Chapter summaries Releasing 10 Chloe Walsh

Chapter 36: Except He Didn't – Summary and Analysis

Spoiler Notice

This summary and analysis contains detailed spoilers for Releasing 10 (The Boys of Tommen) Chapter 36. If you haven't read the chapter yet, proceed with caution.

Summary

The chapter opens on April 21, 1995, with Lizzie riding in Claire’s father’s car alongside her friends Shannon and Claire. Lizzie feels profoundly empty and tired; a “scary lady” in her head has grown louder, drowning her in darkness. Upon arriving at Claire’s house, Lizzie pretends to need the bathroom, then curls up in the bathtub. The scary lady’s voice becomes a torrent of abuse, referencing past trauma (Mark’s assault) and commanding Lizzie to comply. Hugh Biggs finds her there and asks what she’s doing. When he touches her cheek, Lizzie says she can “feel me when I feel you.” Hugh doesn’t pull away. He offers her his bed to rest. Lizzie climbs onto his bed and assumes a vulnerable position, expecting Hugh to abuse her as Mark did. Instead, Hugh covers her with a blanket and sits on the floor to do homework. Surprised, Lizzie watches him and recognizes the song from the day they met. The scary lady disappears, and Lizzie realizes Hugh is good and brave—a knight who fixed her without hurting her.

Key Events

  • Lizzie experiences a severe depressive episode, with the “scary lady” tormenting her.
  • She isolates herself in Claire’s bathroom, hiding in the bathtub.
  • Hugh discovers Lizzie and gently asks if she’s okay.
  • Lizzie says she can feel herself only when she feels Hugh.
  • Hugh invites Lizzie to rest in his room, offering his bed.
  • Lizzie lies on the bed in a traumatized, open position, expecting sexual assault.
  • Hugh does not touch her; he covers her with a blanket and studies nearby.
  • Lizzie recognizes the song “Send Me on My Way” and feels a flood of emotion.
  • The “scary lady” disappears, and Lizzie understands that Hugh’s kindness healed her.

Character Development

Lizzie
This chapter reveals the depth of Lizzie’s internalized trauma. She dissociates into helplessness and expects every boy to repeat Mark’s abuse. Her willingness to offer her body shows how profoundly damaged her sense of self and boundaries are. Yet Hugh’s unexpected gentleness allows her to feel again—she experiences emotion without screaming. This marks a turning point: Lizzie begins to see a way out of her trauma through trust, not through self-harm or submission.

Hugh Biggs
Hugh emerges as a protector. He finds Lizzie in distress, doesn’t press for explanations, and offers comfort without conditions. Crucially, when given the opportunity to exploit her vulnerability, he chooses the opposite: security and respect. His action—covering her and leaving her body untouched—rebuilds Lizzie’s faith in the possibility of goodness.

Claire and Shannon
While they are background presences, their invitation to Lizzie shows their ongoing support, though they are unaware of her inner turmoil.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Trauma and Dissociation: The “scary lady” is a manifestation of Lizzie’s internalized abuser (Mark). She cannot escape the voice unless another person proves worthy of trust.
  • Touch and Healing: Hugh’s hand on Lizzie’s cheek is the first safe, warm touch she has experienced. It acts as an anchor that pulls her back to the present.
  • The Bath as Temporary Refuge: The bathtub symbolizes a fetal retreat from the world, but it is also a place of past violation (implied). Hugh’s discovery breaks the pattern.
  • The Song “Send Me on My Way”: A motif of hope and forward movement, the song connects Hugh to the first moment they met, reinforcing his role as a guide toward healing.
  • “Except He Didn’t”: The chapter title contrasts Lizzie’s expectation of harm with Hugh’s nonviolent response. It underscores that one good person can break a cycle of abuse.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a critical turning point in Lizzie’s arc. It provides the first concrete evidence that her trust in Hugh is well-founded, and it establishes a foundation for her eventual recovery. The scene also deepens the novel’s exploration of how trauma survivors learn to distinguish between danger and safety. By showing a boy who refuses to become another predator, Walsh offers a glimmer of hope—and sets up Hugh as a central figure in Lizzie’s healing journey. The chapter’s raw depiction of suicidal ideation and post‑traumatic stress adds emotional weight to the story’s commitment to portraying mental health with honesty.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What does the “scary lady” represent, and why does she disappear when Hugh finds Lizzie?
The “scary lady” is the internalized voice of Lizzie’s abuser, Mark. It repeats his commands and criticisms, reinforcing her trauma. She disappears because Hugh’s presence offers safety and kindness—something the abuser’s voice cannot compete with. Lizzie’s mind finally has evidence that not all relationships mirror the abuse.

2. How does Hugh’s response to Lizzie in the bath subvert her expectations?
Lizzie expects Hugh to repeat Mark’s pattern: demanding compliance and harming her. Instead, Hugh asks if she’s okay, touches her gently, and offers a space to rest without any sexual expectation. He covers her with a blanket and leaves her body untouched, proving that kindness can exist without exploitation.

3. Why does Lizzie recognize the song “Send Me on My Way,” and what does it signify for her emotional state?
The song was playing when she first met Hugh, and hearing it again triggers memory and emotion. It signals that Lizzie is capable of feeling again—she experiences a rush of emotion after the numbness. The song becomes a symbol of hope and human connection, breaking through her dissociation.

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