One of the many advantages to living in Dogwood was access to all the great recreational parks and ballfields year round. One late spring night, Nora and Rookie were jogging around a baseball field, getting some exercise. Nora got distracted and chased after a bunny into the thick bushes near a pond. Rookie saw a young ballplayer at an abandoned field, in the dugout by himself. He walked over to check out if the boy was okay. The boy was hurt.
Rookie walked over the boy, who was holding his arm, and looking very scared and hurt. “Hey, Rook,” said the boy, knowing that Rookie was a smart doggie. “I hurt myself really bad practice diving for baseballs. I think my arm is broken. Can you help me? Can you get help, Rookie?” Rookie barked back, understanding the need to help the boy. The boy took out one of his practice baseballs and wrote a message of help. Rookie took the baseball and sprinted out of the park and onto the streets of Dogwood.
“Where are you going, Rook?” barked Nora, as Rookie sprinted nearly out of sight. Nora saw the boy and went and sat with him. Rookie was so focused on his task that he forgot he had a baseball in his mouth when he responded back to his sister. “Wmm birfksi ddlsia,” Rookie mouthed, trying to say “be right back.” Rookie ran as fast as he could until he saw his friend, Dozier.
“Whatcha doing with that ball, Rook? Help, who needs help?” asked Dozier. “There is a boy at Dogwood Park, he is really hurt and scared and alone. He needs help, can you run this to the Dogwood Fire Station? I am out of breath. Can you help, Dozier?” Dozier nodded, picked up the ball, and the relay race to save this boy was on.
When Dozier wanted to, he could run as fast as any dog in Dogwood. Dozier got up to top speed in no time. Families were now coming out to their front porches and checked out the neighborhood dog relay race. One of the adults read, “Help” on the baseball and went inside to call the Dogwood Police Department. In the short distance, Dozier could see the Dogwood Fire Department just ahead.
“Hey Rocky,” barked Dozier at Rocky the Dalmatian, “Rookie was at Dogwood Park and there is an injured young baseball player there. He needs help. Can you tell your firefighter team to suit and help us?” Rocky, having already heard the alert, barked back, “wow, Dozier you and Rookie are really brave for doing this. And fast, that was some heroic work, my friend. Yeah, let’s go inside, the gang is ready to help.”
Shortly after entering the fire station, Rookie caught up with his neighborhood pals Dozier and Rocky. “This boy is hurt,” barked Rookie. “Yeah, we got a message from the boy for you guys,” yelped Dozier. “What do you say fellas,” said the Fire Chief to his team, “let’s suit up and help this ball player. Good work doggies, want to ride with us? The ride there will be much faster.”
Dozier and Rookie hopped in the ambulance, while Rocky took his place in the fire truck. Every second mattered, the young ballplayer was hurt and the dog friends were hoping that the injury was not too serious. Rookie and Dozier stuck their heads out the window and Rocky scolded them. “Get your heads back in that ambulance, this isn’t play time you two!!!”
Well, the emergency response team got to the boy just in time. He had fractured arm that needed medical attention right away. After the boy was feeling better, he got a visit from the neighborhood dogs. And decided to suit up for his team’s next home game, where there was a photographer and newspaper reporter there to capture the story of the heroic dogs and the ball player. Rookie, always the fetcher, snagged the baseball with the help message into his mouth just seconds before the photographer captured the moment on film.
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