The little brown dog with the big eyes saw it all.
She had taken refuge under a battered table and trembled at what she saw. Now there were flashing lights outside and a knock at the door. Her eyes followed a pale and frightened woman as she quickly went to the door and opened it just a crack.
“Paramedics ma’am. We received a call about an injury?” asked the man in the blue uniform.
“Yes.” she said quickly “It’s my son.” She opened the door and then paused. “He uh, fell down.”
“Where is he?”
The little brown dog with the big eyes watched as the two men entered and knelt down next to a small boy who lay very still. She wanted very much to come out and greet these men, but she did not move. She had seen what had happened and this thing was very close to her. She lay her head flat on the floor. Her eyes followed the men as they took out instruments and began to move with urgency.
“Lacerations on the face. Apparent broken bone in the left arm. Possible fracture of the skull. Shallow breathing. BP 80 over 45. Pupils nonresponsive. Pulse uneven.” He turned to his partner. “Hook up the EKG. Let’s try to get him stabilized before transport.”
He looked up at the woman. “How long has he been unconscious?”
“I, I don’t know. A few minutes maybe.”
“This was no accident.” he growled, “This boy has been beaten. Brutally. What happened?”
“Everything was fine. We were all together. My boyfriend asked my son to get him a beer, but …” her voice cracked slightly, “He’s got a little bit of a temper.” She smiled weakly, “And my son is sometimes a little clumsy. He got the beer, but for some reason he was a little nervous about handing the can to my boyfriend. If his hand hadn’t shaken so much he never would have dropped it.”
Her voice cracked again and she folded her arms and covered her mouth with one hand.
The small boy and the brown dog with the big eyes walked down a dusty road. A field of flowers stretched out on either side. The sun was warm. The breeze was cool. The boy didn’t know where he was, but he liked it here. It felt calm and safe. He bent over and picked a honeysuckle and savored the sweetness.
In the distance he saw a horse drawn carriage approaching. The boy stopped and knelt down next to the little dog. He put his arm around her and received a gentle lick. He knew she would never leave him. Whoever this was, they would face it together.
The boy swallowed hard as the carriage came to a stop not far from him. The door opened and out stepped an older man with long white sideburns. He was dressed all in black, with a black cape, white gloves and a deer stalker cap on his head. He had a kind face and approached the boy slowly. He walked over to the boy and smiled a slow and sad smile. He knelt down on one knee and held out one hand.
The man in the blue uniform shook his head and looked hard at the woman. “Where is …”
A loud beep interrupted him.
“Cardiac arrest! Get the paddles!”
The little brown dog did not move. Her eyes watched the two men frantically try to save the boy she loved so dearly. She was so focused on them that she did not notice the loud crack of thunder, as a large storm began brewing outside.
“Clear!”
The man in the blue uniform placed the two paddles on either side of the boy’s chest and the little brown dog watched as the small body jerked in an arc. But the loud beep continued and the boy did not move.
The small boy drew back a step. He did not know this man and he did not want to go with him. The little brown dog looked up at the small boy and slowly wagged her tail. The man with the kind face did not frighten her, but he did seem make her boy nervous. She moved closer and nuzzled his leg protectively. The man with the kind face slowly drew his hand back, and cocked his head quizzically at the small boy. He took his cap off and laid it gently on the ground next to him. He then took off his gloves and laid them inside his cap. Again he held out his hand to the boy and patiently waited.
“He’s not responding.” said the man in the blue uniform to his partner. “Charge it up, we’ll hit him again.”
He looked down at the very still and small body and said fiercely, “I’m not going to let you go. I’m not going to lose you.”
Again the little brown dog with the big eyes watched as the boy’s body arced upward. And again she did not hear the rumble of thunder, nor did she take notice of the howling rain outside. This was her whole world. This was all she cared about. She would not leave now. Her boy needed her.
The small boy took a tentative step forward and cautiously placed his hand in the warm and inviting palm of the man with the kind face. The large hand gently closed over the smaller one and the man smiled tenderly. He put his other hand over the boy’s tiny wrist and his thumb gently stroked the skin. The smile started slowly, but spread until the boy was grinning from ear to ear.
It was okay now. Somehow everything was gong to be all right.
There was a large crack just outside the front window as lightning struck the scrub oak tree in the front yard, splitting it down the middle.
“Jesus!” cried the man in the blue uniform.
The wind howled and the storm raged on.
The older man with the kind face picked up his gloves and put his cap on the small boy’s head. He then reached down and touched the boy’s nose with his index finger, causing the small boy to giggle. They stood up and walked hand in hand toward the carriage. The little brown dog followed them, but as the boy climbed into the carriage, he turned and said to her,
“No Sweetie. You can’t come.”
He let go of the older man’s hand and bent over and hugged the little brown dog tightly.
“You were my best friend. My only friend.” he said as he caressed the back of her head.
The small boy turned and quickly climbed into the carriage with the older man. As the carriage rode away, the small boy stuck his head out and waved goodbye to the little brown dog with the big eyes. She sat there watching the carriage travel down the dusty road until it vanished over the horizon. Then she lifted her head and began to howl.
The two men no longer moved urgently. The little brown dog watched as one slowly put their equipment away while the other talked in a low voice on the telephone. Finally she lifted her head off the floor, stood up and walked over to her boy. She gently sniffed, and then tenderly licked his face. He was no longer there, she knew, but still she cleaned him for this thing had been close to her. And when she was done, she laid her head softly on his.
And the little brown dog with the big eyes saw it all.