One Day in December

Jack survives the accident, but when everyone arrives at the hospital the doctors still need to run tests for brain damage. When he regains consciousness a couple of days later, he is stubborn in his treatment. His situation is frustrating, and Laurie sees that “His streak of independence is generally one of his better qualities, but his refusal to ask for help is borderline dangerous in his condition” (173). To steer the conversation away from his injuries, Laurie talks to him about her new job. In a revealing moment, she tells Jack about a teenage boy who wrote to her about his girlfriend moving away. Laurie tells Jack, “I said that I know how painful it can be letting someone you think you love go, but that I don’t believe that there’s only one person in the world for each of us. It’s too fanciful, too limiting’” (175). In basically describing the situation she was in with Jack, Laurie comes to the conclusion that one must make oneself happy after too much time in sadness.

When Jack is released from the hospital, he becomes belligerent to his family and friends. He has lost the hearing in his right ear, and he had quit his job right before the accident, having shaken hands for a new job but not yet signed the contract. Now, unemployed and injured, Jack is dejected and bitter. He thinks he has “fallen between the gaps, and now I’m the nobody, and the way it’s going I won’t even be able to pay my rent in a couple of months’ time” (177). He is sure that he’ll have to give up his dream of DJing, what with his bad hearing. When Sarah comes to visit him, he is resentful of her sunny outlook and her desire to help. He perceives every note of care or concern from someone as condescension, and he says cruel things to his friends to get them to leave, including Sarah.

Sarah expresses her sadness and frustration to Laurie. Laurie knows how belligerent Jack has been and knows that people have been trying to avoid him since his release from the hospital. In a major role reversal, Sarah tells Laurie how lucky she is with Oscar, who is rarely in a bad mood. Laurie admits, “I have to think really hard to remember the last time we clashed. ‘Yeah. He’s a pretty steady guy” (183). Laurie has become very comfortable living with Oscar, but she worries “if it’s too safe, too steady, but sitting here listening to Sarah, I know I should thank my lucky stars” (184). Sarah asks Laurie to go see Jack and try to talk to him without Oscar, confident that he can open up to Laurie in ways he refuses to with her.

Laurie checks on Jack, surprising him at his home. Jack has stopped his pain medications and has been drinking heavily instead. He misinterprets everything she says as derision, picking an argument with her. Initially, she resists and keeps trying to offer her help and compassion. Jack insults her job and her boyfriend but suddenly changes the tone of the conversation when he tells her he misses her. This time, it is Laurie trying to comfort Jack, and Jack “can’t not do this. This is the first time I’ve felt like a man in as long as I can remember, and it feels so damn good, like waking up from a coma” (189). He kisses her, and this time Laurie pulls away. He accuses her of being one-sided in their friendship, tells her that he was there for her and now she won’t be there for him. Though both of them know that’s not an accurate depiction of what happened between them over a year ago, Laurie bursts into tears as Jack aggressively approaches her and rips the starfish pendant (a gift from Oscar) off her neck. As she leaves, she hears Jack tell her not to come back.