by Kenna White
“He said to tell you tough toenails, whatever that means.”
Dana groaned disgustedly.
“Steven,” she grumbled, going to the telephone. She dialed and waited. It took five rings for him to answer.
“It’s all paid for, Dana,” he said, as if expecting her call.
“You are not paying for my sailing lessons. I’ll pay for this and you can pay when you and Juliana do something together.”
“Too late, sis. I called and paid by credit card. You and Juliana have the last spot in the class.”
“Steven!” Why did everyone feel the need to underwrite her finances? First Jamie. Now Steve. But that was her brother’s way. He had always been very generous. When he was eight and Dana was six, he shared his Popsicle when hers fell in a puddle. He was more than generous. He was protective.
“Say thank you, Dana and don’t bitch about it,” he said.
“Thank you.” She realized she couldn’t win.
“And remember Dana, you’ve never been on a boat before. This will be a new experience for you as well as Juliana.”
“I have too. I’ve been on Ruth Ann and Connie’s boat and what about my houseboat?” Dana argued.
“They’re both moored to the dock. I’m talking about an actual moving boat.”
“A boat’s a boat.”
“Fine. Have it your way. Be sure and take a Windbreaker. Have you got a hat?”
“Yes, I have a hat, Steve.” His maternal side was showing.
“Make sure Juliana wears her life vest and sunblock. At least SPF thirty. Forty or fifty would be better. There’s half a dozen bottles of it in the medicine cabinet in the hall bathroom.”
“Okay.”
“And don’t let her do anything stupid like stand up and get knocked overboard by the boom.”
“What’s the boom?” Dana asked. Just the name sounded dangerous.
“The pole at the bottom of the sail. It’s attached to the mast and swings back and forth depending on the wind direction. You have to watch the boom swing. Duck.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Call me tonight and let me know how you did.”
“Juliana will tell you.”
“Juliana will either be excessively exuberant or distraught with disappointment. There’s no in between with her. It’s triumph or tragedy. At least with you, I can get some details. And she wouldn’t tell me if it was too dangerous. You would.”
“Don’t worry, Steve. I’ll bring her home alive. I promise.”
Chapter 6
“Dr. Hughes?” a woman said, tapping on Jamie’s open office door. “Did you want to see me?”
“Oh, yes, Hanna. Come in.” Jamie finished typing a sentence into her computer and saved the file. “Did you pass your scuba class?” She began searching through the stack of papers on her desk.
“Yes. Two weeks ago.” Hanna was a blond twenty-two-yearold graduate student who spent the summer working in Jamie’s laboratory. She and three other students were offered science credits and a small stipend to run tests, prepare reports and help gather samples.
“Good. I have a little job for you, if you’re interested.”
“Is it diving with you, Dr. Hughes?” Hanna said enthusiastically.
“I need to collect some algae samples in Budd Bay.” Jamie spun her chair around and continued searching through a box of folders on the table behind her desk. When she didn’t find what she was looking for, she went into the laboratory attached to her office. Hanna followed. “It will be a fairly shallow dive along the west shore. Thirty feet or so,” she said, rummaging in a desk drawer. “Nothing too complicated.”
“And you want me to go along?” Hanna smiled.
“It’ll just be a short dive.” Jamie grimaced and perched her hands on her hips as she scoured the room. “Have you seen those reports I received from the state lab?” she said, not really expecting Hanna to know. “Ah, there it is.” She went to the lab table and picked up a large brown envelope. “They’re going to dredge a section of West Bay to open up the channel and I want to check the toxin levels in the algae before they stir things up. Like I said, it won’t be anything huge. Just a couple hours.”
“I’d love to go,” Hanna replied. “When?”
“This afternoon.” Jamie flipped through the papers in the envelope.
“Whew,” Hanna groaned, wrinkling her nose. “Your lab sure smells, Dr. Hughes.” She peered into a jar of green sludge.
Jamie looked up from what she was reading, took a whiff, and coughed.
“I guess I need to open a window.” There was a pungent odor of formaldehyde and dead fish.
“No kidding,” Hanna agreed, gagging on the stench. “How long has it been since you aired this out?” They each opened a window.
“I don’t know. Am I supposed to do that?” Jamie’s humor was dry. She could tell a joke and keep a straight face better than anyone she knew.
“Yes. And this would definitely be a good place for a Stick Up.”
“What’s a Stick Up?”
“You know. Those air freshener disks. You stick them on stinky stuff like litter boxes and garbage cans.” Hanna placed a lid on the jar of sludge. “Or fish parts.”
“Never heard of them. Where do you get them?”
“Everywhere, Dr. Hughes. Grocery stores. Drug stores.”
“Sounds like something you’d get from a computer store.”
“No. Not disk as in computer disc. Disk as in round plastic container.” Hanna held up her hand to show the shape. “They come in lots of different fragrances.”
“Fragrances? Whoever heard of computer parts with a fragrance?” Jamie frowned then finally smiled, letting Hanna know the hoax was over. She pointed to the plastic disk stuck to the side of the laboratory table. “Maybe I need to change it. What do you think?”
“Yes. Seriously.” Hanna waved her hand in front of her nose.
“Who was your scuba instructor?” Jamie led the way back into her office, still reading over the papers in the envelope.
“Donna Greenlee.”
“She’s very good. Very knowledgeable.”
“Yeah but she’s kind of stuck-up. She wouldn’t let us use her cart to get our stuff down to the boat.”
“Let me guess,” Jamie chuckled. “Donna made you carry your own gear.”
“Yes.”
“She does that to all her students. Do you know why?”
“Because she’s stuck-up.”
“Come on, Hanna. That isn’t a very scientific observation. Try again. Why would Donna require her students carry their own equipment down to the dock?” Jamie tossed out the question then took her seat, leaving Hanna to ponder her response.
“I don’t know,” she said, scowling in thought. “That crap weighs a ton. Maybe she wanted to know if we were strong enough to carry it.”
“Exactly. If you can’t carry your own weight, she wants to know that. She wants to know if she has a weakling in the class. It’s better to know that before you get forty feet down.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t you think your appraisal of Ms. Greenlee should be based on her ability to instruct, not her chosen means of student evaluation?”
“You mean since I got my certificate and passed the class I shouldn’t bitch?”
“Pretty much.”
“So, Dr. Hughes,” Hanna said, fiddling with the test tube rack on the corner of Jamie’s desk. “Do you have room for me on the McNeil Island trip?”
“I’m sorry, Hanna. I would have been glad to have you dive with us but we had to move it up. They’re having a boat race in the harbor and we wouldn’t have been able to dive. Didn’t you see the notice on the bulletin board? We went last week.”
“Are you kidding me?” Hanna slumped in her seat. “I missed it? Dr. Hughes, no! I didn’t see any bulletin,” Hanna pleaded. “Are you sure?”
“Hanna, I’m sorry. The notice was e-mailed to all my students.”
“My computer
is broken.” She clutched her hands to her head. “I haven’t checked my e-mail in weeks. My dad’s suppose to fix it before the fall semester starts. I can’t believe that stupid computer cost me a trip to McNeil Island.”
“I have a trip scheduled for September. Are you interested? We’re going to dive off Hazel Point in Hood Canal. It’s the graduate marine eco class but I think I’ll have room if you want to tag along.”
“Yes,” she said instantly, energized at the idea. “Put my name on the list.”
“You’ll probably need a dry suit. Can you rent one?”
“No problem. That’s what I told my folks I wanted for Christmas and they said okay. I’ll just tell them I need it in September instead of December. Do you know when in September?”
“I’m not sure. Around the twelfth. I need to check the tidal chart. I want to dive during a minus tide.”
“Are we staying on the boat overnight? Will I need a sleeping bag?”
“No. No sleeping bag for this trip.” Jamie chuckled. “The Prism is not a houseboat. It’s a research boat. We’re staying in a motel. I’ll provide protein snacks, test kits and anything you’ll need to preserve specimens. You’ll be responsible for your motel, meals, tank refill and anything else you want to take. I can let you know who else is going in case you want to split a room with one of the girls.”
“What are we diving for?”
“Salmon. We are going to study the oxygen levels of the spawning Oncorhynchus keta, Chum salmon as they enter the canal.”
“Isn’t that where they had the big algae bloom a few years ago that killed all the fish?” Hanna offered.
“Yes. And we’re going to see if we can chart the changes in the oxygen levels.”
“Is there anything else, Dr. Hughes?”
“No, I guess that’s all. I’ll meet you at the West Side Marina about one.”
“Thanks for asking me,” Hanna said then left Jamie to her work.
Jamie was already in her black wet suit and loading equipment onto the boat when Hanna pulled into the parking lot next to the marina.
“Bring your gear onboard and we’ll get going,” she said as Hanna descended the stairs to the dock, loaded down with an air tank and two large tote bags.
“I only have one tank, Dr. Hughes. Will that be enough?”
“It should. If not, I’ve got an extra one you can use.”
As soon as Hanna stowed her gear, Jamie released the lines and shoved off. The twenty-six foot gray metal boat had a center mounted pilothouse that provided protection from the rain and had been specially equipped for Jamie’s research. It had twin inboard engines, a rear diving platform with two winches, both rigged with heavy cables to lower and raise equipment. Extra tanks, capture nets, a diving cage, an inflatable boat with a six horsepower outboard and an array of tools were strapped to the deck. Gauges, meters, test kits and storage bins were all crowded onboard, making the craft a small but efficient floating laboratory. They motored out of the marina and headed down the shoreline, well within the mouth of Budd Bay.
“That’s where they’re going to dredge,” Jamie pointed out a quarter mile stretch of beach.
“How many samples do you want to take?” Hanna said.
“Depends on what we find. Fifteen, twenty. Maybe more. I want some microscopic species as well as macroscopic ones. Green algae, blue, red.Whatever we can find. Diversity.Anything in this area. Get into your wet suit and let’s go take a look.”
Jamie dropped anchor and began unpacking what she would need for the dive. Hanna pulled off her sweatshirt and shorts. She had on a two-piece green swimsuit that looked more suited for tanning than for scuba diving. Jamie couldn’t help but notice her young and perky breasts, her tiny nipples visible through the fabric. Jamie was an old hand at getting in and out of her wet suit and strapping on her tank. But Hanna was new at it. Jamie was ready and waiting on the diving platform, checking her gauges and regulator, as Hanna was just zipping her wet suit.
“I’m sorry Dr. Hughes. I guess I’m a little nervous. I’m not used to doing this,” she said, going back to her tote bag for her fins.
“Hanna, are you forgetting something?” Jamie said, pointing to her own mask.
“Oh, right.” She went back to get her mask. “Sorry.”
“Take your time.”
“I’m ready.”
“Check your mouthpiece.”
Hanna hung her mask on her wrist and took a breath through her mouthpiece.
“Okay.”
“Do it again,” Jamie said, pinching off Hanna’s nose. Hanna tried again. “Get anything?”
“No.” She looked surprised.
“You might want to turn on the valve.”
“Oh.” Hanna giggled, obviously embarrassed.
“Relax, Hanna. This is just like any other dive. We’re going to take a look around, collect some samples and head back up. If you have trouble, remember the hand signals.”
Hanna nodded.
“Stay close. Steady breathing. Watch your gauge. If I give you the thumbs-up, ascend. We’ll use a net in the cage for the collection bags.” Jamie flipped a switch and lowered a metal cage into the water. “Ready?”
“I think so.”
“You’ll do fine. Hold your regulator when you enter the water so it won’t smack you in the face. Go ahead. You first.” Jamie always had her students enter the water first. She didn’t want a novice jumping on top of her. She knew adrenaline could cause an error in judgment. Hanna held her mask against her face with one hand and her regulator with the other as she stepped into the water. Jamie waited for her to come to the surface and give the okay sign before following. Hanna was right. She was nervous. Jamie could tell by her breathing. She took two breaths for every one Jamie took. But that would come with experience.
They combed the bottom, searching for algae specimens. Jamie knew just what she wanted and filled over a dozen bags while Hanna combed the edges of the collection field, coming up with only a few. Finally, Jamie signaled for them to ascend. She waited for Hanna to climb the ladder before tossing her fins aboard.
“That was fun,” Hanna said enthusiastically. She sat down on the storage bin to unbuckle her tank.
“What’s your tank gauge read?” Jamie said, unhooking her weight belt and tank. “Mine reads half.”
“Gosh,” Hanna gasped, checking her gauge. “I used all that? It’s almost empty.”
“Slow steady breaths, Hanna. You have to be in control of your breathing or you’re going to run out of air halfway through a dive. If we were deeper and you needed to ascend in increments, you would have been in trouble.”
“Sorry, Dr. Hughes.”
“That’s okay. You did fine. As soon as I collect a couple of surface water samples, we can head back to the lab.”
Hanna looked up as a shriek echoed in the distance. “It looks like that little sailboat is really hauling ass.” The sailboat was heading right toward them. It was a small craft and was leaning at a steep angle, perilously close to tipping over as it skated closer.
Jamie looked up from the equipment locker.
“Tack! Tack to port!” she shouted but the boater didn’t seem to hear.
“It’s a woman and a kid!”
“Let it out! Luff your sail!” Jamie went to the front of the boat and waved her arms as the little boat continued to bear down on them.
“They must be in one of those beginner’s classes,” Hanna pointed to the other similar boats darting back and forth across the harbor.
“I know her!” Jamie said, scrambling to put on her glasses. She squinted at the woman at the tiller. “Dana, let out your sail!” she screamed.
“What?” Dana sounded frantic.
“Release the rope.”
“I did but it’s all tangled.” The closer the boat got, the more terrified Dana and the little girl looked. “What should I do?”
“Lay it over,” Jamie shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth. “Lay it over NOW!�
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“How?”
“Lean the way the boat is leaning. Both of you. Lay it down on its side right now, Dana,” she demanded.
Dana tugged at Juliana’s life vest, pulling her to the low side of the boat. Just as Jamie predicted, the twelve-foot sailboat splashed onto its side and coasted to a stop a few yards from Jamie’s boat. The child slipped beneath the water but immediately bobbed to the surface, her life preserver doing its job. She grabbed onto the boat, seemingly none the worse for the dunking. However, Dana was trapped under the sail. Jamie could see her thrashing to get clear of it. Acting on instinct, she dove in and swam over to help. She lifted the sail with one hand and pulled Dana free with the other.
“Hang onto the boat,” Jamie said, pushing Dana against the hull.
“Are you okay, Juliana?” Dana coughed and sputtered.
“Yeah.” Juliana seemed more stunned than anything else.
“The rigging was tangled around the mast. Once we got going, we couldn’t move it,” Dana explained. “Juliana, make sure your vest is tight. And don’t let go of the boat.”
“Where is your life vest?” Jamie asked.
“I don’t know.When I hit the water it came off.”Dana choked and coughed out the seawater she had swallowed.
“There it is, Aunt Dana,” Juliana said, pointing a few feet away.
Jamie retrieved it and helped Dana get it over her shoulders.
“Buckle the strap,” she said, holding it in place while Dana worked the belt.
“No wonder it came off. The buckle is broken.” Dana held up the strap with the broken end.
“Hanna, toss me that red life vest. The one under the seat in the pilothouse,” Jamie shouted, treading water and holding Dana’s damaged vest closed. Hanna tossed it as far as she could and Jamie swam for it. She helped Dana change, making sure she was buckled securely into the new vest. “I’m going to untangle your rigging. But first I need the two of you to hold hands and let go of the boat. I don’t want the hull to hit you in the head. Your vests will support you. Okay?” Jamie tread water easily, keeping herself afloat without relying on the boat. “It’ll just take a minute. I’m right here if you need me.”
“Okay,” Dana said hesitantly, looking over at Juliana. “Are you okay, honey?” Juliana nodded and took Dana’s hand, clinging to her desperately. They released the hull and floated a few feet away.