The next morning, the lieutenant asks the doctor if he's okay, and the doctor says that he is. The lieutenant tells him that half of the soldiers in his unit are either seriously wounded or dead. He says that if he had known about the injury earlier, he would have taken care of them immediately. He tells the doctor to stay by his side for the next few days, and then he'll be better. He's worried that she's going to lose her appetite, and he wants to make sure she doesn't get sick again. The dog is so scared that he can't talk, but the lieutenant reassures him by saying that it's the first time that she has gotten a serious injury, and she should be able to get better soon. He asks if the dog has gotten an appetite, which she does, but he says that it was only his "stupid hope" that she would get sick. He then asks if he can stay by the dog's side for a few minutes, or if she'll fall asleep. She's too scared to talk, so the lieutenant says he'd stay by her for a couple of minutes or until the dog falls asleep. Then he asks if she gets an appetite when he comes. She says that she does. He flinches, but it was just his stupid hope, and it should be okay once she gets better. It's cold outside, so he asks the dog to stay with him for a while. He wants to get a good night's sleep, and if the commander gets mad at him for doing so, he wants the lieutenant to stay close by.