Chapter 29: Power House
Ripped from giving his attention to the people's cries, Ralph jumped as fire trucks appeared on the scene, the men riding on the side all ready to hop off. Seconds later, multiple water trucks and tankers pulled into the parking lot as well, hoses poised to blast out water at a moment's notice.
Curiously eyeing the water vehicles, the mastiff became puzzled as to the men driving them quickly climbed out to communicate with the firemen. Why on earth would water trucks need to be on the scene?
But before Ralph could even begin to inquire Calhoun about the purpose of the water tankers being present, a large media crew pulled up in the hospital's parking lot.
Hopping out of the news channel van, a tall, lanky man with a handheld microphone appeared- a serious yet energetic demeanor on his face. A small crew of multiple cameramen, accompanied by the needed recording devices, followed the excited newscaster as he made his way over to the chaos around Ralph.
With microphone still in hand, the crew made their way cautiously through the screaming crowd, doing their best not to bump into anyone with their heavy equipment. When they finally reached the front to the group before the police force, the newscaster began called out loudly over the people's pleas to Office Croft.
"Officer Croft! It is our understanding that multiple groups of people are stuck inside the hospital with a large group of mutated scorpions. Is that correct, ma'am?" the man asked loudly, his peppy mein and the question itself very irritating to the mastiff.
No, people often stand outside this hospital, screaming that their family members are stuck inside with mutated scorpions, Ralph rolled his eyes silently.
"Yes, yes. That is correct," Office Croft quickly and authoritatively confirmed into the microphone extended towards her. "But we have a plan in order to get all the people stuck inside out," she continued, her voice somehow stronger and more forceful than before- her words bringing semi-relief to those gathered around.
In response, the lively newscaster stuck his microphone closer to Officer Croft's mouth, eager to hear her impending plan. The camera crew quickly followed in suit, pushing in closer and began filming the lead officer, along with her fellow workmates and the accompanying police dogs with them.
"I promise," the female officer vowed, loud and clear, "that we, along with the fire department and the water tankers, will all try to work as hard as we can to get every single person in that building out safe and sound."
Hope starting to grow on their faces, everyone peered closer at the officer- but she just motioned towards the police dogs sitting around her.
"And these trained K-9 animals are going to help us do just that."
His brown eyes doubling in size, Ralph gulped as his heart plummeted towards the ground beneath him. Wait...what?!
"And how exactly will that plan be executed?" The newscaster asked briefly, pointing the mic back towards Officer Croft.
Reaching down, the policewoman began to gently stroke Calhoun's head as she continued her reassuring plan into the microphone.
"We're going to send these animals ahead of us into the building to find the greatest cluster of the mutated scorpions," she explained. "Then, once found, the canines will return to us and lead us to the scorpions so that we and the fire department can infiltrate the hospital- exactly where the scorpions are and eliminate them as soon as possible. Only then will it be safe enough to try to allow the captives inside to come out."
When the worried people -and the newscaster himself- before them nodded eagerly in approval of the plan, Officer Croft knelt down and unclipped Calhoun's leash from her collar. Following in suit, the other officers leaned down and unclipped the leashes on the other animals as well, every officer -human and canine- wearing the same stoic look their leaders bore.
When an officer knelt down and removed the leash from Markowski's vest, Ralph couldn't help but begin to tremble and coward in his place.
This is really happening! he thought as the policeman patted the mastiff's head gently and empathically, only this time Ralph paid no attention it. He couldn't even feel the human's touch he was so nervous. I'm...I'm not prepared for this!!
He couldn't save these people's family members! He didn't even know what these mutated scorpions looked like, let alone how to fight them off if needed!
But there was barely any time for the nervous dog to doubt or fear after that. After a blink of an eye and a quick signal of command from Officer Croft, the pack of canines began trudging their way up to the hospital's main doors, lead fearlessly by Calhoun as the camera crew recording every movement of the dogs.
Being pushed along behind, Ralph jogged slowly, trying to not have a meltdown.
Ok, it doesn't matter if you're unprepared for all this, Ralph, the anxious mastiff told himself as he forced his paws forward. Just follow Calhoun's lead, help these people out a little, and GET YOUR COLLAR! And, most importantly, DON'T DIE!!
Quickly decided if he was to ensure of all that, Ralph needed to be right at Calhoun's side at all times during this rescue. Quickening his pace, he ambled up to be by her side, already feeling a bit calmer.
He slyly side-eyed the doberman, only to see that determination and valor was clear in her eyes- no sense of fear whatsoever. In fact, it was clear that Calhoun was completely in her element at that moment: her head low, her mouth formed into a signature, determined snarl, ears flat against her head as she marched along.
Yes, Calhoun was a professional police dog, trained to except anything and everything. She was a complete powerhouse...
A powerhouse in whom Ralph's very survival depended on now.
The group of dogs continued to march on across the parking lot until they approached a set of steps, leading up to the slightly askew front doors to the hospital. Cautiously tip-toeing up the stairs and precautiously poking his inside, Ralph was shocked as to what he saw and heard- and smelled.
Although it was now starting to get bright and sunny outside where he was at, inside the building was contrastingly pitch dark. Squinting the best he could, the mastiff could see the faint outline of a front desk and a few entryways to hallway tunnels- all eerie and bare of any life.
Random, muffled noises could be occasionally heard deep inside the hospital as well: some of what sounded like medical instruments being suddenly dropped, others sounded like strange, far away hissing noises. A faint cry -unknown if it was from a human or animal- suddenly was heard, sending a chill up Ralph's spine.
But the worse was the various smells that drifted from the hospital- although they were not the normal smells that came from the average hospital. These odors were stronger- and immediately assaulted the mastiff's sensitive nose, some making him want to gag. Some were extremely sour as if many liquid medicine bottles had been broken and had leaked out. Other odors were way more rancid and putrid to the dog's nose- like that of human fear and anxiety elevated beyond comprehension.
The strong mixture of eerie outlines, terrifying muffled sounds, and sickening, strong smells were enough for Ralph coward back slightly. There was no way that he was going in into that hospital.
"Alright, Captain," Calhoun suddenly voiced, breaking the mastiff's shutter. "Lead us to victory."
Abandoning peering into the spooky hospital, Ralph wiped his head around to stare at the doberman wide-eyed. "What?!"
Calhoun huffed in response, unemphatic to his clear shock. She could see the fear growing even stronger in his dark brown eyes- and it was getting to be more and more unsettling to her.
"You're the captain," she still hissed at him, eyeing him expectedly. "Take the lead on this one."
"W-well, I, uh- I don't know this hospital as well as you do, sergeant. We need to get to the scorpions fast- and, uh, you- you're familiar with this hospital," Ralph stumbled over his words, trying to rephrase his earlier excuse to get it to pass by the glowering doberman. "I mean, lives are a state here and -"
"Exactly," she surprised him by responding, her usual bite as strong as ever. "Which is why these troops need a real leader with a backbone."
Then shooting him the look, Calhoun narrowed her eyes so much that instantly a feeling so raw and unfriendly raced up Ralph's spine and rippled across his body. The mastiff could literally see the doberman debating on whether or not to outright attack him or not.
Thankfully deciding to ignore him instead, the sergeant turned her attention to face the troops, her back to the doors.
"Listen up, I'm only going to say this once," she screeched with a stomp of her foot, causing all eyes to gravitate towards her. "Fear is a four letter word, pups. If you wanna go pee pee on a big-boy fire hydrant, then keep it to yourself. It makes your mommas PROUD TIME!"
At her pep talk, the other animals yelped determinedly in response- whereas Ralph let out a less than enthusiastic squeak as he coward into the back.
"Find those scorpions, then the people!" Calhoun demanded as she courageously wiggled her way through the doors into the unknown, the others quickly following in suit. "Let's move'em out!
Instead of following them immediately, however, Ralph gulped. Can I really do this?...
He took a moment to peer over his broad shoulder. There he saw multiple cameras pointed in his direction, causing him to squirm uncomfortably.
Looking past them, though, he saw the other people's faces- the other officers, the nurses and doctors, and, more eye-catching, that of the crowd of family or friends whose loved ones were trapped inside the hospital. Ralph quickly realized that some of those people still looked pretty anxious, others still looked somewhat angry. But no matter what they really felt, each had a small light of hope, of peace written on their faces...
And were looking partially to Ralph as the source of that hope and peace.
A bone-rattling chill ran up the mastiff's back as he forced himself to slip silently through the doors.
Ralph the guard dog may be pretty dense, but he was smart to realize that he was thought - and expected - to be a fellow powerhouse as well. And no thought terrified him more.
