Archive of Our Own ^beta

The pain is gone.  I’m free.  I’m flying!

Wait, I want go back.  Can I go back?  I want to see what happened.  I'm not quite two.  Kids my age are so curious!

Oh, that’s so sad.  Such a red face.  All messy from spitting up.  Wait... wasn't that me?  Just a little while ago?

I remember now, Daddy told Mommy something about dropping me off at the daycare.  Except he forgot.  He was talking on his phone.  He sounded mad about something at work.  He passed right by the daycare - I knew the place, and I remember craning my neck to look at it.  Maybe something different was happening today.  So I played with my car seat toys.  The hum of the car made me drowsy and I went to sleep.

I remember waking up feeling wet.  My diaper was wet.  Then I remember thinking Where am I?  Still in the car?  Where’s Daddy?  It’s stuffy!  I looked around and saw so many cars all lined up and the sun shining in my eyes, making them water.  I wriggled around in my car seat.  The sun coming through the window was shining right on me.  I wasn’t comfortable.  I wanted down!

It was getting hotter and hotter.  I couldn’t help it, I started crying and calling for Daddy.

But he didn’t come.  My head started to hurt like a giant was squeezing it.  I cried harder.  It was so hot now, my tummy felt bad and I threw up.  Now I was really miserable, sitting in a wet diaper, slime all over me and my face wet from tears.  I remember wanting wildly to get out, can somebody help me get out?  If a baby knows how to beg, I was begging!  I would have done anything to get out of there!

Nobody came.  My head hurt worse and my throat got raw from screaming.  Nobody heard me.  Daddy didn’t come.  Why can’t Mommy come?  Where is Mommy?  I want Mommy!  With every fiber of my being I want my Mommy!

I got mad for a while, but then I was there for so long and I felt so sick I didn’t have any energy to be mad any more.  I just wanted some water.  I was so thirsty.

My heart was beating so hard and fast it hurt.  I was so dizzy!  Just turning my head made the world go upside down.  I gasped for air but I couldn’t seem to take a deep breath!  What air there was felt like breathing fire.  I was desperate for some water.  I licked my lips but even my tongue was dry.  My skin was dry and itchy.  I wanted to bang on the window but I couldn’t reach it.  I’d been kicking the back of the seat but my legs felt so heavy I had to quit.  I just laid there gasping, working so hard just to take a breath, but my throat burned; my lungs burned.  I could hear my voice rattle whenever I sucked in air.  It was so scary.

I’d never been so miserable.  I didn’t know why I was there.  I couldn’t understand what was happening.  I wanted somebody to come take me out of this.

Suddenly my body started jerking!  I bit my tongue!  I tried to call for Daddy one more time.  My voice just squeaked like my little toy mouse.  Then I couldn’t talk at all.  I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t scream.  All I could do was lie in my car seat, strapped down, feeling sick, jerking, feeling sick again, jerking again.  Then everything went dark until I woke up feeling so much better, like I said before.

I don’t need to breathe any more or hurt any more.  I don’t need to feel like I’ve been forgotten or that nobody cared enough about me to take care of me.

I don’t need to cry any more.

It’s Mommy’s and Daddy’s turn to do that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE PET

I get to go bye-bye!  My tail wags as fast as I can make it go.

I run to the car and jump into the backseat.  I’m such a good boy I know exactly what they want me to do and I’m rewarded with a pat on the head.

I stick my nose out the slit of open window and breathe in the smells.  So many scents, I wish I could follow each one!  So exciting!

The air conditioner hums and the vent feels good, ruffling my fur.  I have a pretty heavy coat even after shedding, so it feels good.

My humans are saying things I don’t understand, like ‘shopping’ and ‘it won’t take but a minute’ as they drive into a parking lot.  I don’t understand what ‘Be right back, boy!’ means, but they were cheerful when they locked the door, so it must be ok.

Without that air conditioner on, though, it’s not ok.  It’s getting hot.

All four windows are cranked down about an inch.  The car is parked in the open without a tree in sight.  It’s the hot season and the sun beats down on this big metal thing I’m in.

I’m not getting much air.

I stick my nose as far as I can out the window, but the air seems to be as hot as it is in here.  There’s no wind.  The air isn’t coming in like it was when we were going.

I start whining.

It’s getting hotter and hotter, and I pant as fast as I can to try to lose heat.  I drop spit all over.  Now I’m getting thirsty.  I start barking and barking and barking, my way of calling for help.  Nobody comes.  I try scratching the glass with my paws.  I leap over the seats, looking out every window, still barking for help.

Nobody comes.

Where are my humans?

It isn’t long before my head starts thrumming with pain.  I can feel my heart racing.  I vomit all over the car seats.  I don’t even care if I get punished for it.  My insides roil and twist; I’m in agony.

Desperate to escape the heat, I follow my instincts and try to find a cool spot; any cool spot, a dark place; as far away from the heat as I can get.  No good - I can’t fit under the seats.  I’m too big.  I jump in the back where the big tire is.  There’s a dark place behind it.  I try to worm my way in but all I can fit in is my head.  I get what comfort I can from the darkness but I can’t escape the fiery monster eating up my insides.

I feel the sun, its heat magnified by the car glass, stinging my rear end.  My own fur feels like a blanket.  I have no strength to bark any more, nor to even whine.  All I can think about, other than my longing to escape, is pulling a bit of the hot air in, just enough to stay alive long enough for my humans to come get me.  A spasm shakes me, then another and another.  I grow weaker.  My panting grows very shallow.  If ever a dog could feel gratitude I feel it now as the dark closes in.  I know I’m dying but it will be such a release!

I hear glass breaking; air rushes in but I’m too weak to breathe it.  Someone – not my humans, but a kind lady – is sprinkling water on me, all over me, trying to cool me down.  There are voices all around the car, angry voices.  I don’t think they’re angry at me.

The tailgate goes down and a man gently grabs me as if he’s afraid I’ll bite.  Right now I couldn’t bite a flea.  I’m a big dog so he has trouble lifting me out; now I’m on the cool grass and the nice lady is trying to pour water down my throat.  It dribbles off my tongue and onto the grass; I can’t swallow.  For a moment I can still feel, and that water felt good, and I’m grateful for their kind touch as I finally cross over the Rainbow Bridge.  Here all is cool, peaceful and happy.

I don’t see my humans anywhere.

I don’t care to see them, ever again.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/dad-2-year-girl-died-hot-car-arrested/story?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=null&id=111891120&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2AoRpmTLu_OWZRRxMkkurU74EV3fk_RxUllsoQScTQm28uNz1SoWkSawA_aem_jTlHpHVTFx8gKbS16-IWpQ