Dolphin Tale 6

Chapter [16]

C h a p t e r   S i x t e e n

". . . and all buildings in Florida have now been cleared safe to enter by local fire fighters. The storm has meteorologists puzzled—where did the sudden summer storm come from? Is this just one of those rare, once-in-a-lifetime phenomenons? Or is this going to happen more often? I'm here with meteorologist Ryan Burbidge; Ryan, what do you believe was the cause of this storm?"

Sawyer felt Hazel stir from within his arms. It had been a restless night; neither of them could get much—if any—sleep at all. The news that Bondi—the dolphin that he had grown to care for—was gone. Gone . . . and not coming back. The reality of it all still hadn't sunk in yet; right now everything felt numb, but when reality came crashing down, he just knew that the pain would be excruciating.

". . . so we're still confused as to what was the trigger behind this storm—after all, a storm doesn't appear out of nowhere, does it? Not usually, anyway. But we do believe that this storm had something to do with global warming . . . and if that is the case, this won't be the last storm of its kind. No, there'll be many more to come . . . and it's likely that they'll get worse."

Sawyer felt his heart thumping rapidly in his chest. If this was the first of its kind and it was likely to get worse . . . he really didn't want to think about what the next storm could be like. But after seeing the aftermath of this storm, he really didn't want to know what the others could do. It was starting to look like a vicious cycle: A thousand buildings being crushed by the storms and built a thousand times to be crushed again.

"Thank you, Ryan Burbidge. Is this an innocent work of Mother Nature or is this a warning, perhaps, of the havoc global warming can cause? Back to you, Dave."

If this was happening because of global warming, then there was no way that it was ever going to end. No matter what anyone said or did, global warming was always going to be an issue . . . Global warming could potentially be the deadly killer that wiped out the entire population.

"We're going to pass to one of our reporters who is currently stationed outside of Clearwater Marine Aquarium—one of Florida's most respected tourist attractions and home of Winter, the famous dolphin with a prosthetic tail. Over to you, Millie."

Sawyer sat up straighter and shook Hazel's shoulder gently. "Hazel, look. It's Clearwater Marine Aquarium."

Hazel stirred, opening her eyes to look at the television. Her vision was blurry with sleep, but even so, what she could see was enough to make her heart leap up into her mouth. She felt light-headed and wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and enter a world where none of this had happened, but she forced herself to continue watching the news report.

"As you can see, I'm standing in front of Clearwater Marine Aquarium—or what is left of it, at least . . . The storm spared no one—people died, buildings crumbled, many were seriously injured . . . and this morning, there was an anonymous tip off that one of your favourite marine mammals has, sadly, passed. Bondi, the dolphin who was rescued a few years back, has been reported deceased, and today I'm here to confirm this news. I spoke with Dr. Clay, the owner and manager of the aquarium, a while ago. Here's what he had to say . . ."

Hazel's hands left up to her face, covering her mouth as her father appeared on the screen. Tears began forming within her eyes, and a dull ache spread through her chest as she took in his dishevelled and morose figure. His hairline had receded, and flecks of grey were beginning to appear. He was smiling, but Hazel could tell that it was only for the camera; it never reached his eyes. His lips may have been tilted into a slight smile, but his eyes were hollow, dull, and full of a pain that Hazel had only seen once before: When her mother had died.

". . . and it is with deep sorrow and regret that I confirm Bondi has indeed passed on. He was loved by all who worked here, and was Nicholas' brother. He will be sorely missed and loved, but he will never be forgotten, for he lives on in our hearts."

Sawyer couldn't bear to look at the television anymore; it was all too much. The pain on Dr. Clay's face was heart-wrenching. He glanced over at Hazel and saw her staring at her father with an unreadable expression on her face. Tears were running down her face, but he could tell that she was trying to hold them back. He knew that she was trying to be strong, but the sight of her father was making her shatter into millions of pieces, and that made Sawyer scared . . . would he ever be able to put her back together again?

"Hazel, Sawyer, wherever you are . . . Just know that we're okay, and that . . ."

Sawyer watched as Hazel stood up and walked towards the television. When she was a foot away, she knelt on the ground and gazed up into her father's eyes as though he was right there, in front of her.

"Why would you say you're okay, Dad? You're not okay, and it's okay to not be okay. It's okay to feel broken. I feel broken, and so does Sawyer. We'll be back with you soon, Dad. Don't worry, Sawyer and I will be home soon."

". . . and just remember that we love and miss you every day. Everyone misses you . . . I love you both. And, Sawyer, your mother says she loves and misses both of you. From all of us here at CMA, stay safe and stay strong."