Jim’s Body and Recollection

The Silence

This character thread follows Jim Kripps from a practical companion’s role through injury and delayed recollection of the landing.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Claims Adjuster The Claims Adjuster from "The Silence". A Nondescript Companion Quiet Self-Presentation Jim thinks of himself as tall but not conspicuous, a man whose anonymity is a kind of comfort.

The Claims Adjuster from "The Silence". A Nondescript Companion Quiet Self-Presentation Jim thinks of himself as tall but not conspicuous, a man whose anonymity is a kind of comfort.

A Nondescript Companion Quiet Self-Presentation Jim thinks of himself as tall but not conspicuous, a man whose anonymity is a kind of comfort. He talks with Tessa and fills the long flight by reading its indicators aloud. An Ordinary Identity His work as an insurance claims adjuster will later reassure Tessa because it belongs to recognizable everyday life. The identity is modest, but it gives their disordered experience a familiar point of reference.

The Injury He Forgets The Injury He Forgets from "The Silence". A Cut on the Forehead The Body Remembers Jim has a laceration, though he initially needs Tessa to remind him why they are headed to a clinic.

The Injury He Forgets from "The Silence". A Cut on the Forehead The Body Remembers Jim has a laceration, though he initially needs Tessa to remind him why they are headed to a clinic.

A Cut on the Forehead The Body Remembers Jim has a laceration, though he initially needs Tessa to remind him why they are headed to a clinic. She recounts the moment she saw him bleeding after the landing. A Fractured Account He remembers striking the window but cannot yet assemble the whole emergency. His injured body holds evidence that his memory has not organized.

Treatment in the Clinic Treatment in the Clinic from "The Silence". A Wound Bandaged A Practical Procedure A young clinic worker applies medication and bandages Jim’s forehead.

Treatment in the Clinic from "The Silence". A Wound Bandaged A Practical Procedure A young clinic worker applies medication and bandages Jim’s forehead.

A Wound Bandaged A Practical Procedure A young clinic worker applies medication and bandages Jim’s forehead. Jim begins to shake the worker’s hand, then changes his mind and leaves with Tessa. Limited Repair The wound can be treated even though the cause and scope of the wider crisis remain unknown. The small act of care restores the body without restoring the world around it.

The Long Walk The Long Walk from "The Silence". Moving Without Transit Toward Friends Jim and Tessa decide to walk to their friends’ building if walking is the only route available.

The Long Walk from "The Silence". Moving Without Transit Toward Friends Jim and Tessa decide to walk to their friends’ building if walking is the only route available.

Moving Without Transit Toward Friends Jim and Tessa decide to walk to their friends’ building if walking is the only route available. They expect that their friends may feed them and listen to their story. A Changed Measure of Distance The trip is no longer an ordinary journey home. Wind, darkness, and stalled signals make each step part of the emergency.

Remembering the Landing Remembering the Landing from "The Silence". The Story Reassembled A Delayed Account Jim describes the bouncing plane, banging sounds, fire, impact, and his head striking the window.

Remembering the Landing from "The Silence". The Story Reassembled A Delayed Account Jim describes the bouncing plane, banging sounds, fire, impact, and his head striking the window.

The Story Reassembled A Delayed Account Jim describes the bouncing plane, banging sounds, fire, impact, and his head striking the window. He now has time to think about the event rather than simply survive it. Memory as Testimony He admits uncertainty about what he saw and what he may be inventing as he speaks. Telling the story does not produce a perfect record, but it makes the landing shareable.

during the return flight

in the van after landing

shortly after the van ride

after leaving the clinic

late in the night at Diane Lucas’s apartment