Turtles All the Way Down

Aza stays in the hospital for eight days. Dr. Singh comes to see her and gets Aza to admit that taking her medication did not make her worse, because not taking it had led to her drinking hand sanitizer. Aza cannot stop thinking about getting C. diff. Dr. Singh replies that drinking hand sanitizer will not help. Only time, treatment, and medication will help. She promises Aza that she will survive.

Aza returns home and is out of school for two weeks. She refuses to let Daisy and Davis visit and she leaves her phone off. Her mother hovers over her. Aza lays quietly in bed doing nothing. Aza goes back to school, feeling ready, like she has returned to the world. Aza is nervous, thinking that everyone knows that she went crazy. Her mother replies that Aza has always been crazy, which makes Aza laugh. Daisy is waiting and hugs Aza; they both apologize to each other. Daisy fills Aza in on events: She and Mychal broke up, and she sold her car.

Daisy arranges a picnic lunch for the two, so they will not have to sit in the cafeteria. Aza asks Daisy what her parents do and Daisy talks about her family.