In this chapter, the captain of the Shiganshina District tells Alek that he wants to thank Alek for enlisting in the army. He tells him that the training Alek will receive over the next few months will be unlike anything Alek has faced before. He says that the equipment Alek will be using in the field will be different from the equipment he used at the academy. He also says that Alek's pack is too heavy for the soldiers to carry. He asks why they can't carry Rosa back to the academy, but Alek says that they need to go to the doctor first. He then tells the captain that he's not fit for the army because he was involved in a plot to kill one of the other officers. The captain tells Alek to eat up and get back to health. Alek then tells him about a guy who has been stuck as a training instructor. The man was asked to deliver a message for Alek to the office of the director of the academy and he had to do it himself. Alek tells him to pack some warm drinks for the other students.