mean?”
“Tommy had a fight tonight at the Honda Center in Anaheim.”
“A fight? You mean a professional fight? A boxing match?”
“Close. It was a mixed martial arts fight.”
“You mean like ultimate fighting?”
“Yeah, something like that,” I said.
“You were at the fight?”
This guy wasn’t going to believe what I was about to tell him, but it was the truth so I had nothing to lose. “I actually was his opponent in the fight.”
“You’re kidding me? You fight also?”
“Yes.”
“And you fought Tommy tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Who won?”
“He did.”
“He did?”
“Yeah, he did,” I said, suddenly annoyed.
“Wow, there’s a first for everything.” The police officer sat down in the chair next to me. “So what did you guys do after the fight?”
“Nothing. I went straight home.”
“You didn’t stop off for a beer or an ice pack?”
“I received all the ice packs I needed before I left the arena.”
“What did Tommy do after the fight?”
“He was supposed to come over so we could go out and celebrate our first fight together.”
The police officer stopped writing and looked me in the eyes. “You were going to celebrate getting your ass kicked?”
“No, not exactly. You see, Tommy is in line to fight for the title in our weight class.”
“I see.” The police officer paused. “Did you throw the fight?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, that’s neither here nor there. Have they told you the severity of Tommy’s injuries?”
“No. I don’t know anything.”
“Did Tommy call you and tell you he was going to be late?”
“No, he didn’t. What has happened to Tommy?”
“We’re not exactly sure. All we know is that he was attacked.” He paused and leveled his stare at me. “And, due to the nature of his injuries, it appears that he was attacked by some kind of wild animal.” I think my eyes bugged out of my skull. Before I could speak, the officer went on. “Even more unusual, he was dropped off at the ER, where the nurses found him lying near the door.”
“Who dropped him off?”
“We don’t know.”
“Someone just dropped him off and took off?”
“Exactly. So where were you at 1:00 a.m. this morning?”
“I was at my house just about to fall asleep.”
“Can anyone else vouch for that?”
“No. I was alone.”
“Well, hopefully Tommy will regain consciousness shortly and he can shed some light on what happened.”
The police officer closed his notepad, nodded at me and walked outside. I just stared at him. Had I really heard him right? Tommy had been attacked by a wild animal?
I sat there and waited. And waited. Two hours later, I got up and went to the nurse’s station.
“I’ve been here two hours...is there anyone who can give me any kind of update?”
“The doctor will be out shortly to talk to you.”
“The doctor?” I questioned.
“Yes, the doctor.”
I was about to head back to my seat when I heard someone call my name. I turned around and there was a man of Middle Eastern descent coming toward me.
“Yes, I’m Josiah.”
The man walked over to me. “Are you related to Mr. Jensen?”
“I’m pretty much all he has. What’s going on?”
The doctor paused. “I’m sorry. He didn’t make it.”
I’ve been hit hard in my life, but never have I been hit harder than that. All the air left my lungs and I struggled to find words.
The doctor went on, but his voice reached me as if speaking from a deep well. “Mr. Jensen was pronounced dead ten minutes ago.”
“His name is Tommy. Please call him Tommy.” My voice sounded strange to my ears. Panicked, strained, high-pitched.
“I’m real sorry.”
I took in a lot of air. I could tell I was close to hyperventilating. “But...what happened?” I managed to say.
“He had bite marks all over his body. It appears he was attacked by multiple animals. But that’s for the medical examiner to decide.”
“But this doesn’t make any sense! He was on his
“Tommy had a fight tonight at the Honda Center in Anaheim.”
“A fight? You mean a professional fight? A boxing match?”
“Close. It was a mixed martial arts fight.”
“You mean like ultimate fighting?”
“Yeah, something like that,” I said.
“You were at the fight?”
This guy wasn’t going to believe what I was about to tell him, but it was the truth so I had nothing to lose. “I actually was his opponent in the fight.”
“You’re kidding me? You fight also?”
“Yes.”
“And you fought Tommy tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Who won?”
“He did.”
“He did?”
“Yeah, he did,” I said, suddenly annoyed.
“Wow, there’s a first for everything.” The police officer sat down in the chair next to me. “So what did you guys do after the fight?”
“Nothing. I went straight home.”
“You didn’t stop off for a beer or an ice pack?”
“I received all the ice packs I needed before I left the arena.”
“What did Tommy do after the fight?”
“He was supposed to come over so we could go out and celebrate our first fight together.”
The police officer stopped writing and looked me in the eyes. “You were going to celebrate getting your ass kicked?”
“No, not exactly. You see, Tommy is in line to fight for the title in our weight class.”
“I see.” The police officer paused. “Did you throw the fight?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, that’s neither here nor there. Have they told you the severity of Tommy’s injuries?”
“No. I don’t know anything.”
“Did Tommy call you and tell you he was going to be late?”
“No, he didn’t. What has happened to Tommy?”
“We’re not exactly sure. All we know is that he was attacked.” He paused and leveled his stare at me. “And, due to the nature of his injuries, it appears that he was attacked by some kind of wild animal.” I think my eyes bugged out of my skull. Before I could speak, the officer went on. “Even more unusual, he was dropped off at the ER, where the nurses found him lying near the door.”
“Who dropped him off?”
“We don’t know.”
“Someone just dropped him off and took off?”
“Exactly. So where were you at 1:00 a.m. this morning?”
“I was at my house just about to fall asleep.”
“Can anyone else vouch for that?”
“No. I was alone.”
“Well, hopefully Tommy will regain consciousness shortly and he can shed some light on what happened.”
The police officer closed his notepad, nodded at me and walked outside. I just stared at him. Had I really heard him right? Tommy had been attacked by a wild animal?
I sat there and waited. And waited. Two hours later, I got up and went to the nurse’s station.
“I’ve been here two hours...is there anyone who can give me any kind of update?”
“The doctor will be out shortly to talk to you.”
“The doctor?” I questioned.
“Yes, the doctor.”
I was about to head back to my seat when I heard someone call my name. I turned around and there was a man of Middle Eastern descent coming toward me.
“Yes, I’m Josiah.”
The man walked over to me. “Are you related to Mr. Jensen?”
“I’m pretty much all he has. What’s going on?”
The doctor paused. “I’m sorry. He didn’t make it.”
I’ve been hit hard in my life, but never have I been hit harder than that. All the air left my lungs and I struggled to find words.
The doctor went on, but his voice reached me as if speaking from a deep well. “Mr. Jensen was pronounced dead ten minutes ago.”
“His name is Tommy. Please call him Tommy.” My voice sounded strange to my ears. Panicked, strained, high-pitched.
“I’m real sorry.”
I took in a lot of air. I could tell I was close to hyperventilating. “But...what happened?” I managed to say.
“He had bite marks all over his body. It appears he was attacked by multiple animals. But that’s for the medical examiner to decide.”
“But this doesn’t make any sense! He was on his
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