Brain Damage

Charly and Clark go to dinner, and he drinks heavily. When she broaches the subject of starting a family, he reacts with shock, questioning the timing and their finances. He pushes back against her reminders that he previously agreed, suggesting that they wait until she’s 40. After a tense argument, he proposes a compromise: They’ll begin trying for a baby in exactly one year. Feeling relieved to have a short delay, Charly agrees.

In the “after” timeline, at the rehab facility, Jamie’s friendly demeanor turns to horror when a woman approaches. It’s Karen, the mother of his son, Sam. She confronts Jamie, demanding to discuss custody, and mocks his physical limitations. When he calls her a “drug addict,” she retorts that she’s sober and vows to see Sam again, with or without Jamie’s permission.

Full of new resolve, Jamie insists on using a cane and successfully walks across the gym. He explains to Charly and another patient, Angela, that his encounter with Karen is his motivation to prove that he can care for his son. He recounts his history with Karen, including gaining full custody after finding their son alone in a room with uncapped needles while she was unconscious from an overdose. Though Karen now has documentation of her sobriety, Jamie doesn’t trust her.

In the Thinking Skills Group, the patient named Dr. Vincent interrupts a game to suggest that they try to figure out who shot Charly. The therapist, Amy, tries to redirect the group, but Charly insists that she wants to know. Dr. Vincent asks about her recurring dream, and Charly recalls a memory fragment of hearing a man’s voice say, “You deserve this” (228). Amy steers the group back to the game, but Charly remains preoccupied.

In the “stroke group,” a patient named Alex (whose condition requires limited intake of water and is thus always thirsty) has an outburst and drinks from a sink before being restrained. Later, Charly’s aide, Valerie, struggles to help her get dressed. Valerie explains to Charly’s mother that the brain injury damaged Charly’s sense of “midline,” causing her to lean severely to the left. Valerie suggests using a mirror as a therapeutic tool to help Charly relearn her body’s center.

The novel returns to the “before” timeline as Charly gets her mail after returning from a run. She finds an unmarked envelope containing a torn copy of a divorce decree for Kyle and Regina Barry. Shaken, she shows it to Clark, reminding him that Kyle is the man who threatened her at her clinic. Clark offers to call the police, but Charly refuses. Clark dismisses the letter as a scare tactic and tells her to forget about it.

Charly arrives home to find Clark holding a GLOCK 19 pistol that he bought for their protection. She’s horrified, pointing out that having a gun in the house creates more risk than it does protection because an intruder could grab it. When she points out that the desk drawer where he puts it doesn’t lock, he promises to buy a lock. Internally, Charly resolves to get rid of the gun as soon as possible.

In the “after” timeline, while Charly’s mother is helping her get dressed, Detective Simpson arrives. He announces they’ve arrested a suspect in Charly’s shooting: Kyle Barry. He details the evidence, including fingerprints and a full confession. When the detective has Charly look at a photo lineup and she sees Kyle’s picture, it triggers a complete memory of the attack, and Charly vividly recalls him standing in her apartment with the gun. Overwhelmed, she identifies Barry’s photo, wets herself, and then vomits.

Clark makes an unexpected appearance at a family meeting where Charly’s physician, Dr. Greenberg, states that her progress has plateaued and her insurance will soon end. Her therapists report that because of severe left-side neglect, she requires total assistance. Dr. Greenberg suggests that a long-term nursing home is the most realistic option. As Charly begins to cry, Clark stuns everyone by announcing that he’ll take her home and become her full-time caregiver.

On the hospital porch, Charly and her mother encounter Jamie, his father, and his son, Sam. Jamie says he has agreed to a trial period of supervised visitation for Karen. He and Sam begin playing catch, but Jamie’s aim is poor. Charly teases him, and he hands her the ball. She throws a perfect pitch to Sam, and her mother explains that Charly played softball in college. The group spends the next hour playing catch together.

In the rehab facility’s gym, Charly tells Angela and Jamie that she’s going home with Clark, and they express surprise at his long absence. Clark then arrives for a transfer training session. His first attempt to move Charly from her wheelchair is clumsy, and he nearly drops her. After he improves, her therapist removes Charly’s protective helmet. Seeing the severe extent of Charly’s skull injury for the first time, Clark turns green and runs to the bathroom to vomit, and Charly realizes he hasn’t touched her with any affection since her injury.