One Step at a Time
Stephanie P.

Maria: I brought you your favorite dish, even though it could do without the soda. Its bad for you and you know I’d prefer milk or orange juice. (She glances at him, worried when he doesn’t respond. Although she has dealt with it for the past few weeks, she still hopes for a change, any change, from the same painful silence.)

Jack: Thanks. (He grabs the dish and just stares at the food. An uncomfortable silence follows and he picks up the fork to eat. After a couple bites he lowers the dish, unsatisfied.)

Maria: What’s wrong?

Jack: I never said anything was wrong.

Maria: Why aren’t you eating? (She waits patiently.)

Jack: Nothing is wrong. (He repeats this stronger than the first time.)

Maria: (She finally drops the calm façade and closes in on him with fury on her face.) Obviously something must be wrong if you aren’t even going to eat your lunch. Jack, you’ve done this for the past couple of weeks and you’re getting weak.

Jack: Maria….(His voice grows angry.)

Maria: (She continues as if he hadn’t interrupted.) You can’t just live off of skin and bones! I cook constantly and provide different meals ever day and they never satisfy you.

Jack: Maria, just…(He tries to cut her off but fails.)

Maria: Some of this is even homemade, and you know I never cook anything that doesn’t come in a box! You know, I’m just glad the baby isn’t here to see this attitude of yours because if….

Jack: You know what’s wrong!? (He explodes cutting her off.) Your cooking stinks! (At the end of the sentence he takes the plate and throws it at the wall with all his strength. The sound of a shattering plate is the only noise in the room and the moment seems to last forever. Both people in the scene stare at the splattered meal slowly slide off the wall and onto the floor. Jack’s face fades back into its hollow state and his head droops. Suddenly, Maria erupts in a warm and tinkling laugh. Jack looks up at her incredulously.)

Maria: Finally! Finally, I get to see some emotion from you! This is the first sign of a human being in you since you came back! I just didn’t know it would take a month worth of bad food to get it out of you. This is at least some form of the man I married years ago. Even if it’s an angry man, I’ll take it over the horribly silent one.

Jack: Well I’m glad my misfortune brings you comfort. (He says this sarcastically, but there is a hint of a smile on his face. Maria then sits down next to him and lays a hand on his shoulder, using the light mood she has created as an opportunity to reach him.)

Maria: Look, I don’t know what happened to you out here. (She starts to talk quicker, seeing him start to shut down when they touched the subject.) But if you could only let me in, I can help ease the pain. I’m your wife and I love you, but I can’t spend every day without knowing what you think or feel.

Jack: (He turns to her and she averts her eyes when she sees his face. He looks, if possible, deader inside. He leans toward her and grabs her face. Slowly, he turns her head toward his until they are eye to eye. The next few sentences coming out of his mouth send chills down her spine.) Do you want to know the details? Do you want to know what I know, and see what I see? You think you’re ready. You always think you’re ready. Ready for war, for battle…for death. (He pauses, gathering his thoughts.) I’ll tell you, but only if you think you’re ready for it.

Maria: (She stares at him with fear, but determination to find out the truth.) Yes…..I’m ready.

Jack: (He pauses for a few seconds, making sure she sticks with her claims. When she doesn’t back down, he sighs and sits back, beginning his story, his voice emotionless.) We were on a mission to infiltrate a prisoner camp. Our goal was to rescue the prisoners and disarm any bombs in the vicinity. But everything went terribly wrong… (His voice fades as the lights dim and the curtain falls.)


Scene II

Jack made the signal and the first group of five rushed out into the gloomy night. A group of men, all dressed in black, hurried forward a hundred yards, and then stopped behind the next crop of trees. Each man moved with the precision of a trained solider and the only sounds in the night sky were the birds calling out to one another. Only months and months at the training camp could have allowed these men to move so swiftly and silently. After waiting a few seconds, Jack signaled the next group and then finally the last, until he was the only one left. Then, crouching low with adrenaline rushing, Jack hurried off into the night toward the groups….


Maria: (Jack pauses and doubt clouds his face. Maria feels he needs some encouragement and she speaks softly.) Are you ok?

Jack: I don’t think I can do this, I’m not ready. (Panic builds on his face and he looks scared.)

Maria: You can! I know you can do it, it’s in you. You’re too tough to let this beat you. Now keep going. (She speaks bluntly, hoping her tone determines him to be strong also.)

Jack: (He relaxes noticeably, and continues.) I met up with the group and explained the plan….


Jack: Is everyone here? (He whispers quietly, when he arrives.)

Group Leaders: Yes sir! (The two other team leaders reported.)

Jack: Good. Alright, here’s the situation. (He says speaking to the whole crowd. The men’s faces are cold and professional, each man intent on carrying out Jack’s instructions down to the last word. Jack continues when he knows he has their attention.) There are guards posted on the towers up ahead but there is a blind spot between the two. If I calculated it correctly, we should be able to sneak past without discovery, only if we follow everything exactly the way I planned. We have to avoid the headlights and be in the right position. When we get past that point, we can take shelter behind the buildings but only for a few minutes. There are exactly four guards rotating throughout the camp, giving us two minutes to sit in one place. That means we have to be quick and efficient. Once we get everyone to that point, just follow me. I have the whole place memorized. From there, we locate the prisoners and bombs. Then we follow the same routine back and if everything goes as planned we should be out of here in a matter of hours without anyone knowing we were even here. The only thing I can say is this will only work if we plan it exactly right. (As Jack states this, a few of the men glance at each other with concern, but Jack doesn’t give them time to think of the consequences.) Alright, we move on my command. (He whispers as he crawls to the front of the group to look ahead.)…..


Maria: Wait wait wait, I don’t understand.

Jack: What? I just explained everything down to the last detail. What don’t you understand? (He grows irritated to have been interrupted.)

Maria: Hey, don’t get fresh with me! I’m not the military genius here. Fine, whatever, it doesn’t matter. (She turns her head slightly, faking hurt and at the same time trying to conceal her smile.)

Jack: (Jack, feeling ashamed at having hurt her feeling, uses a gentle voice.)
Tell me what you don’t understand. (He sits patiently, waiting for a response.)

Maria: No, no it’s not important. I’m just too dimwitted to understand even the simplest army formations. (She turns completely from him now, her sides in stitches from contained laughter.)

Jack: Darn it woman, first you want me to…(He is about to go off on a rampage when she spins around and kisses him soundly on the lips. He falls back in surprise and stares at her.) I married a crazy woman.

Maria: (She smiles mischievously at him and wags her finger at him, tauntingly.) Now you know how it feels to be left in the dark.

Jack: Remind me again why I married you? (He says pulling her close to him.)

Maria: Because I’m so cute. (She says with a smile.)

Jack: I think I’m ready now. (He says on a more serious note. His face turns grave again, but this time Maria has given him the strength he needs.)


Waiting for only one minute until everything is in place, Jack signals the first group through. The men moved as fast as they can without being noticed. Jack races at the front of the group and even though his mind should be on the mission, the only thought he has in his head is seeing Maria again. If he could live through this mission then he would thank God for every second that he spent with her in his arms. After what seemed like an eternity, Jack and his group make it safely to the destination point. Jack moves to the back of the group and stares intently into the darkness for some sign of the other two groups. After thirty seconds the second group comes into view and the men file silently into place with Jack and his group. So far, so good, Jack thought. With only a minute left before the guard would come around their corner, the third group makes a silent entrance into the camp.

Jack sighs with relief and signals the teams over to him. With too much danger of being heard, Jack signals the plan to the men. Moving as silent as death, the men follow Jack throughout the camp and in between the buildings. Jack racks his brain and follows the route he has memorized. Everything was going perfectly as planned, but Jack didn’t want to think that until safe back at home. Only a little farther, he thought, almost there. When they were almost there, Jack signals for the group to hold back so he can race ahead to make sure everything is clear.

Rounding the last corner until he reaches the prison house, Jack crashes against an object.


Jack: It’s all my fault.

Maria: (Maria is a little thrown back by his random confession.) What’s your fault? What happened in there?

Jack: I should have known, I should have planned it better. I missed some small detail. I shouldn’t have been so foolish. (His eyes start to water and pain racks his face.)

Maria: Now stop that. How am I supposed to know if it was your fault or not if you don’t tell me the story? Let me be the judge of whose fault it was. (She waits, knowing her statement will help him move on, and he does.)


Disoriented and confused, Jack catches focus of what he has hit and blanches. It is one of the guards. How could this have happened? He screamed silently. I have planned every thing out to the ground they would be stepping on. I have been so careful and was sure we would succeed. Now I have basically killed all the men following me. Crap, crap, crap! He repeated to himself.

As all this processes through his head, Jack does the strangest thing for the situation. He smells the man. This is not the time to be deciding if this man wears cologne or not! He yelled to himself. Then he realizes what the smell was and he realizes that the guard hadn’t called for help yet. As it dawns on him, Jack knows there is still hope. The man is drunk. He doesn’t even recognize that Jack is an imposter. If I play this right then maybe we can pull off the mission after all, Jack thought hastily.

The man lurches toward him and sways back and forth. Jack is close enough to him to see that he is staring intently at his face, trying to recognize him. He has one chance.

Jack: Hey you! (Jack cries in his best commanding voice.) We have a situation over in section five of the compound that needs every solider at hand. Come with me, quick! (Jack feels sweat roll down his back as the guard stares at him. After a couple seconds the guard stands up as straight as he can and salutes Jack with a lopsided grin on his face.)

Guard: Yeesssiir…commander sii..iirr! (He slurred with his best attempt at a sentence. Trying to hide his disbelief, Jack leads the man away from the open area. Almost out of sight and then I can dispose of him and lead the team to safety, Jack thinks with excitement. Suddenly a door crashed open from behind and Jack spins around.

Guard 2: Darn it Berkley, I told you to keep it down…. (The man from the door scolds and then stops in the middle of his sentence. His eyes widen as he spots Jack and he rips the whistle out from under his shirt. For Jack, the sound of that whistle is like a death sentence. Jack spins away and sprints around the corner. His men fell back in surprise as Jack runs toward them.

Jack: Fall back! Fall back! We’ve been discovered! (Jack screams at the men. He only has to tell them once before they start to sprit back toward the exit. As they run the whole camp lights up red and sirens go off, piercing the silence of the night. Gun shots are fired and men go down. Some fall behind to help their fallen comrades but they are shot down in doing so. Jack feels his lungs start to burn and his eyes blur as the cold night air bites at his face. By the time they reach the fence, only Jack and six other men have survived. Jack can hear his men calling out to him in pitiful cries for help. Those cries are soon silenced by a short burst of gunfire. Jack pushes his remaining men through the hole they have cut through the fence and finally goes through himself.

As Jack makes it through the fence, he does something he will regret the rest of his life. He looks back, and then freezes. His men, all his men, dead or dying painful deaths. They have been shot down while fleeing for their lives. They have been shot down under his command, and because of his mistake. He watches as the wounded are gunned down mercilessly, and silenced forever. The image before Jack is the image he will see the rest of his life. In his dreams, even when conscious, his eyes will always travel back to that horrible scene. He breaks out of the trance when he hears something fall between his legs. It is a small green oval object. Such a strange familiar green, he thinks. And then it hits, and darkness envelopes him.

Jack floats in dead silence. He feels so peaceful and carefree, and he never wants to leave this place. Maybe I’m dead, he thinks, I hope I’m dead. The silence is so peaceful and tranquil. I could float like this forever, he thinks, except for that buzzing. Where is that coming from? Stop it. Stop! Will you just shut up! I’m trying to die here! He cried.

Distant voice: Jack. (The distance voice calls out to him. The voice slowly gets louder.) Jack!

It sounds muffled and strange to Jack. However, it isn’t the only sound coming back to him. The distant sound of gunfire and a wailing siren calls to him also. Why can’t they just leave me alone, he moans, I’m so tired! Then everything rushes back in an instant. Jack’s eyes fly open and he gasps for breath. He feels himself being carried and again the noises are getting softer. Confused, Jack thinks he is going to the happy place once more, but a voice very close to him calls out and speaks.

Distant voice: Oh my god, Jack! Can you hear me? Jack, answer me! (The voice cries and Jack finally realizes it is the commander from the second group.)

Jack: Yes I can hear you! (Jack replies, annoyed with the man’s tone of voice. Why does he sound so strange?) Lets keep moving; they’re bound to be right on us. I feel fine, I think I can walk now. (Jack tries to explain to the man. When he looks into the faces of the men carrying him, he grows concerned. Their faces are racked with pity and fear. Why are they looking at me like that? Jack wonders slowly growing afraid, what’s wrong? Jack starts to squirm in their arms frantically and feels a distant pain in his legs. The pain starts to sharpen and suddenly it is agonizing. As Jack starts to scream he looks down at his legs and his face contorts with fear…..)

(The screams fade off into the stage and the curtain falls)


Scene III

(The curtain raises on Jack and Maria in each others arms on the couch.)

Jack: After seeing myself like that….I passed out from the pain. I awoke in the hospital a week later, without legs, and without hope. (Jack’s eyes are red but he doesn’t cry. Maria sits next to him with tears streaming down her face and in her eyes more love and respect for her husband then ever before.)

Maria: Please, don’t blame yourself for their deaths. It was just a bad situation, noone could have done anything.

Jack: Maria, I feel like I don’t even want to live anymore. Every morning I wake up and pray it will be my last. Those men died because of me; their families lost them because of my decision and my mistake. (As Jack says this Maria grabs his face and forces him to see her).

Maria: Never say that! Don’t you ever say that! I won’t live my life with a man who wants to end it. I won’t bring this baby into a world with no father because he didn’t want to live to see his sons face. Those men died for a good cause and they wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. They certainly wouldn’t have wanted you to tear yourself apart with guilt! You’re a good man, and a good solider. And you’re the best husband a woman could want. Please, don’t let this change our future.

Jack: I can’t think about this anymore. I don’t want to think about it. (Jack looks down and hides his face in his hands. A whimper escapes Maria’s mouth and Jack looks up, expecting her to cry.)

Maria: (A strange look comes onto Maria’s face and she speaks very calmly to Jack.) I want you to decide right now, are you going to be there for me and the child and are you going to give up this guilt trip? I want an answer, now.

Jack: Maria I need time, I need to heal. I can’t just answer right now. Wait until the baby comes and then we can work this out together, all three of us.

Maria: I don’t think you understand Jack; I need you to answer now. (She says this with urgency on her face and almost a look of pain.)

Jack: (Jack starts to grow angry with her persistence.) Why are you doing this? Why are you pressuring me now? Why is now so important?

Maria: Jack, you said we would solve this when the baby gets here. Jack….the baby is here.

Jack: What? I don’t understand what you’re trying to say!

Maria: (Maria speaks very calmly and clearly.) Jack dear, unless you want me to have this baby on the couch, I suggest you answer the question now, so we can get to the hospital.

Jack: (Understanding dawns on Jack’s face and his eyes widen.) Christ! Its here! I mean she’s here! Or he, we don’t know yet because we did get one of those tests. Maybe we should have gotten a test! Then we would know what to say in a situation like this. Now I really regret not getting one of those….

Maria: Jack! Jack stop! (She smacks his solidly on the face and brings him out of his blubbering state.) I need you to be calm now and just answer the question.

Jack: Are you crazy woman! We are getting you to a hospital! Forget the question. (Jack frantically pulls himself into his wheel chair and races off through the door and out of sight. Maria sits patiently and waits. Jack comes bursting back into the room and pulls himself over to Maria.) I forgot the baby! And you! And the car keys! Can’t leave without the car keys. And the baby. And you can’t have the baby without the woman.

Maria: Jack I’m not going anywhere.

Jack: Have you completely lost it! We need to leave, now!

Maria: I won’t move an inch until you answer me. I won’t have this baby until you are fully prepared to care for it and love it and yourself.

Jack: Yes, yes, yes! I’ll love the baby and care for it and care for everything else in this whole wide world and even the universe! I’ll wake up every morning at two o’clock and feed the baby until the only noise in the house is its snoring! I’ll go to the bank and take out all our savings and go to Wal-Mart and buy every diaper they have in stock! I’m going to care for this family more than I’ve cared about anything else in my life, and I will never, never, let anything happen to it! Are you satisfied? (With his last sentence Jack kissed Maria more passionately then ever before. She blinks and then smiles, knowing she has succeeded.)

Maria: Jack…lets go have our baby. (She rises slowly and Jack escorts her as best as he can to the door. Maria exits the scene through the door and Jack stops to turn out the light. Jack’s words to the audience are spoken in a voice full of wonder and joy.)

Jack: I’m having a baby. (He whispers softly like he doesn’t believe it’s possible. Jack switches off the light and races out the door. The stage dims and the curtain falls.)