After leaving the Swan, Renton once again wanders around, unable to find a way to return to the Gekko. He collapses in a forest of pile bunkers and is found by William B. Baxter, a hermit living with his wife, Martha, who suffers from Despair Sickness. As he recovers from his weariness, he learns more about nature and about love. Meanwhile, Holland searches for Renton amidst military blockades – until he realizes the Gekko is nearly surrounded.