The Passage

Wolgast drives to Oregon’s Bear Mountain Camp—where his father used to bring him—in a stolen car. Amy’s fever has passed but sunlight hurts her, so she wears sunglasses. At the lodge, he tells Amy they’re home, thinks of Lila, and uses chores to distract himself.

He met Lila—Dr. Kyle—in the ER after rupturing his Achilles tendon in a basketball game. Their first date—in the hospital cafe—was two weeks after his surgery. They married in Cape Cod when Lila was four months pregnant. Preeclampsia required doctors to induce the labor. Eva weighed five pounds.

Amy rests during the days and eats at twilight. They have water and propane, as well as a box of classic novels that Wolgast reads to her. After three weeks, they go to the lake to bathe, and Wolgast teaches her to swim. He notices that Amy’s hair and fingernails never grow.

He drives to Milton’s Dry Goods, where he reads old newspapers. Each headline is about the outbreak, which only takes 18 days to overtake the United States. On May 18, President Hughes blames anti-American terrorists as he closes the airports. He imposes Martial law and Wolgast surmises that the sick are being gathered and shot by Homeland Security.