The Octonauts and the Pollution Incident

Chapter 9

@DolphinGirl123456

The two cats got to work, gathering the kids and racking their brains to think of any cures. By the end of their brainstorming session, they had talked about pretty much everything except for cures.

"And then... PSHSHSHSH!!!!! The volcano erupts!" Pinto yelled, flailing his flippers around. Kwazii glanced down at the floor, suddenly remembering why they were here.

"How're ye so happy when your brother's literally dyin'," he murmured. Pinto stopped short, looking like he had just been shot straight in the heart.

"Peso's gonna die?" He asked quietly.

Calico Jack stepped in, picking up the small penguin and settling him in his lap. "No one's dyin'," He reassured him softly. "Not when we're on the case."

"Case..." Koshi muttered. "It's like a mystery. We have to look for clues."

"What clues?" Kwazii asked, glancing quizzically at the puppy. "We've looked at everything."

"Not everything," she replied. "We haven't looked at the actual virus," she explained, looking more excited by the minute.

"And if we look at the virus there might be something there that could help us!" Pinto jumped up and hugged his friend. "Koshi, you're a genius!"

The little girl beamed at the praise, hugging Pinto back. "Let's go get Shellington." She said, gesturing to the others to follow her.

The four ran to the lab and burst in, startling the poor sea otter. "Shellington!" Pinto yelled as he fell through the door, and started babbling so fast no one could understand him.

 "Woah, woah, slow down Pinto." Shellington calmed him. "What's going on, is everything okay?" He asked as Koshi, Kwazii, and Calico Jack ran in a few seconds late.

"We're fine," Kwazii said at the otter's worried look. "Better than fine. Koshi had a great idea." He told him excitedly.

"What's the idea?" Shellington asked, turning to Koshi. "The virus is like a case that needs to be solved. We can look at the actual virus under your microscope, and there might be something in there that can help us!" She practically screamed.

Shellington took a moment to process that. "Oh yeah..." He started. "And maybe there'll be something we can use to make a cure!"

Koshi's face fell. "Way to ruin my story." She hissed at Shellington. The sea otter laughed. "Sorry, Koshi. Well, what are we standing around here for?" He ushered them all over to his table.

"I don't have any samples of the virus, because I wasn't smart enough to think to do that-"

"Yeah, why didn't any of us think of that?" Kwazii commented absently. "Sorry, Shellington. Continue."

"So we'll have to go get some. How about..." He pulled out a piece of paper from a drawer. "Calico Jack, you can take Pinto and Koshi and get a few samples of the virus," He handed them some test tubes. "While Kwazii and I stay here and look after our patients." The three nodded and headed outside, test tubes in paw. Shellington and Kwazii waved until they were out of sight.

"Well, what do we do now?" Kwazii asked, turning to Shellington. The otter looked dazed, and began to slump. "Shellington? Are you alright, matey?" Kwazii asked, uncharacteristically worried. 

"I-I don't feel..." The poor sea otter didn't get to finish his sentence before everything went black, and he fell to the ground.

@thethirdweasleytwin

"Shellington?" Kwazii called again as he caught Shellington right before he hit the ground, "Grandad! Pearl!" Kwazii felt the heart-cracking fear creep up on him again, threatening to swallow him up inside. He couldn't watch anymore people suffer from this virus. First Peso, then the Captain, then Tweak; he wasn't sure his heart could take another blown. Kwazii wasn't sure who he needed at this point, he just needed someone, anyone to help him. Luckily for him, both Calico Jack and Pearl had come running almost the second he called.