the computer beeped with an error when translating the last word. Alison shrugged. It didn’t matter. “I need to talk,” she repeated. Why IMIS had long been able to translate “need” and not “something” she didn’t understand. There were still a number of words the system couldn’t figure out and others it could. Of course now, given what Lee and Juan had discovered, there was no telling how deep IMIS’s translations went.
Yes we talk , answered Dirk.
“A young girl would like to come see you tomorrow. A child.” Alison thought for a moment and added, “She’s very sick.”
Why girl sick?
Alison frowned. She couldn’t think of a way to explain it. She knew IMIS didn’t have an exact match for the word “sick.” Instead, for the dolphins, the word IMIS translated it to was closer to “injury” but the context was close enough. “She’s been sick for a long time.” She hoped that would allow them to understand.
Girl come for talk?
“Yes. She’s very excited to talk to you and Dirk.”
We like talk her.
“She’s a very special girl. We want to make her visit special.”
They weren’t sure what Sofia would be able to do, but hopefully, with Dirk and Sally’s help, they were going to give her the experience of a lifetime. Even for one as short as hers.
7
When Sofia Santiago arrived at a few minutes past ten, everyone was ready, including Dirk and Sally. They both floated attentively at the end of the tank, watching as the small girl was wheeled in through the double-wide doors by her father.
Sofia looked frail in her chair, leaning slightly and wrapped in a light shawl. A beautiful pink and purple scarf was wrapped neatly around her head. Below the scarf, a set of warm brown eyes darted excitedly to Dirk and Sally on the other side of the glass. Her smile completed the picture of a beautiful young girl fighting bravely against a horrible disease. A girl who had a sickness, but the sickness clearly did not have her.
Alison and DeeAnn both stood beside the tank, amused that Sofia hadn’t yet noticed them. It wasn’t until her mother turned the wheelchair and introduced them that the girl’s eyes were peeled away.
“Well, hello there, Sofia.” Alison reached down and shook her delicate hand. “My name is Alison Shaw. We’re so very happy to have you.”
Sofia grinned. “I saw you on the TV.”
“Is that right? Is that how you found out about us?”
She nodded proudly.
“And this is my friend DeeAnn.”
“Hello, Sofia,” DeeAnn said, taking the girl’s hand next. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. We hear you’re crazy about dolphins. In fact, we have a gift for you.” DeeAnn brought something out from behind her back and unfolded it. It was a small T-shirt with a picture of Dirk and Sally on the front.
Sofia smiled and took the shirt with a, “Thank you.” She turned back to Dirk and Sally who were still floating in front of them. Her eyes opened wide when Dirk suddenly made a noise and bolted away. He quickly circled back and swam a tight corkscrew around Sally.
Alison laughed. “As you can see, Dirk likes to show off a little.”
Sofia watched excitedly from her chair as Dirk swam up and around the tank. All the while, Sally remained, floating gently in place and watching Sofia.
Alison looked to her father. “May I?”
Ricardo Santiago stepped out from behind the chair, allowing Alison to take his place. She leaned down over Sofia’s right shoulder and said, “We have something neat to show you. Are you ready?”
She grinned shyly and nodded. With that, Alison pushed the wheelchair forward and headed toward their observation room, the dolphins following alongside them in their long oval tank. As they moved along the wall, Sofia gingerly reached out and brushed her fingers against the cool glass. Sally, watching the girl closely from the other side,
Yes we talk , answered Dirk.
“A young girl would like to come see you tomorrow. A child.” Alison thought for a moment and added, “She’s very sick.”
Why girl sick?
Alison frowned. She couldn’t think of a way to explain it. She knew IMIS didn’t have an exact match for the word “sick.” Instead, for the dolphins, the word IMIS translated it to was closer to “injury” but the context was close enough. “She’s been sick for a long time.” She hoped that would allow them to understand.
Girl come for talk?
“Yes. She’s very excited to talk to you and Dirk.”
We like talk her.
“She’s a very special girl. We want to make her visit special.”
They weren’t sure what Sofia would be able to do, but hopefully, with Dirk and Sally’s help, they were going to give her the experience of a lifetime. Even for one as short as hers.
7
When Sofia Santiago arrived at a few minutes past ten, everyone was ready, including Dirk and Sally. They both floated attentively at the end of the tank, watching as the small girl was wheeled in through the double-wide doors by her father.
Sofia looked frail in her chair, leaning slightly and wrapped in a light shawl. A beautiful pink and purple scarf was wrapped neatly around her head. Below the scarf, a set of warm brown eyes darted excitedly to Dirk and Sally on the other side of the glass. Her smile completed the picture of a beautiful young girl fighting bravely against a horrible disease. A girl who had a sickness, but the sickness clearly did not have her.
Alison and DeeAnn both stood beside the tank, amused that Sofia hadn’t yet noticed them. It wasn’t until her mother turned the wheelchair and introduced them that the girl’s eyes were peeled away.
“Well, hello there, Sofia.” Alison reached down and shook her delicate hand. “My name is Alison Shaw. We’re so very happy to have you.”
Sofia grinned. “I saw you on the TV.”
“Is that right? Is that how you found out about us?”
She nodded proudly.
“And this is my friend DeeAnn.”
“Hello, Sofia,” DeeAnn said, taking the girl’s hand next. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. We hear you’re crazy about dolphins. In fact, we have a gift for you.” DeeAnn brought something out from behind her back and unfolded it. It was a small T-shirt with a picture of Dirk and Sally on the front.
Sofia smiled and took the shirt with a, “Thank you.” She turned back to Dirk and Sally who were still floating in front of them. Her eyes opened wide when Dirk suddenly made a noise and bolted away. He quickly circled back and swam a tight corkscrew around Sally.
Alison laughed. “As you can see, Dirk likes to show off a little.”
Sofia watched excitedly from her chair as Dirk swam up and around the tank. All the while, Sally remained, floating gently in place and watching Sofia.
Alison looked to her father. “May I?”
Ricardo Santiago stepped out from behind the chair, allowing Alison to take his place. She leaned down over Sofia’s right shoulder and said, “We have something neat to show you. Are you ready?”
She grinned shyly and nodded. With that, Alison pushed the wheelchair forward and headed toward their observation room, the dolphins following alongside them in their long oval tank. As they moved along the wall, Sofia gingerly reached out and brushed her fingers against the cool glass. Sally, watching the girl closely from the other side,
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