short story

Holly sat on the craggy rocks, gazing out at the sea as waves thrashed the shore spewing white frothy water over the rocks and sand. The sun was slowly dropping from the sky and shadows began to creep in signaling the arrival of inky darkness. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, letting the salty air fill her lungs. The smell was familiar. Comforting. Yet, as a scientist she had witnessed the changes on her beloved beach, the beach she had grown up on, the beach that had influenced her decision to study the creatures of the ocean. It had changed in so many ways. It was hard to believe that the shore, dotted with colorful umbrella’s and beach houses and hotels often ended up as the final resting places for sea life. Holly remembered wandering the beaches in her childhood and the memories were good ones. Now, she dreaded getting a call or text to come examine the latest fatality.
     Just this morning she had been called to examine a dolphin that had washed up on the beach. Dolphins sometimes wash up alive, emaciated and laboring with their final breaths. She hated those calls, as there was nothing she could do other than put them out of their misery. Sometimes it was evident that a shark had bitten them, other times disease was the obvious cause of death. She performed her duties like the scientist she is, but the tears that dripped from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks in sheer sadness came from the little girl within her that loved seeing the dolphins and seals frolicking in the waves. Instead this beautiful creature was lifeless, still, cold. Dead. A victim of man. Humans had killed him, not by their hands, but a result of neglectful and sometimes intentional actions.
     She had opened his belly and found plastic fragments that he had swallowed and noted it as probable cause of death. Plastic can be lethal to sea-life that ingest it. The debris can block their stomachs and starve them or puncture their intestinal systems. Plastic can release toxins when ingested. Chemicals may already be present in plastic or absorbed by the plastic while it floats in the ocean. The animal may not die right away but it may impact things like their reproductive cycle which causes long term consequences. The fish that dolphins and seals survive on are dying off due to the lack of clean ocean water. The trickle-down effect is beginning to affect the fishermen who make their living fishing the waters and providing seafood to the world. Now, however, there is less demand since many of the fish are deemed toxic to eat. Sharks eat the seals that ate the smaller fish and become sick and die. When Red Tide occurs it makes it difficult for people to breathe and kills even more sea life.
     Holly had gone to school to study seals and dolphins and whales. Now she spent more time examining their dead bodies than studying breeding and feeding patterns. Each death hit her personally. She did everything she could to save them, to educate the public, but she knew it wasn’t enough.

Heavy warm air, stagnant from yet another hot humid summer day left her feeling drained. She had lived and worked on the New England coast her whole life, but she had done some traveling during college and grad school and had spent a couple of weeks a year volunteering in different countries that needed help. She had learned a great deal from those experiences.
     Seeing places that had terrible health care was bad enough, but some of the destinations had very little clean water. People struggled to get enough to eat and what they did find had little nutritional value to it. Air and water pollution was abundant and visible to the naked eye and the depletion of natural resources left the countries with extreme conditions.
     People had, in many cases, no shelter from the elements. They were virtually baking in the sun, or in cold climates had no way of keeping warm. She had witnessed people living on the streets and warming themselves with trash being burned in large garbage barrels because although these places lacked so much, trash was abundant. Holly had walked though some of these cities and wondered how people even lived through it all. Conditions were terrible. Yet, despite the poverty, the hunger, the lack of water and decent homes, babies continued to be born, helping to increase the already over populated world.
      Holly, along with other scientists, doctors and nurses would go and do what they could then hop back on a plane and fly home to comfort. But now, even areas of the United States were starting to resemble third world countries. Programs such as Public Aid that helped the poor were on the verge of collapse. Medicare, which helped seniors would be broke within a few years and Social Security would soon be without adequate funding.
     So much had changed. Holly knew what the problem was. Most scientists did. There were simply too many people on Earth and they were using up all the resources and not bothering to help replenish what they took. To most, it was all about money. If they made money it didn’t matter if they took too many trees from the rain forests or killed the Rhinos for their horns. They didn’t care if bees went extinct and they didn’t care drilling for oil disturbed the natural habitat of creatures.
     Holly went into the house and opened the window and climbed into her bed. She fell asleep to the sound of waves pounding the shore and thoughts of the dead dolphins weighing heavily on her mind.

The sound of her phone jolted Holly awake. She sat up and grabbed at the phone on the small table next to her bed. “Hello, this is Holly.”
      “Hello, this is Dawson Hayes. I am with the Coast Guard. My daughter found a small seal this morning. The little guy isn’t doing very well. We were told to get ahold of you to come take a look. Will that be possible?”
      “Yes, give just a few minutes to get dressed and I will head your way. Can you tell me the location of the seal and how much you think he weighs?”
      “The beach up at Lighthouse Point, and I would guess maybe 30 pounds. He’s a little guy. We will hang out here with him until you get here.”
      “Thanks, Dawson. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Holly clicked off the phone and hurried to get dressed. She hoped the little seal would be ok. At least the call was for one that was alive. The last several had been deceased. She wanted a happy ending for this one. She ate a granola bar, filled her water bottle and grabbed a medium sized kennel to transport the seal and hopped in her jeep.
     Holly could see a man and small girl standing on the beach. The little girl was bent over talking to the little seal. “Hi guys, you found a little seal huh?” Holly said as she walked up to the pair. She looked down at the young seal that seemed a bit on the thin side. The little guy raised his head and looked up at her with the big wet eyes that always melted her heart. She had a soft spot for seals, she had since she was a little girl.
      “My name is Sarah. I found him. He was just lying here. He won’t leave. He’s sick.” The curly haired little girl said.
      “My name is Holly. Thank you for trying to help him. You did the right thing. In most cases wild animals should be left alone but sometimes, like today, they need a little help. I’m going to take him back to my office with me. I’ll check him out and if need be call in a veterinarian. We’re going to do everything we can to get your little friend feeling better.” Holly smiled at the little girl.
      “Can I go with you?” Sarah looked at Holly.
      “No honey, you can’t. We need to get back home.” Dawson said to his daughter. “Holly needs to get the seal back and do her job and I need to get you back to Mrs. Anderson so I can get to work.”
      “But Dad…” Sarah said with tears in her eyes.
      “Sorry sweetheart. Time to go.”
      “Holly? Can we come and see him later? After you get him fixed up. Please say yes.” Sarah looked at Holly with the tears still running down her cheeks. “I love him already.”
      “If it’s okay with your dad he can bring you by later on.” Holly said.
      “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Sarah ran to give Holly a hug. “You are so welcome sweetie.” Holly handed Dawson her card that had the address of where he could bring her.
      “Uh Dawson, call first ok. Just in case…” Holly’s eyes connected with Dawson’s and he understood what she meant. If the seal didn’t make it she didn’t want him bringing Sarah and breaking her heart.
      “Will do.” Dawson said and grabbed Sarah’s hand and the two headed up the beach.

Holly loaded up the little seal into the kennel and took him to her office. The New England Center for Oceanic Wildlife contained a wing that held marine creatures being nursed back to health with the intent to release them back into the wild. They also had a couple of seals and a turtle that couldn’t be released that they used for public education. Holly went to classrooms and sometimes teachers brought students into the center for field trips.
      In another area researchers spent time processing data about the deceased animals. The final area was set up for necropsies. It was important to gain as much information as possible on the creatures who died. It wasn’t a pleasant part to the job, but vital. Technicians wore protective gear, including respirator masks as the smell of the decaying marine flesh was enough to make even the most seasoned tech retch. They took measurements and samples of tissue and organs placing them into jars or bags labeling them carefully. It was important to study the disease or other factors that killed the animals. At times it could be a secondary infection, fungi, bacteria or parasites but often it was poor environmental conditions fueled by agriculture runoff and other human based causes such as pollution or oil spills, even fertilizer from yards. Holly unloaded the seal and examined him. He didn’t have any obvious injuries. He was alert but weak. She did a quick x-ray with the help of a technician. It didn’t show anything remarkable other than his little stomach was empty. She had the tech mix up some mashed fish. Before feeding the seal she took a quick blood sample and then started an IV to rehydrate him a bit before feeding the mashed fish.
     The results suggest that harbor seal was infected by Brucella, likely B. pinnipedialis, without evidence of associated disease. She was hopeful that she could treat him and successfully release him. She named him Rocky.
     Holly spent the afternoon catching up on paper work and keeping an eye on Rocky. She was just about to call it a night when her phone rang. “Hello, this is Holly.”
      “Hi Holly, this is Dawson. As soon as I walked in the door Sarah asked me if we could come and see the seal. How is he? What do you think?”
      “He’s doing better. Can you guys come on in now, it’s been a long day and I was hoping to get out of here pretty quick?” Holly said.
      “You bet, we’ll be right there and thank you for letting us come. Sarah has talked non-stop about him. She really loves the little guy.”
      “No problem at all. See you guys soon.” Holly clicked her phone off.

Holly could hear Sarah’s chatter before she saw them come around the corner. She walked out to greet them. Holly took note that Dawson was a handsome guy. Without his Coast Guard hat on she could see his thick dark hair. She hadn’t been attracted to a guy in a couple of years and couldn’t help but give herself a mental slap upside the head for finding one that was obviously married with a little girl.
      “Hi guys, come on back. Rocky is doing a little better. Oh yeah, I named him Rocky.” Holly laughed. “I am not supposed to name them, yet I name every one of them.”
     Sarah ran to Rocky. “Can I touch him? Dad wouldn’t let me earlier.”
      “You can pet him very gently, but then you need to go and wash your hands with soap and water really well ok?” Holly smiled at the little girl with the big blue eyes. She looked so much like her dad, but with curly hair.
     Sarah sat down and talked gently to Rocky and petted his little head tenderly. Holly grabbed her phone and snapped a couple of pictures and laughed when she saw Dawson doing the exact same thing.
      “Is your wife working? I’m surprised Sarah didn’t want her mom to see Rocky.” Holly said.
     A shadow crossed Dawson’s face. His dark eyes looked pained. “My wife, Sarah’s mom, died two years ago. She worked for the Coast Guard as well. They were out on the boat when they found a whale that was entangled in fishing line. The whale was dying. Fishermen just cut the lines loose and don’t realize or don’t care what damage they can do. Marie loved animals, especially whales, and she couldn’t stand to see it suffer and die tangled up like that. Her crew told her not to do it, but she grabbed her knife and jumped in the water. She managed to free the whale, but as he took a dive she was thrown against the boat. She hit her head. She was killed instantly. Sarah was only seven. We were devastated. Without Mrs. Anderson, who cares for Sarah while I work, and cooks and cleans, we would have totally fallen apart, she is a kind soul and she is the glue that held us together. Sarah gets her love for the creatures of the sea from her mom. Oh man, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to actually spill my guts like that.”
      “I am so sorry. How tragic for you both. Marie sounds like someone I would have loved to be friends with. She is a heroine in my eyes. I’m so sorry you both had to go through that. Please don’t feel bad for telling me.” Holly brushed back a tear and looked up at Dawson.
      “Thank you and thank you for being so kind to Sarah.” Dawson said.

Sarah ran to wash her hands and came running up to Holly and her dad. “Holly, can I ask you a favor? For a school project I was supposed to do something environmental. You know, something that makes people think. Do you think maybe, I mean, would you come to my class and talk to them about what you do? One boy had his uncle that used to help fight wild fires out west come in. It was cool to learn about, but you save seals. Nothing could be cooler than that. Please say you will? Please?”
      “Now Sarah, Holly is busy and…” Dawson started to speak
      “I would love to Sarah. Just tell me when. Seriously, it’s part of my job to educate the public. Maybe I can even bring Rocky in if he is well enough by then.” Holly said.
      “Thank you, thank you so much.” Sarah hugged Holly bringing up an emotion Holly wasn’t used to feeling. She loved kids but didn’t think she would ever have any of her own. She was too busy to even consider it, but now, with this little curly haired sweetheart hugging her she felt her heart do a few flip flops that she had never felt before.

Two weeks went by in a blur. Holly loaded Rocky in her Jeep and headed off to Sarah’s classroom. Her plan was to speak first and then introduce the class to Rocky. She ran into Dawson in the hall. “Hey you, what are you doing here?” Holly smiled at Dawson.
      “I promised Sarah I would come. I try to attend all school functions. It’s good to see you. How is Rocky?”
      “He’s good. The plan is to release him tomorrow. I was going to ask Sarah if she wanted to help me do that. You are welcome to join us as well if you like?” Holly smiled.
      “I would love to do that. Oops, I see Sarah waving you in. Show time.” Dawson said, and Holly laughed and headed into the classroom and Dawson followed.

Sarah stood in front of the classroom. “Hi everyone. This is Holly. She is a wildlife biologist. Not only is she a pretty lady, but she gets to work with seals and dolphins and whales and everything. She has the coolest job ever. Thanks for being here.” Sarah then walked over and hugged Holly. Sarah didn’t notice the look on Holly’s face, but Dawson did. It matched his emotion.
      “Hi everyone, like Sarah said I am a wildlife biologist. I have been studying seals and dolphins since college. Other sea-life as well, but I kind of specialize in seals and dolphins. You know, I know you guys know a little bit about seals and dolphins, so I am not going to talk about them so much. I want to talk about what you all can do to help them. You see, we humans are doing so much to hurt our oceans and frankly if we destroy our oceans we won’t have a planet left to live on. It might not happen today, or next year or even in twenty years, but we need to protect our world if we want to go on living in it. We need to protect it for our children and their children’s futures.” Holly paused and smiled.
      “I know you might be asking yourself, but what can I do? But the fact is you can do something. You all can do something, every day to help our planet. It is almost impossible to avoid single-use plastic. Almost everything you buy online or from stores in person is likely to be wrapped in plastic wrap, shrink-wrapped or covered in protective cling-form. And just think of all the plastic bottles that are purchased daily, which is increasing over time. The problem is plastic is everywhere and once it’s created there is nowhere for it to go. Of the billions of tons of plastic trash, it’s estimated between six and fourteen million tons make it into the oceans each year. Most being dumped on land or in rivers and makes its own way to the sea, and as long as it remains in the Earth’s waterways plastic will be slowly killing off the ocean’s creatures.
     Discarded fishing nets, either by accident or on purpose also known as ghost nets and six-pack rings make up a large portion of the plastic in the sea and are some of the most dangerous. Turtles and seabirds get the rings stuck around their necks and the fishing nets get tangled around their legs, or their necks. This is something we can control, we can stop this torture. Education is key. When your parent’s buy six packs of soda cut those rings up immediately. It may seem like a little thing but if we all learn to do it then it will make a big impact.
     You can learn to re-cycle and you can tell everyone that they need to do it too. We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to dispose of it in the right way. You can stop using plastic straws. They end up in the stomachs of our sea creatures and it can kill them. When you go with your mom grocery shopping take a reusable bag in the store with you and use that instead of using those plastic bags. They can take a thousand years to degrade. I know it’s weird but stop chewing gum. It’s terrible for our environment.” Holly paused again.
      “How about buying things in boxes instead of bottles. Cardboard breaks down much easier. Reuse containers for your leftover food. Stop buying frozen foods. That plastic on it is just terrible and really processed food is bad for you. Now, how about you guys? What do you think you can do to help?”
     One little girl raised her hand. Holly nodded at her to speak. “My mom uses cloth diapers on my baby brother. They are kind of messy, but my mom says they are cheaper and good for the environment.”
      “That is a super good idea.” Holly smiled at her. “Anyone else with any ideas?”
     A little boy raised his hand. Holly nodded to him. “How about we pick up trash off the beach. We went to the beach last weekend and there was a lot of garbage.”
      “Yes, that is exactly what I am getting at. You can do that easily. Just wear gloves and be careful of glass, but that is an excellent idea.” Holly said encouraging him.
     After several other students suggested things Holly said it was time they could meet Rocky. She pulled him out and held him as she walked around the class letting the kids see him. She didn’t allow them to pet him, for his safety. But she wanted to give them a chance to see him up close. Then she loaded him back in the kennel and told the kids goodbye and to remember to treat the Earth kindly. Dawson kissed Sarah good bye and walked out with Holly.
      “So, what time should we meet you tomorrow to release Rocky?” Dawson asked.
      “I was thinking about nine if that works for you. How about at Lighthouse Point where we found him?” Holly said.
      “Perfect. Sarah will hate to see him go, but she will be happy he made it. She really talks about him every day.”
      “I’m glad he made it too. He’s one of the lucky ones. Sadly, I got a call right before I got here to go look at a seal that wasn’t so lucky, so I need to run.” Holly said pushing her red hair out of her eyes.
      “Holly, I know this is kind of out of the blue, and I haven’t done this in eleven years, but do you think maybe, that you might want to go out with me sometime? I mean, I know I have Sarah, I am not in it alone, and I haven’t even thought of another woman since Marie…but there is something about you that is different, something about you that makes me want to get to know you better.” Dawson looked at her.
      “I, well, I think I would like that a lot. Sarah is amazing. I love her spirit. I love her curls. I love that she loves you like crazy and loves animals as much as I do. So, I guess what I am saying is yes.” Holly laughed.
     Dawson reached out and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ears and smiled. “That makes me happy. Now go. You have work to do.”
      “See you tomorrow…” Holly said looking back over her shoulder.

Dark clouds swirled angrily in the sky threatening rain as Holly pulled up in her Jeep with Rocky. She could see Dawson’s truck parked in the lot. He ran over to carry the kennel to the beach. Swollen drops of water began plopping on them as they neared the waters edge. Holly opened the kennel and Rocky popped out. Sarah asked if she could pet him one last time before he swam off. Holly agreed. Rocky hopped down the beach and turned around and barked as if to say thank you and goodbye. When he hit open water he glided through the waves and didn’t slow up. Tears ran down Holly’s face and Sarah sobbed openly. Holly looked up at Dawson and watched him throw on his sunglasses, but she didn’t miss the glassy wet eyes he was trying hard to cover up.
      They watched until Rocky was out of sight and their clothes were soaking wet from the rain that had started out softly but was now drenching them. It was time to go and Dawson took Sarah’s hand in one and Holly’s in the other. Rocky had gotten his happy ending, hopefully he would stay safe. Holly was hoping for a happy ending for herself as well and was off to a good start, but the ocean and the Earth…well, she would continue to do her part and try and educate and enlighten anyone who would listen, but it would be up to the kids, the next generation, to learn to take care of it properly, because if they failed they wouldn’t have a home left to try and save…