Digby arrives at Saint Bridget’s disoriented by the lowland heat and the unfamiliar leprosy colony. Rune assesses his scarred hands and immediately performs a local procedure on the left: a Z‑plasty—the “mark of Zorro”—to convert a tight horizontal scar into a more forgiving arrangement, instantly improving finger extension. He pushes daily, painful stretching on the right wrist, even as he downplays his own brief episodes of chest pain.

Ten days later, Rune undertakes a bold operation on Digby’s right hand under ether. He removes Digby’s old pinch grafts and scar, freeing the tendons, then tucks the denuded hand beneath a skin pocket on Digby’s chest, drawing the fingers out through small incisions and immobilizing the limb in a cast. The next day, residents proudly show their craftwork and surgical results, welcoming Digby as one of their own. Humbled, he writes to Honorine with apologies he had long avoided.

After twenty days, Rune divides the flap, returning Digby’s right hand to the world with new living skin and grafting the chest donor site. Digby wakes in pain to Honorine’s comforting presence and breaks down; she urges forgiveness, assuring him he is not beyond grace. He is buoyed by the sight of his newly covered hand and the prospect of recovery.

Honorine recounts the hospital inquiry: Claude lied, blaming Digby and calling Jeb’s death a complication, but an outside pathologist refuted him, and Honorine’s testimony—with Ravi’s support for Digby’s skills—exposed Claude’s failures, including blank registers and paralysis during the hemorrhage. The committee recommends Claude’s suspension and notes Digby’s medical leave. Honorine departs; Digby waits to heal.

Living with Rune for over a month, Digby worries about Rune’s recurring “catch” in the chest. Their bond deepens as Rune praises the sanctity of hands and insists on purposeful rehabilitation. Learning Digby once drew and painted, Rune proposes art as therapy, aligning natural movements with recovery and giving Digby a path back to usefulness and belonging.