The girls stepped out of the way and watched as the doctor cut away the fishing line and the technicians rolled the X-ray machine to the table.
After the X-rays were taken, the doctor looked at them on a computer screen.
"It's a fish hook all right, lodged in its throat."
"Oh, how awful!" Emma cried, "Can you get it out?"
"Yes, but we'll have to put him under anesthesia first. Let's get an I.V. started," she said to Amanda, and then told Jim, "Get everything ready for surgery."
Dr. Cramer looked at the girls. Seeing their concern, she smiled.
"Don't worry. The turtle seems to be in fairly good health, so I don't think the hook has been in there long. Getting it out early gives him an excellent chance of a speedy recovery."
The girls sighed with relief.
"Oh, great! We were worried that he might die," Kacey replied.
Emma asked, "Who would do such a thing to a helpless animal?"
"The turtle may have tried to eat the bait on the hook," Ava said.
Dr. Cramer replied, "But green sea turtles do not eat meat. They're herbivores."
"Maybe it thought it was eating a giant lump of sea weed, or something," Emma guessed.
Dr. Cramer explained, "It may have been feeding when it accidentally swallowed the hook and line. Sometimes fishermen cut their lines when they get tangled, leaving the hook on the end. Then it gets tangled in some weeds and later it's ingested by an animal feeding on the weeds. It's quite dangerous for marine animals."
"Do you get a lot of animals with fish hooks and lines in them?" Kacey asked.
"Yes, it's fairly common. Fortunately, you got this turtle here before he became too sick or unable to swim. He's going to be okay as soon as this hook is removed, but we'll keep him here for a few days to see how he swims and make sure he's healthy before we put him back into the sea."
"But he was found in the river," Emma pointed out.
"Yes, he probably drifted there, but he would be happier in the ocean. That's his natural habitat. Now, I must prepare for surgery, so I'll have to ask you to leave."
As the girls headed for the door, Emma asked,
"Can we come back tomorrow to see how he's doing?"
Dr. Cramer smiled, "Of course. Just call ahead first so I can tell the security guard at the gate to expect you. Here's my card."
She handed the girls a business card with her name and phone number on it. They all thanked her and the two technicians as they left.
Getting into the car, Ava said, "Well, we saved two lives today. Do you think we're done for the day?"
"I hope so!" Emma replied, "I'm starved. We'd better hurry back to the hotel or we'll be late for dinner!"