Chapter Four: The Knee He Chose Not to Heal

On thirty-seven, Zhou hit from deep. Ten-ten. For the final possession, all three defenders crashed toward Han's injured side. Han suddenly removed the screen. Their force met nothing; they tangled together. Su emerged behind them and caught Zhou's bounce pass. When the captain recovered, she lobbed across the rim. Han never left the floor. He lifted one hand as if raising a heavy frame in his shop and guided the ball in. Eleven-ten. The arena offered a streak bonus: restore fifteen percent of right-knee tissue, or synchronize Endurance. Han stared at the repair. It was what doctors had failed to sell him after his savings vanished. He selected Endurance. “Regret it?” Zhou asked.