This episode occurs toward the end of Part 1. Under his pillow, Montag hides a book that he took from the suicidal woman’s house. The experience of watching her burn inside affects him so strongly that he calls in sick to work. While in bed, he keeps checking for the book; finding it there both reassures and frightens him. Montag tries to talk to Mildred about the possibility of taking time off from work and about his revelation that humans created the content in books. Her response is, "Leave me alone."

When Captain Beatty stops by to see why he has called in sick, before Captain Beatty comes in, “Montag made sure the book was well hidden behind the pillow,” then he made an elaborate show of getting in bed and looking sick. Beatty sees right through him and lectures him about the harm of books. Mildred’s nervous putterings first take her elsewhere in the room, and then she begins to smooth the bedclothes. Montag worries that she will find it, pull it out, and show it to Beatty, until Montag yells at her to stop. At that moment she feels the book with her hand but seems frozen. As she traces the book's outline and asks, “What’s this?”, Montag yells at her to stop talking. Beatty ignores their argument, and she leaves the room.