The residents of the shelter tear their nightclothes into scraps to make toilet paper and washcloths. Suddenly, Mr. Shaw panics and announces that he can’t take it anymore and is determined to go outside. Ronnie frantically clutches at his leg, and after a moment, Scott’s father prevents him from opening the hatch. They all tumble to the floor in the scramble to keep Mr. Shaw from opening the door and exposing everyone to deadly radiation. Pinned to the floor, Mr. Shaw begins to sob, and this scares Scott, who has never seen an adult man cry.

In the pre-attack timeline, Scott’s family sits together, watching television. President Kennedy is giving an address, announcing that the Soviets have been storing nuclear weapons in Cuba and that Cuba will be quarantined from the American sphere of dominance from that point forward. That night, Scott asks his father if he can stay home from school in case the Russians attack, but his father tells him to stop worrying so much.