He wanted her here. Maybe even needed her, just a little. Bravery flooded back into her heart. Clutching the net, Caro walked over to the side of the boat.
It was hard work, both physically and emotionally. For as many birds that she leaned over and pulled alive from the sea, there were many more that were dead. Drew examined each bird that she and Jake netted, putting the dead ones into a large box with as much care as he took with the live ones. He fed the weakest birds with a gastric tube, keeping them warm by wrapping them in old towels. He was tireless, and every time Caro wanted to give up, she knew that she only had to look at Drew to receive a smile.
Gramps was manoeuvring the boat slowly and skilfully through the water, while Drew’s father was using binoculars to spot the birds. After three hours of back-breaking work, Drew decided that they should take the birds they’d rescued back to the clinic.
Suddenly Caro was very hungry. Very tired. She stripped off her gloves, sitting down next to Drew at the stern of the boat, and he reached into Diana’s bag, taking out one of the flasks and pouring some hot chocolate for her. As the boat swung round, he reached out to steady her, keeping his arm firmly around her shoulders as Gramps piloted the boat away from the oil.
CHAPTER TEN
THE BOATS CARRYING Ellie and Lucas were also making their way across the bay, and there were people waiting to receive the boxes of birds. Ellie jumped onto the dock, supervising their transfer up to the clinic, and Lucas was carefully unloading the boxes from the boats. Even Tegan was there, wearing a pair of pink wellingtons and a spotted pink mac, with heavy gloves to protect her nails.
They waited until the other boats had left the dock to make space for them, and then Gramps manoeuvred alongside it. Tegan was coaxing him off the boat with the promise of a cup of tea, and Ellie took his arm, leading him up to the clinic. He was obviously tired, and it seemed he wasn’t going to be allowed back out on the boats this afternoon.
Dry land seemed a little strange now, and when Caro got back onto the boat, the movement of the deck seemed far more normal. Ellie was staying behind to supervise the care of the birds, and she stood on the beach, waving at the boat carrying Lucas away from her.
‘Goodbye, my lover...’ Her accent had taken on a broad Cornish twang. My lover was an endearment used for practically anyone, but it was clear that Ellie only had one lover and that it was Lucas.
‘Looking at them together now, it’s hard to believe that they spent six years apart,’ Drew reflected.
Now they were happy, calling out for everyone to hear. And Drew said that people could never change.
‘They’ve changed...’ She ventured the hypothesis.
He turned suddenly, raising one eyebrow. ‘Nah. Lucas and Ellie were always made for each other. Nothing ever changed, things are just back the way they were always meant to be.’
Jake beckoned to him and Caro was left alone, staring out to sea. A movement over to their left caught her eye. Drew was talking to Jake, and Peter had his eyes on the waves in front of them, so no one else had noticed. Caro hurried to fetch the binoculars, training them as best she could on a moving target.
A sick feeling rose in her stomach as the deck lurched unexpectedly beneath her feet. But she’d seen all she needed to see.
‘Drew! There’s some wreckage over there. And something’s moving.’
Drew hurried across to her, taking the binoculars and training them on the horizon. He turned to Peter. ‘Dad, there’s something there. Maybe a small dolphin or a seal. The water’s clear around it, but it’s caught in some wreckage.’
Peter nodded, swinging the helm, and they changed course. As they got closer, Caro could see that it was a dolphin, and that the sea around it contained a larger shape, which was circling the creature.
‘It’s a baby...and the mother’s there.’ Drew pulled the radio speaker from its clip, speaking into it, and Caro saw Lucas’s boat turn towards them.
‘What are we going to do? Can we get it on board?’
Drew shook his head. ‘If the baby’s not badly injured, superficial cuts will heal in the sea. We don’t want to take the baby away from its mother if we can help it, not least because there’s the risk that the mother might attack us.’
‘But...dolphins are friendly, aren’t they?’
‘They’re wild animals. And her instinct is to protect her young.’ Drew’s face was set in concentration. ‘Are you up for coming in with us?’
‘Yes, of course.’ Drew wouldn’t have asked if they hadn’t needed her help.
‘Great.’ He nodded at Jake, who disappeared down the tiny hatch that led below deck. ‘You take the cabin; we’ll need our drysuits.’
Jake reappeared, hauling the men’s diving bags with him. Peter helped her down the steps, and Caro found herself in a tiny cabin, two bunk beds on one side and a row of cupboards on the other. There was about two feet of clear space between the two and everything was rolling from side to side, the movement making Caro feel a little queasy again.
At least there wasn’t far to fall. And she’d been given the luxury of a cabin to change in while Drew and Jake changed on deck.
Caro took off her sweater and jeans, putting on the thick vests and leggings that went under the drysuit. Then she crawled into the bunk, unpacking her drysuit. She could just about manage to roll it down and get her feet into it...
A tap sounded at the door. ‘Are you decent?’
More or less. The sound of Drew’s voice made her feel virtually naked. And the thought of