Chapter 20

During Walking Group, Charly is seated away from Jamie due to the earlier pea-throwing incident. She meets Angela, a new member with long blond hair and left-sided weakness from a birth-control-related stroke. Angela compliments Charly’s violet eyes and shares her backstory, contrasting their injuries.

Charly attempts the parallel bars and manages a few assisted steps with Natalie and Steve, marking incremental progress. Angela completes her turn using a sling and bandage to manage her hemiparesis. When Charly asks about Angela’s sling, Angela points out Charly has one too, highlighting Charly’s poor awareness of her left arm and reinforcing her left-side neglect.

Jamie initially refuses to walk, expressing hopelessness about recovery despite his son as motivation. Encouraged by Angela and urged by Natalie, Jamie tries but struggles with coordination and needs help returning to his wheelchair. Natalie emphasizes that improvement requires effort, and Jamie reluctantly agrees to keep trying.

Later in the hallway, Jamie sits quietly, staples newly removed and incision healing. Dr. Greenberg assesses Jamie’s orientation, notes his growing insight and discouragement, and explains that recovery awareness can worsen mood. To address this, Dr. Greenberg prescribes a medication, aiming to improve Jamie’s engagement with therapy while Charly observes and reflects on her own challenges.