The paramedics rushed inside and began examining Vanessa.
Her breathing was shallow, and she barely responded when they called her name.
They placed her on oxygen and prepared to move her.
That was when Duke became almost impossible to control.
He tried to follow the stretcher, whining and pressing against the paramedics’ legs.
“Get him back!” one of them shouted.
Mrs. Henderson stood near the door, crying.
“Please don’t hurt him. He loves her.”
Eventually, one of the officers managed to keep Duke inside while the ambulance carried Vanessa away.
But Duke would not stop barking.
And the moment the front door was opened again, he slipped past the officer and ran down the driveway toward the departing ambulance.
The entire street watched as the enormous dog chased the flashing red lights into the night.
Nobody understood why he was so desperate.
Nobody knew what had happened inside the house.
