The Well Stressed Shrimp

Professor Marshall is admiring the view, when his phone rings.

It's Sandra, from work.

Bad news, says Sandra. It's happened again.

Damn, says Professor Marshall. How many this time?

Four, says Sandra.

So we still have one left, says Professor Marshall.

No, says Sandra. The fifth one is missing. I believe we've been burgled. I found a set of small footprints.

Well, I'm not coming back for one mantis shrimp, says the professor. Call the police. No wait. Call Yakir. He'll know what to do.

All right, if you say so, says Sandra. How's the holiday going?

Wonderful, says Professor Marshall. I'm just enjoying the view from Tomaree Head.

Lucky for some, says Sandra. Okay, I'll call him. Goodbye.

She sighs, wishing she too was on holiday, and calls Dr Yakir Gagnon.

.........

Gaius is searching for a Brisbane hotel on Wotif.

Dries is assessing the state of the shrimp on the grass.

It's stiff, says Terence.

It's dead, says baby B-B.

No, says Dries. As a trauma counsellor, I can tell you, this shrimp is stressed.

What's it wearing? asks Terence.

STRESSED, says Dries. The thing is to bring it round gently.

He rubs the shrimp's tummy.

It comes round and sits up.

It spits and hisses.

It stiffens again when it sees baby B-B.

It's afraid of you, baby B-B, says Dries. Fly up and sit in that tree.

Baby B-B flies up and perches in one of the Brain Institute palm trees.

The mantis shrimp relaxes.

Shall we talk about what happened? asks Dries.

He is good with shrimps, but has only dealt with the common ones ( crangon crangon).

The mantis shrimp refuses to say anything.

Dries looks receptive and encouraging.

All this takes time.

.........

Dr Yakir Gagnon, who is not far away, jumps on his bicycle and heads to the Brain Institute.

He had not expected this call.

He is on holiday, so it's quite annoying.

He skids round the corner of the building and drops his bike on the grass.

Watch it! says Dries. You nearly crushed my patient.

I'm nowhere near your patient, says Dr Yakir. And he looks fine to me.

It's not ME, says Terence. It's.......

Our bird, says Gaius.

Really that Dries is an idiot!

Where is it, this bird? asks Dr Yakir. I don't see it.

Up in that palm tree, says Gaius, indicating baby B-B.

Baby B-B takes this as an invitation to fly down.

The mantis shrimp, sensing circular polarised light, begins spitting.

Dr Yakir recognises the last of his current specimens.

......

From the Tomaree Head lookout, Professor Marshall gazes down at Wreck Bay.

He is not alone there.

He hears two women discussing the Titanic.

He watches a boy and his sister decipher the names on the padlocks.

He observes tourists taking photos in front of the magnificent backdrop.

Life is good. He decides to have sea food for dinner.