Chapter 8 Summary

To her surprise, she awakes in the morning. Glad to be alive, she is nevertheless consumed by wracking pains of hunger. Trisha knows she must find food or perish. She starts her day by drinking deeply from the contaminated stream, and refills her two bottles with water. Her hope that the stream will lead her to people has faded, but with no other option, she forges ahead. She follows the stream, refusing to admit utter defeat. Her illness did not miraculously abate during the night, and she now finds it much easier to hallucinate Tom Gordon's presence. He walks with her along the stream.

Around noon, Trisha trips over a rock and sprawls to the ground. When she tries to get up, her legs fail her. She tells Tom she thinks she's going to die. She thinks of the helicopters, but realizes that...