For Oleg Bragin, as well as for Marina Narochnitskaya, whom he is now living with, difficult times are beginning. They are faced with a trial in the form of Oleg’s sixteen-year-old daughter, who has appeared from nowhere. Veronika, who feels no embarrassment whatsoever and has moved into Marina’s home, intends to stay there for at least a month, until her mother comes for her from Yaroslavl. To make matters worse, it turns out that the girl is pregnant as well; this is precisely why her mother threw her out of the house and told her the name of her biological father. Irina Alexeyevna Pavlova continues plotting against certain employees. She is utterly dissatisfied that chief physician Narochnitskaya is living with surgeon Bragin; in general, she is opposed to any personal relationships between a superior and a subordinate. Pavlova plans to take revenge on Narochnitskaya and, during an inspection by the Ministry of Health, arranges matters so that the documents signed by the chief physician turn out not to have been properly prepared. Upon learning of his wife’s pregnancy, Neklyudov does not merely express his displeasure; he decides to leave the country altogether so as not to see either his wife or the unwanted child. Polina, too, is hit by such troubles that she begins to wonder whether she should return to Petya.
