Chapter 51
Contains spoilersOverview
Hank returns determined to get Tegan medical help, but Polly blocks him, smashing his phone and threatening suicide if he takes Tegan to the hospital. Polly’s flashback to a prior breakdown and suicide attempt reveals the depth of her obsession with motherhood. Shaken, Hank postpones action, leaving Tegan untreated and captive.
Summary
Hank comes home exhausted and immediately asks about Tegan. Polly claims Tegan is sleeping and fine, though Tegan remains in a wheelchair because Polly fears getting close. Hank challenges her assessment, noting Tegan’s swollen leg and possible fracture.
When Hank tries to call 911, Polly snatches his phone and smashes it; the landline is already broken. Hank decides to drive Tegan to the hospital himself, but Polly physically blocks the basement door, warning they’ll go to jail if he proceeds. Hank insists on care, unwilling to relent.
Realizing she cannot guard the door forever, Polly escalates: she tells Hank she will kill herself if he takes Tegan to the hospital. The ultimatum reframes the stakes from legal risk to Polly’s life, forcing Hank to reconsider.
Polly recalls a past breakdown while working in a newborn nursery, her infertility anguish, refusal to surrender a baby, resignation, and a serious pill overdose that led to psychiatric hospitalization and ended adoption hopes. Using that history, she reinforces her threat. Hank, rattled and unwilling to risk her life, steps back and defers, saying they will talk later, leaving Tegan still captive and without medical care.
Who Appears
- Polly
Determined captor; smashes Hank’s phone, threatens suicide, and recalls a past breakdown and overdose tied to infertility.
- Hank
Conflicted caretaker; tries to call 911 and take Tegan to the hospital but retreats after Polly’s suicide threat.
- Tegan
Pregnant captive; left in a wheelchair with a swollen, possibly fractured leg, still denied medical care.