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“Remember not to touch,” Blair warned.
“It’s breathing.” Addy excitedly motioned at the jellyfish.
Sure enough, the sea creature moved.
Eyes huge, Addy tugged on Oz’s hand. “We have to save him. We have to.”
Oz looked to Blair for help.
“Addy, honey.” She moved close to her daughter. “Once he’s washed up on the beach like this, there’s not a way to save him. He’d die even if we put him back into the water.”
“But we have to try,” Addy pleaded. She gave Oz her most appealing expression. “We just have to.”
Oz wrapped around Addy’s little finger right before Blair’s eyes.
“Okay, Pipsqueak, let’s see what we can find to rescue this guy with because we aren’t touching him. You know why not, right?”
Addy nodded. “Because he stings.”
They searched the beach for something they could safely move the jellyfish into the water with. A boy about the same age as Addy was building a sand castle several meters away. Running to him, Addy worked her big green-eyed magic. Blair wasn’t surprised when he offered his bright orange plastic shovel and pail. Grinning, Addy turned to Oz, proudly showing him her wares, and introduced her new friend.
“This is Pete. He’s going to help save the jelly.”
Blair smiled at the boy.
“Okay, Addy, Pete, let’s see what we have here.” Oz examined the plastic shovel and pail. The jellyfish’s body would easily fit in the pail, but the tentacles would be problematic if they weren’t careful.
“What do you think? Should we shovel him up and carry him to the water, or do we put him in the pail?”
Addy and Pete studied the situation. “The pail,” they said in unison, then giggled at their timing.
“I get to save him since it was my idea,” Addy pointed out in a very grown-up voice to her new friend.
Standing close, Oz handed Addy the shovel.
Bottom lip tucked between her teeth, she concentrated on using the shovel to carefully scoop up the jellyfish. By going beneath the sand, she managed to maneuver it onto the shovel. But when it came to lifting her cargo, she looked perplexed, trying to figure out how she was going to transfer the jellyfish into the pail without burying the creature in sand.
“Maybe I could carry the shovel directly into the water,” Oz suggested, looking relieved at the prospect of taking the shovel from Addy.
Addy and Pete looked at each other in question, then nodded. Oz tossed his cell phone, wallet and keys to Blair. With care, he took the shovel from Addy.
The keys held Oz’s warmth, as did the worn leather wallet and phone. Blair slid all three into her shoulder bag, only letting her fingers linger a moment on the items still warm from his body heat, knowing she was sad and pathetic that her fingers had lingered at all.
When the two kids went to follow Oz into the water, Blair held out her hand, restraining them. “Sorry, guys, but Oz has to go into the water alone. The jelly won’t mean to, but if you’re in the water, he might accidentally sting you.”
Addy and Pete sighed their disappointment at not being able to go farther into the water with Oz, but didn’t argue. Neither liked the prospect of being stung.
Hands on hips, Addy murmured to her new friend, “He wouldn’t really sting us ’cause we saved him and he knows we’re his friends.”
Pete agreed.
Watching for the right moment to avoid an incoming wave, Oz walked as far into the water as he could without completely soaking his shorts.
Blair could see him contemplating how he was going to put the jelly into the water without the creature washing back toward the shore, possibly stinging him in the process, but most definitely disappointing the two little rescuers. Finally, a larger incoming wave decided for him. Not having time to spare, Oz held the shovel as far away from him as possible and lowered the jellyfish into the water.
The moment the jellyfish was free Oz leaped toward the shore, the wave crashing in around his legs, soaking the hem of his shorts and splattering him completely.
“Dr Oz, you didn’t check to make sure he swam away.” Addy frowned, hands fisted on her slim little hips. “You need to swim and check on him.”
