Swimming Lessons. Mary Monroe Alice

extending his hand. Though dressed in a wet suit, Toy noticed he had the manners of a man in a three piece suit. “Thanks for all your help.”

      The elevator doors opened again and this time, Jason stepped out. He grinned and waved in jovial welcome, shaking hands with the group and slapping Ethan’s back.

      Jason, too, was a source of feminine gossip at the Aquarium. Like Ethan, he was in his thirties, tall, great looking, and unmarried. Jason wore his dark hair neatly trimmed and his manner was more open and less reserved than Ethan’s, despite the seniority of his position. Ethan and Jason were equally passionate about the Aquarium and their work, which prompted a lasting friendship and mutual respect between them. Avid fishermen, their expeditions to gather specimens for the Aquarium garnered them their nickname, “the saltwater cowboys.”

      “So, what do we have here?” Jason asked, moving to the crate.

      Ethan removed the towels from the sea turtle, shook his head and said ruefully, “Looks to me like another Barnacle Bill.”

      Jason whistled softly. “She’s in pretty bad shape.” He lowered to inspect closely. “She’s very thin and dehydrated. Her eyes are sunken, her skin is wrinkled. Look here,” he said, pointing to the dry shell. “Even the keratin on the carapace is wrinkled.”

      “We didn’t spot any outward signs of injury, other than a few minor scrapes and cuts,” Toy reported. “From the looks of her carapace, we figure she’s a floater.”

      “Floaters are tough to rehab without knowing what the underlying problem is,” Jason said. “Our oceans are sick and these turtles reflect that.”

      “Where did you find her?” asked Ethan.

      “Floating in the surf off Isle of Palms. At first I thought she was dead, but when she moved I swam out and brought her in.”

      “Aha. So you’re a hero.”

      She shook her head. “Cara and Brett helped carry her in and once Jason gave us the okay to bring her in here, we kept her overnight in a blue plastic kiddie pool under my porch.”

      They guffawed at this image.

      “I’m surprised she lived through the night,” Jason added. “But these animals never cease to amaze me. They come in more dead than alive, yet still they manage to survive. This looks like another case of Floater Syndrome.” He rubbed his jaw as he considered his options. “Okay boys, let’s move her. Is there something I can use to set her down on so I can get a better look at her?”

      “If it’s okay with you, we have to get going,” Brett interjected, putting his hand on Cara’s shoulder. “Memorial Day is around the corner. It’s one of our busiest times of the season. I’ve got more work than I can shake a stick at.”

      “You bet,” Ethan said, going over to shake his hand. “Thanks for bringing her in.”

      “Take care of our baby,” Cara said to Toy before leaving.

      “You know I will.”

      After they left, Ethan led the team toward the back section of the third floor. “I put the turtle tank as far from my other tanks as possible,” he said to Jason. “I have to tell you, I’m not happy about keeping a sick patient from the outside without any diagnosis here with my healthy stock. If it is Debilitated Turtle Syndrome, that means we don’t know what you’re bringing into my space. No offense to the lady here,” he said, indicating the turtle, “but I’m worried about any transfer of diseases into my tank. If there’s a problem in there, it’s a big problem. I hate to take any risks.”

      “I know,” Jason replied as he followed. “Unfortunately, Ethan, there isn’t anywhere else to put her right now. Let’s take it day by day.”

      Ethan stopped. “For how long?”

      “I don’t know yet,” Jason said, stopping beside him. “We’ll begin rehabilitation here, then evaluate if she stays here for the entire rehab period.”

      “You’re the boss.”

      Ethan resumed walking, taking the group to a corner in the farthest point from the Great Ocean Tank. He wiped his damp hair from his forehead. “Okay,” he said with reluctance. “But I want sterilizing procedures in full force.”

      “Of course,” Toy said, stepping up. She felt responsible for bringing the turtle in. “I’ll use every precaution and be extra careful to keep all our supplies separate. If you have any problems, just let me know.”

      “You can count on that.” His tone was direct but not threatening.

      Toy was a little afraid of him, especially when his dark eyes flashed like they did now. Yet, she could sympathize with his position. The Great Ocean Tank was the most important exhibit of the Aquarium.

      Jason did a brief exam of the turtle on a make-shift table of a piece of plywood on top of big cardboard boxes. The huge turtle lay on her backside, looking more dead than alive. When Jason finished, Ethan and Toy gently helped him to turn her to her plastron. Big Girl rolled her dark, almond shaped eyes back and cast Ethan a watery, baleful glance.

      “Look at her,” Ethan said, his deep voice softening. “She’s emaciated, dehydrated and scarred. But despite all that I have to admit, she’s beautiful.”

      Toy cast a quick glance to Jason. She saw a small smile of satisfaction play at his lips. No one could argue her case better than Big Girl herself.

      “Let’s go ahead and give her fluids,” Jason instructed. “The rest will wait until Dr. Tom examines her. He’s on his way now.”

      “All right, boys,” Ethan said with a tone of resigned acceptance. “We have a new in-patient. Bring her over and I’ll fill the tank with fresh water. It will kill epibenthic growth and help her re-hydrate for a few days. After that, we’ll return her to salt.”

      Ethan and Irwin carried Big Girl to the blue polypropylene holding tank. Then the four men gently lifted her into the freshwater bath.

      “Who’s going to be taking care of this turtle?” Ethan asked. When Jason looked to him, he lifted his hands. “Oh, no, don’t go looking at me. You know how busy things get during the summer season. I won’t have time.”

      “I did two rotations at the Karen Beasely Sea Turtle Hospital,” Toy said, stepping forward. She could hardly believe she’d found the courage to plead her case to Jason, but she desperately wanted the job and believed she could do it. She couldn’t imagine anyone but her taking care of Big Girl and she felt sure her desire burned in her eyes. “Jean Beasely personally trained me and I’ve had lots of experience with all kinds of sick and injured sea turtles. And I’ve been licensed by Department of Natural Resources to be on the turtle team for over five years. I feel confident I can handle the job. With your support, of course.”

      Jason’s joviality vanished as he considered this decision with all seriousness. She knew he’d be taking a chance on a fairly new staff member.

      “You brought her in,” he said in conclusion. “Seems fair to give you the chance.”

      Toy’s heart leaped at the opportunity. “Thank you, Jason. You won’t be disappointed.”

      “I’m sure I won’t be. But I want you to work closely with Ethan.” He looked over at Ethan who was shaking his head with chagrin. “Just supervise, okay? And try to be nice.” He smiled at Toy. “My door is always open.” He looked at his watch and began walking off with purpose. “I leave her in your good hands!” he called out.

      Ethan turned his head to look at her. Toy couldn’t read his mind in his dark eyes, but she felt sure he could read the exultation in her own.

      “I’ll start a medical log,” she said as she walked off, her feet not quite touching the ground.

      Medical Log “Big Girl”

      May 24

      Received