Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis

Susannah explains to the reader that Dad begins keeping a personal journal to track Susannah's developments and help himself cope. From this journal, Susannah recounts Dad's description of taking the elevator, describing the happy or downtrodden people that got off at every other floor. Once on the epilepsy floor, he heads for Susannah's new, private room, but another patient calls him to her. The woman is obviously paranoid and speaks about being monitored. She gives Dad a phone number.

When Dad enters Susannah's room, he runs into the new security guard. Susannah greets Dad warmly and agrees to a walk around the floor. The walk is difficult, as Susannah walks as though she's learning to do so for the first time. When they return to her room, Dad suggests a motto to her. He says that the slope of a line is positive, which means progress.

By this point, Susannah's psychosis is mostly gone. The hospital schedules a spinal tap to collect cerebrospinal fluid now that she's a willing patient. Most of the time, Susannah stares off into space. When she is lucid, she asks Dad to let her leave because the hospital is killing her. Both Mom and Dad hide their desperation from their friends and coworkers.

When a young orderly arrives to collect Susannah for her spinal tap, he cheerfully tries to engage Dad in conversation in the elevator. Dad is angry when the orderly asks if Susannah has epilepsy, and then the orderly silently and awkwardly wheels Susannah into the waiting area.