Helena wakes after a long unconsciousness to find Ferron speaking with the lady’s maid. Ferron tells Helena that she will be watched constantly and is forbidden to hurt herself or do anything that might cause an abortion or miscarriage. Helena retreats into silence and refuses to get out of bed until Ferron brings her a medical textbook on gestation, which becomes her only possession and draws Helena back to reading.

The next day, Ferron forces Helena to go outside, insisting that she cannot stay in bed for the entire pregnancy. The spring courtyard is beautiful but feels poisonous to Helena. Back in her room, Helena desperately begs Ferron not to let anyone hurt the baby, but after Ferron promises that nothing will happen to it, Helena distrusts the reassurance and accuses Ferron of saying whatever is necessary to keep her compliant. Helena then demands that she will only eat and exercise if Ferron stays away from her.

Helena begins going outside alone and searches the overgrown garden for poisonous or abortive plants, but anything useful has been removed. As weeks pass, Helena develops severe headaches, nausea, and weakness. When Helena cannot eat, drink, or rise from bed, Ferron returns, and Helena dismisses the illness as ordinary early pregnancy; Ferron reveals that his mother nearly died from similar sickness.

Ferron brings Stroud, who examines Helena and uses a resonance screen to show the embryo’s tiny pulsing form. Stroud says the pregnancy appears normal but theorizes that Helena’s headaches and decline come from Helena internalizing resonance to keep her memories hidden while also sustaining the pregnancy, especially if the embryo is an animancer. Stroud suggests Helena may recover her memories before succumbing to the Toll and recommends only supportive care, including an intravenous drip.

Helena is treated by doctors and kept alive by saline and drugs, but the headaches worsen, and Helena grows thin and weak. Ferron and the maid both hover over Helena, with the maid nursing Helena carefully and Ferron frequently sitting beside Helena, smoothing Helena’s hair and massaging Helena’s hands. Stroud later returns and comments that the pregnancy is taking a toll too early and is still far from viability.

Near death, Helena dreams or half-wakes to Ferron glowing with silver light while holding Helena’s hand to Ferron’s chest. Ferron begs Helena to stay, and a strange familiar glow rises inside Helena as the constant strain in Helena’s chest eases. Helena then wakes in panic, tears out the intravenous needle, and tries to remember something important. As Ferron reaches Helena, fragments of the past burst through: Ilva warning the war is being lost, Luc drowning, Lila in despair, Matron Pace and Jan Crowther speaking of the Eternal Flame, and Ferron threatening to destroy the Resistance if Helena dies. The chapter ends as Helena’s buried memories break free and overwhelm Helena.