A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

Akhmed hides behind a tree trunk as he passes Khassan the next morning, but Khassan spots him. Normally, Akhmed would say hello to Khassan, but he doesn’t want Khassan to know he is sneaking out of the village in case word gets back to Ramzan. Khassan is an elderly man who fought for the Red Army in World War II. For many years, Khassan has worked on a historical book about Chechnya. Akhmed asks Khassan if he can find out from Ramzan what happened to Dokka, but Khassan reminds Akhmed that he won’t speak to Ramzan since Ramzan is an informant. Khassan confesses that no one else in the village besides Akhmed will speak to him either because they don’t trust his son. Finally, Akhmed admits that he will be gone all day and asks that Khassan ensures no one knows he left the village.

At the hospital, a guard with an amputated arm makes Akhmed remove the glass shards stuck in his boots before he enters the hospital. The guard is the only other employee at the hospital besides Sonja, Deshi, and now Akhmed.

Once inside, Akhmed helps Deshi with the laundry.