A Different War

By Sarah Dooley

(A mother sits in a living room. Her daughter enters.)

DAUGHTER

Where's Dad?

MOTHER

Out.

DAUGHTER

He's never home anymore.

MOTHER

I didn't notice.

DAUGHTER

Do you know where he goes every night?

MOTHER

No.

DAUGHTER
Don't you talk to him anymore?

MOTHER

That's enough. I'm tired of your questions.

(Pause.)

DAUGHTER

Sorry.

(Pause.)

MOTHER

I don't know where he goes. I don't know what he does. He's just out.

DAUGHTER

You said it was going to be just a phase.

MOTHER

It is.

DAUGHTER

He's been home for almost a year.

MOTHER

He's been through a lot.

(Pause.)

DAUGHTER
Before...when he was in the hospital and we knew he would make it... I thought I'd never see him that weak again.

MOTHER

Your father isn't weak.

DAUGHTER

(quietly)

You're wrong. (Pause.) I hear him come home at 4 in the morning. I've cleaned up a vase he's broken and scrubbed the carpet after he threw up.

Remember when he wouldn't be in bed later than 10? When he wouldn't touch alcohol, no matter the occasion?

MOTHER

He's been through a lot.

DAUGHTER
You can't keep saying that. I'm not saying what happened wasn't horrible but...

I want my father back.

(Long pause.)

MOTHER

I've stopped hoping.

DAUGHTER

So you're just giving up on him? You're going to let him waste away?

MOTHER

What do you expect me to do? The damage has been done.

DAUGHTER

He's healed. He's been able to walk for over a month. Even his hair is all grown back. What's happening now is all his doing and we're just letting it happen.

MOTHER
And what do you want us to do? Take the shrapnel from his calf so he can walk like he used to? Take away his memories so he can sleep soundly again?

DAUGHTER

I didn't say that.

MOTHER
What then? Make him forget all the friends he's lost?

DAUGHTER
Stop it (Beat.) I didn't mean it like that.

MOTHER

Then what do you mean?

DAUGHTER

We can get him to the doctor again. We can make sure he stays home. We can talk to him.

(Pause.)

MOTHER

I don't know if he'll even look at me anymore.

DAUGHTER
Then we'll make him look, Mom.

MOTHER

It's not that easy.

DAUGHTER

Since when are good things easy?

MOTHER
He's too far gone.

DAUGHTER
How can you say that? How can you just let him go?

MOTHER

I'm not letting him go! I can't deal with it anymore.

DAUGHTER

You haven't been dealing with it period!

MOTHER

I can't keep him from going out and I can't keep the memories from coming.

DAUGHTER

Nothing can take away his memories, Mom. What we can do is help him deal with them.

(Pause.)

MOTHER
I don't know how.

DAUGHTER
I don't either! All I know is that whatever we do is better than anything he can do alone.

MOTHER

I don't--

DAUGHTER
Stop thinking about it! Just help your husband. (Beat.) Don't you miss him?

(Pause.)

MOTHER
I do. But what if we can't help him? I don't think I could take the disappointment.

DAUGHTER

Sometimes you just have to take the risk.

(Long pause. Mother suddenly stands.)

MOTHER
Are there any movies you want to see? I'm going to Blockbuster.

DAUGHTER

Wait...

MOTHER
If we're going to wait for your father to come home then we need to find something to pass the time.