Contents
Chapter 27
Overview
On a profoundly fatigued day, Charly is found febrile and unresponsive to therapy efforts. Prompted by Jamie’s concern, Dr. Greenberg returns her to her room for tests. While resting, Charly relives a vivid memory of the shooting, including a menacing voice saying, “You deserve this,” sharpening the mystery and her trauma.
Summary
Four months after the injury, Charly is overwhelmingly fatigued, unable to participate in therapy or eat. Sitting in the hallway, she struggles to speak and remember names, fixating on Dr. Greenberg’s tie while wishing to sleep.
Jamie, alarmed that Charly is unusually silent and not eating, flags Dr. Greenberg. Despite noting that Charly’s recovery fluctuates, Dr. Greenberg examines her, finds she is febrile, and orders her returned to her room for tests.
As Charly finally sleeps, she experiences an unusually vivid replay of the shooting: arriving home, switching on the light, seeing a gun, being shot, and collapsing while unable to move. From her limited field, she hears footsteps approach on her left, fails to scan left, and a husky voice whispers, “You deserve this.”
Charly awakens drenched in sweat beyond her fever, the memory intensifying her trauma and hinting at personal animus behind the attack.
Who Appears
- Dr. Charlotte "Charly" McKennaExhausted and febrile; taken for tests; relives a vivid, threatening memory of her shooting.
- JamieFellow patient who notices Charly’s alarming change and alerts Dr. Greenberg.
- Dr. GreenbergRehab physician who identifies Charly’s fever and orders evaluation.