Young Writers Society

The Laurel city was famous for advancement in medical sciences. Vogus Multispeciality Hospital was the largest hospital in the city, with around 500 beds for patients. There was always a crowd of patients and their relatives in front of the hospital. There were expert doctors of eyes, ear, throat, phycisians, and there were even two operation theatres in the hospital. It had all the facilities and instruments to treat all kinds of problem, be it respiratory tract infection, or stomach related problems. There were dialysis rooms too in the Vogus Hospital.

Around the hospital was an open space with a few trees. Under one big, old tree of Banyan, a sweet stray dog would sit and observe the people who would come and go out of the hospital. He would see the struggles of the people who were suffering and also who were recovering. He was unlike the other stray dogs in keeping himself clean. There was a blue band around his neck that suggested he was once a pet of someone.

One day while he was searching for food quite away from the hospital area, he smelled a foul odour. He sensed someone was in danger. He left the stale, stinking rice there in the trash bin and followed the odour of blood mixed with smell of gunpowder.

He started running as he came closer and closer to the body lying there in the isolated sandy little land, where once existed a beautiful flower garden of a farmer that was sold to a builder due to increasing debt.

The dog stopped near the wounded man wearing a soldier's uniform. The young man of twenty was lying on the sandy ground, unconscious, in a pool of blood gushing out of his arm. His eyebrows were are arched in pain and his forehead was blackened with the dust.

Immediately, the dog ran back to the hospital. Luckily, he spotted a doctor at the entrance of the hospital gate. The brown colored, hefty dog, ran towards the man, who had a black bag in his hand. The dog recognized the smell of medicine and knew he could save the bleeding man.

Between his sharp canines, the dog gripped the pant of the doctor wearing white coat, and tried to drag the man with him.

"Bhow Wow!!" Barked the dog. He again clutched the doctor's pant.

The doctor knew that the dog wasn't mad, as there were no symptoms like excessive drooling, so he felt he should follow the dog. He squatted on the floor and looked in the eyes of the dog.

"Bhoww wwow!" the dog barked again and lead the doctor towards the bleeding man.

"Oh man!" Exclaimed the doctor. Without wasting time he lifted the man up, over his shoulders and hurried towards the hospital.

The doctor with the young boy on his shoulder and the dog reached the hospital in 15 minutes. The dog tried to enter the hospital but the guard stopped him by tapping the truncheon on the ground.

The dog bowed down and uttered, "ouww", in a low sound. He then went back and sat under the banyan tree. The doctor carried out the surgery of the soldier's arm and removed the bullet with great precision.

"D.. Doctor! Who b.." the soldier winced in pain and continued, "Brought me here?"

The doctor smiled and said, "A dog."

The soldier was surprised with his answer. "Where can I find him?" He asked, curiously.

"Outside the hospital. Under the banyan tree." The doctor turned around to leave and said, "Don't think much. Just relax and go to sleep."

"A-ah--- doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Your fees---?"

"Keeping us safe throughout the daytime, gifting us a peaceful sleep at night, sacrificing your enthusiasm about festivals for ours, bearing the cold while we sleep, curling in the blankets and facing the fierce sun while we drink coldrinks and chill in the air conditioned rooms, is my fees, Rickie."

"That's my duty," he stressed on "duty". His head was high and chest tightened in proud.

"You knew my name? And ah... When will I be able to join back army?"

"You I-card told us your name. About a week would take you to recover fully. We will discharge you in four to five days. The wound wasn't deadly," The doctor moved his head up and down and arched his eyebrows in happiness and continued, "You are lucky." He left the soldier in the peaceful room.

It was a long time for Rickie to lie down on the soft bed and sleep in the arms of peaceful silence. He had always been on the hard stoney ground, surrounded by noises of the gunshots and loud screams. He felt uncomfortable in the silence, that was soothing his soul and heart, as he was not used to it.

Rickie crawled back to sleep. His fair face and body was completely pale. His beard was flowing from his face, making him look ugly. The next day when he woke up, the nurse entered with a barber in his room. She was told by the doctor to help him look clean and fresh. She was also told to be with Rickie all the time.

"Why is the doctor taking care of me so much?"

"Because he lost his son last year. He was in army too," said the tall, slender lady.

Rickie's eyes moistened. "He saw a form of his son in me?"

"Perhaps yes." Uttered the sweet lady. She looked gorgeous

The barber trimmed his beard neatly. The nurse was also young and she was influenced by Rickie's beauty. His deep black eyes had a twinkle of honesty. She was impressed by his love towards his duty.

"I'll be back in a minute." The nurse pushed the black rimmed square spectacles over her straight nose, habitually, and left.

She brought delicious food for Rickie, injected him, the medicines and made him fall asleep, quickly.

In the mean time, the dog kept waiting to see Rickie. He did not eat food since the day Rickie was admitted.

This went on for four days and Rickie now looked fresh. The scars on his face were healed too. In the afternoon he was discharged from the hospital and he went straight towards the banyan tree. The dog was lost in the soil of the ground. He was sad and tired of waiting for Rickie.

The dog looked up at the man who was walking towards him. His hand was wrapped up in bandages. The dog's eyes glistened with happiness, as he ran towards Rickie.

He barked with happiness, "Bhow Bhow!!" and his tongue was sticking out, as he breathed heavily.

Rickie pampered the dog and ran his hand over his neck. He knew it was the same dog who saved his life. He didn't want to wait for the wound to recover, and he planned to leave for his duty that night itself.

Before leaving he decided to spend some time with the dog. He went to a nearby shop and bought two packets of biscuits. The dog followed him. They were wandering here and there looking for an isolated place. They found an abandoned garden and went inside. The sun was not glaring. It was a pleasant atmosphere with cool breeze that was pacifying and alleviating the soldier's pain.

They ate biscuits together and the soldier played with the dog. It was a long time for the dog to play with someone. It was a great moment for both of them.

The sky turned purple and the sun melted into the horizon. The moon was not yet visible, and Rickie started leaving for his duty. Peeko started following him. Rickie named the dog Peeko.

He thought Peeko would get tired soon and would stop following him. He walked for an hour, but still found Peeko by his side. Peeko was too tired but he didn't want to lose Rickie so he kept following him.

At last, Rickie found a stick on his way. He showed the stick to Peeko. Peeko became happy as he thought Rickie wanted to play with him. Rickie threw the stick far away, and Peeko ran to pick the stick up, so that he could bring the stick back to Rickie.

Rickie ran ahead speedily. A tear drop fell on the ground as he was running away from Peeko. Peeko returned to find Rickie was gone. He barked and searched for Rickie everywhere but he was nowhere to be seen. He was gone. Gone forever. There was no hope for his return.

Peeko hung his head down. His happiness was lost. Once again. He remembered the old days with his master. The master who tied the blue band around his neck. His master passed away last year. Rickie's image flashes up in front of Peeko's eyes. He knew Rickie would never come back like his master. He knew it with surity because the dress that Rickie was wearing resembled the dress that his master was wearing when he died.

Peeko's master was the son of the doctor. The doctor didn't knew about the dog being Hoskin's pet because that time he was busy in an important mission to save the city of Proskeur that was adjacent to the Laurel city. Proskeur city was a victim of cholera epidemic. In the meantime, fearing his dad won't allow him to go in army, Hoskin left the house. He lost his mother when he was a child so there was nobody in the house. He felt lonely and he brought the stray dog Peeko to him home for one year. After that he left the home. He couldn't contact his dad who was busy in the epidemic treatment. He wrote a letter for his dad and kept it in the house, but it didn't reach his dad as the wind broke the window of the house and took the letter with it. 

The dog was upset and waited for years for Hoskin to come. Last year Hoskin's marred corpse was brought to his home. His dad then came to know that his son lost his life for the country. 

Peeko remembered remembered the whole incident and compared Hoskin with Rickie. He cried the whole night and went back to the same place where he found Rickie lying, wounded. He sat by the same spot for years, but there was no sign of Rickie. Peeko then grew old and weak. One day Rickie returned back to the same spot. He recognised Peeko and Peeko too recognised Rickie. Rickie looked old and lanky. He was retired as a Colonel.

Peeko sprang up into his laps and his eyes glistened with happiness. Rickie then took him to the house that he was going to buy. He liked the house and bought it. 

Rickie and Peeko spend their days of senescence together, merrily. One morning of spring, Peeko's lifeless body was found lying over Rickie's corpse. They both died in sleep the night before.