Heidi calls Bernie from Salt Lake City, but a thunderstorm cuts off their conversation. Back on the bus, she eats the second ham sandwich and pack of Devil Dogs but soon feels sicker. She recalls how Bernie always gives her Doublemint gum to take away the sour taste after throwing up. Full of doubts and nausea, Heidi leaves the bus to call Bernie in Cheyenne: “Maybe I wouldn’t get back on. Maybe I would call Bernie and tell her I was sick and she would make me come home. Make me give up. And maybe I would go home. Home to Mama and Bernie” (120).

Heidi’s call will not go through. Missing home, she buys a cup of coffee for the smell because it reminds her of Bernie. An operator tells her the phone lines around Reno might be down for days. Heidi becomes so sick that she throws up in a trash can. Afterwards, a young woman, Georgia Sweet, offers her a stick of Doublemint gum.

Sitting on the bus with Georgia, Heidi answers Georgia’s questions about her life in Reno honestly. Georgia gives Heidi a Violet candy, mentioning the importance of fresh breath.