They started to feed the fox the fish and crab that they had caught during the day. The fox did not want any of it though. Mallory continued offering food to the fox, and the fox refused. However, the fox did seem to be making a little bit of progress. They were hopeful that it was going to be able to make a full recovery.
As time went on the fox looked like it was getting more comfortable with the fisherman, the boat and his special little bed. Despite this, Mallory was still convinced it was hungry. They had some sausages on board, so she decided to try that. She gave the fox a little bit of water and a bowl of sausages.
Slow Breaths
They carried the fox to his new bed, and carefully placed him inside. They stayed with him, watching closely until they saw the fox relaxed. Soon enough, the fox fell asleep. At this point, they were just hoping that the fox would survive long enough to make it back to the dock. Nobody knew what was going to happen.
The fishermen were getting worried. They were observing the fox and its health, and they noticed that his breaths were very shallow. They were just hoping that he was resting good and getting his strength back. They knew he had gone through so much that it would take quite a while for it to recover completely.
Surprise!
Out of nowhere, the fox woke up. He jolted awake and began looking around the boat. It seemed like the fox was scared once again, they could see the fear in the fox's eyes and they were worried that now he had a little bit more energy and could possibly attack them.
The fox was looking directly into their eyes while sitting in the bed that they made him. They wondered if they should feed him again. They had to make sure to stay safe because they did not know the temperament of this animal. Mallory decided that they should try anyway. After all, they had an abundance of fish and crab on the boat, and they thought maybe the fox would enjoy a feast.
Regaining Its Strength
While the fox may not have wanted the feast of fish and crab, it was definitely interested in these sausages. The fox perked up and went towards the bowl. To everyone's surprise, he started eating the sausages!
Thankfully, Mallory's persistence paid off. Everyone was so excited to see the fox eat and regain strength. The fox was very focused and eating every last bite of food that it was given. The friends could not stop watching with delight. For the first time since it got on the boat the fox was eating! Things started to look up for the fox.
Almost There
The fox started to look better. It was gaining strength and seemed to be satisfied after eating its meal. The fox was still feeling shy and was staying in its bed. But thankfully, it was no longer shivering or trembling. The fox seemed to be getting really comfortable with the group of friends.
They knew that everything could change in a moment. They knew that they should not touch the fox, especially since it started to get its strength back. They could easily scare the fox, and it could jump overboard or even worse, it could attack them. So they just stayed close and watched.