Poor Poor Pepper

About a week ago I noticed that Damon's little beta, "Pepper" wasn't behaving as usual. The bowl needed to be cleaned and I kept putting it off.

Then on Sun. Damon called, "Mom, come and look at Pepper."

I thought, "Oh, no. I should have cleaned his bowl and now he is dead and it's all my fault. Maybe we can get a new one."

I was right in the middle of dinner and said, "I'm sorry I can't right now."

That is when he came to me with tears in his eyes. "When I touch the bowl, he usually swims around, but he is just laying there and barely moving." At this moment I realized this fish was a lot more important to him than I thought.

I set the dinner aside and hurried in to look at the fish, which totally looked dead, and consoled my poor little buddy. Then I also see the fish move. Not in a normal healthy way, but to my suprise, still alive.

Pepper didn't look good and I talked with Damon about the fact that he probably wasn't going to last much longer. Damon was truly mourning which I didn't really expect. He was so upset.

He kept checking on the fish to see if he was doing any better. Each time whispering, "Pepper, please don't die."

I kept checking on the fish to see if he was dead yet. The whole time feeling so bad knowing there was nothing we could do but pray. Which we did.

By bedtime there was still a flutter at his gills and I didn't want to euthenize the poor thing so I just thought we would take care of him in the morning.

Upon waking I look in and think Pepper is dead, again.

Upon waking Damon looks closer and notices the fish is still alive, again.

This continued until today. I really don't know how many times I was sure the poor thing lying in the gravel at the bottom of the bowl was dead and then it would prove me otherwise. I think he is gone for sure this time, but I'm still not certain I won't wake up tomorrow to find I am wrong again. Time will tell.

As for Damon he says he wants a new fish, but he is afraid it will remind him of Pepper. He drew a picture of Pepper in his prime to remember him by.

This fish was a trooper. I have really never seen anything like it. It was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen.

So, tomorrow after school we will bury the little guy in our backyard and move on. Now I just need to decide if a new fish is right for us. Hmmm, still not sure.