Only Thing That Could Help
He watched the poor animal lie in front of him. Pity welled up in his heart as he tried to think of how to help. Then it dawned on him that he was a patrolman. He had just the thing in the trunk of his patrol car.
He didn’t want to have to use it, but he had no other choice. Time was running out, and he had to make a decision. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mind was made up.
Tennessee Heat
The Tennessee heat was sweltering, reaching record-breaking temperatures on Friday, June 17th. Ellis hid from the scorching sun in a local diner. He still had 20 minutes of his lunch break.
Afterward, he would have to get into his unpleasantly hot patrol car and head down the highway on patrol duty. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but he had no idea that his day would be anything but dull.
Ellis Merylin
Ellis Merylin was a Tennessee State Trooper, and he thought he was darn good at it. A lot of rookies were met with disappointment when they realized being a state trooper was nothing like in the movies.
There were hardly ever any hot pursuits down the hot asphalt. Ellis understood the job better than anyone else. It was about serving and protecting, particularly keeping an eye out for anyone in need. And that’s exactly what he would find that day.
Loved The Job
Nothing invigorated Ellis more than the job. He woke up at 6 A.M every morning and always smiled in the mirror after he donned his khaki-colored uniform and patrol hat. He’d slide his sidearm dexterously into his holster before deftly clipping on his badge right next to it.
He loved his department. Just a few weeks ago, they donated 11 backpacks to school children that really needed them. He loved helping them - loved his job.
A Hot Day
Ellis couldn’t believe how hot it was getting. A week ago, he had heard reports on the radio predicting a heat wave. Now he had wished he was taking the warning seriously, although it wasn’t like he could have done much about it.
Even his water bottle felt like it was boiling. He had a one-gallon jug of water in the back of his car in case of emergencies. He wondered if it was any colder than the scolding water he had in his cup holder. But by the end of the day, that simple question would make all the difference.
Lunchbreak
After being on his shift for 4 hours, he decided to take a 45-minute long lunch break. It was more of an excuse to get away from the sun than anything else. He stopped at a small diner that joined a gas station.
They had good waffles. He ordered his regular with the exception of the coffee. He wouldn’t be caught dead ordering coffee in this heat. He instead asked for a cold glass of ice water. He looked out at the window at the shimmering asphalt.
Heat Rising
“I pity anything caught out in this heat,” Ellis mumbled as he watched the waves of heat rising from the tar road. He took another swig of his water and finished up his meal. He had to move on.
He couldn’t hide in the diner all day. He had to get out there and do his job. And just a few moments later, he would be going beyond the call of duty, even though he had no idea at the time.
Two O’clock
Ellis drove away from the diner, cursing at the steering wheel of his car. It was far too hot, but he couldn’t do anything to stop it. He was on a long stretch of the open road without much in between.
The gas station disappearing in his rearview mirror was the closest thing for miles. He only thought animals suited for this harsh environment would be caught out in the sun. He had no idea how wrong he was.
A White Shape
Officer Ellis had been on the road for 15 minutes when he spotted something that shouldn’t have been there. There was a white animal by the side of the road a hundred feet in front of him.
It definitely wasn’t an armadillo or some other animal adapted to the heat. He squinted his eyes to get a better look, it was a dog, and it didn’t look well. He had no idea what lengths he would go to for the poor canine.
Stopping To Help
Ellis sped up and stopped to a halt right next to the dog. He unbuckled his boiling hot seatbelt and hopped out of his patrol car carrying the only thing he could think of - his water bottle.
He ran up to the poor animal and crouched down. It was clear the dog was suffering from heat exhaustion. He tried to give it some of his water, but then he realized just how hot it was. He had to think of something else.
Back To The Car
He watched the poor animal lie in front of him. Pity welled up in his heart as he tried to think of how to help. Then it dawned on him that he was a patrolman. He had just the thing in the trunk of his patrol car.
He didn’t want to have to use it, but he had no other choice. Time was running out, and he had to make a decision. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mind was made up.
Items From The Trunk
Ellis remembered the jug of water he carried in his patrol car. Surely it avoided the heat in the safety of his trunk? He sprinted to the back of his car and opened the back. Not only did he see the jug in question, but another item that would surely save its life.
He grabbed both items and ran back to the canine. It desperately lapped up the water he poured onto the ground. He ended up letting it drink directly from the jug after he ripped it open with his service knife. Then he used the other item that would make the difference, He grabbed the handle and pulled the lever, and he heard a pop.
Safety In The Shade
After the pop, it opened. It was an umbrella that would give life-saving shade to the dog. He sat down and kept the dog shaded while it drank most of what was in the jug. He smiled and softly spoke to the dog.
It looked at him with grateful eyes, and he even saw its tail wag. It was clearly a stray, but how did it end up here? He had heard of negligent owners who abandoned their dogs on the side of the road. He was disgusting just by the thought. But he had no idea what he was going to end up doing with the dog.
Taking Him With Him
Ellis looked at the animal. It appeared to be feeling a lot better, although it couldn’t quite stand yet. Ellis grabbed a blanket from the trunk and decided to carefully pick the poor mutt up. To his surprise, he was happy to cooperate.
Ellis picked the dog up and carried it back to his patrol car. He slowly deposited it in the footwell of the passenger seat. There wasn’t too much sun shining in that part of the car. But what would Ellis do with the dog now?
A Commendation
The animal clearly either didn’t have any owners or was neglected and abandoned by them. He decided to address the dog Charlie while they made their way back to the station, but that wasn’t all.
Ellis had no idea what praise he would get when his superior officer heard of what he had done. Even further, he could never have imagined getting recognized for his service. He would be awarded a commendation for his compassion.