Un-named PoM FF Ch. 3

AN: Somethings may not be accurate to the show. Sorry about that. Enjoy


Chapter 3


"Kowalski! Private!"
Kowalski jerked awake at the shout of his officer. Private still slept. Skipper shot Kowalski a confused and irritated look. Kowalski smiled awkwardly. "Eh heh, good morning Skipper, sleep well?"
"Like a baby. What happened here?"
Kowalski nudged Private a few times. Private blinked, yawning. "Five more minutes…" the young penguin murmured, snuggling deeper into Kowalski's feathers.
"Negatory. Let's move. Morning exercises are in ten minutes."
Kowalski pushed Private away, trying to jolt him awake one more time. He stood up, brushing himself off.
Skipper suddenly plugged his nose. "What's with the bucket?"
"I-I can explain all of this," Kowalski prodded. "See, Private started vomiting so-so I got him a bucket and then he wouldn't get back into bed, a-and then he-"
"I don't need an explanation right now," Skipper interrupted, snapping up one flipper. "What I need is my crew awake and ready when I need them."
He walked off, Rico falling in behind. The weapons specialist must have gone to bed after Kowalski had fallen asleep. Private brushed against Kowalski's side lightly. "Good morning."
"Yes yes, it is morning," Kowalski grumbled, hoisting up the foul-smelling bucket. "Please tell me you feel better."
"I feel great. Why do you ask?"
Kowalski stopped dead. He put down the bucket, turned around, and jabbed one flipper towards it. "Does THIS give you a hint?"
"Oh, that," Private nodded. "I guess it was some bad fish."
Exasperatedly, Kowalski shook his head. "Just…just help me with this."
The two penguins carefully carried the tin bucket up to the surface and out of the habitat. They dumped the vile liquid into the grass. Private didn't dare look at the first mate. Kowalski stared on, occasionally muttering to himself. Private had screwed up again, and he knew it.

"Skipper, might I suggest…"
"Suggest what, Kowalski?" Skipper turned to face his comrade.
"It's just that, remember what I said earlier? About Private?"
"What about him?"
"It might be wise to…you know…leave Private out of our daily agenda; just for a few days?"
Skipper made an action similar to a cocked eyebrow. "I'm not letting the boy get lazy, Kowalski."
"He can't get too excited or active, remember? It'll only be a little while."
Skipper wasn't normally one for sudden changes; and especially the thought of one of his cadets doing nothing all day. There was a time and a place for that kind of foolishness.
"It'll be the best for him."
"Fine," Skipper nodded. "But, I want him up and running after at least five days. We don't want him getting…well…more pudgy."
"Aye-aye, Skipper," Kowalski saluted. The penguins made their way up and out of HQ. You could stand to hold back on the herring yourself. Kowalski thought to himself.  

Rico sent Private walking. "Are you sure Skippa wants me to go out on patrol?"
Rico nodded, giving him another light shove. "Yep."
"Well, okay. See you later, Rico."
Rico waved, and then vanished back into the Penguin habitat. Private just stood there. Why would Skipper make him break from routine so quickly? Was he mad about the puke like Kowalski? The young cadet began his walk, still contemplating why he was being left out.

Splut.
A piece of fruit dropped onto Private's head, snapping him back to reality. He looked up.
"Mort," a voice shouted in a thick accent. "You are to go seeing where that mango is to be going."
"Okay!"
Private swatted some of the fruit off his beak. Mort dropped from the confines of the Lemur habitat. "Penguin! You found the mango!"
Private whipped the rest of the fruit off himself. "Yeah," he grumbled. "Found."
The tiny mouse lemur sniffed the splattered mango. "Oh, King Julien doesn't like fruit with rocks in it," he sighed.
"Well, doesn't he have another one?"
"He wants this one."
"Mort, where is my mango?"
Mort grimaced at the globs of fruit. "Uh, coming!" He turned to Private, hands clasped together in pleading. "Help?"
"Mort, I can't," Private answered. "Skippa sent me on patrol and-"
The pompous Ring-tailed lemur known as Julien appeared on the wall of the Lemur habitat. "What is with the slowness, Mort? My tummy is making the hungry noises."
The three animals simultaneously stared down at the mango. Julien dropped down between them. "You know I don't like rocks in my mango."
"I'm sorry," Mort said, tucking his hands behind his back. Private suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy. After a few seconds of watching Julien scold the guilty little lemur, he couldn't take it much longer.
"We'll find you another Mango, Julien," he blurted without thinking. The lemurs looked up at him. "We?" Mort questioned, looking a little hopeful.
Julien shrugged. "I do like it when the penguins do my favors. Fine, Mort, take the chubby penguin and go find me some more foods."
"Chubby?"
Mort scampered off, Private behind. "Chubby? Am I chubby, Mort?"
Mort took a good long look at Private. Involuntarily, he poked the penguins stomach. "You tummy is squishy. Like a marsh mellow."
Private frowned at his mid-section as Mort continued walking. "Where do we find mangos?"
"Well," Private answered. "Alice keeps the food in the zookeeper's building. Skippa, Kowalski, Rico and I make raids from there sometimes when she forgets to feed us."
The zookeeper's building sat at the east end of the zoo. It wasn't so hard to get in as it was getting the food. It took the duo almost no time to be facing a tall fridge. Private stood with his back to the fridge. "Mort, I need you to get on my shoulders and open the door."
Mort tilted his head up nervously.
"You won't fall, Mort."
"No," Mort shook his head. "I was wondering if these mangos have rocks."
"Just get up here."
Mort climbed onto more of Private's head than shoulders, and gave the fridge door a good pull. After a few more tries, the door slowly opened. He gasped excitedly. "Food, all the food!"
"Yeah, I know," Private grunted. "Just get in there."
Mort scrambled into the fridge, Private after him. "Where are the mangos?"
"Uh, not sure, actually," Private answered. "We usually come here to get f-" the penguin stopped his sentence when something caught his eye. "…you go find that mango, Mort. I'll be right back."
Private scaled the shelves of food, happening upon an individually wrapped, humungous fish. He wasn't sure what kind it was, but it looked delicious. Wait until the others saw it. What if he brought it back to them? Maybe that would make up for what he had done the other night.
He wrapped his flippers around the package, lugging it up and over his back, smiling the whole time.
"Mango!" Mort shouted with glee, holding the fire-colored fruit in his tiny arms. "Great," Private said. "Let's get out of here."

The two small creatures stood a little taller, carrying their prizes proudly. "King Julien is gonna be so happy," Mort purred. Even the smallest accomplishments for his king made the tiny lemur ecstatic.
"Hey, Mort?"
"Yeah?"
"King Julien, he yells at you on a regular basis, right?"
"Yes."
"And…you just take it. You don't feel bad or angry?"
"Not all the time. King Julien says he hates me, but I bet he really likes me. He just doesn't say anything."
Private shook his head. He found that theory hard to believe. "He kicks you."
"Nah, he just hugs me with his feet, is all. I like that," Mort replied stupidly. Private shrugged it off. Ignorance is bliss.
They eventually went their separate ways. Mort's ignorant behavior was still a mystery to Private. How could the lemur take all that physical and verbal abuse and still remain with his joyful demeanor? Eh, it was a question for another day. He dropped into the HQ. "I'm back," he called. "And I have a surprise!"
His voice echoed around the empty base. "Guys?"
He was alone. Where could they be?

"Where could he be?" Kowalski was about ready to give up looking for his companion. "He's around here somewhere," Skipper answered.
"What if he wandered away? He could be anywhere in New York for all we know."
Skipper shot down his statement. "Private wouldn't leave the zoo without us." Rico simply grunted in agreement. "He might have gone back home."
The three older penguins arrived back home, dejected and worried. That is, until they saw Private sitting in front of the TV, watching Lunacorns, just like normal. "Private!"
The stubby penguin turned his head. "Hey, you're back. Look, I have something to show y-"
"Where have you been?" Skipper cut him off, a mixture of worry and anger in his voice.
"I…I…Mort needed help so-"
"You were supposed to be on patrol. Nothing else!"
"I'm sorry. But, I have something for you guys," Private practically hid behind the fish from his commander's wrath. The three penguins observed the fish. Where did you get this?"
"F-from the fridge…in the Zookeeper's quarters."
"What in the name of tuna were you doing there?"
"I…"
  "You know we only break in there for emergencies."
"I'll put it back."
"No, we'll put it back," Kowalski was speaking this time. "You need to stay here."
The fish was taken out of Private's flippers. Utter despair was all over his face. His teammates left him one by one.
"Skipper…" Private squeaked. Skipper looked back at him; a cold, disapproving, almost malicious look in his eyes. Private lost his voice, his heart caught in his throat. Skipper had never looked at him like that. If only for a second, that look was enough to make Private feel smaller than he already was. He tore himself away.
Private wanted to cry. But, he wouldn't. That fish was heavy. He was the one that found it and carried it all the way back here. It was a gift for his team, his friends, and what did they do? They take it back. The most harsh form of rejection.
And that look. It was like a slap in the face with a hammer. It may as well been hatred.
He never should have wandered off duty. That was dumb of him. But, Private couldn't find it to blame himself this time. Anger fueled the penguin now. He blinked back his burning eyes. "Fine!" he shouted at no one. The others where long gone. "I didn't ask for your approval anyway!"

He had never felt smaller.