Do You Blame Yourself?

[Chapter 34] - The Calm Before The Storm

"Oh, my god."

Kwazii sat up, staring directly down at the sun covered flooring of his pod. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed, slapping his hands on his face and flopping down onto his mattress.

Were they

Were he and Peso

dating?

Can't be...

Were they?!

His brain was spinning, this just... didn't feel real. Were they technically a thing? Did they make it official?

Was he going to be late for breakfast?

"I'm going to be late," Kwazii mumbled, sitting up.

~

"Good morning!" he shouted, practically flying into the kitchen.
"It's only eight in the morning, how do you have so much energy already?" Barnacles asked, his hands on his face. Kwazii shot a glance at the captain before shrugging.
"You've never woken up and just felt like being a bad bitch?"
"Actually, no. I don't want to wake up and be a bitch."
"Being a bad bitch is a good thing, though," Kwazii said, laughing. "In some cases, it is."

"But you still don't have an excuse for why you're so energetic at eight in the morning," Tweak stated.
"Okay Sherlock Holmes, no need to interrogate me," he said. "Things... have happened. That's why I'm energetic now."
"What things?"

Kwazii turned to look at her, his arms stiff at his sides. "You don't need to know," he said sternly.
"That gives me all the answers I need!"

~

"Hey, I've got a question," Kwazii said, poking his head through the laboratory door.
"Yes?" Shellington answered.
"Are you sure it was a bluebottle jellyfish that stung me?"

"Are you still going on about this? I thought you'd gotten over that by now," he replied, turning around.
"Well, I haven't. Are you sure it was a bluebottle jellyfish?" Kwazii asked again. "Come on, Albert Einstein."
"Kwazii, I'm not 100% sure, but with the evidence we've collected so far, it's pretty obvious," Shellington stated, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yay... Something just doesn't feel right."
"As in? You say that a lot."

But something was off.

Something was wrong.

What was it, though?

Was it some sort of gut feeling? Some 6th sense? Was he feeling that knot in his gut that Peso just so happened to pass onto him?

"I don't know. Today just feels weird, like I'm constantly on-edge," Kwazii answered, passing a smile.
"Maybe you're just anxious? Today does have a weird vibe to it."
Kwazii stumbled over, resting his chin on Shellington's shoulder.
"Today feels like a shit day. Like someone just violently shit on today somehow," he said, staring down at the table.

...

"I never thought I'd hear that come out of anyone's mouth, but the fact that it came from yours makes me feel just a bit better."

~

"I had an idea, and I need your help," Kwazii blurted just a few minutes later. The two had been sitting at the table for a while now, nothing to say.
"If it's about that jellyfish, Kwazii..."
"I'm sorry."
"I guess you could count me in."

"Excuse me?! Did the Russians send you? You never agree with my plans."
"I want this proof as much as you do, believe me," Shellington said, sliding his notepad over towards him. "Anything yet?"
Kwazii sat there in silence. He folded his hands in front of his face. "Well, someone's gonna stay here while the other goes back to the reef," he suggested, scribbling it down.
"Kwazii, maybe you should be the one to go back to the reef. I know some people would definitely disagree with me, but you know exactly where you were when you got stung."
"But wouldn't that be dangerous? I mean, coming from me, that's a bit risky since I've already been stung, but it would probably be the best decision."
"If you don't feel comfortable, we can just-"
"No. I'm fine doing it, I just don't feel comfortable with you being the only person controlling our communication lines," Kwazii admitted.