The Octonauts and the Pollution Incident

Chapter 5

"We've been doing fine. But I'm more worried about you so can you please tell me what exactly is going on? I really want to know how bad things are." Bianca replied.

Barnacles pondered for a moment before answering. "There's some sort of virus going around. So far it's got Peso and I, and we've been infected by it, almost bedridden. But other than that I'd say I've been-" but he was cut off mid sentence by a 5 second coughing fit. "I've been better."

Bianca sighed and ran a paw down her face. "So what exactly are you going to do brother?" She questioned. This didn't happen often but Barnacles was clueless. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea."

@Uniquedoll602

Between Peso's research and Shellington's, along with Kwazii's so-called "voodoo" if you were to ask Tweak, things should have been coming along nicely. They should have the cure in thier sights. And it was a good thing too, because Peso and Barnacles had been near completely bedridden, whereas the others had managed to somewhat recover, at least to the point of proper function, even Professor INkling, who was having one of those old people days where he woke up and thought he was dying. Thank heavens his nephew Squirt wasn't there to see that!

This did not go unnoticed by Shellington, who quickly compared to his notes of Kwazii and Panni's immunity. The neutrons in their blood were surrounded by strange protons and electrons. They looked, under the microscope, like strange bugs with very thick skin. It had to be some sort of immunity.

And then he had the sufferers.

Barnacles and Peso, both very adapted to cold weather, had supposedly been more affected by the virus due to their high fevers not coexisting well with the already unused to temperatures. Shellington could accept that--it was a highly logical theory, even if it didn't do anything to curb their fears over losing two of their most beloved companions. And all this over a toxin pollutant! Shellington wanted to scream. He was overworking himself to the point of faint, and they still had to fix that stuid drainage pipe-- 

The pipe! They had forgotten all about that. Work abandoned, the poor sea otter began to pace. They had to fix that. Before it hurt anyone else. But what if it was too late? What if it hurt Tweak while she tried to work?

Tweak...Paani and Kwazii's blood samples...Peso's research...his and Captain Barnacles' strange lack of defence...there had to be a common factor here, and it started with that pipe!

A new drive of determination serged through Shellington, and he grabbed his bag.

They had to end this catastrophe once and for all.

Or they couldn't call themselves "The Octonauts" anymore.

Pearl, who had just finished putting Peso down for a nap and was leaving to check on the invalid in the Launch Bay, immediately felt her brother's red-hot emotion wafting off him as he passed the room, looking like a thunder cloud. Pearl quickly pressed a cold cloth to Peso's forehead and rushed to meet him. "Shellington! I know this is a lot, but we are going to get through this together. We're going to find a cure--!"

"That's what I'm doing, Pearl." Shellington grumbled, causing his sister to stumble in shock. She'd never heard her brother like this since...

A shoulder grab stopped the scientist in his tracks and whirled hima round to face his almost teary sister. "Is this about...?"

She didn't need to finish. Those horrible childhood days were still stuck in Shellington's mind. The epidemic that had claimed friends and family, sea otters all around them. Fish that had eaten bits of their skin and made Shellington fear the water. His small paw grabbed, pulled and pressed against Mother. The catastrophe that had forced them to flee to Scotland so early in life.

And to be honest, he'd hardly thought about it until now.

Shellingotn squeezed his sister's paw. "No, Pearl. I've leanred a lot here. I'm past that...I hope." Pearl gave him a watery smile. For a moment, they stood there, brother and sister, survivors. Finally, Shellington had to break the silence. "We're doing little. There  is so much more we should be doing. I'm going to that pipe. I'm taking Tweak..." Pearl's eyes widened, stopping the younger sea otter from explaining further. "You and Tweak?"

Down in the Launch Bay, it had finally happened--Tweak had been struck down with the disease. Kwazii stood by her bedside, looking like he was at a funeral, and Dashi, who should have very much been resting, was there too, resting her head on her best friend's bed as she sat by, clutching Tweak's paw. The rabbit's face was flushed and red, but thankfully, she didn't look as bad as Peso or Barnacles, although she did look a bit worse than Dashi or Professor Inkling. Shellington rushed to her, his beloved big sister, his strong and close companion, as she lay, weak, frail and failing in her bed.

She was glowing again.

Tweak, infused with jellyfish DNA somehow (They only knew it had something to do with her mother) naturally glowed in the dark. But rarely in the daytime. It only glowed stronger if she was very upset. If something was wrong. And something was indeed wrong.

But this wasn't her natural green glow. It was pink. As pink as night. Shellington's scientist brain immediately went to work, and this time Pearl caught on. "You want to compare samples from that pipe to the blood samples you've taken already."

Shellington nodded. "And a few more." He needed to know the real reason, not the guess, as to why Barnacles and Peso were suffering so badly.

Kwazii looked at him sadly. "She fainted earlier. Just as we got back from finishing making the medicine we have. I can't get Dashi to leave." Shellington snapped out of his science stupor and took in the funeral-esque scene. Kwazii looked so much unlike himself, it was scary. Paani looked thoughtful, and more serious than Shellington was used to. Dashi, in her sleep, was grief stricken.

He had to get to work. Fast.

"Paani," he nudged the macaque. "Do you remember anything about the disease outbreak in India? Anything at all? Any medicine, any symptoms...anyone immune?"

Paani pondered this for a moment, before nodding softly. "Yes...we were all given shots...before it got really worse. People started dropping like flies, like the shots didn't work."

Kwazii nodded. "Me dad be from India. He liked to tell me these things. He says Indian butter blossoms, the pink ones, can fight any disease."

Shellington blinked. There was something alike in Panni and Kwazii's Indian heritage that kept them safe.

So much to go on.

"Are you going to be able to get what you need from that, Shellington?" Pearl asked.

Shellington shook his head. "No. I'll need someone."

He entered the youngest room on the ship and shook the little bundle in it's bed. "Peso. Peso wake up!"