Saint goes to the Derry Younger Center, a plainly disguised abortion clinic, and reflects that on another day protesters might have been outside trying to control women’s choices. Inside, she gives her name, sits down, and keeps to herself.

As Saint waits, she thinks about how far she is from Monta Clare and from Jimmy. The physical distance mirrors the collapse of their marriage: Jimmy has become passive, swollen with disappointment, and unwilling even to seek help after failing his exams, despite Saint arranging an appointment with Dr. Caldwell. These thoughts clarify why Saint has come and how little she wants to remain tied to that life.

A teenage girl beside Saint asks whether the procedure hurts, and Saint answers with dry reassurance while privately thinking the deeper pain may come later, when memory and regret settle in. Their brief conversation about mistakes, regret, and never having sex again reveals both the fear in the waiting room and Saint’s attempt to make the moment bearable. In the background, a television reports on the escape of James and Linwood Briley and other death row inmates, adding a grim note of public violence to the private crisis.

When Saint is called, she hands over her form at the desk. There she notices a photograph from the clinic’s opening and recognizes Dr. Tooms standing slightly apart from the others, unsmiling. As Saint is led through for the procedure, this unexpected sight turns the visit into another important clue, linking Tooms to yet another hidden place in the story.