Chapter 16

Three months after the injury, Charlotte observes other patients receiving visitors while she only sees her mother. Asking about her father triggers the memory that he died years ago. She recalls that her husband, Clark, visited once but has not returned, and his presence makes her nervous. Her mother comforts her with soda and a quilt as Charlotte struggles with feeling alternately cold and hot.

Prompted by uncertainty, Charlotte asks if she has children. Her mother says no, explaining Charlotte chose to focus on her career. Charlotte feels relieved given her current limitations, then worries about her age and why she never had kids.

Reflecting on her past, Charlotte remembers she was a dermatologist. After Amy once explained how skin problems like rashes need care, Charlotte accepts the job mattered but doubts she can do it anymore. Sparse visits make her question whether she used to be a bad person.

Charlotte recalls a movie about a man who became nicer after a gunshot to the head, then wonders what she was like before her own injury. Her memories remain hazy—fleeting images of dinner with Clark, dangling earrings, and hailing a taxi dissolve when she tries to grasp them.