Contents
Chapter 5
Overview
Two months after the shooting, Dr. Greenberg tells Mrs. McKenna that Charlotte has shown no progress and insurance will end coverage soon. Unable to provide 24-hour care, Mrs. McKenna faces placing Charlotte in a nursing home. Charlotte, more aware than assumed, hears the discussion, sharpening the emotional stakes and her uncertain future.
Summary
Charlotte awakens to raised voices outside her control. Dr. Greenberg, a hospital physician, tells Mrs. McKenna that Charlotte has made no progress after more than a month and that insurance will allow only two more weeks. Despite his gentle tone, the message is final, and Charlotte, listening, senses the tension.
Mrs. McKenna challenges the implication of giving up, but Dr. Greenberg explains he is constrained by insurance and clinical stagnation. He urges her to accept that Charlotte may not improve, even as he hopes he is wrong. Charlotte notices human details—his duck-patterned tie—showing her awareness despite her impaired responses.
Pressed about next steps, Dr. Greenberg asks whether Mrs. McKenna can manage Charlotte’s total-care needs. Mrs. McKenna admits her arthritis, age, and widowhood make home care impossible. Dr. Greenberg proposes arranging placement in a nursing home, calling it the best option given Charlotte’s needs.
Mrs. McKenna, distressed that Charlotte is only thirty-seven, realizes Charlotte is listening. When Dr. Greenberg suggests Charlotte cannot understand, Mrs. McKenna insists otherwise. Dr. Greenberg promises a list of nursing homes, while Charlotte silently absorbs the plan shaping her future.
Who Appears
- Charlotte McKennaHospitalized after a shooting; largely unresponsive but clearly aware, overhears plans to discharge her to a nursing home.
- Mrs. McKennaCharlotte’s elderly mother; argues against giving up but admits she can’t provide 24-hour care due to arthritis.
- Dr. GreenbergHospital physician; cites lack of progress and insurance cutoff, initiates nursing home placement discussion.