Friendship And Hardship

[Chapter 14] - Are We Still Friends?

Blood on her hands.

That's it. That's all Parker could see on her hands, she didn't see herself, only the mistake she had made. She just punched a dude, and for what?

She had almost forgotten that he brought up her parents that minute, so she assumed it was justified.

It would only be a matter of time before everyone found out, so what would that make her?

Did that make her a fool? Unsafe? Was this what made her hostile? Was she a threat? Unacceptable? Unbearable? Vile?

What was the word?

...

"Knock knock, how's everything going?" Parker whispered, knocking quietly on the door. Her hands were still wet from her aggressively scrubbing skin and blood off of them, which definitely wasn't on her schedule.
"Surprisingly well, thanks for checking in," Peso answered.

"So what's next, Parker? Ya gonna break one of his arms next?" Kwazii snapped, arms crossed. He slowly learned on his leg.
"Kwazii, not now..."
"You almost broke his nose, what's next? What's your deal?"

"Kwazii. Cut it out," Barnacles said, dragging his attention away. Spiders and Barnacles being mad were probably the only things Kwazii was scared of.
"I would fire back, but that would end bad for both you and me," she spat.
"Parker, that goes for you too, I'm assuming." Peso looked over at Barnacles, who nodded slowly, almost like he was unsure of the answer he wanted.

"I just came in to check on how everything was going, make sure there wasn't anything... bad," she muttered, wondering if 'bad' was the word she wanted to use.
"Nothing severe. That is all."

Parker paused for a moment. She looked at Peso, then to Barnacles, then back to Peso, and then brought her attention to Barnacles once again.

"What ever happens, I don't want you leaving the sick bay," she whispered, leaning over to him.
"Why?"
"Just don't. If you hear me sound the alert, don't leave."

He didn't know whether or not to trust her at this point. "Can I trust you with this?"

"Always."

...

She held out her hand, holding it in front of him.
"Compass?"
"Yep."
"Got it," Barnacles muttered, reaching for it.

"Parker, what are you doing?" Peso asked, he and Kwazii watching from a distance.

She didn't answer him, she only turned around.

"Octonauts, to the HQ."

~

"How come the captain isn't here?"
"Wonder where he is..."

"Yeah Parker, why isn't the captain here?" Kwazii asked, pestering at her once again.
"I wanted to announce something without him here, this doesn't apply to him," she fired back.

"Why did you bring all of us here, but not him? He was right there, next to you, and he didn't move," Peso stated.
"Wouldn't you like to know..." she muttered.

"Before I give out my reason behind this... act," Parker muttered, backing up to face the rest of the team, "I'd like to apologize for everything I will do in the future. And in the past. And in general, in fact."

"So what are you apologizing for-"
"I punched your captain in the face," she finally said, seeming somewhat proud of herself. "It was justified, listen."

...

Confused glances were passed around the room, a wave of silence coming over them.

"What?"
"You can't be serious."
"Huh?"