Here comes chap 2:)

CHAPTER TWO: Penguin Tea

Her face was covered with fog. Her green eyes anxious, teary, full of empathy and concern. She wore the same expression when leaning over him down the sewer, after she’d saved him from drowning.
He was too weak to move, but he felt his cheeks blushing from anger and embarrassment. He’d never thrown up in front of a girl before. He knew she caught the sight of him vomiting as he could hear her terrified voice.
“Guys, seems like he’s already woke up!” she informed the rest of the team, while dabbing Skipper’s forehead with a damp cloth. Skipper collected his strength, craned his neck from the pillow and took a quick look around. He spotted Private cleaning the floor with a mop. Private stopped for a while and sent Skipper a cherry smile.
“No wonder, I puked all over the habitat” thought Skipper and collapsed back on his pillow. It was too much for him to bear. He hated people seeing him in such an awful state. He couldn’t stand anybody witnessing his own weakness.
“Feeling better, Skippa?” asked Private, while putting his mop aside.
“Now there it is!!” Kowalski’s triumphant voice echoed all over the habitat. Skippa looked at the door of the lab and glanced at Marlene questioningly. He didn’t feel like talking much – it would cost him too much energy.
“Kowalski has found his Mom’s old recipe for a Penguin Tea” informed him Marlene.
Skippa goggled at her.
“Whaa?”
“It’s a special kind of a Tea, which fights off nausea and helps collect strength. I’m sure you’ll feel much better after drinking it”.
Skippa covered himself with a blanket and frowned.
“I hope its taste is bearable enough” he muttered, slightly annoyed. “What kind of ingredients does Kowalski need to make one?”
“Errrmm.. you see.. Kowalski was quite cagy about this one” muttered Marlene, paddling with her paws nervously.
“What do you mean he was cagy?” frowned Skipper.
“Now look, Skipper, will you just calm down. Trust me, we have no intention of poisoning you or something..”
“Long story short, the taste is damn awful, right?” asked Skipper. But a sudden wave of pain in the head prevented him from further arguing. He sank back on his pillow and let out a moan.
“Now, hold it carefully, Rico and pass it to Skipper, okay?” they heard Kowalski’s smothered voice. “And try not to spill everything out on your way to his bunk”.
“Marbrha!” answered Rico. He got out of the lab, waddled up to Skipper’s bed and handed him a cup of Penguin Tea.
Skipper took several sips and goggled his eyes out.
“Sweet Mother McArthur! What the hell is this? It’s soo Goddamn bitter!
“It has to be bitter, Skippa” replied Marlene.
“This ain’t gonna fly, sister” mumbled Skipper, pushing the cup aside. “There’s no way I’m going to drink some more of this hellish tea. Rico, spill it out in the sink!”
But Rico made an oblong: “Na-aaah!”, grabbed the cup and placed it back in his leader’s flippers, his expression stern and decisive.
“Now pleaaaase guys! I can’t drink it anymore! It’s a torture!” moaned Skipper. On hearing their conversation, Kowalski waddled up towards his bunk, mysterious smile leaking on his beak. Skipper felt like a sick baby surrounded by parents who keep repeating their immortal line aka: “We know what’s best for you, kido” and insist on him to take a medicine.
“I guess we may try to solve this problem otherwise, Skipper” said Kowalski. “How about I put a piece of catfish in your tea, to make it more tasty for you?”
“Now that sounds like a sensible option, Kowalski” muttered Skipper, smiling.
Kowalski went to the fridge, pulled out a plate with a catfish meat, cut off a piece and placed it in Skipper’s drink.
“Much better” stated Skipper after taking two more careful sips.
Marlene, Rico, Kowalski and Private sighed with relief.
“Good one for ya, Kowalski” whispered the Otter. “I thought it would be much worse”.
They discreetly knocked their fists and smiled.