microphone again. “How far can you swim?”
Dirk responded again and thrust his tail forcefully, making a tight circle. Very far.
Everyone laughed. Only Lee and Juan noticed the quick change on the computer screen before the sound was heard. The actual translation was closer to “much far” but IMIS quickly corrected the grammar. Alison was paying more attention to Sally, who seemed quieter than usual. She simply remained, floating and studying Sofia in her metal chair. The girl was now grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe I’m actually talking to dolphins!”
Her mother and father smiled. Sofia asked another question just as Alison stepped away and pulled her parents to the side. She lowered her voice.
“Is it possible she can get into the water?”
8
Sofia eyed the clear blue water with a sense of both excitement and nervousness. It had been a long time since she’d been swimming, and she had been much stronger then. Her delicate arms were wrapped tightly around her father’s neck as he picked her gently up out of the chair and carried her in his arms.
Inside he was in agony, knowing the number of times he would get to hold Sofia was numbered. Soon he would yearn to do it just once more.
He loved the feel of her arms around him, clinging as they approached the edge of the tank. He stepped down into the water and onto a wide, shallow ledge at which point he carefully lowered Sofia onto the concrete lip. She immediately dropped her hands to balance herself while her father sat next to her, keeping an arm around her tiny waist.
Alison and Chris were also standing on the ledge smiling. Once Sofia relaxed, Alison took a step forward in the water. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded nervously.
“Good.” Alison softly patted one of Sofia’s hands. “We’re going to be right here next to you. Don’t worry.” Alison gave her another minute to relax before nodding to Lee and Juan, who brought some equipment forward and set it down.
Chris reached out and picked up the clear face mask. “Do you know what this is?”
“It’s a mask,” Sofia answered.
“That’s right. You said you used one before, right?”
“Yes.”
Chris turned it around so she could get a good look at it. The mask was a child-sized version of the one they normally used –– Lee and Juan had worked through much of the night to finish it for her.
Sofia took the small mask from Chris and examined it.
“Go ahead and put it over your face. You’ll see that you can breathe just as good.”
She looked back at the mask and moved the black oxygen hose out of the way. She pressed it into place and took a deep breath. “Wow,” she smiled. Apprehension was turning to curiosity. She promptly looked up at her mother and giggled.
“You want to dip your face in the water and try it?”
Sofia nodded and dunked herself. When she came back up, she was laughing from the inside of the glass.
“Just like the ones you wore before, right?”
“Yes. But nicer!”
Alison laughed with her. If little Sofia only knew.
Next, Lee and Juan laid a bundle down on the edge of the tank. It was a small oxygen tank wrapped in a floatation cushion with another dozen feet of tubing coiled on top. It was a simpler design used by many vacation resorts, allowing a swimmer to breathe underwater without the encumbrance of having to wear heavy scuba gear. Instead, the tank and regulator would float on the surface above the swimmer and follow as needed.
The team’s plan was to accommodate Sofia in the water at least enough to float with Dirk and Sally. They weren’t sure how much her illness would allow, but now an excited Alison found herself carefully explaining the precautions they would take to keep Sofia safe. She also tried to convey how much more exciting it was to both swim and talk with the dolphins at the same time. If at all
Dirk responded again and thrust his tail forcefully, making a tight circle. Very far.
Everyone laughed. Only Lee and Juan noticed the quick change on the computer screen before the sound was heard. The actual translation was closer to “much far” but IMIS quickly corrected the grammar. Alison was paying more attention to Sally, who seemed quieter than usual. She simply remained, floating and studying Sofia in her metal chair. The girl was now grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe I’m actually talking to dolphins!”
Her mother and father smiled. Sofia asked another question just as Alison stepped away and pulled her parents to the side. She lowered her voice.
“Is it possible she can get into the water?”
8
Sofia eyed the clear blue water with a sense of both excitement and nervousness. It had been a long time since she’d been swimming, and she had been much stronger then. Her delicate arms were wrapped tightly around her father’s neck as he picked her gently up out of the chair and carried her in his arms.
Inside he was in agony, knowing the number of times he would get to hold Sofia was numbered. Soon he would yearn to do it just once more.
He loved the feel of her arms around him, clinging as they approached the edge of the tank. He stepped down into the water and onto a wide, shallow ledge at which point he carefully lowered Sofia onto the concrete lip. She immediately dropped her hands to balance herself while her father sat next to her, keeping an arm around her tiny waist.
Alison and Chris were also standing on the ledge smiling. Once Sofia relaxed, Alison took a step forward in the water. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded nervously.
“Good.” Alison softly patted one of Sofia’s hands. “We’re going to be right here next to you. Don’t worry.” Alison gave her another minute to relax before nodding to Lee and Juan, who brought some equipment forward and set it down.
Chris reached out and picked up the clear face mask. “Do you know what this is?”
“It’s a mask,” Sofia answered.
“That’s right. You said you used one before, right?”
“Yes.”
Chris turned it around so she could get a good look at it. The mask was a child-sized version of the one they normally used –– Lee and Juan had worked through much of the night to finish it for her.
Sofia took the small mask from Chris and examined it.
“Go ahead and put it over your face. You’ll see that you can breathe just as good.”
She looked back at the mask and moved the black oxygen hose out of the way. She pressed it into place and took a deep breath. “Wow,” she smiled. Apprehension was turning to curiosity. She promptly looked up at her mother and giggled.
“You want to dip your face in the water and try it?”
Sofia nodded and dunked herself. When she came back up, she was laughing from the inside of the glass.
“Just like the ones you wore before, right?”
“Yes. But nicer!”
Alison laughed with her. If little Sofia only knew.
Next, Lee and Juan laid a bundle down on the edge of the tank. It was a small oxygen tank wrapped in a floatation cushion with another dozen feet of tubing coiled on top. It was a simpler design used by many vacation resorts, allowing a swimmer to breathe underwater without the encumbrance of having to wear heavy scuba gear. Instead, the tank and regulator would float on the surface above the swimmer and follow as needed.
The team’s plan was to accommodate Sofia in the water at least enough to float with Dirk and Sally. They weren’t sure how much her illness would allow, but now an excited Alison found herself carefully explaining the precautions they would take to keep Sofia safe. She also tried to convey how much more exciting it was to both swim and talk with the dolphins at the same time. If at all
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