Vera is one of Dontsova's best doctors, and cares deeply about her work and her patients. However, she is also an unmarried woman and acutely aware that the men who survived the war are interested in younger women like Zoya. Vera lives in a communal apartment, with a tiny room of her own, but dreams of a husband some day. When Dontsova is sent to Moscow for treatment, Vera becomes the head of the radiology department. In the story, she becomes increasingly interested in Oleg, and when he is discharged, hopes that he will come to stay with her.