Purple Heart

In an office marked “Evaluations,” Matt is interviewed by Meaghan Finnerty, the female officer who had him make the phone call to his mom. Meaghan is testing Matt’s memory after the TBI, and while he can describe his squad members in great detail, he has trouble remembering the day or month. When he can’t recall the word for “raincoat,” he becomes so upset he scatters Meaghan’s stack of cards across the floor. When he apologizes for being an “asshole” (41), Meaghan tells him that’s actually a good sign. In addition to having “trouble finding or remembering words” (41), those with traumatic brain injuries often have difficulty interacting and “can’t seem to interpret the actions or feelings of others” (42). Matt’s realization he was acting rudely shows he still maintains some social skills.

Matt is desperate to “remember what happened in that alley” (42). He knows someone will question him soon, and confusing “bits and pieces” (42) of the incident are beginning to flash through his mind. He asks Meaghan if she can help him. She tells him they’ll evaluate him again in a few days and either send him to Germany for more help or get him “back out in the field” (43)—another abstract expression that Matt has a hard time understanding.