In this short scene, we are introduced to Dr. Bledsoe's patient, the pant, who is suffering from a severe case of the plague. He has been infected with the plague and is in desperate need of medical attention. Dr. Norton explains that the plague is caused by an insect, and that the pant is the only person who has the power to cure it. The pant, however, is too weak to fight the plague, so he is left to fend for himself.