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“In answer to your question, yes, we will remain open.”
There were a few more sounds of surprise from the room.
“We will, of course, be reducing contact between guests and animals during this time. Trent informs me that the risk to humans is extremely low, especially when prudent hygiene measures are taken. Hygiene measures, I should add, that are already policy at Littlecreek. For a few days, while we screen the animals, there will be no contact whatsoever between guests and livestock, not even at the petting zoo. Once we have our quarantine protocol in place, however, I see no harm in letting guests—who are here because they need our support—have access to animals which are healthy, and have been shown to provide therapeutic value.”
“Is that safe, Trent?” To his surprise, the question had come from Bunny, Takis’ wife.
“Well,” Trent said, scratching his head, “I believe it is. We’re not talking about an airborne pathogen here. It is normallyverydifficult, in fact almost impossible, to pass between humans and animals. I judge it to be safe.”
“Honestly,” Takis said, his face pained, “if I could, I would shut down the ranch. But it is, unfortunately, a luxury we cannot afford. Literally.”
There were mumbled sounds of concern.
“As many of you probably know, or at least have guessed, Littlecreek Ranch has been struggling financially for some time now. I have spent almost all of my available money refurbishing and renovating this place. Tens of millions of dollars. I’m worth more, but almost all of my liquid assets are now gone. It’s not the situation I was hoping for. There was a lot more work needing doing to the ranch than I first imagined. Problems with the infrastructure, the land, the trees. All of the problems have been solvable, of course, but they have all cost money.” He cleared his throat. “As you know, before I came here, I managed a very successful chain of gyms. I thought I had a good buyer for them before I took this place on, but it turns out, the sale was dropped at the last minute. I simply can’t afford to spend another big chunk of money on the ranch right now.”
More murmurs of worry rippled through the crowd, though there was no real surprise among them. They were all aware of the difficulties they’d faced, but hearing it spoken aloud by Takis himself lent an air of gravity to the situation.
“Recently, an offer has been made to buy our ranch,” Takis continued, his gaze shifting from one worried face to another. “And I have been considering it, given our current situation.”
“Who’s the buyer?” Chuck called out, his voice tense with anxiety.
“Rosy Pastures,” Takis replied solemnly, and a collective gasp echoed through the room.
Trent’s gut clenched at the mention of their rival ranch. He knew all too well the reputation Rosy Pastures had for putting profit above the welfare of their animals. He’d seen it firsthand, having worked there for years. The thought of Littlecreek becoming like them was almost unbearable.
“Let me be clear,” Takis continued, his voice tinged with distress. “I value each and every one of you, and the sanctuary we’ve created here for both the animals and ourselves. But the financial troubles we’ve faced, coupled with this recent epidemic, make this decision far from simple.”
Trent looked over at Patti, her delicate features drawn in anguish. As much as he hated the idea of selling to Rosy Pastures, he couldn’t help but understand Takis’ position. The pressure on the ranch owner must be immense, torn between loyalty and survival.
*
How much would it take, Patti wondered, to save Littlecreek Ranch?
A million? Ten million?
She wondered how much Rosy Pastures had offered to Takis to buy the place. She knew that the huge company had offered the North Brothers a substantial sum to buy the ranch before Takis had stepped in. No doubt now, because of the situation here, the offer would be considerably lower. The ranch was in better shape than before, but now it was a purpose-built facility for Bigs and Littles. Not a ranch for raising animals to be eaten.
“You really think that Takis would sell?” Patti’s voice was thin, anxious. She glanced over at Trent as they stood side by side in the quarantine barn, working on a triage system for the animals. The sun was setting outside, casting golden light through the slats of the old wooden structure and painting patterns on the hay-strewn floor.
“Might have to,” Trent said. All the playfulness of yesterday was gone. The whole day had been spent hard at work, thinking of flow charts and treatment plans, trying to decide how often each animal would need its vitals checking.
It was absurd that they had to house all the different species of animal under one roof here—they all had such varying needs. And yet, that was what they needed to do.
“Rosy Pastures, huh?” Patti sighed, her voice barely audible over the soft whinnies and rustling of the animals they were tending to. “I just can’t picture Littlecreek becoming a part of that soulless empire.”
Trent frowned, his hands momentarily pausing in the task of sorting through bags of saline. “Neither can I,” he admitted. “But Takis is in a difficult position. When the money runs out, you can’t just magic up more.”
Patti nodded, understanding but still struggling with the idea. Her fingers gently stroked the fur of a small goat as she checked its vitals. “But what about our mission? If Rosy Pastures takes over, will they even care about saving these animals from the cryptosporidium infection?”
“Hard to say,” Trent replied, his brow furrowing in concern. “But I can’t imagine they’d prioritize their well-being like we do. Probably the deal wouldn’t go through until the epidemic was dealt with. Trouble is, we can’t call for outside help. If we do, Rosy Pastures will catch wind, and no doubt reduce their offer.”
It was hard to believe that just yesterday the two of them had kissed and confessed their feelings to each other. Today, with all these worries, it almost seemed as though it had all been a dream.
As they worked, Patti couldn’t shake the feeling that something more was at play. Trent, on the other hand, seemed focused and determined. Patti found herself admiring him for his strength.
Trent’s words echoed in her mind.
When the money runs out, you can’t just magic up more.
