Contents
Chapter 30
Overview
Recovering from a UTI that left her bedridden, Charly returns to the rehab hallway and reunites with Jamie, who deliberately chooses to sit by her, deepening their bond. A wandering patient recognizes Charly as “Dr. McKenna” and thanks her for a past hair transplant, but then humiliatingly soils the floor, highlighting the unit’s indignities.
Summary
Four and a half months after the shooting, Charly spends three barely remembered days in bed, beset by nightmares, before learning a urinary infection caused her decline and is now treated with antibiotics. Back in the hallway, she notes the sameness and strangeness of the unit and worries Jamie may have gone home.
Jamie arrives, pushed by an aide, and insists on being seated on Charly’s right side, signaling how well he knows her deficits. They exchange light teasing about Jamie’s regrowing hair and scar. Charly realizes Jamie could eat in his room but chooses the hallway to be beside her. He admits he was worried and briefly squeezes her hand before the aide returns.
Later, a middle‑aged patient with an ankle alarm paces the corridor. He stops before Charly, recognizes her as “Dr. McKenna,” and emotionally thanks her, claiming a prior hair transplant she performed saved his marriage. The praise stirs a faint echo of professional pride, even as his hair looks odd.
After he shuffles away, Jamie points out the man left feces on the floor where he stood. The incident undercuts the fleeting validation with an embarrassing reality of the unit, juxtaposing Charly’s reclaimed identity with the daily indignities of rehab.
Who Appears
- Dr. Charlotte “Charly” McKennaRecovering from a UTI; returns to the hallway; reconnects with Jamie; briefly recognized for past work; faces rehab indignities.
- JamieFellow patient; chooses to sit on Charly’s right; expresses concern; shares a tender hand squeeze; explains ankle alarm system.
- LouBurly aide who pushes Jamie’s wheelchair and brings his lunch; presence interrupts Charly and Jamie’s brief intimacy.
- Pacing patientMiddle-aged man with ankle alarm; recognizes Charly as his hair-transplant doctor, thanks her, then accidentally soils the floor.