Setting: (Baghdad)Iraq,  (Barrow) Alaska

[It is storming. A lone soldier stands at the bank of the Euphrates River, silhouetted on a deep blue sky. It is dusk but still beautiful.  The soldier has a gun in one hand, pointed downward, at ease, and a lit cigarette in the other. He sucks in a drag and the end of the cigarette lights up. Smoke expels from his mouth while lightening stirs up somewhere ahead of him. They light up his features, which are indifferent and unaffected by the in climate weather.]

NORRIS VOICE OVER: Mickey ne’er took too wull ter the sound uh  thunder.

[The soldier shakes off a few stray ashes and runs his cigarette hand through his dripping wet hair.]

NORRIS VOICE OVER: It reminds him uh ‘that movie – James and the Giant Peach, when’he big ol’ rhinoceros comes gallopin’ outta thu sky, all covered in black clouds ‘n lightenin’ comin’ from ‘ish’orn, -- out fer Jameses blood.

[The soldier pauses after taking one last draw from his cigarette and discarding it into the river. He looks down into the Euphrates and in the reflection the distant colors of bombs light up the rushing black water. As thunder cracks so does the sound of explosives. The soldier coils in readiness – he is calculating the situation, not hesitating, not afraid, and not panicked -- before running out of the frame. Seconds later a grenade lands on the bank of the river and goes off. ]

NORRIS VOICE OVER: Always gave Mickey uhn awful fright. Maw and paw would find ‘im all curled un’er the sheets like they wus a forcefield or summen. And when maw would pull the sheets offa Mickey’s head, Mickey would start ter cry out all the scared from his eyes.

[The scene shifts to a cozy lightening-lit room, where a scared Mickey is huddled under the covers with his hands over his ears and his knees to his chin. The sheets get pulled out from over him and instantly he begins to bawl, his back pressed up to the bedpost. The body of Mickey is soon replaced by the soldier, Norris, whose face is blank—a stark contrast from Mickey’s thoroughly frightened visage—and covered in rain and dirt. He is focused, and has his gun ready. The scenery switches to Norris’ place in Iraq as well, and he is pressed up against the wall of a dirt foxhole, with the sound of gunfire and grenade blasts are prominent.]

NORRIS VOICE OVER:  Maw would comfort him ‘n tell him not’ter be scared uh nothin’ like rhinos in the sky but Mickey would still cry like her words didn’t matter.

[Mickey is comforted by his mother, who rubs away Mickey’s tears smoothly with her tender thumb. He looks up to her at the age of 9 and cries even harder, folding himself into her chest where she hugged him and nuzzled the top of his head. Their father stands at the window, where he draws down the shade to keep out the lightening, and hooks a sheet up over it as an extra barrier. Norris – younger – is standing in the door way, indifferent, and watches without understanding.]

NORRIS VOICE OVER:  Mickey would cry.

[ Norris loads a magazine clip into his gun and  throws himself over the lip of the foxhole . Norris begins to fire.]

NORRIS VOICE OVER: [Says reverently] He cries...


[The sound of gunfire is muted and the screen fades to black..]


Setting: (Manhattan) New York.

[Norris opens his eyes  and is reintroduced to the sound of gunfire and midday New York City. The blasts stop and the voice of Jake Gyllenhaal makes it evident that the gunfire is from the movie Jarhead, which is playing on the television. Norris is laying on the couch in the living room of his small apartment in his boxers and an under-tank. Groggy, Norris sits up, face scrunched from the pain of waking and the tiredness in his bones. He rests an elbow on one knee while grabbing the thigh of his other, closing his eyes for a moment and then blinks furiously to keep them focused. Norris sniffs and rubs at his forehead with an open palm. He grunts and then slums further in his sitting position, spacing in the direction of the coffee table situated before him. On it are clusters of magazines ranging from Discovery Kid to National Geographic to Cars. What he zones in on, however, is a bottle of aspirin close-capped and on its side amongst the paper carnage.  Norris picks it up and opens it before smacking the lip of it against his mouth to recover at least two to four tablets, which he downs like candy without water. The alarm on his clock buzzes, reminding him it is 3: 30 pm.]

NORRIS: Shit.

[As he gets up the front door in the kitchen opens up – invisible to Norris – and in  comes a bustling and always smiling Mickey.  Held steadily in both his hands is his civics quiz. Circled in red and with a Good Job sticker on it is the number 96. Mickey stumbles out of his shoes and walks into the living room with his backpack still on. He is breathless with glee.]

MICKEY: Norris,
NORRIS: Mickel-Pickle
MICKEY: [Exposes sheet proudly] Look!
NORRIS: [Norris adjusts his sights to the grade on Mickey’s paper and is instantly please.] Golly, Pickle – I’m runnin’ outta ruum on thu fridgerater fer outstandin’ grades like that!

[Mickey grins and makes a fulfilled noise before throwing off his backpack and discarding it on the couch. He instantly begins to hum and wobble his upper body back and forth in subconscious unrest while he focuses on opening up his back pack. Mickey pulls out a series of books and notepads with some trouble, sucking his lips into his mouth as he proceeds to hum. Norris, meanwhile, has disappeared momentarily and returns buttoning up his jeans. ]

NORRIS: You have a good day at school?
MICKEY: Yep.

[Mickey nods once – largely and affirmatively in a manner that makes his whole upper body tip forward slightly. Mickey bats at his shoulder lightly out of habit, and is something that he cannot control subconsciously. As he does this Norris comes in and puts a hand on his younger brother’s shoulder, stilling him in a loving and unyieldingly gentle manner.]

NORRIS: Yuh got homework?
MICKEY: Yeah.

[Mickey is now concentrated on keeping his body still like his brother’s; “Normal” and steady like everybody else is.  His brows are crunched down because of how focused he is, and steadily he picks up his English book and notepad, and goes to set it on the coffee table before realizing how messy it is. Norris, seeing this, instantly takes to cleaning off a spot for his brother, shoving the magazines into a single pile and placing them under the coffee table.]

NORRIS: Yuh hungry?
MICKEY: Yeah.

[After the table is cleared Mickey sets his things down and sits awkwardly on the couch, uncomfortable at first because his backpack is right behind him. He takes it by the handle and moves it. Norris kneels down at the edge of the coffee table and places his hands together, watching Mickey open his book.]

NORRIS: Anythin’ in particular?
MICKEY: McDonalds?
NORRIS: Naw, yah had that yesterday—thinka summen healthy.
MICKEY: … Burger King?
NORRIS: Pickle – no fast food. Think uh sommen else.
MICKEY: Salmon?
NORRIS: You wawunt fish?

[Mickey nods heavily and smiles, and Norris cannot help but smile back. Norris is about to speak when Mickey hums and jumps a bit as a grenade goes off on the television. Norris picks up the clicker and changes the channel to the Discovery Channel, where Cash Cab is on. Both the Grissoms look to the screen.]

NORRIS: I wus thinkin’ we could have sum pasta ternight.
MICKEY: But…

[A question is asked.]

CASH CAB: Which European country controlled the land of Somalia from about 1889 until World War II?
MICKEY: Italy --
NORRIS: -- UK

[The speak almost simultaneously, and when Norris gives a different answer than Mickey, Mickey turns to him with a scrunched and challenging face. He is playful, but takes to games quite effectively. Norris smiles and returns the look, an idea popping into his head.]

NORRIS: Iffn’ yah get this wrong Pickle we’re havin’ pasta.
MICKEY: [points right in Norris’ face and narrows his eyes that is meant to be aggressive, but looks like he’s smiling, because he is.] And if you get it wrong, we’re getting’ fish.

[They both stare at one another for a moment before Mickey puts out his hand.]

MICKEY: Deal –
NORRIS: -- Deal.

[They shake hands and turn their attention to the screen.]

CASH CAB: Ohhh, no, the right answer would be: Italy.
NORRIS: Danggummit. [under his breath.]

[Mickey  turns to Norris in a boastful way, smiling crookedly and begins to hum and teeter as his excitement mounted. Norris rests his hands on the table and looks to Mickey.]

NORRIS: Best two outta three.
MICKEY: But we awready made a deal.

[Mickey stated, a strict follower of rules. He didn’t come plain out of the fact that he was the victor – Mickey didn’t like being spontaneous and stuck to what was first offered. He was OCD in that manner and Norris, aware of how adamant he could get, ran a hand through his hair before pushing himself up.]

NORRIS: Fish it is then.

[As Norris gets up he falls backwards, into Iraq where he lands in mud and rain, on his back and winded. The last echoes of a grenade suggest he was blown back and it is written in his eyes that he is curious as to whether or not he was still living. For that moment he is still, and everything deadens. The scrimmage, apparently over, dies down and the sound of Americans whooping and hollering takes over, mixed in with a few cusses from the wounded. The hand of a solder is offered to Norris. He stares at it and takes it.]

SOLDIER: Don't need to play dead no more, Grissom.
NORRIS: [On his feet and brushing dirt from his knees and face.] Weren't playin' fer a second there.
SOLDIER: Five towel-heads, Norris. I won that round.
NORRIS: [Disapprovingly] No sir, I saw seven.
SOLDIER: You weren't the one snipin' their desert monkey asses.
NORRIS: You done with the racism?
SOLDIER: What, you bein' civil now?
NORRIS: Now, juss' better'un what we're shootin' at. Them guys are fightin'gainst us wid'dier hearts 'n guts 'n soul. You don't find it the least bi'intimidatin' that these guys dun get all taken afright by gettin' blown ter Kingdom Come?
SOLDIER: [Pause.] No. [Affirmative.]
NORRIS: [Catching his breath.] You're a sonuvabitch, Fletcher.