This story started life on the Story Ideas board with a post by sirhugs, I threw in an idea and encouraged by sirhugs and Carnevil9 I've turned it into a full story, here it is...
*****
Suzy is almost in tears as the manager of the zoo continues to lay bare to the staff the realities of the COVID lockdown. So many of her friends from other areas of the zoo are already crying as they begin filing out of the crowded cafeteria, their jobs already gone.
The manager made it clear there is no possibility of visitors for the foreseeable future and as a result, all non-essential staff were to go home. After a time only twenty or so staff remained in the cafeteria, managers and specialist animal keepers who knew how to care for the animals that would remain in the zoo.
As the room quietens once more the manager begins to speak. "As there will be little to manage, it is decided that the management will now work from home. What the zoo needs now is a few dedicated people who are prepared to isolate here with the animals, to reduce the risk of infection to you and to the animals. So," he looked around, "I'd like some volunteers, obviously, it would suit those of you who are single and without dependants."
They started to look around at each other, Suzy tentatively raised her hand, "Thanks Suzy," the manager called, a few other people started to follow.
"We'll only be a phone call or an email away and will assist with what we can, supplies and the like. I'm going to leave Suzy in charge," she looked up surprised, "she'll co-ordinate the day to day. I think that's eight of you," he scanned the raised hands. "Do you think that will cover it Suzy?"
Gulping she started to look around and the volunteers, a few older men, but she was glad to see her friend Kim had volunteered, and so surprisingly had Jimmy. Kim was a similar age to Suzy, they had both just passed forty but could pass for thirty five. Jimmy on the other hand was about twenty Suzy guessed, he'd been at the Zoo a year or so but she didn't really know him that well.
"Yeah, I think so," she said slightly nervously.
The rest of the staff started to get up and leave, soon there was just Suzy and her small team, the manager walked up to them. "Well, good luck everybody. I'll be here for the next couple of days. I suggest at the end of today you go home and pack and tomorrow we'll seal the zoo off. I'll sort the keys for the holiday chalets and you can set yourselves up in there."
The first week or so of the lockdown passed easily enough but Suzy was becoming increasingly worried. She knew the zoo was struggling as it was, but her conversations with the manager as they did the final preparations really laid it bare.
She was doing her best to keep everyone's spirits up and there was a good atmosphere amongst the keepers. On her rounds she caught up with Jimmy as he was tending to the Pandas. The zoo had two Giant Pandas, PowPow, the male and MuMu the female.
Jimmy was just finishing up and loading his equipment back into a wheelbarrow, "How are they doing Jimmy?"
"Yeah, they seem pretty happy," he replied. Suzy had never really paid Jimmy much attention but in the last couple of days she had got to know him a bit better. He was tall and slim, with dark hair and youthful face. He'd recently been through a bad breakup and that was the reason for deciding to stay at the zoo.
"I've never done much work with Pandas, weren't we supposed to be trying to breed them?" she asked.
"Yeah, but it's not easy, these two have been together a couple of years and no sign of any action." He looked away slightly embarrassed as he said it.
"Do you know why that is?"
"I don't know, Geoff was the real Panda expert but he had to go because of his wife, otherwise I'm sure he'd still be here."
Suzy carried on with her rounds checking in on the other keepers but she couldn't stop thinking about Jimmy and his awkwardness. It really was kind of cute.
The following morning Suzy made a beeline straight for the Panda enclosure to be sure to catch Jimmy as he began his work. "Morning Jimmy," she called, "I've been having a think about our breeding programme." Suzy hadn't planned the way the question came out but, intentional or not, Jimmy looked kind of shocked and that made her smile.
"I meant the Pandas," she went on, nervously tucking her blond hair behind her ear, she enjoyed the slight discomfort in his expression. She flashed a smile, this was silly, an older woman like her playing coy.
"Oh, I see," Jimmy stuttered.
"I've been reading up on it, part of the problem is what they call 'Behavioural Competence', what it is, is that some Pandas just don't know how to do it. Some zoo's have resorted to Panda Porn to try and help them understand, you know, what they need to do."
"Panda porn?" Jimmy asked quizzically.
"Yeah, so they can see what they're supposed to do. If PowPow here's never had a go it might be because he just doesn't understand how he's supposed to, you know, get it on." As she said it she did a laughable little hip thrust and burst out laughing.
"But seriously," she went on, "I think it's just what the zoo needs, a Panda cub could save us."
