“When I got out of the hospital, I made for that shelter and tried to adopt him, but he was in treatment and wasn’t cleared for another few weeks. I went by every day to check on him. Then one day I showed up and he’d been cleared and they’d waived all the fees. That was five years ago. His paws still needed care, but they trusted me to do it. Being witness to his recovery was one of the things that started me thinking about vet school. I don’t think anyone there remembers it any longer, but that shelter is the main one I work with now.”

Olivia shook her head, closing her hands over her mouth for a second or two. “Wow. Absolutely wow. I don’t know what to say except no wonder you two are so bonded.”

“We’ve been a good team. When I gave up firefighting, I wasn’t one hundred percent ready to walk away from the emergency-rescue world. Once Samson was fully healed and had his strength back, I went through search-and-rescue training with him. It took about six months, but I was able to get him certified to find cadavers both on and off leash.”

Olivia turned to give Samson a look of appreciation. He was still looking out the window, but she had a good view of his faded-gray muzzle. She’d never have guessed he’d once had such an impressive career. That either of them had.

“And believe it or not, he was pretty good at it,” Gabe continued. “He once found an old guy who’d walked out of an extended-care senior-living home in Festus. The guy had Alzheimer’s. He was dehydrated and had done a number to his bare feet, but he was okay. Most of the time, when it comes to search and rescue, that isn’t the norm. Samson had a few other successes, too, but they weren’t as rewarding, if you know what I mean.”

“I think I do. That had to be hard. And by ‘was,’ I take it Samson’s not doing it now?”

“No, he’s been retired a little over a year. He gave it his all every time we went out, but after a couple months of him being super stiff in the hips most of the week afterward, I figured I needed to be the adult and find something else to do on weekends. School was pretty rough then, so I started taking him on hikes and camping trips just to get away from it all. He’s a trouper, and he’s got his own sleeping pad in back of the truck for when we camp.” He cocked an eyebrow. “His is twice as padded as mine. I’ve considered fighting him for it, but when he gets a good night’s sleep, that snore of his is a few decibels quieter.”