The Jump

2 Rescued

The loud splashing of a beaver creating a nest, startled Merrill from his day dreaming. He was thinking about his late wife and how much he missed her. They had been married for fifty years and this year would have been fifty-two. They met right after high school, immediately fell in love and got married when they were nineteen years old. They were inseparable, until her tragic death.

Looking towards the direction of the busy beaver, Merrill saw an unusual clump in the river. Usually he wouldn't think much of such a thing, but something about the shape of it, made his flesh fill with goosebumps. Cupping his hands over his eyes to block out the glare of the sun shining across the water, he wondered what it could be? As he walked closer to the river's edge, he cupped his hands over his eyes again and could make out what looked like clothing. Which was odd, but then again, hunters in the area were notorious for losing items while tracking animals.

Merrill picked up his rifle and pressed his eye to the scope to see the clump more clearly. Suddenly he saw flesh and stepped back feeling a zing of panic as he realized it was a body! Without a second thought, he dashed into the river. He grit his teeth as the freezing cold water flooded his waders, but he pushed through the current anyway. When it got too deep he let his feet lift off so he could swim to the other side where the body was. Reaching the clump, he saw that it was a woman. Her flesh was pale and her lips had a hint of blue to them, but her pulse was still there as he pressed his fingers to her neck. Merrill knew right then, that there was a chance to save her.

Working quickly, he wrapped his arm around her chest and used his other arm to paddle back to shore. Once he was there, he dragged the woman onto dry land and tried to remember CPR. The last time he had to do it was when his wife stopped breathing before she passed on for good. That was two years ago, but there was no way he could forget that day or the way he tried to save her. Bringing his mouth down onto the woman's, he breathed into her mouth and then began doing chest compressions. His lifeguarding days were far behind him, but he would save her life, so help him God!

After an excruciating fifteen minutes, the woman began choking and spitting up water. Her breathing increased as she gasped for air and Merrill tried to calm her as he turned her to her side to spit up the water. He reached for his thick flannel jacket that was lined with sheep skin and placed it around her shoulders.

"You're ok. You're ok." He cooed as he wrapped the jacket around her, but her eyes had lulled closed as she leaned against him with her body still shivering.

As he took in the distance from the river to his home, he anxiously wondered if he would have the strength to carry her back? Or if he could just run there to get his truck and then drive her back?

"My darling Louise," he looked up to the sky. "Please give me strength to carry this woman to our home," he pleaded.

With a heavy grunt he picked her off of the ground and found the strength to sprint to his home which was a quarter mile away. Once there, he pushed the front door open with his foot and set the woman down in front of the fire place. It had died down to just embers, so he ran outside to grab firewood and rushed back inside. After thrusting the logs into the fireplace he squirted them with lighter fluid and struck a match. They instantly wooshed and began giving off heat. He knelt near the logs and tried to catch his breath as he eased his lungs with steady breaths. Removing his handkerchief, he dabbed at his forehead and thought about his wife Louise.

"I wish you were here, you would know just what to do," he said to himself.

After rubbing his temples, he stood to go search for some blankets and when he returned he wrapped them around the woman. Then he remembered how wet clothing should be removed so that the body could breathe and generate its own heat. With trembling fingers, he carefully undressed her all while being a gentleman and not looking anywhere inappropriately. Her eyes were still closed and he noticed how her eyelids were almost translucent thanks to the frigid water and her limbs were like wet noodles as he moved them about carefully. Once he had her down to her undergarments he wrapped her back up in several blankets, cocooning her.