After Mary Lou was ashore, Evelyn began to get ready while her boyfriend grabbed the hose to wash down her enclosure. Evelyn filled her pail with water and mixed in some of the shampoo. Mary Lou didn't require cleaning often, but when she did it was a pain. A thick crust formed on her scales, and occasionally had to be scrubbed off. Up close, the thick musk of the gator was pungent and made Evelyn want to gag. She put on her gloves, dipped the scrub brush into the pail, and began to get to work.
An hour later, Evelyn was just about done scrubbing. Despite her best efforts to stay dry, Evelyn's shirt was soaking wet. Her hands hurt, and she saw that her gloves had torn during the scrubbing session.
"Almost done?" asked Adam, as he finished rolling up the hose.
"Yeah, " said Evelyn shakily. She felt exhausted, and her whole body felt sore. "I hope you enjoyed it you beast." Even after her cleaning, the animal still smelled awful. It almost smelt worse than before, or at least the scent seemed stronger. She gathered her supplies, and began to stand. She almost fell, and had to lean on Mary Lou's body for support.
"You okay?" asked Adam, rushing to her side.
"Yeah, I guess my knees are just a little sore from bending over for so long, " she said, and made her way over the door of the enclosure. She fumbled with her badge, trying to open the electronic lock. Her hands felt swollen and unwieldy. She dropped her badge and cursed.
"Here let me help, " said Adam, as he used his badge to open the door. "You don't look so good. Maybe you should get a little rest. I can finish cleaning up. I at least owe you that."
"Thanks, " said Evelyn. She wearily made it to the employees lounge and sat down with a thud. The chair seemed to groan in protest. She didn't know why she felt so sore and tired - and cold. Why do they keep it so cold in here, she thought angrily as she walked over the thermostat. She turned up the heat, but still felt cold. She looked to the animal holding area, and remembered that a large heat lamp that was kept there. She entered the room, and turned it on, basking in the warm glow of the heat. Aww, that feels much better she thought. She stripped off her wet clothes and threw them in a pile in a corner. Maybe just a short nap, she thought, as she curled up beneath the heating lamp, and slowly began to change as she dreamed.
Meanwhile, Adam finished cleaning up Mary Lou's cage, moving the cleaning supplies safely out of the enclosure, while keeping a close eye on Mary Lou. Just as he was finishing, he thought he noticed something odd about the alligator. Her body seemed a little smaller, but her legs seemed a little longer. He began moving closer for a better look, when her tail suddenly moved. He jumped back, and quickly exited the cage, forgetting that Evelyn had dropped her badge in the cage.