The Time Traveler's Wife Book 2, Chapter 2 Summary

Library Science Fiction

• Wednesday, March 8, 1995 (Henry is 31): Henry hides in the stacks at the Newberry Library, getting dressed, when his colleague Matt runs into him. Matt's shocked, but not surprised. He apparently knows about Henry's strange behavior and tolerates it because Henry is a brilliant librarian.
• Tuesday, April 11, 1995 (Henry is 31): At the Newberry Library, there's a locked stairwell called "The Cage." No one can get into it, no one can get out, and no one knows what on earth it was built for. Since Henry started at the Newberry he has been afraid of getting stuck there on one of his time travels.
• Friday, June 9, 1995 (Henry is 31): Henry materializes on the floor of the Staff Men's Room at the Newberry Library. He's got a black eye and, to make matters worse, can't find his clothes. That's when Roberto Calle, the head of Special Collections, catches him in the naked act. In his office, Roberto asks Henry to explain himself. Henry tells him he doesn't remember what happened. Roberto mentions that he's heard all kinds of stories from the staff and that although Henry is very competent, his behavior won't do. He urges Henry, once again, to tell him what's going on, but Henry insists he cannot.
• Sunday, December 17, 1995 (Clare is 24, Henry is 8): During a visit to Mrs. Kim, Clare catches a quick glimpse of 8-year-old Henry, right before he disappears again. Mrs. Kim asks Clare when they're going to have a baby. Later, at home, Clare tells Henry, "Let's make a baby" (2.2.71).
• Monday, March 11, 1996 (Henry is 32): Henry tracks down Dr. Kendrick, his doctor-to-be. When Henry explains to the doc that he time travels involuntarily, a condition that will later become known as "Chrono-Impairment," Kendrick doesn't believe him. So Henry hands him an envelope with the name and birth date of Kendrick's yet unborn son. Kendrick coldly asks him to leave. Henry knows that, upon opening the envelope, Kendrick will also find out that his son will be born with Down syndrome.
• Saturday, April 6, 1996 (Henry is 32, Clare is 24): On the birth date of Kendrick's son, Kendrick calls Henry, confirming his son's disease. He asks Henry to come back to his office.
• Sunday, April 7, 1996 (Henry is 32 and 8, Clare is 24): At Kendrick's office, the doctor visibly struggles with his son's fate and blames Henry, since he was the harbinger of bad news. He still doesn't believe Henry, so Henry leaves, only for Kendrick to watch him disappear on the street in front of the office. Now Kendrick believes him. He agrees to work with Henry, to try to figure out how to help him stay in the present.
• Friday, April 12, 1996 (Henry is 32): Henry tells Kendrick his whole life's story. Kendrick decides to sequence specific chromosomes on Henry's DNA and also sends him to a sleep lab to find out what or who Henry is.