A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

After Maali’s death, Natasha’s heroin usage gets worse. Finally, Natasha decides to leave the hospital in December 2003 to escape her addiction. Natasha hopes to travel to the refugee camps and then find some way to escape to a foreign country. Natasha walks all day and ends up in the village of Eldár, where two women tell her that Dokka has beds for refugees. When Natasha arrives at Dokka’s home, Dokka recognizes her as the woman who delivered Havaa and tells her she can stay as long as she wants. At first Natasha is horrified by Dokka’s missing fingers, and she realizes his young daughter must help him out around the house. The next morning, Havaa tells Natasha about her collection of souvenirs from the refugees who have stayed at the house and shows Natasha her scarecrow of Akim in the woods. That evening Akhmed stops by, and Natasha tells him about the hospital. Akhmed asks about the hiring process, and Natasha admits that no one has received a paycheck in years. Akhmed tells Natasha about a field commander he met whose chest was stitched up with dental floss, and Natasha tells Akhmed the sutures were done by Sofia Andreyevna Rabina, or