Page 106

“No,” I answer, glancing at the wall, though from here I can’t see the clipboard that holds Lennon’s medical information, from how much he weighsto the types of treatments he’s received. The reports are pretty dry reading, so after the first couple of days at the center I stopped perusing them. “Why?”

Dr. Jindal sets down a stack of mail that I hadn’t noticed her carrying. She unhooks Lennon’s chart from the little peg, then unlatches the gate and lets herself in.

Lennon lifts his head. Probably hoping for a snack.

“He has an eye infection,” says Dr. Jindal, crouching beside us.

I look into his eyes. Sweet, soft, intelligent eyes, still glazed, still cloudy. And now I can see a hint of yellowish goop in the inner corner of one eye.

“He’s entirely blind in his left eye,” says the vet, “and the infection has spread to the right eye now, too.”

My heart convulses. “Is it painful?”

“Not at this stage. But there isn’t much we can do. He’s eventually going to go entirely blind.”

“But if he’s blind, how will he hunt? How will he survive?”

She gives me a sympathetic look. “He won’t. Not out there.”

Understanding spreads through me. Lennon can never go back to the ocean.

As if bored with our conversation, Lennon gets up suddenly, turns, and waddles back to his blanket.

Using the wall for purchase, I climb back to my feet. “What’s going to happen to him?”

“We’ll do our best to care for him and make him comfortable, like with any of our patients. And when the time is right, he’ll be sent off to a new home.”

“A zoo.”

“Perhaps. There are also aquariums and sanctuaries. Rosa has a lot of good connections. She’ll find the best place for him.” She places a hand on my shoulder. “You still saved his life. It’s just going to be a different life than he’s known before.”

I nod. “Thanks, Dr. Jindal. But saving him was kind of a group effort.”

“They always are,” she says, laughing. “And you’ve been here for a month now, Prudence. You can call me Opal.”

Have I really been here for an entire month? It’s gone by so fast.

I understand now why she wasn’t upset with me. If Lennon is going to a zoo, he’ll be surrounded by humans all the time, everything from zookeepers to rowdy children. The more acclimated he can become to the presence of humans, the better.

“Don’t worry about him,” she adds. “He’s a fighter. I can tell.” She gives me a look, and I have a feeling she feels this way about every animal that comes in here, no matter how bad off they are. “And this does all come with a silver lining.”

“It’s okay for me to visit with him,” I say.

She pauses, and then chuckles. “Yes, actually. Two silver linings, then.” She lets herself out of the gate.

I follow behind her, confused. “What’s the other one?”

“Lennon isn’t the only animal we have that can’t be released. We’re going to introduce him to Luna this evening. If they get along, we’re hoping that we can find a permanent home that will take them both.”

I brighten, immediately relieved to think of Lennon having a friend that will stay with him when he leaves the center. “Why wouldn’t they get along?”

She shrugs. “Just like with humans, some animals just… rub each other the wrong way. But they can also grow on each other with time. If the sparks don’t fly tonight, we’ll keep trying. We’ll have to see what happens.”

I latch the gate and Lennon glances up briefly before flopping over onto his side. “Rest up, buddy,” I whisper to him. “Sounds like you’ve got a hot date tonight.”

Opal snickers. “You volunteers and your matchmaking.”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. Lennon and Luna… it has a nice ring to it.”