Dolphin Tale 3

Chapter [24]

"Lorraine Nelson, could you pour me a cup of tea?"

Lorraine frowned. "Okay. Is that really what you wanted to say?"

"Yes, um, no, um..."

Lorraine stood up and took two mugs out of cupboard. She set one down in front of Dr. Clay and poured him some tea. She proceeded to pour herself some tea, before sitting down again. "Clay, just say what you want to say. I only have three minutes, Clay."

Dr. Clay sighed. "Lorraine. Lorraine Nelson. Will you marry me?"

Thankfully, Lorraine hadn't been holding the porcelain cup, for she would have dropped it and watched as it smashed to pieces. She stood up abruptly and walked to the window, standing there and gazing out at the world.

"Just on thing, Clay," she said, her voice shaking. "Why me? Of all the other fish in the oceans and seas of the world, why me?"

Dr. Clay swallowed. "Because. Because you're not a fish. You're a star, Lorraine. My star. The only star in the world who could light up my life like you do. You're my star, and that's why I chose you. You're so unlike everyone else, Lorraine. You're so different."

Lorraine had heard enough. "Clay..."

Dr. Clay waited with bated breath. 

"I will."

•••

"Mom, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

Lorraine looked at Sawyer happily. "They gave me the day off after they heard the news."

Sawyer looked worriedly at his mother. "What news?"

"I'm engaged."

Hazel gasped. "Oh my goodness. To who? Who's this lucky man?"

"Clay."

Sawyer froze. "As in Dr. Clay?"

Hazel's smile slipped off her face. "My father?"

Sawyer's mother nodded. "Yes, isn't it exciting?"

Sawyer stood up, not looking at either his mother or Hazel. "I have to go."

"Sawyer, wait!"

"Honey..."

Sawyer ignored their calls and marched away.

"Are you all right, Sawyer?"

"Perfectly fine, Phoebe, as you can see," Sawyer said curtly as he walked past.

Phoebe started after his retreating back, stunned. She became curious as she saw both his mother, and Hazel running after him.

Sawyer left Clearwater Marine Aquarium on his bike and rode off to the first place he could think of: the beach where he had originally rescued Winter. He dropped into the sand and watched as his bike fell down next to him. As he stared into the ocean, memories came back to him. He remembered rescuing Winter, releasing Mandy and Mavis. Then there was Hazel.

This beach. This very beach was the first time he had met Hazel. 

"Sawyer, where are you?"

Sawyer looked behind him and saw Hazel and his mother searching for him. He jumped up and ran into the water, diving underneath the surface. He swam out as far as he could and bobbed there, like a buoy, watching as Hazel lifted up his bike from the sand and dragged it away. Even from where he was, Sawyer could still see the tears on her face glinting in the waning sunlight.

•••

Sawyer opened the door cautiously and stepped inside. It was dark, so he felt around for a light switch. The kitchen light flickered on and Sawyer was relieved to find it empty. He walked into the kitchen and saw a note stuck to the fridge.

I'm working tonight. Be back tomorrow morning. Dinner is in the fridge. Love you.

Sawyer ripped the note off and tossed it into the bin. Without bothering to check to see what his dinner was, he stalked off to the bathroom to have a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, he exited the shower, wrapped in a towel. He was about to enter his room when there was a knock on the front door.

Sawyer froze.

"Sawyer, are you home? I need to talk to you."

It was Hazel. 

Sawyer just flicked off the kitchen light and walked off to his bedroom.

"Sawyer, please!"

He paused, before slamming the door shut.

•••

"He's ignoring me, Clay. What do I do?"

Dr. Clay sighed. "I don't know. Hazel's been distant towards me, too. I just don't know what we did wrong."

"And Sawyer has been ignoring Hazel, too. When I got home this morning, she was on the doorstep, crying."

Dr. Clay frowned. "Is she all right?"

Lorraine nodded. "She's fine, now. Still a bit upset, though."

"Bittersweet young love. That's how it always is."

"Clay, have you seen Sawyer?"

Dr. Clay and Lorraine looked up at Phoebe.

"Oh, sorry. Did I disturb something?"

Dr. Clay sighed. "No. I haven't seen Sawyer. Why?"

"His bonding session with Winter was supposed to have started ten minutes ago. He isn't there. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Lorraine sighed. "He's at home. He refuses to talk to me. He won't eat. He just stays locked in his room, his secrets and thoughts locked away with him."

"Hazel was acting oddly this morning. Does it have something to do with Sawyer?"

Dr. Clay sighed. "We can only assume so, yes."

Phoebe nodded. "Right. I'll see if I can get a volunteer to do the bonding session, then."

Dr. Clay nodded. "You do that."

Lorraine watched Phoebe leave, thinking. "What do we do?"

"We go and talk to Sawyer."

•••

"Sawyer, we know you're in there. Can you please come out so that we can talk to you?"

Sawyer lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He glanced at the door, the looked away, choosing to remain silent.

Dr. Clay tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Please, Sawyer. Just let us talk to you."

Sawyer rolled over onto his side and faced the clock, wondering how long it was going to take for them to give up on trying to talk to him.

"Sawyer, at least come back to Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Winter needs you, Sawyer. We can't afford to have her condition deteriorate. Nobody else has a connection with her like you do. And Phoebe, Kat, and Hazel can't do everything. They need you. We need you. Please, Sawyer, come back to CMA."

Sawyer swallowed. He hated the thought of abandoning Winter, but she had Hope, Phoebe, and Kat to look after her. He just couldn't go back to Clearwater Marine Aquarium. He just couldn't bear to see Hazel again.

"Honey, why are you avoiding us? What happened between you and Hazel for this to happen? Please tell us, Sawyer, we're only trying to help."

Sawyer turned and glared at the door. "It's not something that happened between Hazel and I that did this," he said angrily.

Lorraine and Dr. Clay looked at each other and sighed.

"Then what was it, Sawyer?" Dr. Clay asked.

"This is occuring because of something happening between you and my mother."