Chapter Sixteen

Holland rushes from the bathroom to find Gabe guarding the Professor’s brown-paper package while clutching his gun and bullet wound. She admits she briefly suspected he might steal it, underscoring her shaken trust after the night’s betrayals. Despite doubts, she decides she does not want Gabe to leave.

Sitting beside Gabe, Holland helps remove his jacket and prepares January’s discreet medical kit. Gabe warns she should not trust him and calls himself not a good person. Holland steadies herself and follows his instructions to clean and numb the wound, working past her aversion to blood.

To calm her, Gabe tells Holland to focus on him, not the injury. He sets aside the gun and guides her hands, insisting, “It’s not my time to die.” He reveals he, too, has spoken with the Watch Man and knows tonight is not his time, explaining his reckless driving earlier.

While Holland stitches, Gabe shares limited personal details: he freelances at acquiring difficult-to-find things and does not work with January. He deflects deeper questions but allows that Holland’s situation may not be hopeless, implying alternatives might exist beyond the Watch Man’s deadline.

Gabe’s attention shifts to the brown-paper package—likely the Professor’s journal—and he urges Holland to open it. The scene closes with the package still unopened, the suggestion clear that it may hold answers crucial to her survival.