On Saturday, August 16, Alice lies in a Barry’s Bay hospital bed with a splitting headache and three stitches above her right eyebrow. She reassures her sister Heather by phone that the doctor does not suspect a concussion and asks her not to tell their parents. The accident occurred when Charlie swerved to avoid a fox and an oncoming car; he braked before the ditch, but Alice struck her head, briefly blacking out. Nan and Bennett were shaken but unharmed.

Charlie arrives at the hospital anxious and guilt-stricken, having settled Nan and Bennett at the cottage first. A nurse confirms Alice can go home and asks Charlie to look out for her. In the parking lot and car, Charlie apologizes repeatedly, blaming himself and admitting he feared losing Alice. Alice downplays the injury, asks to go home, and avoids a deeper talk, recalling that Charlie had earlier questioned whether they would be good together.

At the cottage, Nan and Bennett fuss over Alice while Charlie sits silently. When Alice heads to bed, she finds Charlie has set up a rocking chair in her room to keep watch, saying he promised Heather. Though Alice says she does not want him to stay, Charlie refuses to leave. At Alice’s urging, he eventually lies beside her because his watching from the chair feels unsettling.

In bed, Charlie’s concern turns flirtatious as he touches and kisses Alice, but Alice stops him, citing the risk of Nan and Bennett discovering them and her own need to manage her feelings. Charlie, still trying to make amends, suggests physical intimacy as a way to make her feel better, but Alice insists sex is not all he has to offer and challenges his pattern of choosing low-expectation relationships. They agree that they need a real conversation about Charlie’s relationship baggage another day, not tonight.

Charlie admits how terrified he was by the accident and that touching Alice helps reassure him she is okay. Alice settles with her head on Charlie’s chest, and they fall asleep together, choosing rest and reassurance over escalation.