Love Brighter Than Flame 

Haze. Everything was haze. Everywhere one tried to look, only haze. Eyes squeezed shut, stinging from the smoke that filled the air, unable to distinguish anything. 

The smell. Everything smelled the same. Burning. Burnt. A terrible stinging in a sensitive nose that was still trying to learn how to recognize the world through its smell. 

The Heat. All around, heat, filling the space with the uncomfortable sensation of too much warmth. Not the pleasant warmth of a soft blanket or a loving hug. The terrible, uncaring warmth that only uncontrolled flame brought. 

Small, so very small, was the owner of these senses, pressed huddled into the corner, clinging desperately fearful to the object of comfort, though finding none, as ears alone tried to find something to help in the world around him that was suddenly coming apart.  

They found only the sounds of panic and cries, far away, muffled by the roar of fire and the ceiling above them.   

Until another sound came. Banging, Crunching, wood splintering from some force unseen. A rush of air through the room swirled the haze, thinning it just enough for eyes to squint open and catch sight of a shadowed figure coming toward him with a shout.  

------------  

Doug Dalmatian crept quietly through the door of his home, 101 Dalmatian Street. Another long night shift at the Firehouse had left him drained and eager to be off to sleep in his room beside his beloved wife, Delilah.  

The darkened house was silent from what he heard, creeping his way down the hall, after hanging his fire helmet on the stand beside the door. Up the steps, the strong-built canine peeked his head into each room he passed to get sight of the piled pups that slept peacefully everywhere, drawing an elated smile onto his muzzle. Doug felt a swell in his heart for each and every pup that was in this home, and as he took a silent count and roll call in his mind, he thought about how each of them was growing up and headed for the best future he and his wife could give them.  

Star athletes, creative researchers, famous actors, brilliant inventors, skilled artists, talented musicians... all of these and more were rising in the Dalmatian house, and Doug couldn’t be any prouder for each of them. Love was the key to seeing them all on their way, and the Dotty Dad has a limitless supply.  

Making his way further down the corridor, he peeked into the darkened under-stair cupboard that Dante made his own, seeing the dark-furred pup sprawled out on his back and drooling. Ooooh, Such Darkness! Doug chuckled to himself at the silly sight of his broody young dog. Closing the door back, he would check next into the room claimed by the creative types of his family. The door cracking open to peer inside, he contented himself that he saw nothing moving, and made to leave onward again. 

He stopped. What had he just heard?  

A terrified whimper. One that he had become familiar with.  

Doug pushed the door of the artists room open wide enough to let his bulky frame inside with as little noise as possible. The window of the room faced the wrong direction to allow much moonlight to stream in to light, but Doug knew where the bed he wanted was. In a corner of the room, made cozy with pillows and blankets and toys. Moving quietly but quickly, Dad Dog looked down upon the figure uneasily resting in the bed cushion.  

An adorable mix of scruffy off-white fluff and dark brown dots, indistinguishable though they were in the darkness of the room. Cate whimpered again, turning over fitfully in his sleep, his eyes squeezed shut, his front paws desperately squeezing the worn stuffed tiger against himself.  

Doug had seen this many times before, since the Dalsky pup had come into their lives, though it had been some time since it had last, he remembered. It seemed that his boy was due to relive his most terrible night once more in his dreams. The larger dog wouldn’t let him sit through the full experience, however... a jolting wake was better than suffering the full nightmare, he was sure. He reached out a paw toward the tossing and turning young pup, laying to his shoulder and shaking him gently. “Cate... Cate, Wake Up...” he spoke softly toward him. 

With a jerk and an outcry that could surely have woken the room, were it not for its other occupants being notoriously heavy sleepers, his eyes popped open and his head shot up, his entire body clinging hard around the plush. Wet tears streamed down the fuzzy cheeks, and he was on the point of hyperventilating, eyes darting around the darkness in a panicked return to the waking world. Doug was swift, moving himself to circle around the pup and lay his large, warm frame at his side, a paw moving to embrace Cate and carefully hold on to his trembling son. 

“It’s okay, Cate. Shhhh... I’m here. You’re alright. It was just a dream. You’re safe.” Doug soothingly whispered to the pup. 

Cate wriggled in his grasp, shaking uncontrollably, moving to bury his head against the broad chest of his adoptive father, whimpering again. “Dad... I...” 

“Was it the fire, again? I’m sorry, honey... I know it’s hard when your sleep mind makes you go back to that. But you’re okay.”  

The Dalsky shifted against him. “It was scary... I was all alone, it was hot.. Smoky. I couldn’t see. Couldn’t smell. Only hear... I heard... heard them, upstairs... far away. Isacc and Liam… couldn’t find them. Only Ryker,” he timorously whispered, squeezing the stuffed tiger in his grip again. “So hot... I didn’t know what was happening... but then... Someone came through the smoke.... it was...?” 

The dalmatian dad tugged Cate closer against him, laying his head gently atop the boy’s, nuzzling at him, as he recounted his nighttime vision. He recalled the happening as well. “It was Me, Cate. Captain Walker had just broken down the door, and I was first in to see who I could find... and there you were. You’d crawled into a corner near your water bowl and as far away from the flames as you could be. You were... so small, back then. I grabbed you up by the collar, you clung to Ryker, there... I got you out, past the team getting the hoses ready. Put you in the safest place I could find.” He took a deep breath, remembering the night vividly in his own mind. “I went back in. I tried to get to your humans, Cate, to your boys... But it was just... so fast.” 

Doug fell quiet for seconds that felt like hours, feeling tears bead the corners of his eyes, even as they flowed freely from Cate’s. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save them for you, Son...” he whispered, the drops rolling through the fur of his cheeks now.  

Hearing this, Cate’s head turned up, his reddened eyes falling on the face of the dog who had raised him from that terrible night. The Dalsky knew he had wanted for nothing since he’d come to this family, least of all love and care. His father was kind, and brave and cared only for the well-being of his loves, all of them. Cate leaned up and licked at Doug’s cheek tenderly, catching the faint salty taste of the tears on his fur. “I know, Dad... It’s not your fault. You were so brave to go after them... you’re my hero, you have been ever since we met.”  

Doug felt his heart swell with his boy’s words, and his paws wrapped themselves tighter about the smaller dog’s frame, squeezing him in a tight hug. “And you’re my little miracle pup. A treasure saved from the fire. I love you, Cate. We all do.” He accented his words with a loving lick across the top of his head, mussing his fur into a messy cowlick.  

Cate snuggled against his father for a few moments, slowly coming aware of how tired he still was. The trembles of his nightmare gone from the embrace of his family, his maw opened wide in a heavy yawn, and Doug smiled. “Ready to give sleep another go tonight? How about you lay your head down, and let Dad tell you how much he loves you, Honey...”  

Happy to oblige his dad, Cate’s head lowered back to the pillowtop gently, laying on his side, clutching his memento to his chest, and waiting to hear... 

And in a tender, soothing voice, Doug began to sing in a low tone... 

Close your eyes 
Have no fear 
The monster's gone, 
He's on the run, and your daddy's here 

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful 
Beautiful boy 
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful 
Beautiful boy 

Before you go to sleep 
Say a little prayer 
Every day in every way 
It's getting better and better 

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful 
Beautiful boy 
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful 
Beautiful boy 

Out on the ocean 
Sailing away 
I can hardly wait 
To see you come of age 
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient 

'Cause it's a long way to go 
A hard row to hoe 
Yes, it's a long way to go 
But in the meantime 

Before you cross the street 
Take my hand 
Life is what happens to you 
While you're busy making other plans 

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful 
Beautiful boy 
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful 
Beautiful boy 

Before you go to sleep 
Say a little prayer 
Every day in every way 
It's getting better and better 
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful 
Beautiful boy 

Darling, darling, darling 
Darling son 
Good night, son 
See you in the morning 

As the warm words flowed into his ears, Cate felt himself drifting back off to sleep. When the last words, ‘See you in the morning’, passed his thoughts, he slipped away back to calm, blissful slumber. 

When Doug had satisfied himself of Cate’s return to peaceful dreams, the Dalmatian stood carefully, disentangling himself from the pup, stepping away quietly to the door. In the doorway, he turned back to catch a last glimpse of the pups in the room, and whispered a last goodnight before closing and padding his way to his room to join Delilah, humming softly the tune he had sang for the pup who now rolled over in his sleep, cuddling against his stuffed tiger and smiling.  

(Song is ‘Beautiful Boy’ by John Lennon)