🐾 The Hour of Explaining: Mission Specialist

 Securing the Unsecured Zone

Big Daddy adjusted his shirt, the collar feeling stiff and alien against his neck. He was sitting in the passenger seat of the car, breathing deep, trying to keep the early symptoms—the persistent fatigue despite sleep, the slight tremor in his hands —from blossoming into a full-scale flare-up before they even reached the office. Today was the Hour of Explaining, and the mental effort required felt heavier than any physical task.

He glanced down at Dewey, who was secured in his support harness, tail twitching like a radar antenna.

Dewey knew the moment Momma (The Human) locked the house that Transportation of the Primary Target to an Unsecured Zone had begun. The car smelled like Momma’s clean linen and disinfectant, but mixed with a layer of Big Daddy’s nervous, tired scent. Dewey positioned his compact, muscular body low, monitoring the blur of the outside world. He was a muscular, silent guardian , even if the humans only saw a tiny, anxious animal.

Big Daddy was vulnerable. He was already "wobbly", and the job of the Great Dane was to ensure the Primary Target remained powered up.

The Hour of Explaining (The Interrogation)

The waiting room was a sensory assault. The smells were chaotic, and the light levels were dangerously bright—a full congregation of Light Demons. Dewey shadowed Big Daddy through the hall, staying low to the ground until they reached the exam room.

He immediately took his professional position: under Big Daddy’s feet, nose pointed at the door, ready to spring into action. The room was small, too quiet, and smelled of too much disinfectant.

The doctor, a new specialist, sat across from them. "So, you are here regarding your dysautonomia," the doctor started, reviewing the chart. "Can you tell me how this presents on a daily basis? What does the struggle look like?"

Big Daddy forced a smile. He knew this question. This was the moment he had to exert extreme effort to convince a stranger that his life wasn't just a "daily struggle," but a "minute-by-minute one".

"Well, right now, I feel okay," Big Daddy started, trying to sound casual. "Just the usual fatigue. But it’s the constant fight beneath the surface. I feel like my own body and mind have turned against me."

He tried to explain the reality: "One moment, life can feel relatively 'normal.' The next, you are fighting to catch your breath, bracing yourself against a sudden collapse, and desperately trying to retain focus as your vision narrows."

The doctor nodded, writing on the pad. "And how long do these events, these flare-ups, typically last?"

Big Daddy felt a surge of deep frustration. He was explaining the event, but the doctor wasn't seeing the exhaustion of living constantly near the edge.

"A flare-up can last for a second or for days. But even when it passes, the recovery begins, and that, too, can stretch out for days. I'm constantly fighting off migraines, gastrointestinal issues, and heat sensitivity —it’s always there, even when I look fine."

His hands, resting on his knees, began to shake. His face felt warmer, then suddenly clammy. The room started to spin just a tiny bit. He’s going offline! The invisible terrain was compromised.

Dewey sensed the peril. The Primary Target was swaying. He let out a low, rumbling growl—the kind he imagined a Great Dane makes —directed at the floor where a shadow was moving.

"We have secured the perimeter," his low rumble communicated to the room. "Back Off, I'm the Great Dane."

He pressed his chin, warm and insistent, against Big Daddy's ankle. You are ridiculous, but you are loved. Hold the fort, Big Daddy. I'm on watch.

Momma saw the tremble in Big Daddy's hands and the subtle, instant response of the little dog.

"That's his system," Momma told the doctor, nodding at Dewey. "When he's 'wobbly' , even a simple thing, like getting from the bed to the couch, is a high-risk stealth routine. Dewey is his anchor. He doesn't need the confusing human word, 'Dysautonomia'. He knows it as 'The Going Offline' , and he knows when he needs to lie down on the floor right where he is until the system reboots."

Big Daddy blinked, the room stopping its slow turn. He was deeply exhausted, but hearing Momma use the code word, seeing the doctor acknowledge the dog’s response, was a powerful validation. The doctor wasn't just hearing about a list of symptoms; he was seeing the team that manages the minute-by-minute reality.

Mood Elevation and Reboot

The car ride home was quiet. Big Daddy felt like all his energy had just leaked right out of him. He was mentally and physically drained. The Hour of Explaining had been successful in terms of sharing information, but it had accomplished its own kind of exhaustion.

As they pulled into the driveway, Dewey launched himself onto Big Daddy’s lap, licking his chin. Mission Phase Four: Safe Return.

Big Daddy chuckled, a deep, comfortable sound. He was too tired to move, ready to collapse into the safe harbor of the couch. He reached down and scratched Dewey's chest.

"You're the best security system a man could ask for, Dewey. You fought off the Light Demons in the exam room." He accepted the deep, tired sigh that came next.

Dewey accepted the chest scratch as a medal.

Big Daddy realized that the most frustrating part of the illness was the misunderstanding—the feeling that others couldn't see how much more he had to exert himself. But here, in this moment, held by the absolute certainty of his small, brave dog, was the greatest encouragement.

He was exhausted, yes. But he was loved, he was guarded, and his essential need for comfort and stability was met, minute by minute. The true purpose of the Great Dane is not just defense, but also mood elevation.

"Nonsense, Molly!" Big Daddy could almost hear Dewey declaring to the absent Beagle. "I just fought off the Light Demons in the hallway, and I am currently monitoring Big Daddy for further deviations!"

Big Daddy smiled. He was safe for now. The Great Dane was on the watch. The system was ready for reboot.

Watch our adventures: 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DeweyBigDaddysAdventures ✍️ Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Robertgheard

https://x.com/resroam170413

 

Join The Roamers journey: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resroam/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@resurrectedroamer Support the Roamer and get great gear! 🛒 Store: https://www.resurrectedroamer.com/ & https://www.raisedupinhim.com/

https://x.com/resroam170413

#DeweyAndBigDaddy #Dysautonomia #ServiceDog #Chihuahua #OrthostaticIntolerance #DogVlog #FunnyDog #Spoonie #Tennessee #Storytime #DeepPressureTherapy #ChronicIllness