The police officer had been in the ICU for more than a month. His body was hooked to a slew of machines that softly blinked in the dim light of the room. The diagnosis was terrifying: a serious traumatic brain injury from a battle wound sustained while on service. He had lost consciousness and would never wake up again. The physicians tried everything they could, but hope faded with each passing day.
That day, the medical team faced a painful decision: if there were no signs of improvement, they would turn off the life-support systems. The family had previously been notified. Before taking that horrible step, they let his close friend, a small dog named Lari, to enter the room. Lari was still a puppy, but she had already served with the officer in the K9 squad. They shared so much, including training, night shifts, danger, and mutual trust. The dog was led inside the sterile room; he moved forward reluctantly, ears drooping, large eyes flashing with concern and perplexity.
When Lari saw his unmoving owner, his demeanor altered. The puppy paused, stood still, and attentively examined the familiar face. A second later, he started barking loudly, sharp and urgent, as if asking his human to wake up. Then, with unexpected enthusiasm, he hopped up onto the bed, smelled his owner’s face, and wagged his tail as if it were just another shift reunion.
Lari continued barking and licking the man’s hands before lying down on his chest and rubbing his entire body on him, as if attempting to share his warmth. Something odd and unexpected occurred right at that moment. Suddenly, the medical equipment issued a piercing beep, and the monitors began flashing as if they had detected an unknown signal. His pulse rate accelerated, and his breathing shifted.
— What’s going on?! — the nurse said as she raced into the room. The physicians raced in, terrified. They couldn’t believe what they saw: the screen displayed the first unmistakable evidence of spontaneous breathing. The police officer blinked and attempted to move his fingers. The puppy barked excitedly and pushed his nose against his cheek, as if to bring him back to life totally.
No one could understand this phenomena; possibly the familiar fragrance, voice, and dog’s presence had awakened the brain’s innermost circuits, reactivating memory and the urge to survive. The officer was feeble, but he recovered consciousness, and for the first time in a long time, his gaze was fixed straight on the joyful Lari. It appeared that he was trying to smile.
The doctors, hardly recovered from their amazement, exchanged glances, and one quietly said: — Okay, buddy… It appears that allowing him to say his goodbyes was not in vain.