Tino let out yet another sigh and bent his head into his hands from where he sat on the bench outside the hospital room Michela had been admitted to. The pup had sustained major damages from the scuffle between the Rogues and Don Lino's gang; Yet, at the moment, she was holding stable and the doctors assured Tino along with the small group of Don Lino, Frankie, Lenny and the concerned individuals from within the mob that she should be fine.
As he sat there, Tino suddenly felt someone put their fin on his shoulder and turned to find that Lenny had swam over and sat beside him. The youth tried for his best smile, even though he was just as worried for his cousin as her father was. "Don't worry Uncle Tino" Lenny said, "The doctors says she'll be just fine". Tino nodded, "I know, I know" he whispered.
From where he floated, leaning against the wall, one of the other great whites from the mob, the one who had pulled the other pups out of the fray in fact, swam over to where Tino and Lenny were. "Hey...Tino" he said, "I...look, I just wanted to say that...I'm sorry. I...I thought I'd pulled everyone out, don't know how I could have completely missed Michela. I mean...I just barely got Al out" he said, referring to the pup that had been his own son, "and, I counted and...".
Tino had been trying to get the shark to cease his rambling apology since close to when he first started, and now he finally got through, "It's fine" he said, "I know you tried". The shark nodded, yet the guilty look still didn't leave his face. Tino and the shark's attention was diverted from furthering this conversation though by the appearance of Don Lino as he walked back over to the group. Tino turned his head away, dealing with the conflicting emotions he had right now regarding his brother-in-law and "Boss".
"Well" Don Lino sighed, rubbing his forehead, "I tried but they're not going to give any of us leeway for an overnight stay. We'll have to come back in the morning". Frankie frowned at this news, "Well, surely they're gonna let Uncle Tino...". Don Lino shook his head and Frankie floated there, stunned. He then got a determined look on his face, "Let me talk to 'em!" he said, starting forward. His father stopped him though, "Frankie, ya won't get any change. Just drop it; we'll come back tomorrow. Michela should be fine in the meantime".
"Well let's hope this determining of the situation is better than the last, aye" Tino said, standing up abruptly and moving to lean against the wall, his back to everybody. There was no hostility in this statement, but still something about the way it was said made the Don frown slightly. "Tino?" he said, moving a bit closer to where his brother-in-law was.
Tino was silent for a bit and then he mumbled something that Don Lino couldn't quite make out. "What?" Lino asked. Tino sighed and turned to face his "boss", "I said, I told you it wouldn't work! That you didn't think through all the possibilities before...".
"Tino" Don Lino interrupted with a sympathetic sigh, "I tried boy, alright? Now I'm not any happier about this that you are, but things happen. Don't worry, we'll stick it to that rag-tag group of...". Tino turned to face Lino sharply, "Michela's health and safety is not a liability of Mafia business!" he said, "and it's certainly not to be put below your insignificant control of this stupid Reef!". Then, before Lino could reply, Tino darted off.
Frankie, Lenny and the rest of the mob that was present just stood there with their jaws dropped slightly at the scene which had unfolded before them. One of the sharks leaned in and whispered to his friend, "I...I never thought Tino would be the one to snap at the Boss like that!". The shark next to him just shook his head in disbelief. Don Lino just floated where he was for a bit, completely caught off guard.
Lenny stared after the direction his uncle had departed in for a bit then, considering the tension that had suddenly fallen over their group, he decided to use this opportunity to check up on Michela once more before they all had to leave. Slowly and inconspicuously he got off the bench and swam into Michela's room.
The shark pup was fully awake and right now flipping channels on the TV in the hospital room looking for something of interest she could watch. Lenny smiled slightly as he swam over to her bed. "Hey Michela" he said, "Finally awake huh?". He put a fin to Michela's head, which was wrapped in a bandage, "How ya feelin?".
Michela nodded, "I'm doin' pretty good, slight headache but I don't think it's serious. I think the doctors only want to keep me here one more day cause they gotta be extra careful". Lenny nodded, "Yeah, well, ya can never tell. Best to be safe". Michela nodded at her cousin's agreeing with the doctor's advice, then she suddenly paused in her channel flipping as something caught her attention on the TV.
"Oooh, I think I picked up one of those channels those fishermen watch on the surface!" she said. Lenny turned his attention to the TV in interest and creased his brows as he tried to place exactly what on earth this show was, it did seem vaguely familiar to something he'd seen. Every now and then a fisherman would take one of those portable TVs and movie players out on their boat with them and Lenny had hung around the boats sometimes watching them.
As Lenny watched the scene on the TV of somebody talking to an old guy about a wedding reception or something, it suddenly hit him what this movie was! "Oh Michela!" he cried, grabbing the remote from off the bed and quickly changing the channel. He breathed a sigh of relief as the picture switched to some kiddie movie.
Michela turned to look at Lenny, "What was that about?" she asked. Lenny smiled, "Sorry Michela, that movie's kinda intense for little pups" he explained. Michela nodded, "Oh".
Just then Frankie peeked his head in, "Oh, here ya are Lenny" he said, swimming farther into the room. He smiled as he swam closer up to Michela's bed. "So, how's the tough invalid doin'?" he asked, giving Michela what was meant to be a light, kidding jab on the arm, "Ya gettin' better kid?" Frankie asked. Michela winced as Frankie jabbed her, this was why she didn't like it when Frankie visited too often, "Yeah, fine" she answered.
"Frankie! Let up!" Lenny said, "Poor Michela's been injured and I'm sure that's not helpin'". Frankie just rolled his eyes, then glanced at the TV and the little kiddie movie that was on, something about a little orange fish that got kidnappd by divers. He grimaced, "Oh come on guys, you can find something more entertaining than that" he said. He picked up the remote and scrolled backwards, coming directly to the movie that Lenny had turned off.
"Hey!" Frankie exclaimed, "Yeah, this movie's awesome!". Lenny grabbed the remote back from his brother, "Not for little pups!" he exclaimed, "and Michela's in the room, besides we were watching something". Lenny scrolled it back to the little orange fish movie. Frankie was about to protest again, when suddenly Michela cut the two brother off. "Oooh, this is the shark part of the movie, it's neat; They have this group called Fish Eaters Anonymous".
As they watched the scene, Frankie's face contorted into many different expression of confusion, "Weirdos" he mumbled about the "non fish eating" sharks in the scene. Lenny turned to look at him and Frankie grinned and shrugged, "Hey, I tell it like it is, kid" he said, patting his brother on the shoulder.