“Will you try to release her again? After she gets better?”
“I don’t know.” He stands up. “Our goal is always to return them to the ocean, but if she can’t survive on her own…” He shrugs. “I guess we’ll see what Opal thinks.”
“Opal’s the vet?”
He nods. “Sorry, I guess I should introduce you to more people.” His expression is hesitant and I know he’s thinking it would be a waste of time. I know he still doesn’t expect me to come back.
But for the first time all day, I realize I’m actually not eager to escape. Fish guts aside, it’s actually been kind of interesting.
“So, the animals here, they all … what? Washed up on the beach? And someone called you?”
“Usually, yeah. People can tell something’s wrong. A lot of times it’s obvious stuff, like they have wounds from a shark bite or something, or maybe they’ve got a bunch of fishing line tangled around them.” Quint’s expression darkens. “One time we rescued a sea lion that had nineteen fishhooks caught in his skin.”
I shudder, remembering the photo in his report.
“That’s awful. Was he okay?”
“He made it. We released him a couple years ago. We named him Captain Hook.”
I laugh. “Was there also a Peter Pan?”
“No,” Quint says, in a tone that suggests this is a ridiculous thing to ask. But then he grins. “But we did have a Mr. Smee and a Tinker Bell.”
I fold my arms on top of the short wall that separates the enclosure from the walkway and peer down at Luna. “What are those markings on her side?”
“That’s how we tell them apart. It’s like a code. There’s a chart in the office that explains it, but pretty much every mark is a different number. We shave the fur, but it’s easier to make straight lines than curves, so they get a little V instead of the number five, and two dashes instead of a nine, that sort of thing”
Luna’s markings are two arrows, each pointing toward her head.
“How many volunteers are there?” I ask. “As opposed to staff.”
“There are only three people on staff. Mom, Shauna, and Opal—Dr. Jindal. Then we have…” He pauses, and I can tell he’s counting in his head. “Sixteen volunteers, including me and Morgan. My mom would love to hire more people, but money is…” He trails off. “I mean, we’re pretty reliant on government grants, which barely makes enough to keep the animals fed, much less pay a bunch of employees. But the volunteers are great. It’s kind of like a family, and everyone really cares about what we’re doing.” He pauses and looks at me, and I can see the hint of accusation there again: the what are you doing here? But it passes quickly. “I mean, look at those eyes. You can’t help but fall in love, right?”
I startle. My heart skips, and it takes me a second to realize he’s gesturing at Luna. Except, when I glance down, her eyes are closed. I think she might be sleeping.
“All right,” says Quint. “I need to get to work. I’m setting you free.”
“My, how generous,” I say, but I’m frowning. “But why not let me help you?”
He shakes his head. “I can do it faster on my own. We’ll continue your training tomorrow.” He gives me a sideways look as we start walking back toward the lobby. “That is, if you’re still planning on coming back. Because if this isn’t for you…”
“I’ll be here,” I say. Firmly. “And by the end of summer, we will submit one killer report to Mr. Chavez. That’s the deal, right?”
Quint’s jaw seems to tighten, but then he holds out his hand.
I swallow, but my hesitation is brief. I take his hand and we share a determined shake.
SIXTEEN
“It’s so gross!” I say, flopping onto the sofa in Ari’s den. “It’s literally fish puree. Plus, I had to chop off fish heads! Ugh, I feel sick just thinking about it. And then, you can’t just feed it to the animals, right? Oh no. You have to give it to them through a tube.” I shudder.
Ari makes a sound like she’s trying to care about my complaints, but I know she’s mostly ignoring me. She’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, her guitar in her lap, leaning forward to study something on her phone.
I sigh and stare at the ceiling.
“But I have to go back,” I say, as much to myself as to Ari. “If I want