Teeth of Determination

If there was a time to get stuck in traffic, it had to be now. Mary Clare clutched the steering wheel tighter and eased her foot off the brakes, inching ever closer to the stopped car in front of her.

           “This is the highway,” she grumbled. “We’re supposed to be going fast, that’s the whole point!”

           To make matters worse, a storm was gathering. It was summertime in Florida, and there was always a storm on the horizon this time of year. Having been born and raised here, Mary Clare should have known better.

           Mary Clare was a marine scientist. Well, one day she hoped to be. She was in the middle of her PhD research project, studying shark conservation. This semester she was working on a project started by her research advisor Dr. Helen Grant, a credited scientist and conservation expert. The project was simple: gather data and information on great white sharks living near Florida coastlines to help develop a conservation plan to reverse the recent and substantial decline in the species’ population caused by overfishing and habitat loss. Dr. Grant was, in that moment, at the beach on the other side of the county. Where Mary Clare should have been thirty minutes ago. The sky grew angrier and darker above her, and fat raindrops were pelting her windshield when she got a call.

           “Mary Clare, where are you?” The low-toned voice of Dr. Grant called to her on the other end of the phone. “They called in a stranded shark on the beach! Washed up, and it’s not going to make it much longer without getting back into the water soon! We need your help! And this rain isn't going to make anything easier. Please say you’re almost here.” She sounded desperate, a rare emotion for the usually level-headed doctor.

           Mary Clare took a deep breath. “I’m going as fast as I can! The traffic is backed up for miles!”

           The cars in front of her began to move ever so slowly, giving Mary Clare a boost of hope.

           “Do what it takes,” Dr. Grant said. “We need you. This shark needs you. The information we gather here today could be vital not only for the project but for shark species as a whole.”

           Mary Clare held the cell phone tight to her ear with one hand and with the other she gripped the steering wheel. She had always loved sharks, ever since she was a little girl. This project was her chance to prove to her research advisor that she could do this, that she could make it as a conservationist and make the world she lived in a better place for everyone, people and fish. She wasn’t going to mess this up, no matter what.

           “I understand,” Mary Clare said. “I’ll be there soon.”

           Dr. Grant hung up the phone and Mary Clare decided to take matters into her own hands. With every ounce of gusto in her body, she thrust the gas pedal and swerved her old, clunky minivan onto the shoulder of the highway, sending receipts and fast food wrappers flying across the floor. The swerve was an illegal action, but a risk she was willing to take. Mary Clare sped along past all the slow-moving vehicles, praying no police officers were hiding around. Finally, she reached the exit for the beach. Rain was coming down heavy and fast now as Mary Clare eased herself back into the regular flow of traffic.

           When Mary Clare eventually reached the beach, the storm was so fierce she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She stepped out of her car and into hurricane-force winds that threatened to knock her off her feet. Every step was a challenge as she ran towards the shore, searching for the trademark blue vests that the research team wore. A rainbow-colored beach umbrella blew past her, nearly swiping her feet out from under her. The rain was so heavy and the winds were so fierce that Mary Clare almost gave up, until she saw in the distance, right by what she thought was the edge of the water, a flash of blue.

           Mary Clare hurried towards it. The research team and Dr. Grant finally became visible through the storm. Dr. Grant was yelling something at her, and pointing, but Mary Clare couldn’t hear her, or make out what she was pointing at until she turned around.

           Right there behind her (how had she not seen it before?) was the biggest and most beautiful female great white shark she had ever seen, looking all too sad. It was wonderful shades of blue and grey and white, and its razor-sharp teeth shimmered like knives in between flashes of lightning. Millions of years of evolution and fine-tuning lay in front of her, and Mary Clare had to take a moment to marvel at it. Then she understood, they had to get this shark back in the water before it died. But how? The research team appeared suddenly behind her, and Dr. Grant grabbed Mary Clare’s shoulders firmly, yelling in her ear.

           “We can do this! If we work together, we can save her!” Dr. Grant yelled.

           Mary Clare nodded and looked around at her team, all shielding their eyes from the intense rain. They gathered around the shark, avoiding the menacing mouth and jaw area. Mary Clare sent a silent prayer up to whoever was listening that this shark was still alive and that they weren’t too late. Together they heaved the enormous animal back into the water. Waves crashed all around them, and the roar of the water was like thunder.

           With the feeling of cold salt water back on its fins, the shark began to twitch.

           “It’s alive! Everyone back up!” Dr. Grant yelled.

           With one last final heave, everyone pulled the shark into the waves and quickly retreated onto the shore. Slowly, and with enormous effort, the shark rolled over and wiggled until it could get upright. It then quickly retreated into the sea, vanishing into the depths of the waves as if it had never been there.

           One last bolt of lightning lit up the sky as Mary Clare cheered.

           “We did it!” She yelled and pumped her fists into the sky.

           Everyone followed suit and gave their cries of success and excitement. They had done it; they had saved the shark and given an already endangered species a small leg back up in the world. It wasn’t much, and maybe in the grand scheme of things it really wouldn’t matter so much, but Mary Clare looked over at Dr. Grant with the biggest smile on her face, knowing that they had done a good thing today. Together.