Summary

Chapter 8 resumes the story of William dodging the draft in the summer of 1968. Both of his parents not only morally support his decision to dodge the draft, but also help William to run errands around town to prepare for his departure. One of these errands is a last appointment with Doc Crenshaw, during which William resists what he sees as the cowardly option of manufacturing a fake condition that would leave him ineligible for the draft. Per Sarah’s instructions, William takes a 36-hour bus ride to Chicago, where he then gets on a flight to Boston. He is met at the gate by Ollie. As the two friends chat, it is clear that William is very sick. Ollie gives William tickets for a short flight to New York City, where he will then go to Miami. On the flight from New York...