Dolphin Tale

13

I frowned as Phoebe and I pulled up into the parking lot. Rosie, Hazel, and Sawyer were chasing after something- was that a helicopter? But nothing was distracting me from the terror I was about to endure.

"I'm going to die, Phoebes," I groaned, a wave of nausea making me want to vomit.

"Stop being such a drama queen," Phoebe smiled.

We both got out of the car and I was immediately tackled by Rosie.

"Phoebe, sis, we flew a helicopter!" Rosie squealed.

"Come see!" Hazel called out. Sawyer rolled his eyes and I shot him an apologetic look.

"Your dad called," I told Hazel.

"Something's up with Winter."

We all rushed into the hospital, almost crashing into Clay.

"Daddy, I flew a helicopter!" Hazel exclaimed. But Clay was only looking at me. I blushed. Phoebe shot me a look.

"Hey kids, come on, let's get situated in the room," Phoebe said, ushering them away.

"Hi," I said awkwardly to Clay, blushing again and hating myself for it.

"Hey." 

After a few seconds of awkward silence, I gestured to the direction Phoebe went.

"Umm.... should we go? What's wrong with Winter?"

"Oh right," Clay said.

"Let's go."

"See this bulge right here?" Clay asked, showing us an X-ray of Winter's tail.

"It's hard to see."

"What is it, is it bad?" Hazel asked.

"These muscles are enlarged and they're pulling on her vertebrae. And it's causing damage right here,

"It's from swimming," Phoebe realized.

"Yeah, a dolphin's tail is meant to flex up  and down," I pointed out.

"It's not supposed to go side to side."

"But, but that's the only way she can swim!" Rosie exclaimed.

"I know," I sighed

"But they're not designed to move that way. 

"Well what's the worst that can happen?" Sawyer asked.

"I mean, so she'll have a bulge. That's not so bad."

"Yeah, but her spinal cord's exactly like ours, right, it's controlling everything," Clay said.

"It's controlling her breathing, her heartbeat, movement, so if it gets damaged..."

"So you're saying swimming like that is going to kill her?" Sawyer demanded.

"I mean, we can give her some exercises to try to improve it but..."

I gave Clay a worried look which he returned. While our personal matters couldn't be pushed off forever, Winter was more important at the moment. We made a silent agreement not to mention the night before. 

The next day, I stood next to Clay, looking over the dolphin pools.

"Winter has to make it, right?" I murmured.

"She made it this far..."

"I don't know, Cameron," Clay sighed.

"All we can do is hope."

I smiled slightly.

"We should have named her Hope."

"Next time," Clay chuckled.

"Hey, Uh, Dr. Clay, Cameron?"

Clay and I turned to see Sawyer with a man.

"This is Dr. McCarthy," Sawyer introduced.

"Oh, hi Dr." Clay said, shaking hands with the Dr. I did the same.

"Hi," McCarthy greeted.

"What can we do for you?" I asked.

"Well, I was here under the impression that I was here to do something for you."

I glanced at Clay, confused. Then we all looked at Sawyer. 

"I was afraid you would say no," Sawyer said as I groaned.

"Sawyer.... you really have to get better at communicating with other people, ok?" I sighed.

"Sorry Cam."

After Sawyer and the Dr. Explained Sawyer's idea for giving Winter a prosthetic tail, Phoebe, Kat, and I brought Winter to the edge of the pool so Dr. McCarthy could take a look while Clay, Sawyer, Hazel, and Rosie watched.

"All right, let's see," the Dr. said, leaning down and running his hand over Winter's stump of a tail.

"Well, to begin with, she's as smooth as silk," the Dr. Said bluntly.

"But how would you keep the daggone thing on her When there's nothing there? There's nothing attach anything to!"

I sighed.

"It's preposterous anyway," the Dr. Said.

"Trying to put a tail on a fish."

"She's a porpoise, sir, not a fish," I corrected.

"Smells like a fish, lives like a fish," he. replied.

"Nobody in their right mind would try putting a tail on her."

I hugged Rosie as she looked down at her feet.

"Luckily, I'm not." 

"Not what?" Sawyer asked McCarthy.

"In my right mind," 

"So what does that mean," Clay asked.

"You're gonna... you're gonna try?"

"Well," he said, standing up.

"I've got some vacation time coming up."

Clay nudged Sawyer happily and I squeezed Rosie again, making her slap me away.

"But I'm not making any promises," McCarthy said. I glanced down as Winter poked her head out of the water.

"Uh, Dr. McCarthy," Sawyer said urgently.

Winter splashed water everywhere, most of it landing on the Dr.

"That means she likes you.." I offered."

"Well, imagine my delight."