Rise and Fall

Peso

Chapter 7: Peso

Two weeks went by. Angel was supposed to be starting back at school today. Instead, she was still on board the Octopod.

She followed Peso’s advice and stayed warm and got plenty of rest. Not that she had much of a choice. She couldn’t really go anywhere. She was still using the bedpan whenever she needed to go. The only times she ever left the sickbay were to have a bath every few days.

The human girl tried so hard to wash her hair, but it had just become too matted for her, or anybody, to deal with. So, Peso decided that there was only one thing to do: cut most of it off.

Honestly, Angel couldn’t say she minded too much. She kind of liked how she looked. Plus, it was much easier to wash and brush after that. She couldn’t get over how different she looked, though, with her hair down to her chin, instead of just past her shoulders. Normally, she might have been thrilled to pieces, since she had always been told how much she looked like her sisters and now, she didn’t.

Only, the thought didn’t cheer her up now. Her sisters weren’t here. Nobody on the Octopod knew her sisters or how much she looked like them. Still, she would put up with the comments if she could just have her sisters back. Not to mention, her new appearance was yet another change. Angel had had more than enough change for a lifetime.

She didn’t complain to Peso, though. He was just trying to help- and he had. Angel wasn’t sure how much anything mattered after all she’d been through, but Peso was taking very good care of her and she was thankful for that. Given the circumstances, she wasn’t feeling too bad. Well, except for one thing…

“No…” she murmured in her sleep one morning. “No… Mum, Dad, help!”

“Angel?” Peso ventured, trying to wake her up.

“Gotta get away!” Angel cried, thrashing around. “Get away from the polar bears… Help! HELP! Fire! FIRE! I’m drowning!”

“Angel!” Peso repeated, louder this time. He debated whether or not he should touch her.

Before he could make up his mind, Angel bolted upright, her eyes wild and her breathing heavy.

For the first time in two weeks, she wasn’t surprised to wake up on the Octopod. She was getting used to it; she didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Furthermore, when she realised that Peso was standing over her bed, she was downright happy to see him, even if Shellington wasn’t there. The girl had gotten used to Peso too and liked him a lot. She hadn’t really thought about it, though, because she was hung up on asking for Shellington all the time, but Peso was great too. He’d done everything he could to take care of her and make her feel better. He was one of the kindest and gentlest people- uh, penguins- she’d ever met.

“Are you all right?” he questioned with obvious concern. Shellington had told him- and everyone else- about Angel’s night terrors, but this was the first time he’d seen them for himself.

Angel nodded, still gasping for breath. “It was really scary.”

Not only that, but it wasn’t just a dream. Whenever she opened her eyes, the facts were still the same: Her family were dead; her house had burned down and she was onboard a ship underwater, with talking animals, including a polar bear who scared her half to death.

“I know.” Peso wished he could take away her emotional pain. Sadly, there were some wounds even the best medic couldn’t heal.

Angel looked around. “Where’s Shellington?” Now that the girl had been on the Octopod for two weeks, Shellington started to spend less and less time in the sickbay, albeit gradually. If he couldn’t stay, Peso or the Vegimals would stick close to Angel (well, Peso did anyway). The girl liked Peso and the Vegimals, so she didn’t mind too much, but she missed Shellington immensely and would wonder when he was coming back. Still, this was the first time since her first night that he hadn’t been there when she woke up.