“Smitty!” Tay yelled. “Let it go!”
Smitty’s eyes found Tay’s and looked at him in confusion. He pushed Chris’s body toward Alison and she grabbed him with both arms. He then rose onto one knee and steadied himself against the base of the winch.
“Smitty!” Tay yelled again. “Let it go!”
It took only a moment for Smitty to understand. He braced himself against the winch and grasped the metal handle controlling its motor. He watched Sally’s thrashing tail as she sailed toward the water yet again.
When she was far out enough, Smitty released the tension, letting Sally’s momentum catapult her out over the ocean and into the water with a splash.
Lightfoot struggled to the side, where he watched the sling billow in the water just enough for Sally to escape.
Behind him, Tay was already on the phone to the bridge. “We need medical on the main deck now!” He turned back to see Smitty raise the cable and empty sling back out of the water.
Within moments, the ship’s doctor and medical assistant burst from a door above them on the upper deck. They sprinted down the metal grating until they reached the ladders and descended. Even with the swaying of the ship, they made it to the stern in less than a minute.
Doctor Kanna wrapped his fingers around Chris’s neck, searching. He then moved to his wrists. “I’m not getting anything. Get a stretcher down here!”
Tay barked again into the phone. Two more men appeared overhead carrying a basket stretcher. They reached the ladder and slid it down to the others.
Tay’s team gathered around as Kanna folded Chris’s arms in over his chest. “Get him in, quick!” In a coordinated movement, they lifted and moved him into the basket where thick nylon straps were secured over him. Alison pulled herself to her feet and watched the men move smoothly to the ladder, raising him back up. Kanna followed and together they disappeared from Alison’s view.
“You okay?” Tay asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry. Kanna’s one of the best doctors in the Navy.”
“It’s true,” Lightfoot said. “He’s in good hands.”
Alison nodded reluctantly and blinked. The clock was ticking and she knew it. She reluctantly turned back to the large tank. “Now what?”
Tay took a deep breath. “We have one more dolphin to get into the water.”
“Not like that again, I hope.”
Tay managed a smile. “Trust me. The first time’s never the best.”
Her eyes fell on Dirk with his head still bobbing above the water. “Are you ready, Dirk?”
Yes. Ready.
“Okay… let’s do it.”
A moment later, Lightfoot reached down to grab the control line, now hanging over the edge of the steel tank.
The three steadied themselves against the edge as the ship rolled through another large wave.
“This time, don’t fight it.”
Tay and Lightfoot pulled the sling down into the shallow water and held the sides open for Dirk, who promptly circled and slid into place. Smitty reeled in the cable just enough to pull the thick canvas closed and waited for a signal. He nodded to Tay and Alison. “Say when.”
69
Their second attempt was smoother. Working with the roll of the ship, Dirk became a living pendulum, oscillating past the equilibrium position until they had enough momentum for it to carry him beyond the edge of the deck. Smitty timed the release of the cable perfectly and let Dirk fall into the dark water. Smoother than the first time, but not something any of them wanted to try again.
And while the team aboard the Pathfinder was exhausted, Dirk and Sally seemed little worse for the wear. In fact, Alison had a sneaking suspicion that Dirk had actually enjoyed his launch.
With calmer nerves, she and the others went topside to check on Chris. Standing in front of the wall of glass with Tay and Lightfoot, she was overcome with the memory of being in the exact same spot just a year earlier.
It was the very spot where Alison had the conversation with John that eventually led her to fall in love with the man.
A nervousness suddenly welled up inside her as Alison realized it was the first time she’d let herself admit she was in love with him. Even to herself. She promptly pushed the thought out of her mind and stared back through the glass at Chris’s still figure lying on the examination table. Nervousness was replaced with fear as she watched Kanna lift Chris’s eyelids again and note something on a small tablet.
Behind her, the door opened and she turned to see both Lee and Neely enter, joining Tay, Lightfoot, and herself.
“How is he?!”
“We don’t know yet.”
“What happened?”
“We lost control of the sling trying to get Sally into the water and she swung back straight into Chris. He flew head first into the winch.”
“Jesus.” Lee stepped forward toward the glass. After a long silence, he turned back around. “God, please let him be all right.”
“Is there anything we can do?”
Alison shook her head, holding back tears. “Just wait, I guess.”
Lightfoot, who had been staring at Chris and the doctor, somberly replied. “I don’t think there’s much you can do here.”
“He’s right,” Tay nodded. “As harsh as it sounds, we need to let Doctor Kanna do what he can.” He glanced at his watch. “The clock is ticking.”
“I can’t just leave him.”
Tay and Lightfoot looked at Neely, who stepped closer to Alison. “I think we have to,” Neely said softly.
“It’s true, Ali,” Lee frowned, although also reluctant to leave. “If the situation were reversed, Chris would have to do the same thing. We’re all here for a reason and we don’t have much time.”
“And the faster we finish,” added Neely, “the faster we leave… for Chris’s sake.”
Alison continued staring at the glass. They were right. Although she still didn’t want to admit it. She and Chris had been through so much together. He was her best friend. The thought of leaving him alone tore at her heart.
But she had to.
Alison could barely focus. And attempting to don their gear under the rocking of the ship left both her and Neely struggling to keep their balance, even with the help of Tay and his men surrounding them. The light-colored steel deck was covered with a slick sheen of water, making it nearly impossible to stand up for more than a few seconds. After they were geared up, Lightfoot sat down and began putting his own equipment on. Getting into the water was one thing, but getting back out was quite another. It would be Lightfoot’s job to help them back up.
Tay slid a thick headband over Alison’s forehead and turned on the strip of bright LED lights. “These should last a few hours. The battery on your head is going to feel a little heavy, but once you’re in the water, you won’t even notice it anymore.”
Alison nodded and tested the airflow from her rebreather, ensuring the oxygen mixture was sufficient. She then adjusted the rubber seal of her mask around her eyes into a more comfortable position. Finally, she checked the IMIS unit on her chest to make sure it was powered on. She took a few deep breaths before looking back up at Tay.
He took her hands and helped her to her feet. Together, they waited for the next roll before he quickly passed her to Smitty, who stood along the steel railing. Smitty grabbed her and pulled her across. Beyond the railing, with the help of her headlamp, dozens of dolphins could be seen converging around the stern.
“Are you good?”
Alison nodded.
“Okay. Hold on,” he said, before turning to receive Neely.