Driving Lessons - An Octonauts Story (complete)

Chapter Five - Confessions

Shellington sat in Peso' s sick bay on a comfy seat. He hadn't really hurt his head too badly, just banged it a little, but Peso insisted in checking him over anyway. Shellington quite enjoyed being with the quiet medic in a nice peaceful room without any driving or Gups to worry about. Peso was just finishing the check up on Shellington.

"Can you read the bottom line of this chart?"

"S, F, U, Q, W, X, A," Shellington recited easily. The penguin ticked off a box on his clipboard then set the board down on his table.

"Good. Shellington, it looks like you're all right. No signs of injury at all."

Shellington grinned at him. "Thanks Peso. To be honest, I just wanted an excuse to stop racing with Kwazii. It got pretty intense back there for a while."

"I understand," Peso nodded wisely. "I'm not such a fan of driving fast myself. I always worry that Kwazii' s going to get seriously hurt one day. I'm glad you don't like it either."

"I want to learn to drive, just not - like that," Shellington admitted. "I'm not a daredevil like Kwazii. I'm not really confident like the Captain. I'm not even calm in stress like you are."

"But you're unique, Shellington. You help everyone with the sciencey stuff and we couldn't do many missions without your input. Driving will come with time and practice."

"How did you become so wise all of a sudden?" Shellington joked, actually feeling warmed by the young medic's words to his heart. Peso smiled.

"I was awful at driving the Gups when I started. I didn't even have my driving license back then. But everyone helped me learn, like they're doing with you now." Peso expertly wrapped a bandage around a sea cucumber' s hurt body as he chatted, his eyes focused on the patient.

"I guess I'm just starting a bit late," Shellington said.

"That's right. Hey, remember? Even you helped me! You probably don't, it was years ago, when I was still in training to be an Octonaut," Peso laughed, his eyes turning misty for a moment as he thought back. Shellington tried to remember as well.

"I don't remember doing that."

"Well you did. Not in actual driving, no, but you sat me down when I was stressing out and gave me a book from the Professors library. We worked through it together and I learned all the theoretical stuff about driving, what all the buttons did and how to do things. I'm still not confident in going very fast, but the words from that book still sit with me today. I think I still have the book somewhere." Peso finished with the patient he was bandaging and set the sea cucumber down in a small tank to rest.

"There. Now, the book I think is in my room. Do you want to come with me? I know where it is."

"Okay," Shellington answered, still trying to remember that time. To be honest, he didn't remember much about the first few months as an Octonaut, it had been a long time ago. But a book about Gups did seem familiar... He followed Peso out of the sick bay and along the corridor to his OctoChute. Once in his room, Peso went into his wardrobe and groped around, giving cute little squeaks every so often as he searched. Shellington couldn't help smiling.

"Out of interest, Peso, what age were you when you first started being an Octonaut?"

Peso poked his head out and thought for a moment.

"I was ... fourteen I think."

Shellington was surprised. "That's pretty young to start work."

Peso nodded from inside the wardrobe. "Yeah. I knew what I wanted to do when I was young, so I took the training course to be a medic early and passed all the exams when I was thirteen. The Octonauts were happy to take me in."

"I think I was twenty," confessed Shellington. That was seven years ago.

Peso nodded thoughtfully. "That would make sense. It was about seven years ago that I joined, as I'm twenty one now. That would make you..."

"Twenty seven now, yes. It seems a long time ago," Shellington said wistfully.

" I know Dashi' s twenty six," Peso noted randomly. Shellington was surprised again.

"Really? I thought she was younger."

"She looks it, doesn't she? Yeah she joined when she was about nineteen. She was really kind to me because I was so young and inexperienced. She helped me a lot. Of course, Dashi's kind to everyone. It's just her nature."

Shellington mused for a moment. Did that mean Dashi was just being kind to him, like she was to everyone? That could mean then, that she wouldn't like him like he liked her...

"But you're definitely her best friend," Peso continued from inside the wardrobe regardless of Shellington' s frenzied thoughts. Shellington paused mid-rant to himself.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you two are really close. She likes you, you know."

Shellington felt like his brain was very slowly turning in slow motion.

"She... she likes me?"

Peso nodded happily. "Yeah, you two are inseparable. She's always talking to me about how she's looking forward to working with you in your lab. You're teaching her some science stuff aren't you?"

"Y yeah..." Shellington couldn't concentrate. His mind was still stuck on 'she likes you, she likes you, she likes you...'

"Found it!" Shellington was jerked out of his reverie by Peso' s whoop. Then he was out of the wardrobe and handing the book to a dazed Shellington.

"Here. Take it back to the Professor when you've finished with it, I don't need it any more. See you later Shellington. And good luck."

"T thanks." On sudden impulse, Shellington flung his arms around Peso, hugging him tightly. "Thanks so much. You've really helped me."

"Er, no problem, I ...er... think," Peso tried, confused. But Shellington was already out of the door.

Peso smiled to himself. He knew it. Shellington was in love with Dashi!

Oh fluff! Shelly likes her! I knew it! And it turns out Dashi likes him back :0 What will Shellington do?