Z For Zachariah

On June 4, Loomis’s fever goes beyond what Ann’s thermometer will measure. He is rarely awake, instead in a constant state of delirium. Ann learns more about Edward, realizing that they were likely enemies, as Loomis is constantly afraid that Edward is there and that he will hurt him. She also learns that Loomis believes that Edward is a “thief,” and he constantly asks about the safe-suit. His dreams begin to affect Ann, as she constantly looks out at the wagon and expects Edward to be standing there.

Loomis’s fever continues to rise, and he has constant moments of delirium. He repeatedly mentions Edward and the fact that he is a “thief,” and she realizes that he is concerned about the safe-suit. She brings it into Loomis’s room so that he can see that it’s safe. However, the presence of the suit disturbs Loomis, causing him to dream that he is back in Ithaca. Ann hears his part of the conversation and learns that Edward and Loomis fought about the safe-suit. Edward wanted to take it to check on his wife and son, but Loomis insisted that they were dead and that it was no use. Loomis then becomes angry, and Ann realizes that he thinks he is holding a gun. She hears Loomis threaten to shoot Edward, and then Loomis begins to sob and falls back asleep. Ann checks the safe-suit and finds three bullet holes that have been patched over. Based on their location, Ann knows that the shots must have killed Edward.

That night, Loomis calms down and sleeps, but his breathing becomes extremely weak. She decides to go to the church. Even though she does not consider herself religious, she feels helpless and thinks that praying will make her feel like she is at least doing something. She realizes that “even though he may be a murderer” (120), Ann wants Loomis to survive.

The next morning, Ann is relieved that Loomis is still alive. She checks on him throughout the night, as his breathing has become very fast and weak, and he is constantly freezing cold. She changes a hot water bottle under his pillow to keep him warm while drizzling water into his mouth, but she is upset that there is not much more she can do.

Ann returns to the church, again seeking comfort for herself. Faro goes with her and immediately starts to become anxious. She checks the front of the church and finds a baby crow that fell from a nest up in the steeple. She picks the crow up and takes it outside. She then immediately sees two adult crows nearby, so she leaves it in the grass. She decides that it is a “good omen” (125), as birds always made her think of heaven in the past.

That evening, Ann decides to read to Loomis, thinking that hearing someone near him might help comfort him. She reads a book of poetry. She decides that even if it doesn’t help him, it makes her feel less anxious about everything.

After she reads, Ann sits by Loomis’s bed and thinks about Edward. She contemplates whether Loomis acted in self-defense—saving his own life, and possibly “humanity,” by trying to preserve the suit. However, she also considers that Loomis may have been acting selfishly, trying to keep the suit for himself. She cannot decide whether to discuss it with Loomis when he recovers.

The next day, June 6, Ann goes back to the church. Loomis has spent about 32 hours motionless. She prays to assuage her feeling of helplessness. She picks a bouquet of wild roses and puts them in a vase in Loomis’s room. She plays the piano, hoping that he can hear it.

Loomis recovers enough that Ann decides to change his bedsheets. He is still unconscious, but he is breathing more deeply and looks much healthier than he did the day before. As she changes his sheets, she thinks of how she once wanted to be a nurse but then decided that she would rather be an English teacher. She still thinks it’s strange that she will never have an actual job or career. She thinks of Ogdentown, which has a library and a gift shop with a bookstore. She wonders if it would be possible for Loomis to get books for her and if they could put them aside until they become less radioactive. She also thinks of how—if Loomis didn’t want to go—she could borrow the safe-suit; however, that thought brings back her fears over what happened to Edward.

The next day, Loomis opens his eyes and tries to speak, but Ann can tell that he is not truly conscious. She decides that he is asking for water and slowly gives him half a glass using a spoon. She goes to the kitchen and makes a boiled custard for him. While she waits for it, she decides that she is going to use the tractor to carry pieces of an old oven from the barn to assemble in the kitchen. It takes her most of the afternoon, but afterward, she is “proud” of herself for accomplishing it.

A week later, it is Ann’s 16th birthday. She bakes a cake and some chicken in her new oven, which she takes to Loomis’s bedroom, along with candles from the store. She considers the last week “one of the best of weeks” and recounts the events in her journal (136).

The day after Ann starts feeding Loomis, he wakes up, conscious for the first time. The first thing he says to her is that he heard her playing the piano. He immediately falls back asleep, but Ann is elated.

The next day, his temperature drops to 101, and he seems even stronger. He eats everything that Ann feeds him, and he even tries solid food. He manages to feed himself, though he is still very weak and needs support from Ann.

As Loomis recovers, Ann can focus on the things she has been neglecting. She starts with the garden, which needs to have the earth turned but is coming in well. She estimates that they will have food in just a couple more weeks. She then goes to the field, which she managed to plow but not harrow. She decides that if she harrows it that afternoon, she can plant corn, which will come up in late fall. She is optimistic that even if they don’t get much to eat, she will at least have seeds—which will be fresher and germinate better than the old ones at the store.

Ann decides not to bother Loomis with any of her problems. However, when she goes back to his room, he confronts her about the garden and the field. She admits that she never planted the field, and he grows upset, questioning her about why she didn’t do it while he was sick. She tries to explain how worried she was, but when she mentions going to church, he becomes even more upset. She doesn’t understand why it “irritates” him so much, but she assuages his annoyance by reassuring him that she will have plenty of time to plant the field and harvest it before winter.

Later, Ann thinks about the interaction. She realizes that, for the first time, Loomis is optimistic about surviving. That means that all her problems in the valley are now his, too, as he will be staying there. She forgives him for his anger, thinking about how she has to “get used to the idea” of sharing the burdens with him (143).

Later that day, Ann starts preparing to bake her birthday cake when she hears a loud noise upstairs. She goes to Loomis’s room and finds him on the floor. He admits that he tried to walk but his legs would not work. Ann tries to help him, but he “fiercely” tells her that he can do it alone. She realizes that he is embarrassed, so she goes into the hall. She hears him get back into bed.

Loomis continues to recover over the next week. Ann hears him practicing walking in his room, but she lets him do it in private. He regularly works on a diagram for the wheel and generator. When Ann asks him about it, he admits that he needs better books than the World Almanac. She suggests Ogdentown and its library, and Loomis seems optimistic about the idea. However, when she suggests that she could go, he responds angrily. She can “hardly believe how annoyed” it makes him, as he angrily responds that she “could not go. Understand that. Keep away from the suit. Never touch it” (149). 

Afterward, Ann and Loomis eat lunch in tense silence. She decides to change the subject by asking if he is walking better. She suggests putting a chair on the front porch for him to get outside. He then tells her that he wants one on the back porch as well—so that he can watch how the field is coming along. Ann updates him on her progress, optimistic that the corn is already coming up. However, he interrupts her to ask about wheat and beats. She tries to explain how much it would entail and that they have time to plan other things, but he interrupts her, “grow[ing] edgy again” (152). He tells her that they need to start thinking about the valley and its future. They are possibly the last people alive, and the store will not last forever. Ann realizes that she had the same thoughts, but the way he says it makes her uncomfortable.

Later, Loomis asks Ann to go to the store for a razor. After he shaves, she notes how much healthier he is beginning to look.