Bean finally has something soft beneath him.

The five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier mix is curled inside an open rescue carrier on a clean white towel.

His small body sinks into the fabric.

His head rests low.

His eyes repeatedly begin to close.

Everything about Bean suggests that he desperately needs sleep.

Except for one hind paw.

That paw never completely comes down.

It has been cleaned and bandaged after Bean was found hiding beneath a parked car in an apartment complex with a deep wound, significant swelling, and road debris stuck around the injury.

Now, even while lying down, Bean keeps the bandaged paw slightly elevated above the towel.

His body relaxes.

His head drops.

He begins drifting toward sleep.

Then exhaustion causes him to lean toward the injured side.

The paw brushes downward.

Bean startles awake.

He pushes himself upright again.

And once more, he lifts the painful foot away from everything around it.

Bean Was Hiding Under a Parked Car

When Bean was discovered, he had chosen one of the smallest spaces available.

He was beneath a vehicle in an apartment complex.

The pavement around him offered little protection.

Cars could move.

People could pass close by.

Yet Bean remained underneath.

His injured hind paw was visibly swollen and dirty.

A deep wound was present.

Dust and road debris had contaminated the area.

Exactly how Bean injured himself was unknown.

He could have cut the paw on something sharp.

There could have been crushing or other trauma.

He might have been injured somewhere else before crawling beneath the vehicle.

Without a witness, the cause should not be invented.

The paw itself already tells enough of the story.

Bean could not use it normally.

He Wouldn't Put the Paw Down

When an injured dog refuses to bear weight on a limb, pain is an important possibility.

But with Bean, the avoidance continues even after he stops walking.

He protects the paw while resting.

That is what makes his behavior so noticeable.

The towel beneath him is soft.

There is no rough pavement anymore.

Still, Bean does not want the injured foot touching it.

His Entire Sleeping Position Has Changed Around One Paw

Bean tries to curl normally.

His front paws come inward.

His healthy hind leg folds beside his body.

His spine curves.

Then he reaches the injured side.

The bandaged paw stays elevated.

Bean has to hold the limb in an awkward position while the rest of him attempts to relax.

It means that even doing nothing requires effort.