temptation to just invent behind his back is getting indefinitely tempting. I haven't risked it yet though.

We're at breakfast and the silence is palpable. It isn't the ban that entirely makes me not want to talk to Skipper: it is more the fact that he straight out said I wasn't good at it. I know I make a lot of mistakes but since that day I have been unable to shake gnawing doubt. If he's right... I force myself not to think about that now and simply keep stirring my tea, not looking up.
"So are we doing anything today?" Rico asked.
"We're doing a training day," Skipper replied. Great, socialising and something mixed with one of the things I dislike the most. "So go get ready." Given I am still in my clothes from training I don't need to get ready but at least that means ten minutes alone.

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By the end of the day I give up. Just doing training, reading, chores and being a punch bag is less than ideal. Inventing, even if I'm bad at it, has always been something that helps my thoughts be cohesive and my mood less tense. I wait until Skipper has headed off to do the weekly shop then sneak to the lab. I work on some of the projects that have been delayed. Before long the door opens, I look up ruefully to see Rico.
"You are unbelievably predictable," he says with a chuckle. "I knew as soon as Skipper left you would invent."
"You're not going to tell, are you?" I ask, worry beginning to sink into me.
"I should..." Rico says, doubtfully. The worry turns into full on panic.
"Come on, please?" I plead. "I always cover for you when you blow stuff up. Heck, most of the time I repair whatever it is."
"Well..." Rico gave me a doubtful look then sighed. "Yeah, you have a point. And I ='m guessing you miss inventing. Just be done by the time Skipper is back."

He leaves and I take a breath of relief. Phew. I'm safe to invent. I know for a fact that Private wouldn't snitch so all is safe. I'm just hoping that Gale doesn't find out because he most certainly would snitch. Absolute jerk.

Hours later, when I assume Skipper will be back soon, I leave the lab, picking up a book and head to the living room, sitting cross-legged. I do little besides reading these days so it will be very not suspicious. The door opens about five minutes later and Skipper comes in with several bags of shopping.
"Kowalski, are you good to put the shopping away?" he asks me. I nod, putting my bag down and head to the kitchen, hearing a slight sigh. Skipper has seemed down the last few weeks: I'm starting to get concerned but at the same time my emotions are too flat to care that much.

It takes twenty minutes to load the fridge and there is still the freezer and cupboards remaining. How do we get through so much? The sound of someone clearing their throat makes me jump and I turn around to see Skipper. His arms are crossed and he looks extremely annoyed.
"Rico told me you were inventing," he says. Betrayal, red-hot anger and a stab of dejection shoot through me. "As a result your ban restarts." Six weeks restarted...? Why...
"That isn't f-" I try to protest.
"Eight weeks!" he cuts me off. I fall silent, knowing if I carry on then it'll go up. "And extra training."
"Fine," I say, flatly, not bothering to emote. "Anything else?"
"Cut the attitude." Again I fall silent, watching him leave. Why are things turning so bad so rapidly?

The sound of someone swearing grabs my attention. A few minutes later Rico comes in with a sheepish expression.
"I cracked Skipper's phone when I sat down," he says. "You good to fix it?" The audacity.
"No," I say, glaring at him. "From now on, when you break things, sort the damn thing out yourself."
"Why are you so annoyed?" he asks. I can tell he's trying to be casual but he is shifting from one foot to the other with a guilty expression.
"You know exactly why," I snap. "Why is it so hard for you to leave things alone? Now I'm banned from eight weeks!"
"Kowalski l-"
"Just leave me alone," I mutter, returning to putting things away.

Rico
Maybe following Gale's advice wasn't the best idea after all. I originally wasn't going to tell given he had a point about covering for me but then I mentioned the situation to Gale and how I felt bad lying. He said if I felt bad I should stay, especially as Skipper being the leader meant we shouldn't undermine his decisions. As a result I did but now he seems uncharacteristically angry at me but also it is pretty obvious I hurt his feelings. It isn't like an apology will do anything, he is too down to even listen to me. I groan and sink into the sofa. Having two members of the group be annoyed – Skipper isn't happy I cracked his phone – is far from ideal.

"You okay?" Gale asks me, sitting in the chair opposite me.
"No," I mutter, frowning. "Kowalski is really annoyed at me and upset. I shouldn't have told Skipper."
"You did the right thing," he tells me.
"Ethically and logically yes," I murmur. "But if I have ruined my friendship with Kowalski it isn't worth it!"
"He'll come around," Gale tells me. I give him a doubtful look. "You all say he's a genius, right? He is way too smart to hold a grudge for too long. That gives me a spark of hope. "I will say though maybe you should give him a few weeks to cool down. Being with your thoughts can help."
"Thanks Gale," I say with a grin. "I should stop moping, right?"
"Yup," he says. "Wanna playa video game and get your mind off things?"
"Sure," I agree with a grin.

I decide I am going to follow Gale's advice. He studied psychiatry at university at university so he must have at least have a better idea of what to do than me. Dinner comes along and it is Kowalski's day to cook. Surprisingly it isn't something as nice or complex as usual. It isn't bad but the noodles are definitely instant noodles mixed with chorizo and mushrooms. To be fair every time I 'cook' it is either a ready meal or takeaway but again it is quite different from him.
"Kowalski, are you okay?" Private asks. "You seem down."
"I'm fine," he says but he clearly isn't. He is stabbing the chorizo with his fork rather than eating it. "I'm going to go get on with my extra training." He shoots a glare my way as he leaves, food still pretty much untouched. Well at least I get seconds! Yeah not the most selfless thought when one of my friends and teammates are upset but it is the only way to be positive about this situation.