What Happened After JAWS Ended? (A short story)

Brody and Hooper finally arrived on shore and placed the barrels on the beach.

Hooper: We made it.

Brody: Thank Christ. I thought I'd fall right to sleep on the sand when we got here.

Hooper: It's the adrenaline.

Brody: It's been one hell of a summer.

Hooper: That's the understatement of the year.

Hooper kicked off his flippers and Brody and he began walking in the sand towards the road. When they got there Brody spotted a payphone, found a few dimes in his pocket and made his first call to his wife. The Mayor could wait. Hooper spotted a nearby clothing store and walked across the street to see if it was opened. On the front window was the picture of a black Labrador with a phone number written underneath. In big writing below were the words 'HAVE YOU SEEN MY DOG PIPIT?' A few minutes later Brody finished his final call to the Mayor after calling his deputy Hendricks. Hooper walked out of the clothing store wearing a new pair of jeans, blue sneakers and a flannel shirt.

Brody: You clean up nicely.

Hooper: I'm just glad they were open.

Brody: Come on. Let's go get those barrels.

By the time Brody and Hooper retrieved the barrels from the beach and brought them to the road Hendricks had pulled up in the Amity Police truck.

Hendricks: I'm so glad you are okay, Chief.

Brody: Thanks but if you're really happy you'll grab these barrels from us.

Hendricks: Sure thing, Chief.

Hendricks loaded both barrels in the back of the truck and secured them. He then got in the driver's seat as Brody squeezed in the middle between him and Hooper. They drove in silence for a few moments until Hendricks asked the inevitable question.

Hendricks: What happened to Quint?

Hooper put his head down in silence and Brody looked at Hendricks.

Brody: You don't see him here, do you? What do you think happened?

Hendricks: Sorry, Chief.

The men drove on in silence for the next few minutes and Hooper actually fell asleep. Brody wished he could but knew the image of Quint in the shark's mouth would haunt him for a very long time. They arrived at the beach house Hooper had rented and Brody slowly shook him awake.

Hooper: How long was I out?

Brody: Ten minutes.

Hooper stepped out of the car and looked back at Brody. They had both been through a lot together. The looks they gave each other confirmed that.

Brody: Go get some rest. You're gonna need it. Dinner tonight at my house at 6. Bring the wine. Just red this time.

Hooper laughed remembering how sloshed Brody got the first time time he came to his house for dinner. It was the same night they found Ben Gardner. It seemed a lifetime ago.

Hooper: I'll see you then.

Hooper closed the door of the truck as Hendricks and Brody sped off. A few minutes later Hendricks dropped Brody off in front of his house. Brody got out and removed both yellow barrels and then walked over to the driver's side.

Brody: Thanks.

Hendricks: Don't mention it, Chief. When will you be coming back to work?

Brody: I think I'm gonna take this weekend off. I'll see you on Monday. Can you handle things until I get back?

Hendricks: No problem, Chief.

Brody: If you need to type up any reports have Polly do it.

Hendricks: Okay.

As Hendricks drove away Brody realized his wife was standing by the front door. They ran to each other and hugged tightly.

Ellen Brody: I'm so glad you are okay.

Brody: Me too.

Ellen Brody: What's with the barrels?

Brody: It's a long story.

Brody and Ellen walked in the house together as the door closed quietly behind them.

Later that night, after Hooper and Brody both slept the day away, Hooper arrived with the red wine and Brody's wife had dinner waiting for them. They talked for the first few minutes and then ate their fried Cod in silence. Brody's wife knew everything that happened by now and after dinner, cleared the table and left the men alone with their wine. Hooper was the one to break the silence.

Hooper: It's strange, isn't it?

Brody: Oh yeah.

Hooper: When I woke up late this afternoon I thought I dreamt the whole thing.

Brody's mind flashed again to blowing up the shark and then he shook his head.

Hooper: What is it?

Brody: Quint.

Both men held up their glasses and made a silent toast.

Hooper: You know before I came over I did a little research on the USS Indianapolis.

Brody: Oh yeah.

Brody tried to play it cool but shuddered at the memory of Quint's horrific story.

Hooper: The captain of that ship Charles B. McVay III committed suicide 7 years ago.

Brody: Good God.

Hooper: He shot himself with his service pistol at his home in Litchfield, Connecticut. In his hand he was holding a toy soldier.

Brody: I can't imagine how he must have felt, his men being attacked by sharks and all they could do was wait.

Hooper: I remember Quint saying he'd never put on a life jacket again.

Brody: And he never did. The son of a bitch was tough though. While he was in the shark's mouth he had grabbed his machete and dug it into the side of the shark's face.

Hooper: Jesus.

Brody held up his glass.

Brody: To Quint.

Hooper held up his.

Hooper: To Quint.

They clinked glasses and drank. A few moments later Hooper let out a laugh.

Brody: What is it?

Hooper: I just remembered us comparing scars and him singing 'Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies."

Brody: He was a character, wasn't he?

Now Brody was smiling.

Hooper: What?

Brody: I remember the three of us singing together.

Hooper laughed and began to hum the theme to 'Show Me the Way to Go Home.' Brody hummed along for a few seconds and then stopped.

Brody: Jesus. We're lucky to be alive.

Hooper: Absolutely.

Brody: You think this could ever happen again?

Hooper: I've been studying sharks my whole life and I can tell you there's a lot of them out there.

Brody: Want to hear something funny?

Hooper: What?

Brody: After all this I believe Larry Vaughn will be running for Mayor again.

Hooper: Hey, they reelected Nixon in 68.

Brody: Good point.

The men clinked glasses again and drank to Quint, themselves and to being alive.

The End

By Darren DeBari

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