Jane Doxter:
The Captain gathered us all in the HQ for a meeting. One glance at him, and I could see where this was going. The Captain usually stood fully erect and proud, but today, he seemed weathered down and extremely tired and sad, but still offered me a smile and pat on the back like he always did.
Everyone gathered around him with the Vegimals in our laps and listened.
"As you all might know." The Captain's expression turned grim, "we don't have much time until our deadline." No one needed any clarification on what he was talking about. It was August 23rd. We had little more than a week.
"I'll take you all into my office building." Bianca stood up, scanning us with a warm gray gaze like the way the clouds shone when the sun came out after a storm, "We have some rooms above that'll keep you all safe."
"But Bianca." Tweak protested, "Your cubs, your office, your life.We can't let you risk it all for us."
"No Tweak." Her molten silver eyes hardened into steel, "I wouldn't be doing this if my cubs would be at stake." She glanced towards the Captain, "They're safe at our mother's den in the Arctic. I'd be more than happy to help you." The silence swelled until it was too big for the room to contain, but everyone was too shocked to speak until the Captain gripped his sister's paw and whispered,
"We owe you our lives, Bianca, thank you."
"But." The professor cut in, "You can't do it all on your own. You'll need someone to help." Bianca looked down and I noticed she was chewing furiously on her bottom lip.
"Paani." I said out loud, "Can Paani help us?"
"Jane," Dashi wrapped her arm around me, "Paani's already taking care of the Vegimals."
"Not for long." Shellington added brightly, but his voice had a tinge of sadness to it, "I asked Paani to send the Vegimals to Pearl. In Scotland. Tomorrow night." For a few moments, the sound of breathing was all that existed.
"At least they're getting out, mateys." Kwazii forced a smile, but it quickly vaporized. Tomorrow night. One day to say goodbye.
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Tomminow clung to my neck as I lowered her into the fluff-bottomed box before me. As I tried to detach her from my neck, I made the mistake of looking down at her little face, which currently was streaming with little tears, and her breath caught in short sniffles. I felt a lump in my own throat but choked it down and clutched her tightly.
"Oh, baby" I used the same gentle tone with her that Tweak used with me whenever I was upset, "What's wrong?"
"No-no wanna goa!" She sniffled and buried her face into my shirt.
"You have to, baby." I tried to console her as best as I could, "You have to go to Scotland to be with Shellydo's sister, and we'll catch up with you sometime."
"You come?" She asked. I swallowed back the harder wave of tears taking over, and the fear once I realized there was a chance I may not live till next year, but I lied through my teeth. For her.
"Yeah," my voice trembled, "I'll come, someday."
YOU ARE READING
Breaking Barriers
أدب الهواةThe Octonauts face the greatest challenge they've ever had: speciesism. When the radical Puricians take over the government, breeds and species are rated on a scale of 1-6 on how "useful" and "supportive" they are to the Puricians. All species and b...
