The Good Daughter

Charlie tells Sam that Rusty was very protective of her afterward. Charlie found the trauma from the assault overwhelming. Sam asks Charlie if the rape has caused her pregnancy losses. Charlie replies that a fertility evaluation did reveal scarring, but there was no way to know if the violence was the only factor. The pregnancy losses took an emotional toll on Charlie, making her lash out against Ben. Charlie feels Ben, who does not know about the rape, is better off with someone else. Sam tells Charlie she wishes she had been there for her sister.

Alone, Charlie reflects on Sam’s difficulties. Charlie knows the effort it takes Sam to function with her extensive injuries. Sam had had a genius-level IQ which marked her as unusual; the aftermath of the head injury left her with even more peculiarities, such as slowed, precise speech and a stiff posture. Charlie thinks both she and Sam have failed to manage life and death. She wishes Rusty could give her an answer about what to do next, but he is quiet forever.

Rusty’s funeral is attended by almost all the important people in Pikeville, despite their past criticism of him. The real mourners stay outside the building; the people Rusty represented all these years.