Kaladin works a full day in the Hearthstone clinic at Urithiru, treating minor injuries and ailments. He counsels a boy, Adin, with a sprained ankle and reminds the family about proper care. The routine brings him calm compared to command, and he notes the white apron’s quieting effect on patients.

Syl assists by reading medical texts, revealing she has learned to read and is exploring new ways to help, including becoming simple diagnostic tools. Kaladin treats Mil for persistent headaches, prescribes medication sourced via Jasnah’s Soulcasting, and emphasizes tracking symptoms. He reflects on how exploring Radiant abilities outside combat might open possibilities they once missed in wartime.

Stepping onto the communal balcony, Kaladin watches Windrunners launch with Dalinar’s deployment to Azir. They salute him with the Bridge Four sign, heightening his sense of separation as friends depart. Returning to work, he notes a nonlethal cough spreading through the tower, recommends rest and hygiene, and fields a refugee woman’s request to find her missing uncle.

Seeking Hesina’s help about the uncle, Kaladin encounters Teft, who has stepped down from active duty, citing mental strain and a lingering cough. Despite Kaladin’s protests, Teft refuses to return to the front and insists on staying with him. Kaladin accepts Teft as his aide, and together they begin by trying to help the refugee locate her uncle.