The basic premise of Not Quite Dead Yet hinges on the idea that Jet will inevitably have a brain aneurysm that will kill her as a result of her attack. Her injury is rooted in medical fact, as she breaks her clivus bone, a piece of which threatens to puncture an artery or embed itself in her brain. Because of the proximity of the clivus to the brain and its major arteries, a fracture there would threaten to irreparably damage the brain, likely leading to death. As Dr. Lee tells Jet, the bone is “so deep, so hard to access without damaging other parts of the brain [it is] [t]oo easy to accidentally nick the artery and cause a catastrophic bleed” (25). As the National Library of Medicine explains in a case study examining a clivus fracture, the risk is high “because of anatomic proximity to neurovascular structures like the brainstem, the vertebrobasilar artery, and the cranial nerves. Longitudinal clivus fractures [which Jet has] have a special risk of causing entrapment of the basilar artery and thus ischemia of the brainstem” (Evers, Julia JE. “Management of an Extended Clivus Fracture: A Case Report.” National Library of Medicine). The medical diagnosis Jet receives for her fracture is realistically accurate, as Dr. Lee emphasizes the dangers of trying to repair Jet’s fractured clivus.

Jet’s impending brain aneurysm and timeline of death serve mostly as a plot device in the narrative. A brain aneurysm is “a bulge in a weak area of a blood vessel in or around your brain. Most aneurysms are small and don’t cause issues. But a ruptured brain aneurysm is life-threatening” (“Brain Aneurysm: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 10 Feb. 2023). The narrative posits the probable outcome that Jet’s traumatic brain injury, especially coupled with her polycystic kidney disease, would lead to the collection of blood, further weakening of the blood vessels around Jet’s brain, and the eventual rupture of the brain aneurysm. However, Dr. Lee’s assessment that she has seven days to live—a timeline that is strictly tracked and followed in the novel—is a function of the plot that is unrealistic, given the unpredictability of Jet’s injury. It would be impossible to know exactly when a brain aneurysm would form or how quickly it would burst. Additionally, given the severity of the aneurysm and its rapid development, it is unlikely that Jet would be doing many of the things she does in the novel in that condition, like using a sledgehammer and escaping a burning building.

Despite the questionable timeline Jet receives, it serves as an important device throughout the novel. The ticking clock for Jet’s death creates the stakes, leaving Jet only seven days to solve her murder. Throughout the text, her impending death continues to increase suspense through juxtaposing the dated section headings, Jet’s growing symptoms, and her obsession with the clock, constantly reminding the reader of the importance of solving her murder before she runs out of time.