Stranded On The Highway Shoulder
A large white dog lifted her right paw toward the sky and pointed her snout upward as eighteen-wheelers roared past on the pavement.
Her visibly swollen belly rested against the coarse gray gravel and crushed stones beside the road shoulder.
White tractor-trailers and silver sedans rushed by just feet away, blowing gusts of wind into her matted coat.
She lowered her paw to the dirt, panting rapidly with her mouth open as the tires hummed against the road strip.
Every few seconds she shifted her hips along the gravel ditch, unable to ease the pressure against her heavy midsection.
A Safe Ride Off The Highway
A silver SUV slowed along the right lane and pulled off onto the gravel just ahead of her.
A man wearing a quilted vest and blue jeans stepped out into the roadside dust and walked toward her.
He lowered himself onto both knees beside the gravel edge, resting his palms flat on his thighs before extending a hand toward her ear.
His fingers stroked the fur behind her neck, feeling the rapid rise and fall of her chest.
The dog did not pull back; she rested the side of her head directly against his forearm and closed her eyes.
He slid his right arm beneath her chest and placed his left arm firmly under her hindquarters to support her stomach.
Rising slowly from his crouch, he cradled her heavy weight against his chest and stepped toward the open passenger door.
He laid her across a soft white towel spread over the seat, checked her position, and pulled the door shut.
Delivery Inside The Clinic
Inside the veterinary room, bright lights reflected off pale blue walls and stainless steel exam counters.
A veterinary assistant dressed in green scrubs spread clean green and blue towels flat across the linoleum floor.
The white dog lay on her side upon the padded sheets, her sides heaving steadily as the clinic staff monitored her vitals.
The man knelt down directly on the floor beside her head, resting his hands near her paws.
Within the quiet exam room, five newborn white puppies wriggled against her belly, searching for milk.
The man extended two fingers to stroke the mother dog’s chin, smiling as she tilted her head to look at him.
The mother dog pushed herself up onto her chest, lifted both front paws, and placed them firmly against his shoulders.
The man held her front legs in his hands and leaned his forehead close while the five puppies fed quietly on the blanket below.
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