Chapter 16

Unable to sleep in his hospital room, Ibrahim fixates on mortality, the assault, and the loss of his phone and Tetris progress. He notes Ron’s steadfast nightly companionship—talking football, politics, and family—while respecting Ibrahim’s need for distance, a support that helps but cannot quiet his racing mind.

Ibrahim considers the brain’s chemistry and how time dulls trauma, yet fears time may be limited. Though he disavows revenge in principle, he weighs its circular harm against his current helplessness, wondering what his friends might plan for Ryan Baird that doesn’t involve violence but targets Ryan’s freedom and peace of mind.

He recalls a former client, Eric Mason, whose rage over a car’s supposed faulty clutch escalated into a criminal crash through a dealership window, legal and familial fallout, and years of estrangement—only later learning a simple reset would have fixed the issue. The story warns how revenge spirals beyond control.

Despite this lesson, Ibrahim acknowledges the intoxicating thrill Eric described. Weighing forgiveness against the desire to reclaim agency, he drifts toward the image of shattering glass rather than the assault itself. Accepting his anger without immediate action, Ibrahim finally slips into his first peaceful sleep since the attack.