Chapter Six: Hospital Visit. The Safe. Stantonville. Gold-Greed. Mr. Bowditch Comes Home.

Summary

• Charlie visits Mr. Bowditch in the hospital, assisting with his daily needs and discussing his medical condition.
• Mr. Bowditch reveals that he was able to secure a discount on his hospital bill, reducing it by $19,000. But he can pay it only with Charlie's help.
• Mr. Bowditch shares confidential information with Charlie about a woman named Ravensburger and a safe that contains a considerable wealth in gold.
• Charlie agrees to help and writes down the combination for the safe on his arm.
• Upon returning to Mr. Bowditch’s home, Charlie opens the safe, shocked to discover it contains a gun and a bucket of gold pellets.
• He weighs the gold and calculates its current market value, realizing its worth to be far greater than what Mr. Bowditch has estimated.
• Charlie takes a bag full of gold pellets from the safe to be sold at Excellent Jewelers in Stantonville on Mr. Bowditch’s behalf.
• Wilhelm Heinrich, the jewelers' owner, offers a check for $74,000 in exchange for six pounds of gold.
• Despite an attempted bribe to reveal the extent of Mr. Bowditch’s gold and its origin, Charlie refuses and leaves with the check and a small amount of leftover gold.

• The narrator, Charlie, waits for Mr. Bowditch to return home from the hospital after a fall, realizing he forgot to have a wheelchair ramp installed at the house.
• Radar, the dog, greets Mr. Bowditch enthusiastically.
• Charlie and an orderly help Mr. Bowditch into the house due to the lack of a ramp. Melissa, a healthcare worker, advises Charlie he will need to install one soon.
• Mr. Bowditch gives Charlie a check and asks him to deposit it in the bank to cover his hospital costs.
• Charlie receives instructions on how to care for Mr. Bowditch, including how to administer his medication. One of the drugs is OxyContin, which Melissa warns is highly addictive and should be safely stored.
• Charlie reassures Melissa and his father he won't be tempted to use the drugs himself, being aware of its dangers due to his father's past struggles with alcoholism.
• Charlie agrees to have his father meet with Mr. Bowditch in a few days, once he is more settled.
• Mr. Bowditch admits to feeling afraid and broken, but acknowledges the need for Charlie's help and support.
• Charlie's father meets him outside of Mr. Bowditch's house, expresses his proudness of his son's responsibilities, and tells him he can rely on his support.