A Dolphin Named Star by Emma Carlson Berne

Author:Emma Carlson Berne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Stone Arch Books; Seaside Sanctuary; ficiton; 9781496578594; 9781496580283; 9781496578631
Publisher: Capstone
Published: 2018-12-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

“Come on. Please, Star.” I leaned over the edge of the motorboat where it floated just inside the cove netting and held a fat, glistening herring out over the water.

It was seven in the morning, and Olivia and I had been first down to the cove again. Abby said we could be the ones to try to give the dolphins their breakfast.

“Come on, eat, Star!” Olivia said beside me. She reached into the open cooler that held Star and Ruby’s breakfast and pulled out another herring.

At the bow of the boat, Abby sighed. “Let’s get a little closer, girls. They’re just too weak to swim that far.” She maneuvered the boat a little closer to the sick dolphins.

Sunshine’s body was gone. Dr. Lampe had taken her with him when he left a few hours ago. And Abby had let us go out into the boat for feeding in an attempt at keeping our spirits up. But it wasn’t much of a spirit-booster when the remaining two dolphins were so sick they could hardly swim.

I swished the fish gently back and forth in the water, the signal for feeding, and at last, Star swam over. As if it cost him great effort, he lifted his head out of the water and opened his mouth, the signal he was ready for the fish.

I cringed at the sight of the sores on his body—they were almost like wounds now. There was a thick layer of mucus splattered around his blowhole, and I could hear him struggling to breathe.

As I placed the fish in his mouth, I noticed Olivia leaning way over the edge of the boat. She was subtly sniffing at the surface of the water.

“Smell anything?” I whispered as she sat up.

Olivia wrinkled her forehead. “I’m not really sure… there is a kind of gassy smell when you get your nose right down there, but it’s not as strong as the other day. I don’t know—maybe it was always there and I just never noticed it before?”

Star’s body bumped the boat, sending it rocking gently, and I reached down. I stroked the top of his nose, his rubbery skin squeaking beneath my fingers. I was reminded all over again of how powerful the dolphins were. Star’s muscles flexed like steel springs under his skin. If he weren’t so sick, he could shoot through the water to grab fish with incredible speed.

“Oh no.” Abby was staring toward the shore.

I followed her gaze and saw Mom standing on the cove edge, waving at us. Even this far away I could see her face was strained.

“That doesn’t look good.” Abby started the motor and steered us back to the dock. “What is it, Mae?” she asked as we climbed out.

“Come into the office,” Mom said.

Abby followed Mom, and they disappeared through the doorway. After a moment, Olivia and I followed too. We found them crouched over the computer.

“The news about Sunshine’s death has made it to the press,” Mom said when we came in. “The Post and Courier has a pretty bad opinion piece.

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