Andrey walked slowly along the deserted street, moving his legs with difficulty. In the past, he was a successful engineer, had a stable job and his own home. However, his life unexpectedly collapsed: the loss of his job, the departure of his wife and the deprivation of his apartment.
Now he was one of many homeless people that passers-by tried to ignore. His days turned into endless survival: begging, random overnight stays. The reflection in store windows reminded us of a lost past, making us sad about a fate that had changed so unfairly.
One day, on a particularly gloomy day, while walking alone, Andrei met the gaze of a reindeer. The usually secretive beast seemed as if it was trying to attract his attention. Stopping, Andrei watched the deer in surprise.
The animal slowly approached him, as if inviting him to follow him. Emaciated and tired, Andrei felt that he was unable to resist this mystical call. He hesitantly followed the deer, hoping that the path would lead him to a place where he would find help and support.
Andrei still could not understand what exactly this persistent deer wanted from him. Could it be that the animal was really trying to attract his attention? It’s unlikely, most likely, he imagined it.
I barely had enough strength to stand on my feet, and my imagination was also excited. But the deer seemed to sense his hesitation and took a few steps towards him, as if inviting him to follow him.
With some skepticism, Andrei nevertheless continued to follow the mysterious guide. They approached the side of the road, where Andrei saw two small fawns in the mud, one of which was seriously injured. The baby was bleeding profusely and his front leg looked particularly bad.
Suddenly there was the sound of an approaching car. A large man with a gun came out of the car, his look did not bode well. Seeing the wounded fawns, he raised his weapon and took aim.
Stop! — Andrei shouted, standing in the way between the man and the animals. — Don’t touch them!
The hunter looked at him in surprise.
How can you not touch this? “This is game, it needs to be hunted,” he said menacingly.
They are wounded, they need help, not bullets! — Andrey objected desperately.
The hunter looked doubtfully at the tramp in front of him, but something in Andrei’s gaze made him think. Reluctantly, he lowered the gun.
Andrey, without missing a beat, began to lead the deer back into the forest, trying to lead them away from danger. He had to quickly figure out how to help the wounded creatures.
Desperate step
Andrey, looking back, continued to take the fawns deeper into the forest, trying to get away from the aggressive hunter with a gun. The fawns, scratched and bleeding, could hardly move their legs, but Andrey stubbornly dragged them along, not knowing how to help them further.
When they reached a small clearing in the forest, where the shadows of the trees created coolness, Andrei examined the wounded animals more carefully. The youngest of the deer, very small, lay on the ground, whining quietly. His front leg was brutally mangled and blood was flowing from the wound. The second deer, larger, carefully watched Andrei’s every movement.
Kneeling down, Andrei, forgetting about his own exhaustion, began to examine the damaged paw. Fortunately, the damage did not seem that serious, although foreign objects were noticeable in the wound. Using the skills he had learned in the Army Medical Corps, he carefully cleaned the wound and, finding his socks, used them to stop the bleeding.
Now Andrey was faced with the question of further help. A veterinarian was urgently needed. But in this secluded part of the forest there was not a living soul, and Andrei had neither means of communication nor the ability to quickly get to help.
Suddenly he realized: he could try to get to the road and catch a ride. Although the same hunter could be hiding nearby, there was no other way out. Andrey picked up the youngest fawn and, walking around the bushes to avoid the hunter, headed towards the highway.
Victory of justice
Andrey, exhausted, but with hope, jumped out onto the road, tightly holding the injured fawn in his hands. What a blessing that there was a stopped car nearby with a woman behind the wheel. She examined Andrei with suspicion — his appearance did not inspire confidence: splashed with mud, with a bloody animal in his arms.
Please, help! – Andrei whispered. – This baby urgently needs help from a veterinarian, he is seriously injured! Could you please call someone?
The woman behind the wheel hesitated, wondering whether she should get involved in this story. However, Andrey’s sincere glance resolved her doubts. She took out her phone and made a call. Soon a veterinarian arrived, who quickly took the wounded fawn and went with him to the clinic. The mother and the other fawn were also taken away so as not to separate the family.
Immediately after the veterinarian left, Andrei called the police. He excitedly told about what had happened, about how the hunter almost killed a small deer. Police operation
