[MARY lies in a hospital bed on stage right and VINCENT sits on the end of the bed holding her hand. MARY is pregnant and about to give birth to their child.]

VINCENT (aside)

Today I will become a father to another wonderful child. To me this momentous occasion can be appreciated with the fact that I am home to see it. As I ponder the things in which my first born son had missed out on for his first two developmental years I become fearful of failure. Am I ready to be a father? 

  MARY

[painfully] Vincent, would you go get the doctor? I’m in some extreme pain right now.

VINCENT

Of course dearest. [Walks offstage and comes back with DR.WALTERS] Doc, she said she was in extreme pain.

DR.WALTERS

Well  Mr. and Mrs.Vincent Peters, we’re getting to baby time.

[ DR.WALTERS draws a curtain around the hospital bed and 

VINCENT steps outside the curtain.]

MARY

Dr.Walters I’m in lots of pain right now.

DR.WALTERS

Alright now Mary, give me one big push.

[MARY groans in pain and suddenly a crying and screaming

baby sound occurs.]

VINCENT

(loudly) Everything alright in there, Doctor?

[DR.WALTERS pulls the curtain back to reveal MARY still

laying under a blanket in the hospital bed but now, holding the baby. The crying noises have stopped.]

DR.WALTERS

Everything is great, you have a beautiful baby boy, congratulations!

MARY

Would you like to hold her dear?

VINCENT

Uh, I guess so sweetheart.

 [MARY hands VINCENT the baby. He has a worried expression

on his face and his hands begin to shake.]

MARY

Vincent, stop shaking your hands. You look like you’re about to –

[MARY stops speaking and there is a blackout onstage. A   spotlight is shown on VINCENT who is looking over to another spotlight shown on stage left. ARMY VINCENT steps out in a military uniform, with the name Peters printed on the name tag, from the left wing carrying a young child who has large wounds on their legs, arms, and head. The child is screaming and crying as ARMY VINCENT begins to run up and down the stage as the spotlight follows him. Gun shots are also heard.] 

ARMY VINCENT

(Screaming) Help! Someone help me! This child, he is injured. (Quietly toned) What am I gonna do? Where has everyone gone? Where could they all be?

[Loud gun shot sounds. ARMY VINCENT ducks.]

ARMY VINCENT (cont.)

Why am I here? I should be at home watching my child grow up. Why, why did they choose-

[ARMY VINCENT exits to the left wing and the lights go up.

  VINCENT turns back towards his baby which he is still holding 

but has now stopped crying.]

MARY

Dear, are you okay? Vincent?

VINCENT

(Shouting) The child needs help! Help her, help her!!

MARY

The doctors just checked him out, he’s okay dear. Please calm down

VINCENT

(Shouting) He’s injured and she needs help!

DR.WALTERS

Mr.Peters we’ve already checked your son. He is okay.

VINCENT

(Confused) I- I’m so sorry, excuse me.

[VINCENT hands the baby back to MARY and steps

outside of the hospital curtain.]

VINCENT (cont.)

(aiside) What is wrong with me? Why are those pictures coming back into my mind, I’m home. This needs to stop like now, it needs to. I need to be the father and husband they need me to be. Why- 

[DR. WALLACE rushes through with a patient who 

the right leg has a large red gash through it.]

DR.WALLACE

[to VINCENT] Sir, I need you to move out of the way this man needs help. [taps on his shoulder] Excuse me, wha-

[ A blackout occurs on stage. A spotlight is placed on VINCENT then ARMY VINCENT enters stage left and a spotlight is placed on him. VINCENT is watching ARMY VINCENT. The spotlight follows ARMY VINCENT as he runs upstage to see a soldier badly wounded in his right leg. The ARMY MEDIC comes on upstage from the left wing.]

ARMY MEDIC

(shouting) Sir, you need to move out of the way. Move out of the way, soldier.

ARMY VINCENT

My apologies, are you going to save their legs?

ARMY MEDIC

In most of these cases we just have to perform an amputation.

[ Another blackout occurs and the ARMY MEDIC and soldier exit stage left. VINCENT is standing still, in the way of DR.WALLACE]

VINCENT

Why are you gonna amputate? Isn’t there anything else you can do?

PATIENT

You have to amputate it? (crying) Oh no!

DR.WALLACE

(to PATIENT) No, no, calm down please. This man is unwell I’m afraid. (to VINCENT) Sir please sit down, you might wanna see a doctor.

VINCENT

I do not need a doctor sir, I’m okay, my wife actually just had a baby.

DR.WALLACE

Is that so? Well then what kind of fuss were you stuck in? You were sittin’ here in some kind of panic.

VINCENT

I assure you, I’m fine. Thank you Dr. uh (looking at name tag) Wallace. Why don’t you get back to your own patient?

DR.WALLACE

Okay, but if you need anything let me know, my office is just down the hall, I’ve helped quite a lot of (air quotes) crazy people.

VINCENT

I’m not crazy. I am a father though and my wife needs me. 

[VINCENT draws the curtain  revealing MARY sitting in the 

hospital bed, holding their son.]

MARY

(Concerned) What was that dear? Are you all right? I heard some violent shouting out there.

VINCENT

All is well darling. 

MARY

Okay then what happened earlier, when you held him. You look as though you were gonna drop him right on the hospital floor. (worried) Sweetheart, tell me what is going on please.

VINCENT

I’m okay dear, thank you for the concern. (excited) It looks like we have a name to pick!

MARY

How about Thomas? Thomas Peters. How's that-

[ A blackout occurs. ARMY VINCENT steps out  of the left wing with

his friend THOMAS who is also in a military uniform with the last 

Name Johnson printed on the tag. Both have on their helmets and backpacks. A spotlight is placed on them and follows them as they look as though they are chit chatting but making no noise. A spotlight is placed on VINCENT and he looks over to ARMY VINCENT and THOMAS]

THOMAS

Vietnam is nothing like what they said it would be, it’s worse. Hey but at least we met, you’re like the brother I never had, I grew up with 3 sisters.

ARMY VINCENT

Agreed, you know my wife just had our first kid. I found out in a letter given to me this morning. I would so much rather be holding him right now then walking around this swamp.

THOMAS

Yeah, I got one of those little ones too, I’m just trying to make it back home to watch him grow up. His name is Paul, my wife’s name is Paula. She enjoys the correlation but she was the one who insisted I don’t name him Thomas Jr..

[ VINCENT and THOMAS laugh 3 gun shots are played through speakers. THOMAS and ARMY VINCENT look side to side and begin to run off stage, ARMY VINCENT in front of THOMAS. As ARMY VINCENT runs off, 2 more gunshots are fired and the spotlight that was on THOMAS goes out. The spotlight then turns on again. THOMAS is laying down on the ground, bleeding from his chest. ARMY VINCENT quickly runs back on stage and sits down next to THOMAS.]

ARMY VINCENT

(scared) Thomas, are you okay? (shouting) Help! Someone help! Talk to me Thomas. C’mon think of your son. 

THOMAS

(weak) Surprisingly, that’s exactly what I’m thinking about. (getting quieter) Vincent, please find my wife and son, tell them I love them. 

[ THOMAS takes one last breath then dies.  ARMY VINCENT hugs him and cries ]

ARMY VINCENT

(shouting) No! No! Why? Why? He’s supposed to be at home with his son. Why did they choose him? Us. 

[A blackout occurs on stage. ARMY VINCENT and THOMAS exit the left wing. The lights come up and VINCENT is looking back at MARY and the baby. VINCENT begins crying.]

MARY

Okay, we can choose a different name, that’s okay sweetie.

VINCENT

(serious and worried) I have to find them, Paul and Paula. I have to tell them that he loved them.

MARY

Who? Sweetheart, are you okay?

VINCENT

(Confused) Oh, uh, yes I’m okay.

MARY

This is what I’m talking about darling. I can’t trust you with the children if you aren’t present enough to have a conversation with me.

VINCENT

I was present, I- I- just don’t like that name can we choose something else?

MARY

Okay, but seriously I want you to go see a doctor, please. What if something is wrong, like in your brain? You keep getting confused, I’m worried.

VINCENT

Alright, I’ll go see a doctor. (Looking at the baby) What about Phillip?

MARY

That sounds great! Now run along, go find some doctor to check on you.

[ VINCENT closes the curtain around the bed as he steps out.

DR.WALLACE enters stage left and VINCENT walks up to him.]

VINCENT

Hey Dr. Wallace, I guess I could use a check up? 

DR.WALLACE

Absolutely, right this way.

[ DR. WALLACE and VINCENT exit stage right. There is a blackout and a desk with an office chair behind it and a chair slightly upstage left, diagonal to the desk is placed on stage left.  A spotlight is put on stage left. DR. WALLACE and VINCENT enter stage left. DR.WALLACE sits in the office chair and VINCENT sits in the other chair]

DR.WALLACE (cont.)

So Mr.-

VINCENT

Mr. Peters

DR.WALLACE

Right so, what seems to be the issue you are having?

VINCENT

Nothing physically hurts. It’s more that my head hurts.

DR.WALLACE

Well, migraines are very common with middle aged men such as yourself. Especially with a new baby in their family, you’re probably just overwhelmed.

VINCENT

Not sure, it doesn’t feel like a migraine.

DR.WALLACE

I’ll send you home with some migraine medicine and you can come back in a week or so.

[DR.WALLACE hands VINCENT a small pill bottle]

DR.WALLACE (cont.)

Once a day for a week. 

VINCENT

All right, thank you for your time.

[The stage blacks out, the chairs and desk stay on stage. A spotlight goes on stage right where the hospital bed still sits. VINCENT pulls back the curtain. MARY sits in the bed holding the baby.]

MARY

What did the doctor say, darling?

VINCENT

He said I have migraines.

MARY

(shouting) Migraines! This is not migraines, you were shaking like you were petrified. I’m going down to that doctor's office to give that man a piece of my mind. Nurse!!

[A nurse enters the from stage right]

MARY (cont.)

Please take care of the baby for just a couple minutes. I'll be right back.

VINCENT

You are not actually going to walk across a hospital just to talk to him are you?

[MARY stands up, taking her time]

MARY

Are you going to stop me?

[MARY slowly walks off stage right, VINCENT follows her. There is a blackout, a spotlight shines on stage left showing DR.WALLACE sitting in the office chair filling out paperwork. VINCENT and MARY enter stage left. MARY walks to DR.WALLACE’s side of the desk]

MARY (cont.)

(angry) My husband does not have migraines. He’s been shaking and scared and confused. I expect more from a man who’s an expert on health and things. 

VINCENT

Really doc, I’m okay.

DR.WALLACE 

I’m afraid I have to listen to your wife. When I saw you in the hallway earlier you were actin’ pretty strange.

VINCENT

Uh- Oh- okay. It’s just that lately, I’ve been seeing some things. Like things that happened when I was in Vietnam.

DR.WALLACE

Ah, yes that’s just some soldier’s heart. Show you know, your toughness.

MARY

(shouting) Excuse me! Toughness? He almost collapsed on the floor, he didn’t know where he was. My husband needs actual help.

DR.WALLACE

I guess maybe I can look into it, I have never seen a crazy reaction such as yours, Vincent. I’ll talk to my colleagues and we can maybe start a study.

VINCENT (aside)

As I hear Mary jumping for joy and talking out logistics, I still seem to be fearful for myself. But now I feel hopeful for the future. Maybe we’ll help some other soldiers.