“There’s another one,” whispered the conductor. A second pup—smaller, still, and silent—was lying beneath the older one’s body. The tiny chest rose and fell so faintly it was almost invisible.
The mother? No, both too young. Siblings, maybe. The older one trembled, still covering the other, growling softly whenever hands came close.
“He’s protecting it,” a woman said, tears mixing with dirt on her face. “He’s been keeping it warm.”
Rain began to fall again, soft at first, then steady. The workers removed their jackets, forming a makeshift cover as the rescuers prepared to move them.
