Episode: Fetch
Emergency Vet: Dr. John Fiddler
Animal: Shadow

As paramedics, the men of the Clarke family are experienced at handling medical emergencies. But when the family dog is hit by a car, father Jim and his sons Joe and John are unprepared for the impact of their own emotions. Jim can see that Shadow is bleeding, limping and having trouble breathing, but he leaves the dog's triage to Dr. John Fiddler.

X-rays and physical examination yield a measure of the 1-year-old's injuries: He has a fractured shoulder blade and left-side pulmonary contusions. More critically, blood in Shadow's urine could be evidence of a ruptured bladder. A long-term prognosis must wait until tomorrow, but the Clarkes will endure the wait together. "We might squabble and bicker amongst ourselves," says Jim, "but when something happens like this, we always come together."

The next morning finds the sun shining on Shadow. His urine is free of blood, his shoulder should heal on its own, and a family of paramedics can return to more manageable human emergencies.