It is Labor Day, and a man named J.D. opens his eyes to hear voices from a T.V. playing in the background. He hears chimes ringing and goes to the door to greet a man giving him flowers. A card stating, “With deepest sympathy” comes with the flowers and J.D. rejects the gift, saying that no one in his household has passed away. The young man insists that the flowers are addressed to J.D., also known as Mr. Hindle, and leaves the flowers by the door. Back in the kitchen, J.D. has trouble starting the stove while continuously thinking of his wife Carolyn and his kids who boarded a plane yesterday. Another man rings the door with an urn of sympathetic lilies. Confused, J.D. takes the flowers. J.D. cannot find his clothes and has trouble dressing. While reading the newspaper, he comes across an article that his wife and children have passed away in a hurricane near Daytona Beach and hurriedly calls the operator who tells him the line is busy. J.D. then receives a call from the Western Union who reads him a telegram from his wife and kids sent that morning about their whereabouts. Doubting the article’s credibility about his family’s death, J.D. calls the editor of the paper and requests that they further investigate the details of the matter. J.D.’s friend, Bill Henderson, pays him a visit and they talk about whether the article may not be true. When the phone rings, Bill answers and grimly confirms that the article is indeed true and that his family’s bodies are being shipped. Furious, J.D. punches Bill in disbelief and accuses him of making up the whole story about his family’s death. Bill leaves the house and J.D. continues to deny visitors at his door, telling them that his wife and children are very much alive. Sitting down in his car, J.D. recalls how Carolyn had told him she was dying slowly and how eager he was to get rid of her. Back in the house, J.D. realizes that he will never see Carolyn and his kids again