No Second Chance

“When the first bullet hit my chest, I thought of my daughter. At least, that is what I want to believe. I lost consciousness pretty fast. And, if you want to get technical about it, I don’t even remember being shot...But I still like to think that as I lay dying, I thought of Tara.”

These are the opening lines of the novel. Marc wants to think of himself as a good father, even if he cannot precisely remember his thoughts at the time. As an introduction to the character, it immediately establishes that he has been shot and that he wants to be a good father, even if he is not one yet.

“I would lay down my life in a second. And truth be told, if push came to shove, I would lay down yours too.”

This quote establishes that Marc is willing to kill for his daughter, going so far as to threaten the reader’s life. This is a shocking hook, especially for a doctor, but it is Lenny who actually follows through on this threat. Marc does not kill anyone directly over the course of the novel, though it could be argued that the threat comes to fruition when he endangers Tatiana.

“I did not like being the patient, on the wrong end of the bed, if you will. They say doctors make the worst patients. This sudden role reversal is probably why.”

This is an early sign that Marc is struggling with not being in control of his situation. As a surgeon, Marc is used to calling the shots, especially in a hospital setting. Here he is, in his traditional domain, except now he has been stripped of his power and authority. This moment develops the theme “Loss of Control.”