Indigo and the Storm

By Louisa Jensen

Splish, splash! Indigo and her pod of whales were on the move, looking for food. Indigo sucked in some water, but she couldn’t find any krill. “Mom, can we rest?” she whined. “I can’t find anything!” Azure looked back at her. “I’m sure there’s krill here somewhere,” she said kindly. “All we have to do is keep looking.” Indigo wasn’t sure about that. She didn’t like this place. They were hunting in an unusually warm patch of water, with almost no sunlight. Kelp drifted eerily around the pod, and there wasn’t a living creature in sight. Indigo had a bad feeling about this place, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was yet.
“Hey Indigo!” Barnacle called. Indigo smiled. Barnacle was one of her only friends in the pod, and always full of energy. “Hi,” she answered, smiling. “Do you want to come swim with us?” he asked, gesturing to himself, Stingray and Blowhole, some of Indigo’s other friends. Indigo’s stomach clenched. “Not right now,” she answered apologetically. “Maybe later?”
“Oh, Okay,” Barnacle said, sounding a little disappointed. Indigo wished she could go with them, but she couldn’t. What would happen if she left her mom’s side? She didn’t want to get hurt, or in trouble. And she definitely didn’t want attention. And what about her mom?

Splish, splash! Indigo and her pod of whales were on the move, looking for food. Indigo sucked in some water, but she couldn’t find any krill. “Mom, can we rest?” she whined. “I can’t find anything!” Azure looked back at her. “I’m sure there’s krill here somewhere,” she said kindly. “All we have to do is keep looking.” Indigo wasn’t sure about that. She didn’t like this place. They were hunting in an unusually warm patch of water, with almost no sunlight. Kelp drifted eerily around the pod, and there wasn’t a living creature in sight. Indigo had a bad feeling about this place, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was yet.
“Hey Indigo!” Barnacle called. Indigo smiled. Barnacle was one of her only friends in the pod, and always full of energy. “Hi,” she answered, smiling. “Do you want to come swim with us?” he asked, gesturing to himself, Stingray and Blowhole, some of Indigo’s other friends. Indigo’s stomach clenched. “Not right now,” she answered apologetically. “Maybe later?”
“Oh, Okay,” Barnacle said, sounding a little disappointed. Indigo wished she could go with them, but she couldn’t. What would happen if she left her mom’s side? She didn’t want to get hurt, or in trouble. And she definitely didn’t want attention. And what about her mom?

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Would she be ok? Indigo certainly wasn’t going to leave her mom to try and find out.  She had to make sure she was fine at all times. Indigo looked around at all the whales swimming without their parents.Some of them were 3 and 4, younger than her. There were even a few two-year-olds swimming without their parents. Indigo was certainly old enough to swim by herself. Maybe I will one day, she thought, but not today. I can wait a little longer. 
Suddenly, there was shouting up ahead. What about? Indigo wondered. A gust of air appeared out of nowhere and swept across Indigo and her mom, sending them tumbling through the water. Big waves crashed against their sides and stung their skin. Indigo’s body ached all over. But ahead of her, other whales were doing much worse. She spotted an old, bluish-greenish-brownish one cradling a fin that was bent in an odd shape. A small whale cried as a gash in his neck spewed blood. Several sea-green whales were sporting bruises, and one screamed as a bone poked through his side. Everywhere, whales screamed and fled as fast as they could from the storm, helping hurt whales to get up, or trying to fix their broken bodies. In the midst of all the chaos, a wave came up from behind Indigo and her mom and separated them, leaving a gash on Indigo’s mom’s side. In the midst of all the chaos now, Indigo screamed and screamed until she could scream no more. The last thing she saw was a fin, covered in dried blood, coming straight towards her, and then she blacked out.

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Would she be ok? Indigo certainly wasn’t going to leave her mom to try and find out.  She had to make sure she was fine at all times. Indigo looked around at all the whales swimming without their parents.Some of them were 3 and 4, younger than her. There were even a few two-year-olds swimming without their parents. Indigo was certainly old enough to swim by herself. Maybe I will one day, she thought, but not today. I can wait a little longer. 
Suddenly, there was shouting up ahead. What about? Indigo wondered. A gust of air appeared out of nowhere and swept across Indigo and her mom, sending them tumbling through the water. Big waves crashed against their sides and stung their skin. Indigo’s body ached all over. But ahead of her, other whales were doing much worse. She spotted an old, bluish-greenish-brownish one cradling a fin that was bent in an odd shape. A small whale cried as a gash in his neck spewed blood. Several sea-green whales were sporting bruises, and one screamed as a bone poked through his side. Everywhere, whales screamed and fled as fast as they could from the storm, helping hurt whales to get up, or trying to fix their broken bodies. In the midst of all the chaos, a wave came up from behind Indigo and her mom and separated them, leaving a gash on Indigo’s mom’s side. In the midst of all the chaos now, Indigo screamed and screamed until she could scream no more. The last thing she saw was a fin, covered in dried blood, coming straight towards her, and then she blacked out.

. . .
Indigo blinked, looking around. They were in a calm patch of sea, back to the usual temperature-cool, but a bit chilly. An adult whale hovered over her. “Oh good. You’re awake!” she sighed with relief. “I was worried about you.”
“What happened?” Indigo asked, avoiding the whales’ eyes. She never did well around strangers, and today was no exception.
“You got knocked out by the storm.” the stranger answered, her voice soothing and comforting. “But it’s okay. You’re fine.” she spoke to Indigo as if she were a newborn calf. Indigo rather liked it.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around. All over, badly injured whales were floating unconsciously through the water while other whales looked at their wounds, using stray pieces of kelp and seaweed as bandages. Every so often, a whale or two, carrying a patient, would swim up to the surface for air, some 500 feet above them. It’s a hospital, Indigo realized. A hospital for injured whales.
Suddenly, Indigo remembered something. Launching away from the stranger, she cried “Mom! Mom, where are you?” Why didn’t I think of her before? she panicked. What if she’s hurt because of the storm and it’s all my fault? I have to find her! Indigo skimmed the whales, occasionally swimming close to one that looked like her mom, but she couldn’t find her. Swimming back to the strange whale who’d been taking care of her, she asked, “Where’s my mom?”
“She’s probably up at the surface,” the nurse answered. Indigo frowned. Why didn’t I think of that?

. . .
Indigo blinked, looking around. They were in a calm patch of sea, back to the usual temperature-cool, but a bit chilly. An adult whale hovered over her. “Oh good. You’re awake!” she sighed with relief. “I was worried about you.”
“What happened?” Indigo asked, avoiding the whales’ eyes. She never did well around strangers, and today was no exception.
“You got knocked out by the storm.” the stranger answered, her voice soothing and comforting. “But it’s okay. You’re fine.” she spoke to Indigo as if she were a newborn calf. Indigo rather liked it.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around. All over, badly injured whales were floating unconsciously through the water while other whales looked at their wounds, using stray pieces of kelp and seaweed as bandages. Every so often, a whale or two, carrying a patient, would swim up to the surface for air, some 500 feet above them. It’s a hospital, Indigo realized. A hospital for injured whales.
Suddenly, Indigo remembered something. Launching away from the stranger, she cried “Mom! Mom, where are you?” Why didn’t I think of her before? she panicked. What if she’s hurt because of the storm and it’s all my fault? I have to find her! Indigo skimmed the whales, occasionally swimming close to one that looked like her mom, but she couldn’t find her. Swimming back to the strange whale who’d been taking care of her, she asked, “Where’s my mom?”
“She’s probably up at the surface,” the nurse answered. Indigo frowned. Why didn’t I think of that?

Just then, two whales came whooshing towards the hospital area, clearly coming from the surface. One looked unfamiliar, but Indigo recognized the injured whales’ deep blue scales.
“Mom!” Indigo cried, swimming as fast as she could towards her. “Mom, are you alright?” the second whale looked up, green eyes clouded with worry.
“She’s unconscious right now” he explained, his face clouded with worry. Seeing Indigo’s horrified expression, he added “but I’m sure she’ll be fine.” But Indigo wasn’t so sure about that. 
“Someone’s going to go look for medicine to heal the pod, and to figure out what’s happened,” the stranger-whale who’d been taking care of her said gently.
“Who?”
“They don’t know who yet. There aren’t many adult whales well enough for the job, and most of them will need to take care of everyone else,” the stranger explained. “But I’m sure they’ll find someone before long.”

Suddenly, an older whale collided with her. Indigo was knocked aside, spiraling through the water. How rude! But I do hope he’s alright.
The whale looked up at her and stammered, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to collide with you! “Are you ok?”

Just then, two whales came whooshing towards the hospital area, clearly coming from the surface. One looked unfamiliar, but Indigo recognized the injured whales’ deep blue scales.
“Mom!” Indigo cried, swimming as fast as she could towards her. “Mom, are you alright?” the second whale looked up, green eyes clouded with worry.
“She’s unconscious right now” he explained, his face clouded with worry. Seeing Indigo’s horrified expression, he added “but I’m sure she’ll be fine.” But Indigo wasn’t so sure about that. 
“Someone’s going to go look for medicine to heal the pod, and to figure out what’s happened,” the stranger-whale who’d been taking care of her said gently.
“Who?”
“They don’t know who yet. There aren’t many adult whales well enough for the job, and most of them will need to take care of everyone else,” the stranger explained. “But I’m sure they’ll find someone before long.”

Suddenly, an older whale collided with her. Indigo was knocked aside, spiraling through the water. How rude! But I do hope he’s alright.
The whale looked up at her and stammered, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to collide with you! “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” she mumbled.
“Are you Indigo?” he blurted, eyeing her purpley-tinted scales.Indigo felt every muscle in her body tense up. How does he know who I am? Should I lie? No, it’s best to tell him the truth. It could be good news, she thought hopefully, imagining her mom wrapping her fins around Indigo.
“Yes,” she said nervously, hoping it really was good news about her mom.
“Well, you see,” said the whale, fidgeting nervously, “There aren’t many adult whales that aren’t injured.” Indigo nodded. “And the ones that are healthy are either too old or need to nurse everyone who’s sick.” Too old for what? Indigo wondered. “So, you see, we need one whale to go and try to figure out what’s happening,” he went on, “And, you see, I’m afraid you’re the best one for the job.”
“M….me?” Indigo squeaked as all eyes turned towards her. No. This can’t be happening. I was never meant for this. And I have to stay with mother! I’m sure they can find someone else for the job. “There must be a mistake,” she added.
The older whale smiled sadly at her. “You’re the oldest one who’s strong enough, or isn’t needed to nurse injured whales. It has to be you.”
“Can’t I nurse whales, and someone else go?” Indigo blurted.
“Well, I’m afraid adult whales are a little more...erm… experienced at this job.” he answered. “I’m sorry, but it has to be you.” Indigo spun around, looking at all of the other whales, now watching them. She hated being noticed, and she would do anything to keep it that way,
“No,” she said with a tremor in her voice. “I can’t do this.” Then she turned around and swam as fast as she could.