Lola

The June sun beat down on the two exhausted bodies resting in the lush grass beside the pond. The water had been refreshing as the two of them frolicked in the cool water. They had raced from one side of the pond to the other several times. Lola had won every time. Sometimes she would give Alex a head start, and surge past him as they neared the opposite bank. Then she would hop up on the bank and bark encouragement at Alex to hurry up. The expression on her face was less of what took you so long this time and more of “You can do this Alex. You got this. Just keep trying. I’m with you.” It was an unusual expression for a dog yet one that came as natural to the dog as butter on cornbread.

Lola had been a gift to Alex from his parents, Bill and Sally on his thirteenth birthday. Lola was just a puppy then but over the last five years Alex and the chocolate Labrador retriever had been inseparable. They did everything together. It had taken Alex a while to convince the football coach that Lola should be allowed to stay on the sidelines during the games. The coach finally relented when Lola learned to pick up the kicking tee and bring it back to the sidelines after kick offs. The hometown crowd increased in size as everyone enjoyed seeing Lola race out, pick up the tee in her mouth and race back to the sideline.

There really wasn’t much that Lola could not do. Alex was even able to convince his English teacher that Lola would be great for a small part in the senior play. Lola accurately spoke her barks at the proper time and scared away the bad guys who were trying to kidnap the main character.

Everybody in the small town loved Lola and she was as much a part of Alex’s life as any faithful friend could be. Occasionally, perhaps Alex took things too far. No matter how hard he tried to teach her, he was never able to teach Lola advanced algebra so that she could do his homework for him. Lola did learn to place her right paw on an inkpad and then press her paw down in the signature block so that the teacher would know it was her work and not Alex’s. For some reason, however, the teacher grew tired of having to stay after school to work with Lola and eventually insisted that Alex do the homework himself.

Alex and Lola took a last dip into the pond and headed back to the house where Alex’s grandparents lived. Alex was glad that he and Lola had got to spend a few days with his grandparents. Grandma had promised to fix fried chicken for the last night of his visit, and nobody made fried chicken better than his grandma.

Alex was sad that he would not have another chance to see his grandparents for a while. In ten days his life would change dramatically when he boarded an airplane and flew to Fort Benning, Georgia for his induction into the U.S. Army and the beginning of his training as an infantry soldier. It wasn’t just his grandparents that he would miss. He would also miss his parents. Alex had been privileged to grow up in tightknit family that shared the good times and the bad times together. He was close with his parents, grandparents and his extended family as well. He knew that joining the Army would be tough on his parents, particularly his mother. For several years, Alex had felt obligated to serve his country. He wasn’t necessarily planning to make a career in the military but he at least wanted to do his part. He had had some long talks with family members. A few of them had tried to point him toward a different profession but in the end encouraged him to follow his heart and make his own decision. And that is what Alex did.

Alex never admitted it to anyone, but he was less concerned about how his human family would handle his absence than Lola would. He would be able to write to his parents and make phone calls to them, but Lola would have a hard time understanding why Alex had abandoned her. He could talk to her on the phone, and she could even see his face on the computer screen, but she would not understand why Alex was not there with her and doing the things they loved to do together. His parents would take good care of her, and she would have all the attention she needed but to her it would not be the same. Lola and Alex were as intertwined as man, and dog could be and living proof that a dog was man’s best friend.

The fateful day came and Alex’s family got into the family car for an hour’s drive to the airport. Bill drove with Sally beside him in the passenger seat. It was an unusually quiet ride for the family. Mom mostly stared straight ahead. The few times that Sally did turn her head, Alex could see the tears in her eyes. Alex and Lola rode in the back seat. Lola enjoyed looking out the window. Alex’s arm held her close. Lola sensed something might be wrong but didn’t exactly know what was happening. Mom and Dad had agreed that once at the airport, they would just drop Alex off. It would be easier that way for everyone except perhaps Lola. Traffic at the airport was light and Dad had no problem easing over to the curb. Everyone climbed out and exchanged embraces. Alex grabbed the backpack that contained the few items of clothing and personal items he was allowed to take with him, knowing that the Army would soon provide him with an entirely new wardrobe. Hugs were exchanged.

Dad said, “Good Luck son.”

Mom said, “Be careful Alex, I love you.”

When Alex reached down for a last pat to Lola, her warm tongue wiped away the tears that had begun to roll down his face. Alex walked into the terminal and checked in for his flight.

The next 22 weeks of Alex’s life were some of the toughest he had ever known. The Army challenged him mentally and physically. Like all his fellow recruits, Alex accomplished tasks he never thought he would be capable of doing. He learned to work as a team with his fellow soldiers. They all depended on each other. As the weeks went by, he could feel the changes in his life. He felt good about his decision to join the military. He missed his family and was grateful for the brief phone calls when he was allowed to speak with his parents.

Alex also missed Lola. He especially missed her on the days they spent in the field. Lola would have loved the long hikes through the woods and especially the training in crossing streams and rivers. He could picture her racing to the far side of the river and then waiting there for Alex and his fellow soldiers to arrive while barking out, “Come on guys! What is taking you so long?”

Alex would always ask about Lola when he called home, and his parents would always say she was fine. What they told Alex was not exactly the truth. Lola had never quite become accustomed to Alex not being around. After returning home from the airport, she roamed the house looking for Alex. At first, she thought it was like the game of hide and seek that they played when she was a puppy. But after days of not finding Alex, Lola didn’t consider it fun anymore. After wandering the house for hours and not finding Alex she would sit by the window, waiting for him to come home. The toys she had always enjoyed playing with stayed in their box. Bill and Sally would take Lola for long walks in a nearby park. It helped a little, but Lola soon lost her enthusiasm. Sally finally voiced what both knew. Lola was heartbroken. She missed Alex and did not understand why he had disappeared from her life.

The difference between the two was that Alex understood his separation from Lola was temporary. At the end of his training he would have two weeks of leave coming. He would return home to his family and Lola before departing for his first permanent duty station. He wasn’t exactly sure how he could arrange for Lola to be nearby, but he had every intention of making it happen.

While he missed Lola terribly, Alex focused on being the best soldier he could be. His efforts were not lost on his instructors. One night, the instructor cadre called him in to tell him that he was doing exceptionally well. They told him to keep up the good work, and he was likely to graduate at the top of his class.

As the weeks passed, Alex began to look forward to the end of training and graduation. His parents had promised to make the long drive to attend graduation, and they would of course bring Lola. A family friend had offered to loan them his recreational vehicle for the trip. Once Alex had graduated and signed out of Fort Benning, the family would leisurely drive home and enjoy some sightseeing and campgrounds along the way.

It was only four days before graduation when Alex and three of his classmates were called into the Commander’s Conference Room and directed to sit down.

The commander along with several of the senior noncommissioned officers and instructors were also present.

“Gentlemen, what I am about to tell you is going to take you by surprise. It is also information that you are not allowed to divulge to anyone.As you know, you are four days from graduation. The training officers have selected the four of you as the best in your class. Yesterday, I received a tasking order to provide four soldiers to augment First Battalion that has been notified to prepare for immediate deployment overseas as part of a secret mission to an undisclosed location. This mission is strictly voluntary. If you do not wish to deploy with First Battalion you are free to return to your teams. Again, nothing that has been said here can be disclosed to anyone. Gentlemen, are you willing to deploy or not?”

From the time they enter the military, soldiers are taught that they may be called upon at any time to go anywhere. Alex and his classmates knew this. They just did not know it would happen this soon.

Each of the young soldiers nodded affirmatively that they were willing. They were told to return to their barracks and pack up their gear. If asked where they were going each one was told to say they had been selected to go to the National Training Center in California to assist in the field testing of some new high technology equipment that the Army was considering purchasing. They were expected to be deployed for two weeks and would miss graduation. Each soldier that had relatives coming to graduation was allowed to call them and tell them they had been selected for a special two-week assignment and would not be present for the graduation ceremony. When Alex called home, Bill was out but he was able to speak with his mom. She was disappointed when Alex told her they should not come to graduation and that the camping trip would have to be postponed. Alex promised his mom he would come home soon, and he would make it up to everyone.

Seventy-two hours later, Alex and his classmates had been linked up with their new First Battalion Teams and were on board military aircraft bound for an undisclosed location on the South American continent. Intelligence had provided that one of the largest drug production laboratories ever constructed was producing tremendous amounts of drugs that were shipped to the United States. The country’s government had agreed to allow limited U.S. military forces to enter the country and destroy the production facility.

Alex was assigned to a team that protected First Battalion’s Base Camp located at a small airstrip some 20 miles from the production facility. Fixed wing aircraft would land at the airstrip, and strike teams would transfer to helicopters for the assault on the drug facility. Alex’s mission was to man the entry point to the tents set up to serve as the operations center and make sure only authorized personnel entered. During Alex’s first shift, the commander held a meeting with his senior leadership. It was a brief meeting but as it ended several of the leadership lingered just outside the operations center. Alex didn’t like the crowd hanging around. There was the possibility of enemy snipers in the area. They should have dispersed. He did his best to keep an eye out for any danger. It was only out of the corner of his eye that he saw a baseball shaped object sailing toward the crowd. He had seen them a few times while on the practice ranges at Fort Benning. Shoving aside two officers, Alex yelled, “Grenade!” He grabbed the grenade just as it hit the ground amidst the group standing there and threw it as far as he could and then dove for the ground. The grenade exploded and covered Alex with a blinding light and then there was nothing but darkness.

Three days later Alex’s parents and Lola walked through the Main Entrance of Brooke Army Medical Center. Two uniformed officers had appeared at their front door the previous day and explained to the couple that Alex had been severely wounded while on a mission. He had immediately been flown to the Army’s best trauma hospital, but his condition remained critical. The two officers assisted Bill and Sally and at their insistence, Lola to immediately fly to San Antonio, Texas to be with Alex. Upon arrival they were immediately escorted to the office of Alex’s doctor located adjacent to the Intensive Care Unit.

Doctor Clifford Jones had mended broken soldiers from every conflict the Army had been in since Vietnam. Despite his age he was still considered among the best in his field. He got straight to the point.

“Your son is in very serious condition. He was so close to the grenade when it exploded that it gave him a severe concussion. His wounds from the shrapnel are not serious and will heal in time. He has yet to regain consciousness and the longer that takes, the more concerned I’ll be about possible permanent brain injury, but we are not there yet. Your son is young and healthy. I think he has a chance.”

“Does the dog belong to Alex?”

“Yes, they are about as close as boy and dog can be,” replied Alex’s Mom.

Lola had been laying quietly between Alex’s parents, but upon hearing the name Alex spoken, she immediately stood up and began looking around. Despite having been away from her best friend for 22 weeks, Lola had immediately recognized his name.

Dr. Jones spoke, “I think we should all go see Alex.” Lola immediately went and stood by the door.

It was just a short walk to the intensive care unit, but Lola uncharacteristically tugged at her leash the entire way. It would seem impossible, but Lola already knew that Alex was nearby.

Mom and Dad were concerned that Lola might jump onto the unconscious Alex and pull out some of the many monitors and tubes that were keeping Alex alive and keeping the medical staff aware of his condition. The dog was already thinking, however, and crossed the room and very carefully placed her front legs on the bed and looked at her friend that she thought she had lost forever. Lola barked softly as she had done hundreds of times to wake him up. When Alex didn’t respond she turned around and looked at the other individuals in the room as if to say, “Why doesn’t he wake up?”

Those present in the room witnessed a marvelous display of a dog’s love for her friend. The room remained quiet as all of them watched as Lola laid her head on Alex’s chest. The nurse who had been monitoring Alex’s vital signs and other body activity spoke.

“Dr. Jones when the dog entered the room, there was a very positive spike in the patient’s readings. He may not be able to respond but he knows his dog is here.”

Dr. Jones turned to Alex’s parents. “If you have no objection, I would like the dog to stay with Alex as much as possible. I cannot give you a precise reason but her being here helps him. We will ensure that she is well taken care of.”

“Of course,” replied Alex’s father. “We probably couldn’t get her away from him even if we tried.

For the next several days, Lola stayed as close as she could to Alex. The nursing staff rearranged Alex’s monitors and tubes and brought in a larger bed that allowed Lola to lay beside him.

On the fourth day of Lola’s vigil over her beloved friend, Alex showed signs of regaining consciousness. When Dr. Jones examined Alex, he turned to the parents and said, “I have been in medicine a long time. I’m glad that miracles still happen.”

Three weeks later, Alex and his family walked out of the hospital to start the much-anticipated camping and sightseeing vacation. Before departing, the base commander met with the family and awarded Alex the Silver Star, the Army’s third highest award for gallantry against an enemy of the United States. Not to be outdone, Dr. Jones awarded the medal for dedication to the care of patients to Lola the dog who didn’t know how to let go.