"A woman escapes Pol Pot's murderous regime in Cambodia after watching her family butchered, "like chickens" only to lose her way in America. An eight year old deaf girl breaks the hearts of the firefighters who respond to her call for help, only to find that her parents had been using her as a prostitute. An intoxicated "frequent flier" quizzes the crew with his latest trivia question and elderly people depend on 911 services when their breathing becomes difficult. Meanwhile, in Iraq, Sergeant Robert Morse, the author's brother serves his year, giving glimpses of life in Baghdad, of risking his life, and the lives of the people with him while transporting water along the Tigress River into Fallujah and of missing home. One brother is at war in a distant land, the other remains home and fights a different kind of battle. Hardship brings out the best in people, and a bond that had been weakened as life moves relentlessly forward, each lost in their own worlds strengthens when those far away worlds seem somehow closer with the realization that it all could end in an instant. There are people who need help, and people who give it. Often, the ones giving the help get a little as well. This insightful collection of one man's interactions with the people he encounters during a time span of six seasons paints a vivid picture of life in a small city. These are wonderful stories of triumph, loss, tedium and hilarity. Inspiring and concise, the author provides every person who spends time immersed between the pages of this book valuable insight into life at its most raw and powerful."--Publisher's website.