Crew members hauled him onto the deck. Elena dropped beside him and grabbed his shoulder. “We thought you were dead.” Nathaniel coughed and looked at her. “So did I, for about thirty seconds.” The captain laughed with relief. “Only thirty?”
As everyone crowded around him, Nathaniel looked back at the sea. The whale remained nearby. Two members of the pod swam beside it. “That one,” Nathaniel said, pointing. “That’s the one.” Elena followed his hand. “The one that took you?”