Why not? - English

11-12 Blast from the Past

There weren't many seats left on the train as everyone wanted to go back to Pontypandy, so I sat in the last row at the back with Penny. I gave Penny the window seat and saw Charly lean into the aisle, grinning, to give me two thumbs up as soon as I sat down. I gave him a look to understand that he should hold back as the train started moving.

"Looks like Steele got the old Bessie going?", I then broke the silence between us. While everyone else on the train was having a lively conversation, Penny and I had been silent until now. It wasn't that it was awkward when we did that, but I much preferred hearing her voice.

"Or we push the old girl back," she said with a smile.

"Steele's pride would never be able to cope with that. Not after his performance fell apart so badly."

"I'm sorry that it happened like that. You finally had what you wanted in the form of the supporting role and then Norman ruins everything again," she said quietly and I looked at her in surprise.

"If I had gotten what I really wanted, I wouldn't have had to act at all. I've never been good in the spotlight. Even at school plays, I always failed. It makes me nervous when everyone's attention is on me."

"You attract everyone's attention every day on missions. Why doesn't that make you nervous?" she then asked me and smiled so cutely again.

"I have no idea!" I admitted with a shrug. "I love my job and I know what I'm doing. Maybe it's just that. Theater, on the other hand... I'm me. I have no interest in trying to be someone else or even just playing. That doesn't feel right. Maybe that's my problem."

"That's definitely not a problem. I like you the way you are, Sam," she said now and put a comforting hand on my arm. I couldn't help myself and returned her smile happily. Was I on the right track? Would she one day like me enough to perhaps consider a future together?

Penny suddenly turned her face away, narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. What was going on? Hadn't I gotten rid of the sewer stench 100% yet and she had caught one last whiff of it? Her sneezing, which followed suddenly, made me think of the events of last week.

"Are you getting sick too?" I asked her worriedly as she took down her hand, which she had used to cover her nose with the back of while she had sneezed.

"That would be pretty strange, wouldn't it? After all, you carried Mandy out of the house and not I. And it was you who jumped into the cold sea a few days later - without safety from a helicopter, by the way!" she teased and admonished me at the same time.

"I just have a good immune system," I replied with a grin.

"Oh, no! You're having just luck, Mr.!" She bumped her shoulder into mine, grinning, before wrapping her arms around herself. I watched her for a moment and it wasn't long before she started shaking. I took off my jacket and put it around her shoulders. Apparently she was cold and even our warm uniform couldn't keep her warm enough, so I had to do it somehow. "It's cold, Sam. You should put the jacket on yourself," she said in surprise as I put it on her.

"Not if it seems like you need it more. What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" I asked her worriedly.

"I don't know. I'm suddenly so cold." She held out her hands to me and I took them a moment later, only to be shocked to find that they were ice cold. Thoughtfully, I raised a hand and placed it gently on her forehead. There, on the other hand, she felt warm. Too warm.

"You're really getting sick, Penny. Wait a minute!" I told her and stood up. I heard Penny sneeze softly behind me again as I reached Helen a few rows ahead of us.

"Helen?" I asked her quietly and she looked up at me with a smile. "Could you take a quick look at Penny? There's something wrong with her. I think she's getting sick."