I Know This Much is True Chapter 26 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Time to check the answering machine again. Dr. Batteson has called for Joy, Leo has gotten a part in a movie, and Ruth Rood's left a message saying her husband is too depressed to work because Dominick left his scaffolding up.
  • Dominick calls Ruth back and says he'll head over after running his errands for the day.
  • He takes the trash out before he goes and notices a pregnancy test in the garbage. How is Joy pregnant? Dominick had a vasectomy.
  • First stop: Sheffer's office. Sheffer says Dr. Patel abstained from voting, so the unit team meeting was a draw. But they can still lobby for Thomas's release tomorrow.
  • In the meantime, she made arrangements for Dominick to actually see his brother.
  • They go into a little room to talk.
  • Thomas is mostly still talking crazy; he asks Dominick to bring him some river water so he can cleanse himself and his brain.
  • He starts ranting about how they torture him, putting insects in his food and raping him at night.
  • Dominick hugs him and tries to comfort him.
  • After all that, he doesn't go to the Roods' house to paint.
  • Joy and her "little faggot" (26.171) friend are home when Dominick gets home. Glad to see he's outgrown his homophobia…
  • Dominick stomps to the bedroom, ignoring them.
  • Joy follows him, they start arguing, and Joy leaves.
  • Dominick thinks about Thomas, and how he can't help him, and cries, then falls asleep.
  • He wakes up to Joy with her head between his legs in bed. Guess she forgave him.
  • Then she tells him she's pregnant. "We made a baby" (26.213), she says.
  • He rolls over and tries to go back to sleep without responding.