Chapter 3
Darwin woke from his slumber as he heard a familiar sound. He swam to the edge of the moon pool and peered over it. This was his favorite time of the morning: when Kristin came in and began setting up for the day. She was always the first one to arrive, and he always enjoyed the special alone time with her. After she did whatever she needed to do in the lab, she'd come over to him, coffee in hand, and talk to him. Usually, it was about the agenda for the day. He didn't always understand what she was saying, but he enjoyed the soothing sound of her voice, the warmth of her hand on his nose, and the sweet smile on her face.
As she flipped the switch on the wall, the multicolored lights hanging above the pool turned on. He squealed in delight. Lucas had told him about the meaning of these lights and this time of year, that this was something humans called Christmas. Well, Lucas explained there were several holidays people celebrated this time of year. Again, Darwin didn't quite understand the reasons why, but Lucas had told him that they all had one thing in common: that this was a time for everyone to show how much they care about one another by spending time together and by exchanging gifts.
Darwin didn't understand why in the world these silly humans would only do this once a year, but then again, he also knew how busy they were, how concerned they seemed to be with things that weren't very important. But then again, it didn't matter, he decided. Since Lucas had explained to him the premise of the holiday, he'd planned a gift for all his favorite people.
He watched Kristin move from one end of the lab to the other until she picked up her cup of coffee and walked towards the moon pool. He squeaked excitedly, getting the leftover fish that he'd caught earlier that morning; he was going to give it to her.
"Good morning, Darwin," Kristin said with a sigh, setting her cup down on the edge and moving to pet him.
Darwin dropped the fish, looking at her curiously. Something was different. Lucas had said this was supposed to be a happy time of year, only she didn't look happy at all. In fact, she looked near tears. He moved to nuzzle her hand in an effort to comfort her as a low, gentle tune played over the speakers.
"I'll have a blue Christmas without you. I'll be so blue thinking about you…"
"Exactly how I feel," she whispered, rubbing Darwin's head. "I just don't think this Christmas is going to be as happy as I thought."
Darwin watched her and squeaked quietly, hoping to get her to smile.
Instead she bent down to rub his head again. "Don't worry; I'll be fine. There's work to do; that should keep my mind off things. Have fun." She let out a sigh, picked up her cup, and walked back into the lab.
The dolphin watched her until she disappeared out of sight, shaking his head back and forth. No, something wasn't right. He wondered if Bridger was in a better mood. He decided to make his way to the bridge, knowing he'd be there.
When he stuck his head up over the edge of the pool there, he saw Nathan on the bridge alone, sitting in his chair, his face looking just as somber as Kristin's. He let out a whistle in order to get his attention. As expected, Nathan walked over to the edge, but he didn't smile. He did, however, reach out to pet him.
"Morning, old friend," Nathan muttered. "I'm sorry I haven't had much time to see you lately."
Darwin squeaked in response. It was true; Bridger had seemed distracted lately, just as distracted as Kristin and just as sad.
"I've got to get to work, but I'll try to see you later. Go on; have fun."
Darwin did as he was told, but he made a point to ask Lucas about this. Maybe he had misunderstood the meaning of this holiday after all.