Safety Harbor remains on high alert in the weeks after our return from the Storm Petrel salvage mission. Dad and his staff are afraid Kuron may try to attack and punish us for taking Idaine’s computer. The good news is that the preliminary tests on the c-plankton, which our science staff engineered by following Idaine’s genetic recipe, have gone well. The c-plankton appears to be even more effective at sequestering carbon dioxide than Idaine realized.
“We’ve sent that recipe and our results to governments and scientists around the world and given Idaine full credit for her research,” Dad explains to me one night at his cabin. “So there’s no point in Kuron trying to steal her notes back from us now that the genetic code for her c-plankton is freely available to every country and scientist on the planet.”
“He might still try to come after our colony out of some twisted desire for revenge,” James points out.
“It’s certainly a possibility, and we’ve prepared for that as best we can. The entrance to our main inlet is too shallow for his big sub, even at high tide. Captain Gonzalez just sent us more sonar buoys that we can use to monitor the approach to the bubble wall. It’s also good to know Kuron has only six shredders left under his control.”
“But Whitey, Wasp and Sham combined with six shredders could do a lot of damage,” I say. A shudder goes through me at the thought of them attacking Safety Harbor.
“Which is why we’ll be watching those sonar buoys 24/7,” Dad says, “and our Sea Rangers will continue their patrols.”
Our loyal dolphins will be on the lookout for trouble as well.
I stop by sickbay to check on Dai. Rohan is the chief medic on duty. He rolls his eyes when he sees me because this is the fourth time today I’ve been here. But then he smiles and lets me slip inside Dai’s cubicle.
He’s sleeping, which isn’t a surprise because he underwent another surgery yesterday. Dai heals so rapidly that Doc Iharu has been able to space the operations much closer together than he could with a normal human kid. In a series of delicate procedures, he’s been rejoining severed nerves and muscles in Dai’s shoulder and arm. Dai’s own metabolism is helping by re-growing nerve connections and pathways at a phenomenal rate. At first the doc thought Dai might never regain use of his arm, but already he can move it.
As I watch Dai sleep, I talk to him quietly.
:You know, it’s totally unfair for a guy to have such great eyelashes.: His spread like fine black fans against his pale skin. :I’m still getting used to seeing you without your braids, but no matter how long your hair is, you turn me inside out.:
He’s risked so much twice now to save my life. It’s humbling to have someone care about me that much. And we both know what it’s like to be alone and to be different, at least in part because of our driven parents. I was different back in Goleta because of my weak eyes and lungs, and at Safety Harbor I’m different because I’m the doc’s daughter. Dai’s always been different, too, even at Atlantea, because he’s the son of Ran Kuron.
I’ll never forget the moment when I was fighting to swim Dai and me to the surface, and I thought he might be dead. Almost losing Dai forever made me rethink the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing. I’m ready to try it, but I’m not sure how he feels about me after I hurt him so badly.
:Dai Kuron, you drive me crazy sometimes, but I missed you so much after you went back to your father.:
His eyes flutter open, and his gaze meets mine. He smiles a real smile at me, with no sarcasm or mockery in it, and my heart twists.
:Hey,: he says. :I thought I heard you thinking at me.:
:Hey back at you. How’re you feeling?:
:Pain’s not too bad right now, but I definitely feel like I’ve spent way too much time in sickbay.:
:How’s your hand?:
He frowns in concentration. :I think I have increased sensation in my fingers, and I can make them move more.:
:That’s good news.:
:It would be even better news if Doc Iharu stopped cutting me open and let me out of this place.:
:You are one lousy patient,: I grin at him, :which doesn’t exactly surprise me. You want me to read to you again?:
:Yeah. I don’t mind that story about the Swiss family too much, but I’m still not sure a kid could ever ride an ostrich.:
I’ve been reading Swiss Family Robinson to him, one of my favorite books growing up. I thought the adventures of a shipwrecked family might appeal to Dai, but he seems just as fascinated to hear about two parents who care so much about their four sons.
I pull a tablet out of my seapack one-handed because my left arm is still in a cast.
:How is your arm feeling?: he asks me.
:It’s getting better every day. Doc Iharu says the bone is knitting twice as fast as a landliver’s would.:
:I still don’t remember your getting hurt,: Dai says irritably. :I don’t remember waking you up, or finding my mom’s computer, or our trip to the surface. It’s weird having this big gap in my memory.:
:Doc Iharu believes the shredder shook you so hard that it sent your brain slapping against the inside of your skull and gave you a concussion. You may never remember exactly what happened that night. But I’ll keep telling you. When Whitey figured out we had your mom’s computer, he shoved me toward the waterlock so hard, he broke my arm.:
Carefully I picture this version of events in my mind as I recount it. :Then that mutate charged us, and you darted in front of me and saved my life, but you got your arm shredded.:
:And then you saved my life,: he says with an admiring look in his dark eyes, :by towing me up to where we could get help. You’re lucky we both didn’t get eaten. My bloody arm must have smelled like a nice snack for shredders and sharks.:
:Well, we did make it,: I say shortly, because I don’t want to think about that terrifying night, or the way I’ve edited my account of what happened. Instead, I fire up my reader.
:We need to see how the Swiss Family Robinson is going to deal with that giant snake that’s invaded their colony.:
Dai listens to me read a chapter, and then his eyes flutter shut. I purposely read more and more softly until I’m sure he’s sound asleep. Greatly daring, I reach out and smooth the black hair above his forehead with my fingertips, and his lips lift in a smile. He looks so much younger and less angry right now. How would I feel about myself if I thought I’d killed my mother?
Pain shoots through me as I remember the terrible moment that Gillian stepped in front of a solar blast to save my life. She chose to help me live. I’m surer than ever that Ran Kuron chose to burden Dai with Idaine’s death, and that may be Kuron’s worst crime of all.
With a sigh, I slip out of Dai’s cubicle and head for the girls’ dorm cave.
Ocho swims up to me just before I reach it. :Hey Nere, how’s Dai doing?: he asks.
I stop swimming and turn to face him. :He actually moved his fingers a bit tonight, and he says he has more sensation in them.:
:That’s great,: Ocho says and a smile lights his round face. :By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you, how is Wasp?: He asks the question casually, but from the way he twists four of his hands together, I can tell that hearing about her is important to him.
:I don’t think Wasp, Sham or Whitey are very happy living with the bossman these days. He’s gotten so unstable, and he treats them worse than ever. They’re all terrified of the shredders, too.:
:I wish she could come to Safety Harbor,: Ocho says, his brown eyes wistful. :I bet she could be different if your dad gave her a chance to start over here.:
:Oh, Ocho, a part of me wishes that, too, but she’s too dangerous. I’m afraid she might lose her temper and hurt or kill a kid here. I mentioned her to my dad right after we got back, but he said his first responsibility was to keep the rest of us alive. I’m sorry.:
:I’m sorry, too,: he says with unusual bitterness as he turns away from me. :She didn’t ask to be engineered with poisonous tentacles on her fingers, just like I didn’t ask to be created with six arms.:
I wish I could make him understand how different he is from Wasp. Ocho has chosen to be kind, while Wasp almost seems to revel in being cruel and angry. But Ocho is already swimming away from me.
As I tie myself into my hammock, I stop thinking about Wasp and Ocho and start worrying about the big lie I’ve told Dai. The first time he was alert enough to notice my splint and ask me how I got hurt, I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth. He was in too much pain and worrying so much about his arm, and I knew he’d blame himself for hurting me. He already thinks he’s a danger to me and the other kids at Safety Harbor. He didn’t need my broken arm as more proof.
But as I drift off to sleep, I wonder how long I can keep the truth from him, and how he will feel about my lying to him when he does find out.
~~~
:There has to be some place more interesting than here for you,: Dai says crossly, interrupting the chapter I’m reading to him.
I glance up from my tablet. As Dai has gotten steadily better, he’s also gotten more restless. His shark genes make it hard for him to stay quiet and still, which is what Doc Iharu wants him to do while his arm heals after his final surgery three days ago.
:Actually, there isn’t anything I’d rather be doing right now,: I say, setting my tablet aside.
:Yeah, like reading to me is so much fun.:
:We can go for a swim around sickbay again,: I suggest.
:That sounds exciting,: he says, his black brows drawn together in a scowl.
:The doc did say that tomorrow we can swim out to Dolphin Bay and you can see Ton.:
:That’s tomorrow. I gotta do something right now or I’m going to go off the deep end.:
:Do you want to play backgammon again? You seemed to enjoy creaming me yesterday.:
:No,: he says and tosses his blanket back. :I don’t want to play any more stupid games.:
:Well, there’s only one other way I can keep you in that hammock.: Taking a deep breath, I lean closer, and for the first time ever, I make the move and kiss him.
His eyes widen in surprise. For one awful, long moment, he doesn’t kiss me back, and I think it truly is all over between us.
Then his good arm comes around me, and he kisses me back enthusiastically. I’m a little clumsy at it, but Dai’s a natural. His lips are soft and his kisses make me tingle all over. He’s careful this time to not hold me too tightly.
Suddenly, Rohan dashes into the cubicle. I glance up in time to see that he looks super worried. I try to move back from Dai, but he won’t let go of me.
:Dai, your heart monitor is going cra—: Rohan says glancing up from Dai’s vitals screen, and then he gets a good look at us.
:Well, if you’re going to do much more of that in here, I’m shutting your monitor off,: Rohan declares. He sounds irritated, but there’s a smile in his eyes as he slips out of the cubicle. My face burning, I decide I’m grateful that Rohan’s on duty this afternoon and not Tobin.
When I turn back to Dai, he’s grinning. :I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you blush like that. You look redder than a cherry sponge right now.:
:See if I ever kiss you again, Dai Kuron,: I huff.
:So, does this mean you’ve rethought the whole we-shouldn’t-be-boyfriend-and-girlfriend situation?: he asks as his grin fades and his eyes watch me intently.
:Yeah, I have,: I say. :There was a moment on our way up to the surface when I thought you’d died, and I realized how much you mean to me. I… don’t want us to waste any more time, but I’m still worried.: I glance down and fiddle with the cuff of my seasuit. :I don’t know if I can be a good girlfriend for you.:
He reaches out and raises my chin gently until our gazes meet again. :Nere, I know you work hard to be perfect all of the time, but you don’t have to be a perfect girlfriend. There aren’t any rules. Just be you. That’s more than good enough for me. That kiss was almost worth getting my arm chewed up. I think you should come over here and distract me some more.: He tugs me toward him and sends me a smile that makes my insides melt.
I end up curled up next to Dai in his hammock, and I keep him plenty distracted until he falls sound asleep an hour later. I slip out of the hammock and swim from his cubicle, planning to go help out at Dolphin Bay. My cheeks heat again as I swim past Rohan.
:Um, Rohan, I hope you don’t mind—: I start to say, but Rohan cuts me off.
:Nere, I’m happy for you guys and grateful, too. Dai’s the worst patient we’ve ever had here in sickbay. Anything you can do to keep him from yelling at the rest of us is appreciated.:
:Please don’t tell Tobin,: I say because Rohan and Tobin are good friends. :I should tell him myself.:
:I won’t tell him, but news has a way of traveling pretty fast through a colony of telepathic kids,: Rohan warns me.
:I know,: I reply glumly.
:I always kinda figured it would be you and Dai. Maybe Tobin will give Shadow a chance now.:
:I thought she had a crush on him,: I say, trying to picture the two of them together. :She loves music, and he does, too.:
:She’s been offering to give him lessons on the water organ. Maybe he’ll finally take her up on those now.:
As I leave sickbay, I try to figure out where I’m most apt to find Tobin. I’m not looking forward to talking to him. After what he said to me when he had hypothermia on that training dive, I know I’m going to hurt him. But I have to be the one to tell Tobin that I’ve chosen to be with Dai. I owe him that.