Summary

In Chapter 6, a psychiatrist from Los Angeles who specializes in mass hysteria--what the narrator calls “a certain kind of empathy”--is called in to Santa Lora (37). The psychiatrist, Catherine, visits Rebecca in the hospital, as she is the second confirmed case of the sickness. Catherine suspects the sleep may be caused by depression or anxiety, and Rebecca exhibits the hallmarks of REM sleep, so Catherine orders an MRI and returns to LA. She has a three-year-old who is discovering nightmares for the first time. The narrator reveals Catherine is a single mother by choice, suggesting her daughter is adopted or conceived through IVF. At the end of the chapter, Catherine receives word that a third case of the sickness has appeared.

Chapter 7 introduces Nathaniel, a biology professor at the college, as he walks through the forest in preparation for a lesson. The spot...