Proof of Life
by Melanie Hemry
Jennifer Reynolds packed a box of camping supplies and added it to her stack. Tonight she and her husband, Jim, were going with friends for one last camping trip in Colorado before moving to Island Park, Idaho. Jim had worked for years as a flooring contractor, supplementing his income with remodeling jobs. However, on a recent trip to Island Park, near Yellowstone, he’d been offered his dream job: a fly-fishing guide.
Jennifer knew that doing what he loved wouldn’t feel like work for Jim. She was so happy for him she could have danced.
Two days earlier, Jim had bought a used dirt bike he’d found on Craigslist. It would be perfect for the terrain in Idaho. She slipped outside into the chilly Colorado night air as Jim started the bike.
“I’m going to take it for a spin around the block,” Jim said with a grin that crinkled the laugh lines around his eyes. “You want to go?”
“I’m cold,” Jennifer said, hugging herself. “I’m going to change into some sweats and finish packing.”
Inside, Jennifer pulled on a warm sweatshirt while pondering the new life that awaited them in Idaho. She was on the phone with her grandmother for a few minutes when she glanced at the clock. Jim had left at 9 p.m. Where was he? A buzz of alarm washed over her.
Jennifer walked outside, listening for the sound of a motorcycle.
Nothing.
She noticed her neighbor had pulled out of her driveway and gotten out of the car. She was staring at something in her headlights. Jennifer walked over to investigate. What she saw made her heart stutter.
It was Jim, unmoving on the cement. His arms were splayed out to each side as though he’d been crucified. His right cheek rested on the cement. Something like chocolate pudding ran out of his nose. Only it wasn’t pudding—it was blood.
Jennifer dropped to her knees and rested a gentle hand on Jim’s back. He didn’t blink. He didn’t move. Moments later, a policeman dragged her away.
“Officer!” Jennifer said, “This is my husband. I understand that this is a dangerous situation, but we’re people of faith. Let me just touch his back and pray. As soon as the medics arrive, I’ll step out of the way.”
He nodded his agreement.
Soon, medics swept Jim into an ambulance and rushed him to Swedish Medical Center.
He died on the way.
Dealing With Death
“Your husband’s heart flatlined on the way here,” an emergency room doctor explained to Jennifer. “They resuscitated him, and he’s on life support now. But he’s not going to make it.”
BVOV : 13
