This chapter takes place between chapters 57 and 58, otherwise known as the blank pages that represent the time that Wanderer was unconscious.
The chapter begins with Melanie waking up in her body with absolute control. Just as when Wanderer first woke up in Melanie’s body, Melanie’s mind is hazy as she tries to recall what just happened. She searches for Wanderer, listening closely for her voice, but she is alone. Melanie slowly begins to remember Wanderer’s feelings and words right before the extraction procedure: “I’m so afraid.”
Melanie is hesitant to respond to Jared’s call as when she does, she’ll be accepting Wanderer’s sacrifice. Although she once held such resentment for the soul’s capturing humans, she now feels that by getting her body back she is murdering Wanderer. When she finally opens her eyes, she pushes Jared then searches for Wanderer. Instead, she spots Jared’s hunting knife. Melanie recalls the time that Wanderer walked in on the dead souls and then begins to accuse Jared of killing Wanderer. He tries to explain, but she refuses to let him and continues to hit him.
Kyle is also present in the hospital and steps in front of Jodi’s unresponsive body as he cradles Sunny’s cryotank. Melanie notes that even Kyle was able to learn, while Jared is still stupid and stubborn. She takes a step back so that Sunny and Jodi won’t be in harm’s way and Jared takes this opportunity to grab her arm so that she won’t fight him. Kyle then tells Melanie to calm down, then points to the cryotanks on Doc’s desk. Melanie realizes that Wanderer is safe.
Melanie takes the next few moments to sort out what is happening and what will happen next. She thinks about how the people in the caves may have seen her every day, but they don’t know her. She wonders how they will treat her; how Jamie will treat her …and how Ian will react. It is difficult to think about Ian and Melanie’s next thought is that they need to find a body for Wanderer as soon as possible. Until then, Melanie knows that the next while is going to be confusing.
When Melanie wakes the next day, she is glad to be with Jared again, but Ian is still in the back of her mind. She knows that she will have to face him and tell him what happened. Jared offers to go with her, but Melanie tells him that she needs to face Ian alone. She instructs for Jared not to follow her, and then for the first time walks through the caves in her own body. As she makes her way to Ian’s room, she tries to come up with how she should approach him and what she should say. She decides to try to catch Ian before he wakes up so that she can have a brief moment to look at him before he “starts hating” her.
Melanie ends up bumping into Ian just outside his room. Immediately after setting his eyes on her, Ian knows that he is facing Melanie, and not Wanderer. The two of them stare at each other without speaking a word until Melanie finally asks Ian if he wants her to take him to Wanderer. He doesn’t answer, but follows her back to the hospital. Ian speeds ahead and Melanie cannot help but feel horrible how affected he is. When she tells Ian that she couldn’t stop Wanderer, he surprises her by finally speaking up, asking if she wanted to. Melanie tells him yes and that the reason is because Wanderer is her best friend.
Ian is adamant that Wanderer will not leave the planet and Melanie agrees, though she also tells him that Wanderer never intended to leave, but to be buried beside Wes and Walter. This sends Ian into silence once again, and when he speaks up it is in anger that Wanderer would leave him and that she would “quit”. Melanie defends Wanderer, but she cannot find the right words to explain what Wanderer felt about Ian, about being in a human body, and about everything.
Melanie then notices that Jared is following them, despite her request for him not to. She continues on her way with Ian, ignoring Jared for the time being. Ian asks Melanie if she thinks Wanderer will be angry when she wakes up. Melanie assures him that she will be fine. Ian’s mind is still at an unrest, however, and he asks Melanie if she thinks that Wanderer actually loved him or if she just wanted to make him happy because he loved her. Melanie is not quite sure how to explain Wanderer’s feelings for Ian, but she states that much of the reason she wanted to remain on Earth was because of Ian: “She thinks of you as her anchor“. More than content with this answer, Ian seems to be at peace. He then instructs Melanie not to rush when finding her a new body. He tells her that he won’t go with them because he doesn’t care about how she looks like. He trusts that Melanie will be able to find what Wanderer needs. Also, he would rather stay with Wanderer.
When Melanie and Ian enter the hospital, Jared is there with Wanderer’s cryotank. Kyle is closeby and Doc is sleeping. Ian takes the cryotank from Jared and holds it carefully. His emotions are a mix of sadness, hope, and relief.
The chapter closes with Melanie holding Jared with one arm and her other hand on Wanderer’s cryotank. She is positive that soon she’ll be reunited with her best friend.
