Manatee Blues Read Online Free PDF Page B

Dr. Mac steps out. She puts her hands on the railing and takes a deep breath of salty air.
    “Beautiful, isn’t it?” she asks.
    “Sure is,” I say. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
    We stand quietly, listening to the mix of seagull calls and the faint noise of the children playing on the beach.
    “Do you think Violet will be OK?” I ask.
    “Gretchen is a gifted veterinarian, and the people on her staff are very smart. Violet is getting great care.”
    “I wish I could do more to help her,” I say, twirling the manatee bracelet around my wrist.
    “I understand,” Dr. Mac says. “I wish more people felt the same way. So”—she slaps the railing to change the subject—“what do you think of Florida?”
    I chuckle. “Honestly? I love it. The hotel is awesome, and the water, the palm trees, the birds. And our room! It’s bigger than my house. You shouldn’t be spending all this money, Dr. Mac. We could have stayed in a motel or at a campground.”
    Dr. Mac stretches her arms over her head. “I worked hard for my money, Brenna, and I don’t spend it on fast cars or jewelry. But when I travel, I like to be comfortable. And I like being able to show you kids a little of the world.”
    She twists so that her back cracks, then reaches over to touch her toes. Dr. Mac is in good shape. She can lay her hands flat on the floor in front of her. “I still have kinks from those airplane seats. I’m going for a run on the beach,” she says. “You girls stay out of trouble until I get back.”
    Maggie opens the door behind me and sticks out her head. “Can I call the clinic?”

    “A fire?!” Maggie shouts into the phone.
    “Ouch. Not so loud,” Zoe tells her cousin. The three of us are crowded around one telephone.
    David sputters on the other end of the line. “It wasn’t my fault, honest, I swear,” he says. “It was small, a small fire, a mini fire. Really just a couple of flames. And you’ll be happy to know that the fire extinguisher works properly.”
    Someone takes the phone away from David.
    “Hello? Dr. Mac? It’s me, Sunita.”
    “Gran’s not here,” Maggie tells her. “Just Zoe, Brenna, and me. What happened?”
    Sunita sighs heavily. I can just see her rolling her eyes in exasperation.
    “I was sterilizing instruments in the autoclave, and it started to smoke,” she explains. “Dr. Gabe took care of the whole thing. We were never in any danger, though David got a little excited with the fire extinguisher.”
    “Never a dull moment,” Maggie chuckles with relief. “How’s Sherlock?”
    “And Sneakers?” calls Zoe.
    “They’re right here. I’ll put them on.” We can hear Sunita whispering something to the dogs, then their tags jingling, then
Rrowf! Awoooo!
    “Hi, baby!” Maggie coos.
    “Sneakers! Sneaky-boy!” calls Zoe.
    Oh, brother.
    “It’s me again,” says Sunita. “I think they miss you guys. Even Socrates.” Socrates is the MacKenzies’ fat tabby cat. “He spends all his time sleeping on Dr. Mac’s chair at the kitchen table. So tell me what the manatees are like!”
    “You wouldn’t believe what we did,” I say, grabbing the phone. “We rescued this poor manatee that was hit by a boat! It was awful and wonderful all at the same time.”
    I describe the afternoon’s adventures, with Maggie and Zoe filling in the details. “And I took lots of pictures,” I assure Sunita.
    “I can’t wait to see them,” she says. “Uh-oh, I’ve got to go. Dr. Gabe is calling me. Have fun.”
    Zoe presses down the little clicker to hang up the phone. “Do you want to call your parents?” she asks.
    “Nope,” I say. “Everyone’s at work.”
    “Time to chill, then,” Maggie says as she picks up the remote control and changes the channel. “Baseball!”
    She leaps on the bed and leans against a pile of pillows. “Stingers vs. Hurricanes. Top of the seventh, Stingers up four to three. Come here! You’ll get to see Ronnie Masters, the home run hitter I