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The gal who had the same bright eyes and dark lashes as Grant clasped her hands together, looking delighted. “The baby came? I’ve been so busy today I haven’t even looked at my phone, but as soon as we finish up here, I’m pulling up Insta to see some pictures.” She stepped forward and extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Lawrence. I’m Claire.”
“Claire is one of our rehab technicians and Chompers’ primary caretaker.” He slung his arm around her shoulders. “She also has the great privilege of being my little sister.”
Claire rolled her eyes and flipped her long, dark hair. “No one ever accused my brother of being humble.”
The other guy stepped forward, offering his hand. “And I’m Mateo Torres, head of rehab. I also happen to be his cousin, but don’t let that taint your opinion of me.” He was slightly shorter than Grant and stockier, but had enough of the same features that you could tell they were related.
“Please, call me Molly.” She shook their hands and tried to push back the feeling of being wildly underqualified to be here. She had nowhere near the experience of the people standing in this room.
But she was good with animals. Working with critters of all kinds wasn’t just her job, it was her passion. This task might not be in her comfort zone, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t do it, especially if it’d help the turtle get back into the ocean sooner.
Drawing in a calming breath, she focused on the patient in the middle of the room. “And this must be Chompers.” She slowly inched closer to the loggerhead turtle, careful to stay in his line of vision. When she got close enough, she squatted down so she wouldn’t seem so large and overwhelming.
Part of her responsibility was making sure the patient felt as calm and comfortable as possible during the process. And since most animals could sense fear and anxiousness, it was time for her to take control of the situation.
“Hello, sweetie. Aren’t you one big, handsome fella.” Talking to the animal she was about to treat in a calm sing-song voice was her standard approach. She found it usually put the animal at ease, especially when she followed it up with well-deserved pets and cuddles.
Chompers, however, was having none of it. He looked right at Molly, lunged his head forward, and snapped his strong triangular jaws at her. The cracking sound echoed through the sterile room. Molly’s pulse kicked into the same gear as a track star in the middle of the hundred-meter dash. Even though she wasn’t in the vicinity of his reach, she instinctively took a step back anyway. She hadn’t even started working with the turtle yet, and already things weren’t going well.
“Sorry about that. We should’ve warned you. Chompers is a bit feisty,” Mateo said.
Claire, standing well out of the way of his jaw, rubbed his shell. “We think he means well. He just needs to work on his people skills.”
“Right.” Molly refreshed her smile, although this one was quite a bit more forced than what she’d managed last time. She squatted down in front of Chompers to try again, making sure to leave plenty of space between her and the turtle. “Understandable, pal. Somedays I don’t want to people, either.” Chompers still looked rather annoyed, but didn’t snap at her again, which she took as a good sign. “I hear we’re doing a final exam? Something about springing you out of here.”
“That’s right,” Claire answered in a cheerful voice. “He’s met all of his recovery goals and is doing great. As long as you verify that he has a clean bill of health, he’ll be released on Tuesday.”
Chompers acknowledged the woman’s voice with a nod in her direction, a gesture that Molly found endearing. She’d only known the turtle for a handful of minutes and already she was falling in love with his feisty but loyal personality. So, examining him was out of her comfort zone. Being here was out of his comfort zone. If she pushed her own issues aside, she actually had the power to do something about his situation.
She laid her hand on the giant shell, careful to stay clear of his strong jaw. “Then what do you say we get this over with?”
She stood, looking at the three sets of eyes that were watching her interact with the turtle. She wouldn’t say she was feeling confident. At least, not yet. But she was feeling determined, and she could work with determined. Determined got things done.
“Do you mind if I take a minute to read through his chart before we start? I want to make sure I don’t miss anything.”
“Absolutely.” Grant grinned as he handed her a small laptop computer. “Welcome to Chompers’ care team.”
Forty-five minutes later, the exam was complete. Chompers was being wheeled out to his tank, and Molly was floating on a cloud of euphoria.
Grant had been right. Working with turtles was like riding a bike. She might’ve been a little wobbly at first and quite a bit slower than an expert, but the second she’d emersed herself in the exam, it had all come flooding back. Loggerhead turtles were an amazing breed, but Chompers’ unique personality made him especially cool. She’d enjoyed examining him. It seemed like a fitting conclusion to her unexpected day.
She stood next to the counter in the now-empty vet suite to finish writing in his chart. It was taking longer than it probably should’ve. Her step-by-micro-step notes were detailed even for her, and she had earned herself the nickname Tolstoy at her previous clinic. But in this case, she wanted to make extra sure she didn’t miss anything or leave something out.
“I duck out for a minute to take a phone call, and everybody disappears?”
Molly looked up from her work to see Grant stroll into the room with his signature grin and deep dimples. “Guess you really know how to clear a room.”
He made his way over to her and leaned against the counter, casually crossing his arms in front of his chest. “So what’s the verdict, doc?”
Molly typed in one last note and saved the information. “He appears to be in great health. But, if you don’t mind, I’d love to have Dr. Lacey take a look at his chart when I meet with her next week before we officially clear him. I’d like a second pair of eyes to make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
“No problem. He’s tentatively scheduled for release next Tuesday. But since it’s not a public release, it won’t be hard to shift it a day or two if needed.”
“A public release?”
“Right, sorry. I forget we sometimes talk in a code that not everyone knows.” He shifted, his normally casual tone turning more formal. “As often as we can, we announce the release of our rehabbed friends to the public so the community can come and cheer them on with us.”
Molly had once watched a YouTube video of a rehabbed turtle being released. Even the video had the kind of feel-good encouragement that hit deep in the soul. She couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to witness it in person. “I can see why. That has to be inspiring for everyone involved.”
