The Summer Wind (34 page)

“Why are you doing this now?” Harper asked, surprised by her usually cautious sister’s impetuousness.

“It’s your fault,” Dora told her, letting her hand wade back and forth in the water. “When you said that about the shackle, I couldn’t get that image out of my mind. I’ve got to get it off.” Dora pulled her hand from the water and moved to sit on the dock. She grabbed the ring once more.

“Wait, wait,” Harper said, putting an arresting hand on Dora’s arm.
“Granny James once had a ring stuck on her finger. The jeweler came to cut it off.” She laughed. “The ring, not the finger. But first he had her soak it in cool water and then he eased it off her finger, real slow, so the skin didn’t bunch up at the knuckle. He used hand lotion. Or we could use some soap. I’ll go inside . . .”

“Let me try first.” Dora puffed out some air, then very slowly eased and twisted the ring. “I think it’s coming.” She kept at it, rolling the ring over her knuckle while her face grimaced in pain. Slowly, it slid down her finger.

“It’s off!” she exclaimed, holding the gold band in the air between two fingers.

Harper hooted aloud, bringing Dora’s hand closer for perusal. Dora’s hand was pink and pickled from the cold water, and there was a bruised spot below the knuckle of her fourth finger.

“I’m free!” Dora shouted, pumping the air with her fist.

“Not legally,” Harper said, giving Dora her hand back. “At least not yet,” she amended.

“Maybe not. But from now on, Cal can take care of himself!”

“Dora,” Harper said. “I think we were meant to find those manacles this summer.” She leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “Let’s make a pact. You and I will no longer be bound by the expectations of others. No more shackles.”

Dora grasped Harper’s hand. She’d always been a bit jealous that Harper and Carson had their own rallying call: Death to the ladies! Now she and Harper had their own call, as well. In a burst of joy, Dora reared back and threw the ring into the Cove.

Together they shouted, “No more shackles!” Their whoops of glee echoed over the quiet waters.

N
ate’s fingers tapped his lips as he and Carson followed Lynne Byrd through the long halls of the Mote Marine cetacean hospital. Lynne was kind enough to take Nate on a tour of the lab and the sea turtle hospital, describing all the patients. His head turned from left to right, seemingly taking in the colorful murals of sea life that adorned the walls. Carson knew, however, that the little guy was searching anxiously for Delphine.

At last Lynne pushed open the doors to the outdoor arena. The sunlight was so bright that Carson had to squint until her eyes adjusted. The enormous pool in the center of the arena now had netting arcing over it.

“Good news,” Lynne said to Carson. “Delphine has been doing so well, we’ve moved her into the large pool, where there’s room for her to exercise. She’s still on antibiotics, but she’s a remarkable healer with a strong will to live.”

Lynne led them toward the pool. “She was weighed this
morning and is continuing to gain, which is a very good sign. It’s been touch and go with the condition of her mouth. At the beginning we only fed her live mullet and snapper, but now she’s accepting the dead fish—a mix of herring and capelin, too. She’s also interacting more with her environmental enrichment devices.” She turned to smile at Nate. “Toys.”

“Where’s Delphine?” he asked pointedly.

“You’ll see her, don’t worry,” Carson assured him. Like Nate, she wanted to break free and run to the pool to see Delphine.

At last they reached the edge of the pool. Nate wanted to go closer but was cut off by Lynne’s outstretched arms.

“Here’s how we’re going to do this,” Lynne said in a tone that brooked no argument. “Carson, you know the drill. You can help me give Delphine her antibiotics. While I get the meds, you can go in the water and let Delphine know you’re here.” She turned to Nate. “Sorry, Nate, but you can’t go in the water.”

Nate looked stricken. “But I went in the water with the other dolphins.”

“I know. But this is a hospital. It’s not allowed. But . . .” Lynne smiled at Nate, who reluctantly met her eyes. “How about I let you play with Delphine using some of her favorite toys? Her very best favorite is that pink ball in the bin over there.” She gestured toward a basket by the wall. “See it?”

Nate scanned the room and, spotting it, nodded.

“Okay, go stand by the wall and wait until I say you can throw it to her, okay? Carson and I have to give Delphine her medicine first. Stay by the wall,” she said.

“That’s the rule,” Carson added for clarity, knowing he’d take it very seriously when put in that context.

“Carson, if Delphine will let you, you can give her a rubdown. She loves those.”

Carson was surprised she’d still be allowed to touch Delphine, now that the dolphin was so much improved. She knew Lynne didn’t want human interaction with the wild dolphins if possible, especially not touch. It made her wonder if decisions had been made as to where Delphine would be transferred once she was deemed healthy.

“Is Delphine already slated to go to the Dolphin Research Center?”

Lynne shook her head. “No. We haven’t given up on trying to release her into the wild.”

“But the rubdown . . .”

“It’s helping her heal, which is our top priority. This particular dolphin gets depressed in isolation. We had to make a call based on her needs. As for her release—when and where—the jury’s still out on that.”

The pool was enormous and deep and the vast screening over it provided lovely dappled light that made patterns on the water. Carson stood at the edge and squinted into the shifting shadows, searching for the dolphin. Not seeing her, she lowered herself to sit on the edge and slipped her legs into the water. It was cool but not cold, refreshing against the searing temperature of the air. She searched the water for some sign of Delphine. Carson kicked her legs in the water, hoping the vibration would alert the dolphin and bring her close, if only out of curiosity.

Nothing.

Carson added a whistle. Sharp and clear, it pierced the quiet. It was the same whistle she’d always used at the Cove when she
called Delphine. She glanced over her shoulder at Nate. He stood keen eyed and alert, watching.

Suddenly she saw a gray shadow streaking through the water toward her. Her heart skipped a beat as the shadow swam close, then veered, doing a glide-by. She knew Delphine was checking out the stranger in the pool. Carson gasped with a laugh when a glistening head suddenly emerged from the water right before her. Two shiny bright eyes studied her for a moment. Then Delphine shot high in a vertical jump and released a whistle that sounded to Carson’s ears like a yelp of joy.

“Delphine!” she cried, her heart near bursting. From behind her, she heard Nate shout out Delphine’s name and run toward the pool.

“It’s her! It’s her!” he exclaimed, arching on his toes excitedly and pointing.

Swimming past them again, Delphine tilted to her side, looking up. Passing Nate, she stopped and rose up, whistling.

“She sees me!” Nate exclaimed, rushing to the pool’s edge.

Carson watched as Nate looked into the dolphin’s eyes, overwhelmed with gratitude that Delphine had recognized Nate. There was an attentiveness between them—a connection—that went beyond words.

Two female volunteers came closer from the other tanks, intrigued by what was happening in the pool.

When Nate crouched at the pool’s edge, Carson put her hand out to stop him from getting too close. “Honey, I’m sorry, but you have to go back against the wall until Lynne tells you it’s okay to come close.”

“No!”

“Remember what Lynne said.” Nate was jumping up and
down, getting overexcited. She feared a meltdown and spoke calmly but firmly. “Go stand by the wall. That’s the rule. If you do what Lynne says, you can play with Delphine. You’ll have your turn.”

Reluctantly Nate went to stand by the wall, but he rose up on his toes and kept his eyes glued to Delphine.

Delphine kept rising up in the water to peek out over the edge of the pool, obviously looking for Nate.

“She knows you’re here,” Lynne called out to Nate. “She’s happy to see you. I told you she would be!”

“What are all those marks on her body?” Nate asked, looking stricken.

Carson looked at Lynne, who nodded at Carson, giving her the silent go-ahead to explain.

“Those are her scars. But don’t worry, they will get better. Look how healthy she is. That’s what’s important.”

Delphine began chattering excitedly, then took a rapid run around the pool before returning to where Carson stood. She tilted her head to study Carson with her shiny black eyes.

Carson lowered her head closer to the dolphin’s. “Yes, it’s me. I’m back.” She braced herself with her arms and slipped into the pool. Delphine swam very close, her eyes big and eager looking. The dolphin stopped in front of her and waited, as though inviting Carson’s touch. Carson tentatively reached out a hand in the water and held it inches from the dolphin, giving her time. Delphine moved to gently nudge the tip of her rostrum against Carson’s hand, then nudged her head against Carson’s fingertips. Carson felt the old connection and relaxed, letting her hands slide gently over the rubbery skin.

“Hey, Delphine,” she murmured.

Over and over Delphine swam past Carson, each time allowing Carson’s hands to rub her sides in a circular massage. After several minutes, Delphine faced Carson again, this time remaining under the water. Carson heard a quick staccato sound and felt a tingling on her abdomen, like tickling. Laughing, she tried to shoo Delphine away but Delphine was persistent, returning over and over to send the sonar to her belly.

Lynne walked up carrying medical equipment in her arms. “What’s she doing?”

“She’s echolocating. She won’t stop. She keeps coming back and doing it over and over. Look at her—here she comes again.” Delphine was gently poking her rostrum near Carson’s abdomen. Still laughing, Carson turned around, showing Delphine her back. “Is this a new game for her?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Lynne replied, slipping into the pool beside Carson. She handed Carson a long plastic feeding tube. “Sometimes she echolocates on the metal pole when we sweep the pool. I can feel the tingling on my palms. It’s kind of a weird feeling.”

“Exactly.”

Lynne gave Carson a curious look. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”

Carson barked out a laugh. “God, no. Why do you ask?”

“A few years back I was in here with a dolphin and the same thing happened to me. The dolphin kept coming by and echolocating my belly. Over and over.” She laughed. “A week later I found out I was pregnant.”

Carson felt her body go cold in the water. “You mean, the dolphin . . .” She couldn’t say the words.

“. . . saw my fetus before I even did,” Lynne finished for her. “Amazing, huh? It could see something was different inside me and was curious. That little fetus is three years old now. Makes for a good story, doesn’t it?”

Carson couldn’t reply. Of course she wasn’t pregnant, her mind screamed. Blake always used protection. Still, just the possibility freaked her out. She turned her head to look at Delphine, who was floating nearby, her mouth open and relaxed, watching her with an angelic smile.

What do you know?
Carson thought irritably.

Carson had to focus as she assisted Lynne with administering the medication to a compliant Delphine. Then, at last, it was Nate’s turn to play. Carson climbed from the water to sit alongside the pool with her feet dangling in the water and watched Nate toss the ball over and over to Delphine. The dolphin was like a dog, never tiring of going after the ball and tossing it back. The two of them were in heaven. Nate didn’t need to get into the water. He was seeing for himself that Delphine was okay, that she didn’t blame him.

Delphine isn’t the only one on the mend, she thought with a bittersweet smile. She remembered Taylor’s words:
Not all wounds are visible
.

An hour after Carson and Nate had said their emotional good-byes to Delphine, with a promise from Lynne to keep Carson apprised of the dolphin’s progress, Carson stood with her hands on her hips, staring uncompromisingly at the little white stick lying on the bathroom counter. It was an exercise in frustration, like waiting for a pot of water to boil. She lowered her
head and closed her eyes. She’d never realized how long three minutes could be. Nor that a heart could pound so fast or her hands feel so cold. Lifting her head, she checked the wall clock. Three minutes . . .