After school, Stella and JoJo return home but cannot find Mama. Their dog Dusty behaves oddly; he barks and runs part way into the woods. Following him, they find Mama unconscious on the ground. Stella thinks she spots a snake slither away and sees bite marks on Mama’s ankle. She takes control in a calm but rapid manner: she sends JoJo to tell Dr. Hawkins, then find Papa. She gathers clean water, whiskey, and wound dressings from the house to disinfect and wrap the bite area: “Stella had no idea if she was doing the right thing or not. She was pulling from a gut instinct she didn’t know she had” (277). She wraps Mama in blankets, puts a cold compress on her forehead, and prays while waiting for help.

When Papa arrives, he carries Mama to the house. Doc Hawkins is in Raleigh at a conference, so Papa sends Stella to Dr. Packard for help. Papa relies on the thought that even Dr. Packard has family members he loves. Dr. Packard is rude to Stella as soon as she arrives, however, and refuses to treat Mama. Stella tries mentioning that she knows his daughter Paulette, and tries to persuade him to help: “But what if…what if it was Paulette or your wife that got snake-bit?” (285).