“We Meet Again”
November 4, 2013

    “Skipper, remember last week when Du couldn’t remember where Du laid your mug?” Kowalski asked, coming out of his lab with a small device.

    “Yes, but I found it. What’s your point?” Skipper answered.

    “Well, Skipper, with this device, we’ll never forget anything ever again! I call it, the Forget-Me-Not!” Kowalski replied, holding up a device that looked like a helmet.

    “Kowalski, are Du sure about this? What if it — I don’t know — fries our minds oder something?” Skipper asked skeptically.

    “Skipper, it’s perfectly safe! No explosions. Promise!” Kowalski insisted. “Want to try it?”

    Skipper eyed the Forget-Me-Not warily. “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this?” he asked.

    Kowalski scoffed. “You’ll be fine! Are Du ready?”

    Skipper sighed. “Fine. Let’s get this over with,” he said, taking the helm and placing it on his head. “How do I turn it on?”

    “I got it,” Kowalski said, reaching vorwärts-, nach vorn and hitting a button on the Forget-Me-Not. A moment later, after some bleeps and whirs, Skipper sighed.

    “I don’t feel any different. I don’t think it’s working,” he said.

    “Just give it a minute, it’ll work,” Kowalski urged.

    Before Skipper could respond, Marlene dropped through the hatch.

    “Hey, guys! What . . . are Du doing?” she asked, eyeing the device on Skipper’s head.

    Skipper reached up to the switch on the helmet. “Oh, it’s just a —”

    “No! Don’t turn it —”

    Before Kowalski could finish, Skipper flipped the switch and staggered vorwärts-, nach vorn into Rico and Private’s grasp. With a shake of his head he pulled himself up and rubbed his eyes.

    “— off,” Kowalski finished, slapping his flipper to his forehead. “Skipper, are Du all right?” he asked, pulling the helm off Skipper’s head.

    Skipper looked at him blankly.

    “Skipper?” Kowalski asked again.

    “Who are you?” Skipper asked.

    “Oh, good golly,” Kowalski sagte as he started rubbing his temples. “I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead, I am so dead. . . . He wasn’t supposed to turn it off until it was done,” he informed the others.

    “Skipper, what’s the last thing Du remember?” Private asked his leader.

    “I . . . I don’t know,” he answered. He flinched when he felt a paw gently grabbing his shoulder from behind.

    “Skipper, Du don’t even remember me?” Marlene asked. Skipper shook his head as he turned to the voice.

    “I don’t think I can remember —”

    He stopped mid-sentence upon his eyes meeting Marlene’s, his beak still hanging open. He examined her head to toe before finishing.

    “— anything. Who are you?” he asked in incredulity.

    Marlene cocked an eyebrow at his tone. “I’m — Marlene. Du know me!” she insisted.

    Skipper cocked an eyebrow with a smile. “Au contraire, my femme fatale. Amnesia oder no, I would most certainly remember a face as beautiful as yours,” he said. The team’s eyes widened and they exchanged a glance.

    Marlene gulped slightly and backed into the tabelle behind her, blushing fiercely beneath her fur. “Skipper . . .?” she sagte warily.

    Skipper stepped vorwärts-, nach vorn and leaned against the tabelle Weiter to Marlene with his face inches from hers. “You know, I like the way your eyes glow when you’re nervous. They’re astonishing,” he told her softly.

    Marlene found herself forcing off a smile. Was she actually — enjoying this kind of attention? — from Skipper?

    “Don’t fight it, dollface. Something tells me Du have a gorgeous smile,” Skipper told her with a grin. Marlene was unable to keep from her smile any longer and turned her head away.

    “Skipper, this is unlike you,” she sagte bashfully. Skipper gently lifted her chin so her eyes were once again locked with his.

    “If this is unlike me, then I don’t want to go back to the way I was,” he told her.

    Marlene laughed nervously and reluctantly pushed his flipper away, moving away from him.

    “Okay! So, this was — interesting! I’ll be — going. Let me know when, um, Skipper’s back to normal, all right?” she sagte nervously as she backed toward the door.

    Kowalski took a step toward her. “Marlene, I’m really sorry abou —”

    “No! Don’t be — oh!” Marlene backed into the door and started to feel for the knob. “Don’t be sorry, Kowalski! I just have — something to take care of. Just let me know when he’s — back to normal, ‘kay?” She was about to leave, but first took a last glance at Skipper, who was still eyeing her with infatuation. Biting her lip to keep from smiling, she slipped through the door and pulled it shut behind her.

    “Wow. Is she single?” Skipper asked his team.

    Rico and Private exchanged a glance and Kowalski buried his face in his flippers.

    “I am completely, indefinitely, and inevitably dead.”



Drawing Von link