About Wounded:About Wounded:

Tells a story from the perspective of Tells a story from the perspective of Marcus, a young man whose father is Marcus, a young man whose father is a soldier in Afghanistan.a soldier in Afghanistan.

Talks about the awful, lingering Talks about the awful, lingering effects of war on soldiers and their effects of war on soldiers and their families.families.

I liked living on the base much better than living I liked living on the base much better than living outside the fence. I had lots or friends at school outside the fence. I had lots or friends at school who weren’t military, but there was something who weren’t military, but there was something nice about living on the base and not with nice about living on the base and not with civilians. Being part of the military was like being civilians. Being part of the military was like being part of a big extended family. You got to know part of a big extended family. You got to know people. Even people you didn’t know, you knew. people. Even people you didn’t know, you knew. Maybe I didn’t like all of the, some were jerks – Maybe I didn’t like all of the, some were jerks – but how was that different from any other family? but how was that different from any other family? Besides, living about civilians was kind of Besides, living about civilians was kind of awkward. They really couldn't understand what awkward. They really couldn't understand what our lives were like. Although, to be fair, I guess we our lives were like. Although, to be fair, I guess we didn’t understand their lives either.didn’t understand their lives either.

There was just something about everybody having There was just something about everybody having something important in common, everybody something important in common, everybody understanding what you were going through. How understanding what you were going through. How could anybody who didn’t have a parent serving could anybody who didn’t have a parent serving overseas know what it felt like for us? For them, overseas know what it felt like for us? For them, Afghanistan was just a hard-to-spell word on the Afghanistan was just a hard-to-spell word on the far side of the map.far side of the map.

A family divided by an ocean and the A family divided by an ocean and the war in Afghanistan…war in Afghanistan…

I guess most people knew there was a war I guess most people knew there was a war going on, but it was different when your going on, but it was different when your dad was over there fighting, defending dad was over there fighting, defending our country, risking his life. How could our country, risking his life. How could anybody non-military really know what anybody non-military really know what that felt like?that felt like?

And the, when I thought about what my And the, when I thought about what my dad was father was going through, I felt dad was father was going through, I felt bad about complaining about where we bad about complaining about where we are living. So what if we had brown are living. So what if we had brown water, peeling paint, and a leaky roof? water, peeling paint, and a leaky roof? Compared to where has had been for the Compared to where has had been for the past eight months, this place was past eight months, this place was practically a castle.practically a castle.

Waiting.Waiting.

Worrying.Worrying.

And waiting some And waiting some more….more….

““Can we mark the calendar?” my sister Can we mark the calendar?” my sister Megan asked.Megan asked.

““Of course,” said Mom.Of course,” said Mom.On the wall we had a gigantic calendar. On the wall we had a gigantic calendar.

Next to the date in each square there was Next to the date in each square there was a more important number – the number of a more important number – the number of days until dad’s tour of duty was over and days until dad’s tour of duty was over and he’d come home. Megan walked over to he’d come home. Megan walked over to the calendar and took the black marker the calendar and took the black marker that was hanging by a string beside her. that was hanging by a string beside her. She put a big black X on number 29. She put a big black X on number 29.

Only 28 days left. I could remember when it Only 28 days left. I could remember when it was 275. That was eight months ago. was 275. That was eight months ago. Eight down, one to go. Or 247 days done Eight down, one to go. Or 247 days done and 28 to go. Or about 90 percent gone, and 28 to go. Or about 90 percent gone, 10 percent to go. I figured the numbers 10 percent to go. I figured the numbers out in any and every way I could.out in any and every way I could.

I just hoped the numbers wouldn’t change, I just hoped the numbers wouldn’t change, as they often did in the military.as they often did in the military.

““Do you really think he’ll call today?” Megan Do you really think he’ll call today?” Megan asked for the second time today.asked for the second time today.

‘‘We can only hope, “my mother said. We can only hope, “my mother said.

I wondered how many times today I’d hear that I wondered how many times today I’d hear that question – how many times I’d think it myself. It question – how many times I’d think it myself. It had been over two weeks since we’d heard had been over two weeks since we’d heard from dad. That didn’t necessarily mean that from dad. That didn’t necessarily mean that something was wrong. This wasn’t even the something was wrong. This wasn’t even the longest time we’d gone without hearing from longest time we’d gone without hearing from him. Once it had been almost three weeks. him. Once it had been almost three weeks. Instead of being on the base, Dad was Instead of being on the base, Dad was somewhere in the desert, or maybe in the somewhere in the desert, or maybe in the mountains. mountains.

I tried not to let it get to me, but I could feel the I tried not to let it get to me, but I could feel the nervousness building up in mom.nervousness building up in mom.

Finally, Marcus's Dad returns Finally, Marcus's Dad returns home…home…

But something has changed in But something has changed in Brain’s father….Brain’s father….

What could be better? He was finally home, What could be better? He was finally home, and were all shiny happy eating pancake and were all shiny happy eating pancake people.people.

Then the phone rang. Then the phone rang.

My father jumped to his feet, banging the My father jumped to his feet, banging the table with his leg and causing the dishes table with his leg and causing the dishes to rattle. My sister shrieked with shock. to rattle. My sister shrieked with shock.

My father was standing, his hands out, My father was standing, his hands out, fingers locked in fists, crouched over, his fingers locked in fists, crouched over, his face twisted in an expression of shock and face twisted in an expression of shock and scary seriousness. The phone rang again.scary seriousness. The phone rang again.

““It’s just the phone,” he sighed and It’s just the phone,” he sighed and relaxed. “It’s just the phone…”relaxed. “It’s just the phone…”

I peeked around the corner. I peeked around the corner. Dad was standing on a chair, stretching up, putting up Dad was standing on a chair, stretching up, putting up

pink and white streamers on the ceiling for Megan’s pink and white streamers on the ceiling for Megan’s party the next day. The whole ceiling was covered with party the next day. The whole ceiling was covered with streamers and there was a big “Happy Birthday” sign streamers and there was a big “Happy Birthday” sign he’d made strung across the wall. he’d made strung across the wall.

““Looking good,” I said.Looking good,” I said.My father jumped from the chair, kicking it over, landing My father jumped from the chair, kicking it over, landing

on his feet. And then he leaped halfway across the on his feet. And then he leaped halfway across the room toward me. I was shocked. His face was a mask of room toward me. I was shocked. His face was a mask of terror He looked as if he’d seen a ghost.terror He looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

““Don’t you ever sneak up on me like that again!” he Don’t you ever sneak up on me like that again!” he screamed. screamed.

He took a few more steps towards me. His hands were He took a few more steps towards me. His hands were clenched into fists. He looked so angry, so serious, that clenched into fists. He looked so angry, so serious, that I felt my heart jump into my throat and I stumbled I felt my heart jump into my throat and I stumbled backwards a step.backwards a step.

His whole body shook violently, and then he slumped onto His whole body shook violently, and then he slumped onto the couch.the couch.

““They told to expect They told to expect things like this to things like this to happen…”happen…”

““Did you notice what I did when I jumped Did you notice what I did when I jumped off the chair, Marcus?”off the chair, Marcus?”

I shrugged, “I didn’t notice much of I shrugged, “I didn’t notice much of anything.”anything.”

““On the way down, as I was leaping, mid-On the way down, as I was leaping, mid-air, I reached for my side arm. I tried to air, I reached for my side arm. I tried to get my gun.”get my gun.”

““Really?”Really?”

““Marcus, if I Marcus, if I hadhad been wearing a gun, been wearing a gun, there’s a chance I could have shot you.”there’s a chance I could have shot you.”

What will happen What will happen to Marcus’s Dad?to Marcus’s Dad?

Will he ever be the Will he ever be the same dad again?same dad again?

What happened to What happened to him over in him over in Afghanistan?Afghanistan?

Can they ever be a Can they ever be a happy family happy family again?again?

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