It's July 15th, 2022, and Sarah Walker has finally scored her dream job—working with dolphins at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Socially awkward and academically driven, Sarah's never found love—but when she meets a tech genius whose inventions have the chance to make her research a reality, she finds herself falling for him. Together, their work could change the world … that is, unless someone else gets hold of it first.
Disclaimer: We don't own Chuck…
Chapter 3: Flippers, Flukes, and Fun
Sarah's appointment with Dr. Woodcomb was scheduled for 8 AM, two hours before the Aquarium opened—affording them some much-needed one-on-one time with the dolphins before the public arrived. They could've met at Sarah's MBARI lab, a twenty-five-minute drive north … but meeting at the research institute wouldn't give Ellie the chance to bond with the dolphins. If she was anything like Sarah, once she'd met Finn and Echo, she'd have a hard time walking away from the extraordinary opportunity to work with them.
She got to the Aquarium thirty minutes early, after stopping at Tidal Coffee to grab a couple of to-go cups for herself and the good doctor. Parking the car in the employees' lot, she headed for the building—easily identifiable from a distance because of the three iconic smokestacks that protruded from its rooftop. Built half on land and half on piers that extended over the Bay, the Aquarium's facility had been repurposed from the old sardine cannery on Monterey's Cannery Row. The smokestacks hadn't been part of the original building—they'd been recreated—but along with the "Portola Sardines" sign to the left of the entrance, they gave a nostalgic nod to its rich history. Only the giant boilers, visible as soon as you entered the Aquarium, were original to the space.
Coffees in hand, Sarah made her way across the crosswalk and up to the white concrete building, with its red awnings and Spanish tile roof. Normally, the entrance was mobbed with visitors, so she didn't get the chance to appreciate the rebuilt industrial feel—but now she took a moment to admire the way that the Aquarium's commitment to environmental preservation was reflected in the building's contemporary redesign. It was even heated and cooled with seawater.
"Hey, Dr. Walker! You're here early."
Sarah turned, jolted from her musings, and saw Milton, the security guard who usually worked the front lobby. In his mid-sixties, Milton was a trim, white-bearded man with a wry sense of humor and the unfailing ability to bring a smile to her face. For one thing, he always seemed happy to see her—and for another, he loved his job, which he'd had for the past twenty years. He also loved to show Sarah pictures of his daughters and grandkids—twin eight-year-old girls and a two-year-old boy with chubby cheeks and a headful of brown ringlets. Sometimes, Sarah wondered what it would be like to have a father like Milton … an uncomplicated, jovial man who'd been married to the same woman for over four decades and always came home at night. Her father, by contrast, had been as dishonest as he was emotionally unavailable … which was to say, almost entirely. Wherever he was right now—a casino in Vegas? Jail? Who the hell knew—she couldn't imagine him pulling out photos of her and showing them off with paternal pride. Hell, unless he'd downloaded one off the Internet, the last photo he had—her college graduation picture—was at least six years old.
She shook off the melancholic mood that descended on her whenever she thought of her father and returned the security guard's smile. "It's Sarah, Milton … you know that. No need to stand on ceremony with me. And yeah … I've got an early meeting."
"Is one of those for me?" He gestured at the coffees.
Immediately, Sarah felt awful. Why hadn't she thought about getting a coffee for Milton, too? She should've known he would've been working the morning shift. "I got the extra one for the woman I'm meeting with—Dr. Woodcomb, she should be here at eight—but you can have mine, Milton, really—"
His belly-laugh echoed off the building. "I was just joking, my dear. I've been here since six, and if I have any more caffeine, you could use me to power the whole damn block. Hang on to your coffees, Dr. Walker—Sarah—and I'll keep an eye out for your appointment. I'm guessing you got here early to check up on your buddies?"
As usual, he'd succeeded in putting her at ease. "Yeah … I wanted to spend a little time with them before the meeting—to make sure Echo's okay. If she's stressed, I'll need to rethink having Dr. Woodcomb interact with her. But I hope she's feeling good, because I really want them to connect …" She caught herself. "I'm sorry, Milton—I'm rambling."
"No worries, dear. Go on in and see your friends. I'll be back in a couple minutes. You've got your keys, right?"
Just to make sure, Sarah dug them out of her purse and held them up with a waggle. He gave her a nod and a little wave in confirmation and disappeared around the corner of the building.
Sarah passed from the brightness of the early morning sun into the relative darkness of the Aquarium, letting the peace she always felt when she walked through the doors settle over her. The calming, grounding sensation was especially pronounced when the Aquarium wasn't open to the public—when she almost had the place to herself. The first time she'd come here, she'd spent an hour standing in front of the two-story Open Sea tank, watching in awe as the moon jellies floated past the glass, their translucent bodies pale against the deep blue water. She loved everything about the exhibits—from the playful sea otters to the mesmerizing, swaying plants in the giant kelp forest to the predatory glide of the sharks in the Open Sea exhibit. But her favorite, by far, was the Aquarium's newest wing, Flippers, Flukes, and Fun—Echo and Finn's temporary home.
Both of the dolphins had been born in the wild and rescued after they'd been injured, just a few weeks apart. Finn had gotten caught in a bottom net, and Echo had beached herself in the cove by the Aquarium, tangled up in fishing line. The Marine Mammal Center, which often worked in partnership with the Aquarium, had rehabilitated them, but didn't think either of the dolphins were ready to return to the ocean. They couldn't stay at the Center any longer, though; new animals came in all the time, and there wasn't room for the healthier ones to remain indefinitely.
The timing had been perfect: Flippers, Flukes, and Fun had just been completed when both Finn and Echo were ready to be rehomed. The wing had taken over a year to build, with funding from the Packard Foundation—a longtime Aquarium supporter with a passion for special projects, including the Research Institute, where Sarah officially worked. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation had underwritten the balance of the project, and the results had been spectacular … but it still bothered Sarah that the dolphins were stuck in captivity. If they couldn't go back to the wild, the next best thing would've been to relocate them to a sanctuary like Florida's Dolphin Research Center, where they could swim outdoors in the Gulf, with the sky above them and the azure water beneath. She hated to see them confined to a tank, no matter how big and beautiful it was.
Regretfully, Sarah glanced to the right, toward the sea otter habitat and the massive Open Sea exhibit. Normally, she'd take time to pay each of the animals a visit—doing otherwise seemed rude, like coming over to someone's house and only greeting half their family—but today, her schedule didn't allow it. Instead, she veered left, past the kelp forest and touch pools. As a kid, she'd always felt bad for the starfish and hermit crabs in the touch tanks—it had to feel so invasive to have hundreds of people pawing at you, with no means of escape. Truth be told, she didn't feel all that different about it now—but the research on whether touch pools were harmful to the animals' health was conflicted, and she'd never been in a major aquarium that didn't have one. When she had a little more tenure at MBARI, maybe she could bring up the issue with Dr. Beckman … though she doubted she'd get very far. Like Echo and Finn, the touch pools were moneymakers … and operating a facility like the Monterey Bay Aquarium wasn't cheap.
Sighing, she cut behind the kelp forest tank and looked up, allowing herself to be soothed by the rhythmic motion of a school of orange garibaldi as they weaved in and out of the fronds, swimming in the unfiltered water that the Aquarium piped in from the Bay. Centered once more, she climbed the stairs to the third floor, unlocked the sliding glass doors that led to the top of the dolphins' habitat, and walked inside.
Separated by a tunnel from the stadium area where they performed, the dolphins' tank was huge—not as big as their range would be in the wild, but large enough that Echo and Finn still had plenty of room to roam. Like the kelp forest and the Open Sea exhibit, the tank spanned two floors. The employees' entrance, where Sarah had entered, brought her through the area where the dolphins' food was prepared—which smelled, as always, of an unsavory combination of fresh fish and bleach—and then out to the diving platform. She set down the coffees, grabbed her training whistle from the hook where it hung on the wall, put on some gloves, and tossed a few herring into a bucket—it wouldn't do to greet her friends empty-handed. Then, with the exuberance she always felt when she was about to see Finn and Echo—combined with disbelief that this was what she really got to do for a living—she walked out onto the platform.
The Aquarium's Marine Vet, Dr. John Casey—or Casey, as he preferred to be called—was kneeling at the edge, examining Echo. "Dr. Walker," he called out when he noticed her.
Casey was a man of few words. While he was a great vet, he wasn't a fan of Sarah's research, a position that he'd made abundantly clear. Luckily, his disdain for her work didn't translate to Echo, who adored him—which was good, because he was the one responsible for ensuring that the dolphin's pregnancy and subsequent delivery went off without a hitch.
"Morning, Casey," Sarah said in acknowledgement, and set the bucket down. "How's she doing?"
"Everything looks good. I expect she'll deliver in the next few days or so. Vital signs are strong—she seems nice and calm. As long as this guy doesn't rile her up"—he shot a chiding look at Finn, who'd popped up next to the mother-to-be—"she should be fine."
"Yeah, well, good luck with that. He's a troublemaker." Sarah sighed, looking down at the dolphins' smiling faces—or what she chose to interpret as smiling, anyway. She loved them so much—how could she want anything for them but freedom? But on the other hand, how could she stand to lose them? It was an impossible dilemma.
"Something on your mind, Walker?" Casey had finished his examination of Echo and had come up to stand silently beside her—a trick that, for such a large man, he had an annoying habit of pulling off on a regular basis.
She gave a rueful smile. "Was I thinking that loudly?"
His eyes on the equipment he was packing back into his bag, Casey just shrugged.
"It's only … I hate the thought of Echo's calf growing up in a tank, no matter how big it is." Her voice cracked a little. "And I know that if it—he or she—stays here for too long, it'll get accustomed to humans and never develop the hunting skills it'll need to survive … but of course I'd never want it to be released without Echo either. I just wish I knew what was best for them."
Although Casey and Sarah didn't agree on the viability of dolphin-human communication, they were in lockstep when it came to setting the dolphins free—and acknowledging all of the obstacles in their path. For an instant, Casey's heavy hand rested on her shoulder. "Right there with you, Walker," he said. Then he disappeared through the doors to the staging area—naturally, without a sound.
The dolphins bobbed in the water by the platform, mouths open in what Sarah felt were smiles, chirping in greeting. It was impossible for her to be sad when they looked at her that way. She knelt, smiling in return, and tossed a fish to each of them. "Hey, Finn. Hey, Echo. How're you feeling, girl? Casey says you're in great shape … don't make a liar out of him."
Echo whistled in response, turning over on her back to show Sarah her belly. It was times like these that she could've sworn the dolphin understood what she was saying. She pulled off her gloves and gently stroked Echo's stomach. "Any day now, girl. It won't be long. I can't wait to meet your baby."
Finn swam over, nudging Sarah's hand, and she dutifully petted his head, as well. "And yours, too, Finn. I wasn't trying to diminish your contribution … although you've got to admit Echo's doing most of the work here." She leaned over, scratching beneath Echo's chin. "I've got something important to tell you guys. There's a woman coming to see you today—her name's Ellie. She's a doctor, and she might be able to help me learn more about how you guys communicate … so we can figure out how to talk with each other. I just know it's possible—I can feel it in my bones, no matter what people say. All we need is one neurologist to believe in us and take a chance. So … be nice to her, okay?"
The dolphins eyed her, chirping … and then Echo smacked the water with one of her pectoral fins, sending a cascade onto the platform that soaked Sarah's shoes. She stifled a groan. "I guess that's what I get for coming in here in street clothes, huh? Anyway—I've got to go meet Ellie now. We'll be back in a few minutes. Don't be nervous, okay? I'm sure she'll love you as much as I do."
She petted Finn and Echo one last time and then stood up, trying to recapture the sense of serenity she'd felt when she was watching the garibaldi. The advice she'd given the dolphins had been as much for her as it was for them. Dr. Beckman thought so highly of Ellie Woodcomb; she'd told Sarah that despite being just thirty years old, the doctor was one of the foremost neurologists in the country. It made Sarah care deeply about Ellie's opinion … and not just for her medical expertise. The doctor was one of Beckman's longtime family friends; if Ellie rejected the project as unworthy, maybe Beckman would rethink her own support.
She forced herself to stop worrying as she washed her hands, scooped up the coffees, and walked back through the Aquarium, heading for the front doors. It was five minutes to eight; the last thing she needed was for Ellie to think Sarah had forgotten her.
As soon as she walked into the front lobby, she saw a woman with long, straight brown hair in conversation with Milton, gesticulating as if explaining her reasons for arriving at the Aquarium two hours before it opened. Sarah had Googled Ellie Woodcomb last night after Dr. Beckman's phone call, and she recognized the doctor from her pictures: tall—although not as tall as Sarah herself—with long, dark hair and striking hazel eyes. In a word … she was gorgeous.
Sarah strode forward, projecting a confidence she didn't feel into her voice and lifting one of the coffees in greeting. "Hi. Good morning. I'm Sarah … Sarah Walker. You must be Dr. Woodcomb."
The woman turned, giving Sarah an open, friendly smile, extending her hand. "Hi—and good morning to you, too. It's so nice to meet you. But please … call me Ellie."
There was something about that smile that seemed so familiar … but Sarah knew she'd never met the doctor before. Shaking off an unmistakable sense of déjà vu, she did her best to disguise the butterflies in her stomach beneath a veneer of politeness. "Thank you so much for coming out so early, especially on what I hear is your vacation. We really appreciate it. In fact, I, um, brought you a peace offering." She extended one of the coffees to Ellie. "I didn't know how you took it, so I just ordered it the way I like mine—cream and two sugars. I hope it's okay."
"Wow, I was hoping one of those was for me. It was either that, or you're even more of a caffeine junkie than I am." Ellie accepted the coffee, took a sip, and closed her eyes with delight. "Mmmm, it's perfect. Thank you. You totally didn't have to do this—but I'm so glad you did."
Ellie was just so approachable that some of Sarah's anxiety began to melt away. "It's the least I can do," she said, taking a sip of her own coffee. The caffeine hit her blood like the elixir of life.
"Believe me, it's my pleasure," Ellie insisted. "When Diane—Dr. Beckman, that is—told me about your project, I was really excited to have the chance to learn more about it. I've always been fascinated with dolphins. When I was little, my parents used to take us to stay with her in the Florida Keys—that's when she was the director of the Dolphin Research Center. Diane would let me and my little brother tag along with her to work sometimes. I thought she had the coolest job in the world." Ellie's eyes had taken on a faraway look, and Sarah could have sworn she saw a pang of grief in their depths—but then they cleared again, replaced by that brilliant smile. "Anyway, if I hadn't decided to follow in my mother's footsteps and study the human brain, I definitely would've followed in Diane's. She was one of my role models growing up. If there's any small way I can be of service to her—or to you—I'm happy to do it."
"Wow. I had no idea you were a closet dolphin freak," Sarah said—and then wished she could've bitten off her own tongue. What the hell was wrong with her? Why couldn't she manage to have a normal conversation like everyone else? "I mean—not that I'm implying pursuing a career with dolphins makes you a freak—obviously. I'm not a freak, except maybe for caffeine and a good sci-fi movie now and then." God, now she was just digging a deeper hole. Desperately, she struggled to pull herself back on track. "But just because I love sci-fi, that doesn't mean I'm not a serious scientist. Not that I'm tooting my own horn, I just … oh, God." She let her voice trail off, feeling a blush burn her cheeks. "Please forget I said anything."
When she glanced back up at Ellie's face, to her chagrin, she could see that the other woman was trying—and failing horribly—to hold back her laughter. Mortified, Sarah wished she could sink beneath the floor of the Aquarium and drift out to sea with the tides.
Seeing her embarrassment, Ellie did her best to wipe all traces of amusement from her face. "I'm not laughing at you, Sarah, I promise. In fact, you remind me of someone I love very much—my little brother, Chuck. He's an honest-to-God genius, and sometimes when he gets carried away with something he really cares about, it translates into … well … this." She gestured at Sarah. "I know you must be incredibly passionate about your work. And I looked you up when Diane asked me to consult, just so I wouldn't come off sounding like a total idiot when we talked. From what I can tell, you're doing some groundbreaking research. I know some people haven't taken it seriously … but I promise you, you'll get none of that from me." She lifted her coffee cup in Sarah's direction, as if in salute. "Now … can we please go and meet your dolphins? I've been like a little kid at Christmastime—I could barely sleep last night, I was so excited. Trust me, you're the one doing me a favor here."
Sarah gaped at her—and promptly said the most awkward thing possible. "Wow … I didn't expect you to be so—nice."
"Um … thanks?" Ellie took another sip of her coffee, unfazed. "But I'm not being nice, Sarah—I'm just being honest. Now come on … time's a-wastin'."
As Sarah escorted Ellie through the exhibits, she was gratified to see the look of near-childlike wonder that flickered across the doctor's face. "I haven't been to this aquarium in years," Ellie confided, "and it's been expanded so much since then. Would you mind very much if—after we spend some time with Finn and Echo—we visited the otters and the penguins? They're my favorites—next to the dolphins, of course."
"I wouldn't mind at all. I love them too." Sarah was feeling better by the moment. Yes, Ellie was doing this as a favor to an old family friend—but she had a genuine interest in dolphins, had even spent some time at a research facility. Best of all, she'd looked up Sarah's field of study, was aware of the fact that her research was often met with skepticism—and had come to the Aquarium anyway, with more than an open mind.
She relaxed a little more—enough to answer Ellie's questions about the various fish and habitats as they made their way to Flippers, Flukes, and Fun. By the time they stood in front of the tank, Sarah was in her element. "I hope you don't mind getting a little wet," she said. "Sometimes Echo splashes."
Ellie grinned at her. "I don't mind at all. In fact, I'd consider it an honor."
A woman after her own heart. "Okay then," Sarah said. "Here we go."
Two minutes later, they stood on the diving platform, a bucket of fish between them. The dolphins had seen them coming and surfaced right in front of them, vocalizing eagerly. Feeling as proud—and as nervous—as she imagined a parent might feel on their child's first day of kindergarten, Sarah said, "The one on the left is Echo"—she knelt, stroking the dolphin's head—"and this handsome guy on the right is Finn. Everyone, say hello to Dr. Ellie." She gave the hand signal for 'wave' and both dolphins flapped their flippers; true to form, Echo sent a smattering of water raining down on both of them.
From the look on her face, it was evident that Ellie could've cared less about getting wet. She stared, transfixed, as Sarah tossed both dolphins a fish to reward them for a job well done. "They're beautiful," Ellie breathed. "I'd forgotten how… majestic they are. I haven't seen a dolphin up close since I was a teenager."
It was Sarah's turn to suppress a bout of laughter. Echo in particular was more mischievous than majestic … but who was she to argue with a brain doctor? "You can touch them," she offered, "if you like."
Ellie looked almost shy as she knelt on the platform and Sarah showed her how each of the dolphins preferred to be petted. "This is incredible. The highlight of my week—no, of my year." She scratched beneath Echo's chin. "I bet my little brother would love this just as much as I do. If you and I wind up working together—would it be too much to ask if I can bring him here so he can meet them, too? He loves animals—well, except for my dog, and I think he's secretly got a soft spot for her as well."
The warmth in Ellie's voice when she talked about her brother was so obvious; she clearly adored him, conversational awkwardness and all. "What's the matter with your dog?" Sarah asked. "Or—was that rude? I didn't mean to be…"
Ellie snorted. "God, you and Chuck are so much alike. Nothing's wrong with my dog that a couple of decades at obedience school wouldn't fix. Let's just say she's a little … overzealous."
Sarah couldn't help but think about the oversized puppy and the adorable guy with captivating eyes she'd 'run into' yesterday on the beach. Come to think of it, hadn't he said he was in town visiting his sister? But … surely not. That would be a coincidence of Dickensian proportions, and as a scientist, Sarah believed in cause and effect, not fate. "Trust me—I can relate," Sarah said, tossing another fish to Finn. "My mom used to have a Rottweiler who ate every single thing we left on the counter. Turkeys … cookies … magazines …"
"Wow! That is bad. Maybe that's why you decided to work with these guys." Ellie gestured at the dolphins, who'd lost interest now that she and Sarah were no longer paying attention and had swum away, toward the side of the tank that faced the Aquarium. "God knows they're better behaved than most dogs I know. So … tell me more about your work. I already know a few details from Diane, but I'd love to hear the rest from you."
Sarah drew a deep breath. "Okay. Well—the long and short of it is, I believe that dolphin-human communication is possible. We know that dolphins communicate with each other, but I'd like to argue that they actually have a language, just like we do. That's been up for debate in the scientific community for years, and it's one reason that so many scientists think interspecies communication isn't possible. They argue that although dolphins can communicate, they don't have a language of their own—that humans are the only species that does. But even Noam Chomsky acknowledges that dolphins' communication is extremely complex. Studies show that they can use their vocalizations to cooperate and accomplish a common goal. We know that dolphins' brains are oversized when compared to the size of their bodies—just like ours. I think it's shortsighted and—and egocentric to believe that just because we have thumbs, we have a monopoly on linguistics. Just because we don't understand everything dolphins say doesn't mean they aren't communicating. And if we can decipher what they're saying, translate their vocalizations … then maybe we can figure out a way to talk to each other."
Sarah stopped to take a breath. "I'm sorry—I know that was a lot. I can get carried away when I talk about this stuff."
"No—keep going." Ellie gave her an encouraging smile. "This is exactly what I need to know."
"All right. Well—so that's my area of interest. And the reason why I need a neurologist … of course we have veterinarians here, that's not the issue, but what I need is someone who can work with me to map dolphins' brains with MRI and EEG for comparisons with human baselines. I want to start with the dolphins first, by recording and playing back their vocalizations, and seeing how their brains react to what they're hearing. Then, once we have a sense of what parts of their brains react to certain stimuli, we can start comparing their brain activity to our own. From there, we can hopefully figure out a way to bridge the communication gap between the two species. That's obviously an incredible oversimplification, but … that's the general idea." Sarah wound down, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
"Wow." Ellie was staring at her. "I don't know if you know this, but earlier, I mentioned following in my mom's footsteps … She was a behavioral psychologist who studied the links between sensory abilities, thought processes, perceptions, and emotions in people with a variety of mental illnesses, and the way she did this was by mapping the human brain. I've always been fascinated by that area of study."
Sarah bit her lip, hardly daring to hope. "So … you don't think it's crazy?"
"I don't think that at all. In fact, I think it's … as my husband would say … awesome. And I'd be honored to work with you."
"Really?" Before Sarah could stop herself, she flung her arms around Ellie in a huge hug. She drew back after a second, horrified. "Oh, God, that was totally inappropriate. I'm so sorry. I'm usually more professional than this, I promise."
"There's no need to apologize." Ellie looked amused all over again. "I'm a hugger, too … just ask anyone. But since we've gotten all up-close-and-personal … do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
Oh, no. Sarah shuffled her feet, the surface of the dive platform slick beneath her shoes. "Um, not at all. What is it?"
Ellie gave a small, here-goes-nothing shrug. "I was just wondering … if you're single. My brother Chuck—I just think the two of you would really hit it off. You're brilliant … and he's brilliant … and I think you might find that you have a lot in common." She spread out her hands, palms up, in a ta-dah gesture. "And … he also happens to be a computer guru and an engineer with a ridiculous amount of experience. He's even worked with the CHAT program—years ago, but he could build us whatever we need … an adapted MRI table to support the dolphins, an EEG cap that would stay on their heads …"
Sarah's mouth fell open. The Cetacean Hearing and Telemetry Program—or CHAT, to those in the field—was what had inspired her interest in the possibility of interspecies communication from the very beginning. "Your brother worked with CHAT?"
Ellie looked … diffident. "It was years ago, like I said. He didn't work with the dolphins themselves—he came up with the AI interface that the system uses. But if it has to do with technology, Chuck can design and build it. He's only in town for a little while, but I think he could be a real asset for what you have in mind."
Was it possible that, after so many years of searching and rejection, things could finally be coming together for her? "To answer your question, yes … I'm single," Sarah said. "And your brother sounds like a really great guy—but I don't usually mix business and pleasure. I would, however, love to talk to him about our project … and pick his brain about his work with CHAT. Do you think he might be willing to meet us at my lab at MBARI?"
With a wicked smile, Ellie took her cell phone out of her pocket. "Tell you what … why don't I call him right now and find out."
"Ummm…" Sarah said in trepidation, but it was too late; Ellie was already dialing.
"Chuck?" she said after a moment. "It's me. Where are you? You sound like you're in a wind tunnel."
A pause, during which Sarah could hear the indistinct murmur of a male voice, and then: "Wow, she must really be something if you decided to wake up this early. Did you take—"
Whatever she'd been about to say, the guy cut her off, his voice raised in what sounded like indignation. Ellie held the phone away from her ear, rolling her eyes, and then put it back again. "Yeah, okay, I get it. I know she can be a bit much … after yesterday's fiasco, I don't blame you. How long have you been there?"
More indistinct mumbling.
"Okay, well, it sounds like you had time to walk most of the beach, and you didn't see her, right? We can safely assume she's not there. So can I ask you for a favor?"
The guy's voice rumbled something; Sarah could swear he sounded dejected.
"Oh, come on, Chuck, don't say that. I know you were hoping to see her again, but it was a long shot, anyway, right? And you'll still have plenty of other opportunities before you leave. In the meantime—remember the researcher I was meeting with this morning?"
Mumble mumble.
"Yeah, well, her work is incredible … and so is she." Ellie dropped Sarah a wink. "Can you come out to her lab and meet with us? I told her about your work with CHAT and I think there's a lot you could offer her project."
Mumble.
"Yes, now! There's no time like the present, little brother, and it's not like you're gonna be in town forever." She rolled her eyes again.
No matter what Ellie had said about Chuck's interests and experience, it didn't sound like he was all that excited to meet with them. Sarah cleared her throat. "Um, Ellie, if he's busy, we can do this another day, or something. He doesn't have to—that is, I would completely understand if…"
Ellie held up a finger, gesturing for Sarah to wait. "Hang on, Chuck," she said, taking the phone away from her ear again. "What were you saying?"
"I just—it sounds like your brother's got something going on. We can do this another time. It's no big deal." Sarah had been looking forward to meeting him, and especially talking with him about his work with CHAT—but the last thing she wanted was for Ellie to interrupt him on what had to be his vacation, too. Then they'd totally get off on the wrong foot.
"Don't be silly. He's just walking on the beach … it's a long story. The short of it is, he's extremely shy and doesn't realize how incredible he is. But if he'd listened to his sister"—here she raised her voice enough for Chuck to hear—"instead of doubting himself at every turn, he wouldn't be in this mess in the first place." She put the phone back to her ear. "Chuck, quit moping and get your butt over to Sarah's lab. I'll text you the address."
She hung up, looking triumphant. "He's on his way … or he will be, as soon as we send him the address. If you don't mind, maybe you and I can ride together and I can learn some more about your research. Chuck can always take me back to my car."
This woman was like a runaway freight train. Feeling slightly flattened, Sarah opened her mouth to say that, of course, they could ride together—but what came out instead was, "What about the sea otters? And the penguins?"
Ellie didn't seem taken aback by the non sequitur. She pondered, looking a little crestfallen—and then brightened once again. "If we're working together, I'll have plenty of chances to see them, right? It'll be something to look forward to."
Looking down at her phone, she unlocked it and opened her Messenger app. "Now, where's this lab of yours? I've got about a thousand questions and I plan to ask you as many as I can before we get there and start digging into your research."
A/N: It was so much fun to dive into Sarah and Ellie's first meeting—pun fully intended! In college, Emily studied dolphins at Duke's Marine Lab and then interned at the Dolphin Research Center we mentioned in this chapter. She had a great time revisiting that part of her life … with a little imagination thrown into the mix! If human beings can ever travel safely again, we encourage all of you to visit the DRC. It's an incredible place.
And, of course, it was lots of fun to write Ellie's conversation with Chuck. Poor guy—he was so sad not to encounter Sarah on the beach. Little does he know what awaits him.
As always, thanks for reading—and please keep your reviews, follows, and favorites coming our way! They really do make this all worthwhile.