Chapter 23 is divided into brief episodes, which indicate Amir's slipping in and out of consciousness. Initially, his sense of time is distorted, and he is continually fading in and out. Mixed in with his periods of consciousness is the dream of Baba wrestling a bear; the dream changes and Baba merges with Amir.
The man with the Clark Gable moustache is Dr. Faruqi, who tells Amir that he is in a hospital in Peshawar. Among other injuries, Amir suffers from a ruptured spleen, seven broken ribs, a punctured lung, lacerations, and a fracture of the eye socket bone. Amir's jaw will be wired shut for six weeks.
As Amir remains conscious, he realizes where he is and recognizes Farid and Sohrab. He notices an old man who enters the room, looks at all the patients, and then exits silently. Farid tells Amir that Rahim Khan is gone, but Rahim Khan had left a letter and a key. In the letter, Rahim Khan admits that he knows all that had happened during the running of the kites. He also explains that Amir was a physical representation of Baba's guilt; that is, although Baba loved both Hassan and Amir — his two sons — he was unable to demonstrate openly his love for Hassan. Baba viewed Amir, the legitimate son, as a physical manifestation of the ability of the upper class to act without retribution. Baba saw himself in Amir. And just as Amir longed for physical punishment from Hassan under the pomegranate tree, Baba longed for his own punishment, something he would never receive. The letter talks of the need for forgiveness. The key is to a safe-deposit box that contains a significant amount of money that should cover Amir's expenses. Finally, Rahim Khan asks Amir not to try to find him.
