56 pages • 1 hour read
Brain Damage
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Chapter 56-Epilogue SummaryChapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.
Chapter 56 Summary: “Five and a Half Months After”
The novel picks up where it left off, five and a half months after the shooting. Charly is in her hospital room when Clark arrives late at night with power-of-attorney forms. The confrontation triggers a complete flashback: Charly recalls Clark’s friend, Kyle Barry, shooting her, and also recalls that Clark found her alive but deliberately waited to call 911 until a neighbor, returning her cat, saw him standing over her. Armed with this memory, Charly confronts Clark. He confesses to the murder plot, admitting that he wanted her life insurance. When she refuses to sign any documents, he grabs a pillow and tries to suffocate her. Just as she loses consciousness, Jamie enters, punches Clark, and yells for help.
Chapter 57 Summary: “Six Months After”
Two weeks later, Charly learns that Clark was arrested after Kyle Barry gave a full confession. In the rehab facility, her physical abilities have improved dramatically. Her doctor confirms that her progress is neurological, not psychological, and schedules her skull-replacement surgery, after which she’ll be transferred to a long-term nursing facility. Jamie now has dinner with Charly in her room every night. One evening, they talk about being in the “friend zone,” leading Charly to believe that Jamie considers their relationship platonic.
