Clinging to Hope
Silence hung over the gathering on the banks of the River Concordia.They had pitched tents and built fires in old oil drums to keep warm, determined to stay to the end, no matter what happened.
But there was very little hope left that Vida would survive. There had been no sign of Esperanza and there was talk of calling off the search chopper because of bad weather. The candles of hope that had been lit may soon become candles of remembrance.
Millions of television viewers across the world, some of whom had been watching the rescue twenty-four hours a day, anxiously watched Des of Earth News for the latest news about the whale’s condition.
“Good Evening viewers. We’re afraid this may be one of our last broadcasts. But for the latest update, I have Dr. Gomez with me again.” The reporter pointed his microphone at the woman standing next to him. “Dr. Gomez. We hope you’ve got good news for us.”
The scientist stared at the camera with a grim expression on her face. “The situation’s very bad. Vida’s heart rate has dropped dramatically and we don’t know how much longer she can hold on. We’ve also had to abandon our attempt to get her back to the open seas. She’s too weak and we don’t think she’d survive it.”
“And Esperanza? Have there been any sightings of Vida’s calf?” Des asked hopefully.
“Nothing yet. It’s a race against time. As for how much time we have, I don’t know. If Vida doesn’t improve, we may have to make a very difficult decision.”
“What are you saying, Dr. Gomez?”
“We may have to euthenize her. It would be inhumane to allow her to carry on suffering. However, that is a decision we’ll only take if we feel the situation is completely hopeless. We’re quickly reaching that point. All we can do is hope for a miracle.”
“I think I speak for all of us when I say that we understand how difficult it would be if you have to put Vida out of her suffering. Thank you for agreeing to talk to us again. Let’s hope our next meeting will be a happier one.”
“I hope so too Des, I really hope so.”