Dead Man Walking Chapter 4 Summary

  • Prejean goes to her mom's house to wait for the execution. She's worried about Mrs. Sonnier and how she must be taking the wait.
  • Prejean visits Eddie, and he gives her a document saying that he killed the two teens. He's not really supposed to pass her documents, but Prejean asks the guard if she can take it out. They let her—though it won't do a lot of good.
  • Eddie and Pat were allowed to have one last visit together. It was rather dramatic; Eddie tried to get permission for the meeting and heard nothing, so he finally grabbed a water pipe and demanded a meeting with the warden or he'd tear it out and cause a flood.
  • The warden agreed to a meeting, and Pat and Eddie did get to see each other.
  • Prejean thinks about the guards, who are isolated and miserable, too. The guards in the towers sometimes call each other, though they're not supposed to talk.
  • Basically, prison is awful for everyone involved.
  • Prejean goes to visit Pat in the death house. It's depressing, as you'd imagine.
  • Prejean tells Pat about Eddie's letter and says that it's going to the governor—and maybe to the newspaper, the Times-Picayune.
  • Pat's angry that he wasn't allowed to appear at his Pardon Board hearing.
  • Prejean takes a letter from him in which he protests to the governor that he wasn't able to speak on his own behalf.
  • Prejean leaves Pat and goes for a strategy meeting with Millard. Everyone is tired.
  • Prejean and Millard send Eddie's letter to the newspaper.
  • The sisterhood is making burial arrangements.
  • Prejean goes back to see Pat, who isn't doing too badly. He says he's made his peace with God.
  • Prejean chats pro- and anti-death-penalty arguments with Rabelais, the Death Row guard. They are friendly with each other, but still, it's Death Row. Things are tense.
  • Pat is not keen on the chaplain, who he thinks is an idiot.
  • Prejean goes to see the warden and tells him about Eddie's letter. She also tells him about Eddie's request not to be put in lockdown.
  • Prejean's very tired and hasn't eaten much. She thinks maybe she should have eaten. Yep, she should have.
  • The head of the Department of Corrections calls and says he wants to see Prejean to make sure she's okay to witness the execution.
  • You don't want anyone flipping out during an execution. It's bad form.
  • Prejean says she can't meet him, because she has to be with Pat—you know, since he's going to be dying soon.
  • Prejean goes in to talk with the chaplain and the Catholic priest, and what with the not eating, she faints. She has to go to the prison hospital, and everyone is upset.
  • Finally, Prejean gets to see Pat, who is seriously worried about her. They wouldn't tell him anything.
  • Pat gets Communion; the priest just does the ritual without offering much more.
  • Prejean thinks the priest is not living up to his duties, because he's not offering personal words of comfort. It seems like she may have left the priest's name out of the book because she is so critical of him. She names just about everyone else, but the priest is anonymous.
  • Pat's scared but tries not to show his emotions.
  • Prejean's brother and sister came to pick her up; they heard she had fainted.
  • Prejean calls Millard, who says the appeal is still in the Fifth Circuit. He's supposed to meet with the governor alone, which isn't good, because it means that the governor doesn't want to see Prejean again.
  • And back to Angola the next day. Eddie seems pretty good. His letter appeared in the paper, and he and Prejean both hope that might sway the governor.
  • Pat is angry at everyone, as you would be if you, too, if were going to be executed. He says he's going to tell off the LeBlancs and the Bourques for being eager to see him die.
  • Prejean says that maybe he might reconsider. Does he really want to die in anger?
  • In movies and such, people always die defiantly and in anger, and that's supposed to be cool. Maybe it's less cool in real life.
  • There's still no word from the Fifth Circuit court.
  • Pat and Prejean wait and wait…
  • It's time for Pat's final meal.
  • And the Fifth Circuit turns Pat down.
  • Pat eats his meal, but Prejean is not up to eating anything.
  • Millard calls and apologizes to Pat; Pat tells him it's not his fault.
  • Pat writes a last letter to Eddie telling him to stay calm and that he loves him.
  • They shave Pat's head.
  • Pat gives Prejean his Bible, where he's written to her and noted the day of his death.
  • Fifty minutes left to go.
  • Millard has gotten permission to witness the execution, as well.
  • They're going to walk down the hall to the death house. Pat asks permission to have Prejean touch his arm, and they let her.
  • With his last words, Sonnier apologizes to Mr. LeBlanc… but not to Mr. Bourque, weirdly enough.
  • Maybe he just forgot? No second chance, though. That's the thing about executions. They're awfully final.
  • Pat looks at Prejean and says, "I love you." She says she loves him back.
  • They fasten the electrodes and put the cloth over Pat's face.
  • Then they flip the switch, and that's it.
  • Prejean thinks Pat may have been unable to say kind things to Bourque, who had talked to the press about wanting to see Pat die.
  • On the car ride back, Prejean has to pull over to throw up.