Dolphin Tale 6

Chapter [19]

C h a p t e r   N i n e t e e n

"We hope you enjoyed your stay with us here at Bay View Hotel, Vancouver."

Sawyer smiled thinly. "Thanks. Your hospitality was lovely—we'll definitely be coming back when things . . ." he trailed off, searching for the right word. "Improve. Yes, we'll definitely come back when things improve."

From beside him, Hazel let out a barely stifled sob, and the receptionist turned to look at her, pity and sadness clouding his eyes.

"It was a pleasure to have you stay here during your—albeit short—visit. My manager wishes to pass on his condolences—as do I, of course—as well as this—" he opened a drawer to his right and pulled out a sealed white envelope "—it's a cheque for five-thousand dollars."

By instinct, Sawyer and Hazel were both immediately pushing the envelope back towards the receptionist.

"No, we can't take that!" Sawyer cried, pushing the envelope away from him. "You need the money, and it's just not right to accept it—it makes us feel guilty because we took money from you when we haven't really done anything for you. No," he repeated forcefully when the receptionist attempted to push it back at him. "We simply cannot accept this—thank your manager for the offer, though."

"You graced us with your presence, Sawyer, Hazel. You had a whole ton of hotels to choose from, but you chose to stay at our hotel. That counts as doing something for us, so it's time we did something for you."

"We can't," Hazel insisted, tears slipping down her face at the kind gesture. "Donate it to the hotel funds or something. We can't possibly accept this."

It was like a game of tug-of-war, but instead being tugged at, the envelope acting as the rope was being pushed back and forth, neither of the sides particularly wanting it.

"Just take it, guys," the receptionist insisted, pushing the envelope towards them again. "Don't take this personally, but we all know that you need the money more than we do. It's not much, but it could really make a difference in your situation . . ." he trailed off uncomfortably, a look of uncertainty washing over his face.

There was a brief pause before the back and forth pushing continued. There was no clear winner; while Sawyer and Hazel were winning the physical battle, they were losing the rational, reasoning battle to the receptionist.

When the receptionist pushed the envelope at the again, Hazel only pushed it back with a slightly stronger force and bitter determination. "We cannot accept this," she said. "We barely know you, let alone the manager; it's not right to take from those you barely know!"

The receptionist sighed and pushed a hand through his hair in exasperation. Despite his pent-up frustration, he kept a calm and patient tone when he spoke. "You have to learn to accept help when help is needed—even from strangers. I know it is weird accepting this, but you need help, my manager's offering some money . . . just take it. When help is needed, and when it's offered in times of need, you guys need to learn to accept it. My manager genuinely wants to help your cause . . . but it's ultimately up to you." He stared at the envelope in his hands before placing on the counter in front of Hazel or Sawyer. "Take it or leave it—the choice is yours," he said simply.

"Hazel?" Sawyer asked tentatively. It was her decision to make; Clearwater Marine Aquarium—as much as it was his second home—was her first home and she had the right to decide what to do under the current circumstances.

Hazel sighed. "Okay," she began slowly, a look of resignation clouding her face, her eyes never leaving the receptionist's, "we'll accept it this time—please thank your manager for this, but—" she continued when she caught the look of relief on the receptionist's face "—expect us to be back, and expect a few things from us when the current circumstances improve."