Alan heard the splash, but didn't process the implications until he felt himself being lowered into the water. It wasn't very deep this close to the shore; maybe less than half a foot of water between him and oxygen. Suddenly that became very important. He struggled mightily, but only for a few seconds before his body told him to gasp, gasp now, and he had no choice but to open his mouth wide and take in his first drink of the Mississippi River. He didn't struggle much after that.
