It was a turtle lying there. And this particular turtle was large. It was on his back on the stones, breathing, but not looking at its best. Kostas had checked it was still alive and then he had called the person he knew had more knowledge than him in matters of sea life rescue. Except it was hard to know if doing nothing and waiting was going to endanger this mammal more than doing something.
‘We are overthinking,’ Kostas decided. ‘I mean, years ago, before they had people here protecting the environment and the creatures in it, if someone found this they would do something.’
‘I don’t know,’ Faye said. ‘I don’t want to do the wrong thing.’
‘It does not look happy. It is on its back. It should not be on its back, right?’
‘No,’ Faye said. ‘And turtles, they come onto the beach for a few reasons. If they are low on energy. If they have to avoid predators. To nest. But this isn’t how they nest and they nest in beaches with moist sand, not stones.’
‘I thought you had not read the turtle section.’
He watched Faye put her hands to her head. She was usually a confident problem solver, he had seen it first-hand on so many occasions, but tonight she was struggling, like she had as much on her mind as he had on his. Maybe it was the photographs online. Had she received a backlash from somebody? Dimitria? Had her daughter seen them? He had to remember that Faye was a mum. Despite her living alone here she had someone in her life that was important above all others. What would Saffron’s opinion be of him? He didn’t want to think about that right now.
‘OK,’ Kostas said, fast. ‘I am making the decision. And I will deal with the problem how I deal with anything I don’t have answers for.’
‘Please don’t tell me you are going to flip a coin.’
‘No,’ he said. ‘We will skim stones.’
‘Kosta!’
‘I am joking.’ He got his phone out. ‘We are going to use something they did not have years ago; we will find a solution on the internet. The experts you are calling have a website, right? There has to be information on what to do on there. And, if there is not, there is always YouTube.’
‘Yes!’ Faye said, looking brighter. ‘Yes, they do have a website.’
A few moments later they had more information, but it still wasn’t clear cut. However, with experts on the way, and given the condition of the turtle, Kostas wasn’t prepared to wait any longer.
‘OK, we are going to turn him over.’
‘What?’
‘You saw the video, of the man in Australia finding the turtle on its back and what he did.’
‘I know, but that was on sand and… in Australia.’
‘Oh, yes, we must not forget this is a Greek turtle and, more than that, a Corfiot turtle.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘We must treat them extra carefully, like princes of the seas.’
He swallowed. He needed to think about stopping making jokes like that. Yes, in his heart he still believed he was far more Athenian than Corfiot, but the God complex his father had always suggested the people of this island had, was it really the case?
‘I’m just suggesting the unique environmental factors might?—’
‘Faye, please,’ Kostas begged. ‘I am going to do it and it is too heavy for me to do it safely. You need to help me.’ He looked at her seriously. ‘I do not want this turtle to die.’
And, as he spoke the words, he realised that the life of this sea creature was symbolic of so much more.
‘OK,’ Faye said. ‘You’re right. Let’s turn it over.’
49
Faye observed the turtle now it was on its front. Breathing slightly better? It wasn’t conclusive. They had shifted stones from around it, making the area as comfortable as possible before they carefully turned the animal over, making sure they only held its shell. There was no injury as far as Faye could tell – no wounds, no rope or wire caught around any of its flippers – and she hoped it was just exhaustion, that rest and expert help would work.
‘There is nothing else we can do,’ Kostas told her. He was standing now, eyes down on his phone. ‘Unless it is too hot. Could it be too hot?’
‘I don’t think so, but if it was, then it will be better on its front now. We just have to wait for help. Or I will, if you need to go.’ She sat down on the stones, near enough to the turtle but not too close. It was important to keep it calm, especially after the stress of moving it.
‘You want me to leave?’ he asked, coming closer.
‘I wasn’t saying that,’ Faye said. ‘Just that this is part of my job and it’s not part of yours, so if you have somewhere else you need to be that’s OK.’
