Dolphin Tale 6

Chapter [13]

C h a p t e r   T h i r t e e n

THE EMERGENCY EVACUATION CENTER WAS crowded to the point that it felt like they were trapped in a tin or sardines. It wasn't sound proofed, so they could all still hear the roar of the wind and the slamming of rain against the rattling window panes. The evacuation was center was far from the storm's epicenter, but that didn't really make anyone feel any safer.

"How do you think the animals are?" Kat whispered.

The genuine terror in her voice and eyes sent chills spilling down Dr. Clay's spine.

"I—I don't know, Kat. I hope they're okay . . . "

Phoebe smiled slightly, though it did nothing to cover the fear that was creeping onto her face. "I'm sure they'll be fine. After all, we followed the emergency procedures you put in place after the last storm. They should be fine—" she closed her eyes and swallowed "—I hope."

"They'll be fine," Reed assured the three of them, though he was also unsettled at the thought of leaving the animals alone. "They got through the previous storm, so why can't they get through this one?"

Phoebe was about to respond with something along the lines of "Because the last storm wasn't as bad as this one" when they were interrupted.

"Hey, what's going on here? Shouldn't you guys be at Clearwater Marine Aquarium?"

Dr. Clay sighed. "Hello, Orion. We tried to stay—we really wanted to stay— but they said it was too dangerous for us to. We were evacuated along with the entire of the City of Florida."

"And all the animals are still at Clearwater Marine Aquarium?"

Kat nodded. "Yes."

"Do you know how they are? I mean, are they okay?"

Phoebe looked down at the ground, sadness clouding her eyes. "We have no way of knowing, Orion. We tried the web-cams, but the power lines are down so we can't. The only thing we can do is wait this storm out."

Orion's face dropped, his eyes downcast. "At least you guys are safe. That's the most important thing."

Phoebe placed a gentle hand on Orion's shoulder. "Listen, I know you're worried about all the animals, but there really isn't anything we can do right now. We did our best for them before we were evacuated, and all we can do now is wait. How about we do something to pass the time? Clay, what should we do?" She glanced over at Dr Clay, only to see him gazing distantly at the wall, his eyes glazed over. "Clay?" she said uncertainly, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "Are you okay?"

Dr. Clay blinked, slowly emerging out of his trance-like state. "I was just thinking about a few things."

"Such as?" Kat prompted.

Dr. Clay's eyes locked onto his father's. "Dad, our house is right on the water's edge. What if . . . ?"

Reed Haskett pursed his lips; not even he could reassure his son that everything was going to be all right, because deep within, everyone feared that it was going to turn out to be the exact opposite.

* * *

"I'm scared, Sawyer. What if something bad has happened to my dad or grandfather? What if something bad happens to Phoebe or Kat? What about Winter or Hope? Bondi or Nicholas?"

Sawyer sat beside Hazel, staring blankly out of the window. Even though the storm was raging through the east side of Canada and America, it had brought an onslaught of ominous black clouds to the west. It had been pouring since five in the morning, and they had both decided to stay indoors, rather than out in the biting wind and lashing rain.

"Sawyer?"

Without looking away from the window, Sawyer reached out a hand and grasped Hazel's. It was cold and clammy, and it shook uncontrollably. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words made their mark on the world. He cleared his throat and tried again. Nothing.

"Sawyer, what if . . . ?"

Sawyer squeezed her hand gently, desperately trying to think of something to say; merely squeezing her hand wasn't going to extinguish all of her fears. He glanced at Hazel out of his peripheral vision and saw her gazing at the clock on the wall, watching as the seconds ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace. Her eyes were wide, and he could see a sheen of tears threatening to spill over at any given time. Sawyer soon realized that nothing he said would do her much comfort at all, so he simply pulled her into a hug, holding her close and letting her cry into his shoulder.

"Sawyer, I'm so scared . . ."

"I know, I know," he began, stroking her hair. "I am, too." As he felt his shirt become damp due to Hazel's tears, he realized that she was just a piece of tissue paper that could tear at any given moment in time. He was just the glue, the sticky tape, the staples that could only temporary—if at all—repair her when that time came.

"I'm scared for everyone," Hazel choked out between gut-wrenching sobs. "We got through it before, and—and I know that it was okay in the end, but what if this time is different?"

Sawyer swallowed. He had no answer to her question, because he too feared the worst.

Was everyone going to be okay?

Were the animals going to be okay?

Was Clearwater Marine Aquarium going to be okay?