George Beresford stays at a ward because he suffers some difficulty with perceiving reality. One of the hospital attendants, Mike, dresses George. It is visiting day, and George plans to see his wife Denise. Unfortunately, Denise does not show up, but she sends a driver to bring him to her address. Mike is quite enthusiastic about him going, as is George — he is doing well, and his memory is better now. He takes the car to Denise's apartment, and finds that she lives in a dilapidated rooming house run by a woman named Bertha. Bertha is quite protective of Denise, but shows George to her room with amiability. He sees a photo of himself in Denise's room, and is struck by how young and handsome he used to be. George realizes how much things have changed — he and Denise don't have the life that he promised her, not since they lost their farm after their money problems. Despite this, Denise shows no resentment or hostility towards her husband, and George begins to feel simultaneously ashamed and terrified. Bertha asks him to come to her room while Denise changes, and he follows obediently because submission to authority has been drilled into him at the ward. As he goes, he is struck with paranoia about how the hospital attendants must certainly be following him, or how the advertisements that play on the radio are the same as they are at the hospital. Uneasy, George leaves early. Denise and Bertha are both understanding about his discomfort, but as he walks away, George looks back and feels as though his wife is 'disintegrating.' When he returns to the ward, everyone is surprised to see him back so early. Another patient, Graber, understands perfectly well — even sane men can be affected by their time in a place like this. As they smoke together inside the hospital, George feels as if he and Graber could be normal businessmen sitting together in the 'outside world' enjoying their afternoon.