Chapter 28 Velcro Scare
Velcro scare
Riley glanced at Gray, her brows knitting in a silent question. He smiled and nodded, but something in his expression made her wonder what had happened while she was gone. She filed it away to ask later.
"All right, team, what have we got here?
" Cici reached for the cuff Cam was holding.
She examined it, tugging at the Velcro straps to test their strength while Cam set Shiloh's fish cooler down on the dock.
Right on cue, Shiloh surfaced, her sleek head popping out of the water, and she chirped a greeting.
Cici grinned at the dolphin. "Hey, girlie. Got something new for you to try."
Shiloh, ever the cooperative superstar, wagged her head in what looked like eager agreement. She had always been the most reliable in equipment trials. Where Abaco and Anejo turned every test into a game of "How fast can we break it?" Shiloh had a knack for understanding the assignment.
Cici adjusted the cuff one last time and settled on the floating dock while Cam, Riley, and Gray stayed on the stable dock above, watching. Cici extended a hand toward Shiloh. "Pec, please," she said with a teasing lilt, wiggling her fingers.
Shiloh obliged, presenting her pectoral fin with a splash of flair. Cici couldn't resist a quick tickle under her pec-pit. Shiloh squawked indignantly, spitting a small stream of water at her trainer.
"Okay, okay, back to business." Cici took the fin again, carefully slipping the cuff into place where the fin met Shiloh's body.
She double-checked that it wasn't too tight before giving a sharp blow on her whistle to signal success.
Shiloh's reward came immediately—a fish tossed expertly into her waiting mouth.
"Looks like a perfect fit for my perfect girl."
Standing up, she walked along the dock, giving Shiloh a chance to swim and test the cuff's fit in motion.
The dolphin zipped through the water; the cuff staying securely in place.
Gray loved how eager Shiloh was to try new things out, including being their best dolphin for the underwater videos they made tracking her speed, heart rate, breath-hold times, and how many times she kicked her flukes between the underwater markers.
Gray had spent an afternoon with Cici, who had explained that Shiloh was one dolphin that had come from the Navy.
He didn't know all the details yet, but it was fascinating to think about all the places Shiloh had been before moving to the Lagoon.
Gray was sure she had travelled to more places than he had been in his life.
"Well done, team! Let's see if it fits Abaco and Anejo and take them out to the ocean this afternoon to record." Riley was so pleased the cuff fit.
Cici knelt to remove the cuff, but as soon as the Velcro made that first scratchy rip, chaos erupted. Shiloh shrieked, rearing back and spraying water everywhere. Cici toppled backward, landing with a groan, as Shiloh bolted across the enclosure, the cuff hanging awkwardly from her fin.
All four of them froze, watching as Shiloh rocketed through the water. With a powerful breach, she flung herself into the air, twisting and shaking until the cuff went flying.
Gray moved to step forward, but both Riley and Cam held him back. "Hang on, she's too worked up."
Cici scrambled to her feet, dripping wet and unfazed. She tapped the water three times, a steady rhythm that eventually caught Shiloh's attention. The dolphin slowed, her sleek body gliding through the water before stopping at the far side of the enclosure, one eye fixed warily on her trainer.
"Crap!" Cici wiped the water from her face. "Who knew a dolphin would fear Velcro?" Her exasperation dissolved into laughter.
Cam shook his head. "I guess she never wore any Velcro while she was deployed in the Navy. I don't think I've ever seen her freak out about anything; this is a first."
Cici waved a hand. "I'll grab the cuff later. Right now, I need to grovel. Shiloh deserves an apology and a game of 'throw the trainer in the water' before she'll even look at me again."
"Back to the drawing board?" Gray asked as they made their way back along the docks.
"I guess so," Riley said, her lips twitching. "But also... Velcro? I swear, dolphins come up with new quirks to keep us humble. Remember the pool noodle incident?"
Cam groaned, laughing at the memory. "I thought they'd love those noodly appendage toys. Turns out, every single dolphin hated them."
"Raced around like they were being chased by sea monsters," Riley added, shaking her head.
"We'll figure it out. We need to take it slower next time." Cam clapped Gray on the shoulder to reassure him.
Gray nodded, though his thoughts drifted back to Cam's earlier advice about relationships. He glanced at Riley walking ahead of him; her focus already on the next challenge. Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside. Work first, he reminded himself. Everything else could wait.