Chapter  15
Meanwhile, the Tank Gang were busy in the dentist’s office, admiring their dirty work.
“Would you look at that? Filthy. Absolutely filthy,” Gill said. “And it’s all thanks to you, kid. You made it possible.”
The gang watched closely when Dr. Sherman walked into the office. He strode across the room to the tank, and stuck his hand inside the murky water. “Crikey! What a state!” he cried. “I better clean the fish tank before Darla gets here.”
The Tank Gang cheered. Tomorrow was the day. Tomorrow they would all escape.
“Are you ready to see your dad, kid?” Gill asked Nemo.
Nemo nodded.
“You know,” Gill added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out there in the harbor waiting for you right now.”
Inside the whale’s mouth, Marlin and Dory heard creaks and moans that echoed all around. Marlin wasn’t going to swim around being trapped. He had to get out! He started by throwing himself forward.
Boom! He crashed against the curtain-like baleen that hung from the whale’s jaw. But it didn’t budge. Marlin rammed the baleen again and again. But it was no use.
Waves rose and fell inside the whale’s mouth. Dory rode a swell, laughing like it was a ride.
“We’re in a whale!” Marlin shouted, starting to get angry. “Don’t you get it?”
Dory looked surprised. “A whale?”
“A whale! ’Cause you had to ask for help. And now we’re stuck here! I have to get out!” Marlin pounded the baleen. “I have to find my son. I have to tell him how old sea turtles are!”
Exhausted, Marlin dropped onto the whale’s tongue. Suddenly, the whale lurched to a stop.
“What’s going on?” asked Marlin.
“Don’t know,” Dory replied. “I’ll ask him.” Dory made some more strange sounds. The whale answered with a roar. “I think he says we’ve stopped,” Dory offered.
“Well, of course we’ve stopped,” Marlin said, annoyed.
Just then the water began to sink lower and lower. It was draining down the whale’s throat. Any minute now, Marlin and Dory, too, would be forced down into the stomach.
The whale moaned. “He says it’s time to let go!” Dory cried.
Marlin peered down the long, dark throat.
“Everything’s gonna be all right,” Dory said calmly.
“How do you know?” Marlin asked. “How do you know something bad isn’t going to happen?”
“I don’t!” Dory replied.
What else could he do? Marlin took a deep breath, then let go. The two fish tumbled down… down… down.
Suddenly, they were swept up in a gush of water.
In Sydney Harbor, the whale surfaced. Marlin and Dory shot out its spout in a jet of water. They tumbled through the air in a spray of mist and foam.
Splash! They hit the harbor water.
“We’re alive!” Marlin cried.
“Look!” Dory pointed to a boat with writing on its side. “It says ‘Sydney’!”
“You were right, Dory!” Marlin exclaimed. “We made it. We’re gonna find my son!”
Marlin thanked the whale, then turned to Dory. “Okay, all we have to do is to find the boat that took him,” he said.
“Right,” Dory agreed.
Marlin surfaced and gazed at the boats. There were hundreds of them, as far as he could see.
But he’d made it this far. And nothing would stop him from finding Nemo.
Marlin threw back his fins. “Come on, Dory. We can do this!”