Journal Entry By Becca Teaser: Based on a true story. An entry from Nurse Dixie McCall's journal, circa 1990. July 4th: It's been fifteen years, but I still can't get through a 4th of July without thinking of him. He was such a young looking sixteen year old. I see his face as if it were yesterday; I hear his sobs like I'm standing right next to him. "Oh my God, look at my hands," he cried holding what was left of them, heavily bandaged, in front of his eyes. "I was gonna play college ball, maybe even make it to the pro's. How can I play baseball without any hands?" Tears streamed down his face and chest, past hundreds of small, deep shrapnel wounds. I gave him some morphine and he quieted down … until his parents arrived. Then all three of them sobbed. I tried to keep him comfortable until the plastic surgeon arrived to do what he could with what was left of his fingers. What can you say to a young man who, an hour earlier, had blown his hands off trying to make a home-made pipe bomb? He and his buddy were going to "celebrate" the 4th of July with it. What a stupid waste. |