Kowalski lifted the baby gently and began to run the bath. He dug deep in his mind for everything , anything he knew about baby chicks ; do they need to have hot or cold water? He wasn't sure.

Just then, he heard a clank behind him, and looked back to see the baby poking at one of his inventions with his beak.

"No, don't touch that!" He hollered and grabbed the baby, quickly but gently. He got down to the floor with it as the ray fired, the ray bouncing around the room until finally disappearing.

Kowalski let out a sigh of relief and stared down at the boy, who was trembling from fright in his flippers.

"Hey..." He cooed. "It's okay, little guy."

The young boy looked up at him and nodded, chirping with happiness. He nudged his face into Kowalski's chest, and Kowalski stared affectionately at the little guy. One power he definitely had ; wriggling into someone's heart. He had even gotten to Skipper, who he had found snuggling with the chick.

Kowalski sighed and cradled to chick, picking him up with one flipper. He turned back to the sink, or 'tub', which was about to over flow with water. He quickly turned the knob and the white liquid stopped spilling out.

He felt the water with his flipper, and it was a perfect temperature. Not too hot, or cold. He slowly lifted the chick up, and placed him slowly in the water. He didn't take his flippers out from under the boys arm pits until he felt his feet touch the bottom of the sink. The little guy chirped, and ruffled his flippers roughly in the water, sending little droplets everywhere.

Kowalski laughed at the sight of the little penguins coat fluffed up, nearly swallowing him inside it. He then took the soap, which was lying right next to the sink, and squirted some onto his flippers. He held out his flipper, and the chick moved closer to it, interested in the strange substance.

Kowalski rubbed it over the boys head and face, taking careful measures not to get it in his mouth or eyes. He then ran his flipper down his tiny body, making sure not to pull or tear at the cuts that decorated him.

The young little guy chirped in happiness and shivered from head to toe at the touch. He shrunk deeper into the water, until his entire chin was under, and only his beak and up were noticeable. He seemed to be relaxed and happy. Kowalski didn't dare take his eyes off the baby, in fear he might go under and drown himself. He knew babies didn't know any better.

The babies eyelids were drooping down farther when Rico suddenly popped his head into the lab.

"Uh... Walski?" He asked nervously, coming in and shutting the door softly behind him.

"What is it Rico?" Kowalski asked absentmindedly, not daring to take his eyes off the younger.

"Um...uh..." The scarred penguin stammered and sputtered.

"What IS it, Rico?" Kowalski asked again, now paying more attention, but not moving his eyes from where they were glued.

"Uh, me an' Skipper...testing weapon..."

Immediately, Kowalski knew this was something terrible.

"Did you blow up Marlene's habitat again? Now we've gotta fix it, and I lost that bet to he-"

"Not Marlene."

"The chimps?"

"Nu."

"Then who, Rico?"

Rico stammered again, rubbing the back of his head with his flippers. "Um... Alice office?"

"You WHAT?!" Kowalski cried, staring at him. "How could you? And Skipper was a part of thi-" too late, he realized his mistake. He spun around to the bath again, where the baby was no where to be seen, No longer floating peacefully on the surface.

"No!" Kowalski cried and ran back to the tub, quickly turning the knob to drain the water. He gasped and plugged it up again. He couldn't have the baby getting his tail stuck.

He dove his flippers in the soapy water and started searching for the baby. For a few panicky seconds, he couldn't feel anything.

Oh no...he thought.

Just then, his flipper scraped against something. He quickly retraced his movements and touched it.

A tiny wing!

He ran his flipper up the wing, touching a small body. He wrapped his long, glossy and slender arm around the tiny body and yanked up, bringing a baby bird with him.

The chick sputtered and choked, then stared up at Kowalski with big blue eyes. He shook off his coat and continued to cough.

"Rico, watch him!" Kowalski cried, turning back to Rico who was watching with a panicky look. The older nodded and immediately ran over to the chick, petting him softly on the head. The younger continued to cough, but not before chirping in pleasure from the touch.

Kowalski flew out of the door, and ran over to his bunk. He grabbed his back up blanket, which he only used on especially cold nights. He gripped it in his flippers and ran back into the lab, where Rico had seduced to cradled the chick in his arms, who continued to shake and sputter.

Kowalski took the chick great fully from Rico and wrapped the blanket around him. The baby chick continued to shudder in Kowalski's flippers, but after a while, he stopped coughing so hard.

Kowalski stared, confused. Why was he shivering? He decided to dip his flipper in the water for a moment, balancing the chick in the other arm. He quickly removed his flipper.

He had to make a note to make absolutely SURE the bath was very hot before putting the chick in it. In the few minutes since he had placed the boy down, the tubs liquid had gone from a reasonable temperature to probably five below zero.

He held the baby close to him, and before long, the chick was asleep in his feathers. His chest rose and fell in a steady, relaxing pattern.

Kowalski turned back to Rico, who had been watching, smiling lightly at the fatherly penguin.

"That was close." Kowalski muttered, breathing out from his nose. Rico nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Kowalski remembered the reason the baby had been underneath the entire time.

"What's this about Alice's office, then?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Rico laughed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. He then said, after a while...

"Oopsies?"