Lizette drives Emmett to the Cronus Health Medical Complex. In the waiting room, Emmett observes other patients with severe obesity, feeling a mixture of revulsion, pity, and fear of becoming like them. 

A nurse abruptly informs Lizette that she must leave due to the proprietary nature of the treatment. Emmett is rushed through pre-operation preparations without explanation. An anesthesiologist administers drugs that only make him groggy, not unconscious. Still awake, he’s wheeled into a dark operating room. The surgeon acknowledges that Emmett is conscious but decides to proceed with only gas and a local anesthetic. 

The team drills into Emmett’s hip to extract bone marrow, which Emmett feels. They mix his stem cells with a blue liquid to create the vector. A nurse then forces a feeding tube down Emmett’s throat to administer a “nutritive formula.” Finally, the surgeon injects the thick, black vector into Emmett’s abdomen. He feels an agonizing, burning sensation before he loses consciousness.

In a blog post from June 2018, Emmett discusses the origins of his “food addiction,” focusing on his stepfather, Hank. He describes Hank as a man who was usually nice but had a volatile temper and high expectations. Hank disapproved of Emmett’s body and shamed him for his eating habits and his interest in Pokémon. This constant criticism led Emmett to begin eating in secret. 

Emmett recounts an incident when Hank discovered that he had taken some cupcakes, called him a “fat pig,” and threatened him. When Emmett told Joanna, she furiously confronted Hank. Later, Hank gave Emmett a tearful, dramatic apology, getting on his knees and begging for forgiveness. Emmett accepted, hoping their relationship would improve.

The morning after the procedure, Lizette picks Emmett up from the hospital. He is sore and deeply traumatized but decides not to tell her about his horrifying experience. After he had awakened, a nurse insisted that he was under general anesthesia and that his memory of being conscious was just a nightmare. Fearing that Lizette may interfere with the trial as he doubts his own perceptions, Emmett remains silent. 

Emmett learns that it will take several weeks for the gene therapy to take effect and that he will need weekly injections of EmaC-8. As part of the trial, Monstera requires him to keep a detailed online health journal.

In his first health journal entry on May 12, Emmett expresses his distress over the unexpected nature of the procedure. He reports feeling weak and nauseous and notes with frustration that his weight has increased by one pound. Feeling scared and hopeless, he writes that he doubts the trial will be any more successful than his previous attempts to lose weight. He begs the researchers to prove him wrong.

A week after the procedure, Emmett has not lost any weight and fears that he’s in the placebo group. He forces himself to go to a 24 Hour Fitness, where he sees a man named J, with whom he had a humiliating romantic rejection years ago. J doesn’t recognize him. 

Emmett feels self-conscious while working out, especially after a seasoned gym goer first offers patronizing encouragement and then pressures him to finish using a weight machine. 

After Emmett leaves, he receives cruel messages on Grindr from J, who has now recognized him and is mocking his body. Devastated, Emmett drives home and binges on all the food he can find in the empty apartment.

In another blog post from June 2018, Emmett contrasts life with Hank to weekends with his biological father, Lou Truesdale, which he considered a safe haven. At his father’s, Emmett was free to eat snacks and play Pokémon without being shamed. 

One day, back at his mother’s house, Emmett gave in to a craving and ate Hank’s favorite orange Hostess Cupcakes. Hank caught him and again called him a “fat pig.” He dragged Emmett into the bathroom, pulled up his shirt to expose his stomach, and attempted to force-feed him. When Emmett resisted, he bit Hank’s hand hard enough to draw blood. As Hank retreated in horror, calling him a “monster,” Emmett felt a surge of power.

A news article dated October 8, 2023, reports that the police found a severed human arm in Point Loma after a coyote was seen carrying it. An eyewitness claims that the arm has both animal and human bite marks. The arm has distinctive tattoos, including a cross with angel wings and the words “Eat Me,” matching the arm of the gym goer from Chapter 15. The police are treating the case as a possible homicide.

In late May, having received his first dose of Obexity but not yet seeing results, Emmett goes out to meet with Aaron, wondering if they’re actually going on a date. At a nice restaurant, Aaron is friendly and complimentary. He eventually reveals that he invited Emmett out because a job for an education manager is opening in his department at the museum. He believes that Emmett’s volunteer experience makes him a strong candidate and encourages him to apply. Emmett is excited about the professional opportunity but struggles with the painful awareness that Aaron’s romantic interest feels nonexistent now.

The morning after his date with Aaron, Emmett wakes up feeling intensely hungry. He steps on the scale and is shocked to see that he has lost six pounds overnight. He weighs himself three times, and the number holds steady, even dropping another pound on the third try. He feels physically lighter and thinks he can already see a difference in his reflection. The Obexity treatment is finally working.

In his journal entry on June 12, Emmett is ecstatic, having lost 26 pounds in three weeks. He’s losing about a pound a day despite eating more than ever. He notes that while he feels great, his day-to-day life is largely unchanged. He recounts a recent humiliating incident at his retail job where Rick first pranked him about a customer complaint regarding his body and then gave him a serious warning. Though still cautious, Emmett is thrilled with his progress.

Emmett and Lizette spend a day at Ocean Beach. Although he has lost 39 pounds, Emmett remains deeply self-conscious about his body. He refuses to go in the water with Lizette, opting to stay fully clothed in a beach chair and read a book. He watches her swim, envious of her confidence. He believes that once he loses more weight and feels more like “himself,” he will finally be able to enjoy such experiences without fear.

Nine weeks into the trial, Emmett has lost 50 pounds and has an interview for the museum job. Beforehand, he posts before-and-after photos on Instagram, and the post receives overwhelmingly positive feedback. 

When Emmett meets Aaron for the interview, Aaron is stunned by his transformation. The interview with Aaron and three other women goes exceptionally well. Later that evening, Emmett receives an Instagram message from a user named @lacrosse_dad71. It’s his former stepfather, Hank, asking for forgiveness. Deeply disturbed, Emmett immediately blocks him and has unsettling nightmares that night.

The novel presents another excerpt from the investigative report prepared for Monstera BioSciences by the law firm Prentice & Darrow LLP. This excerpt is taken from Part 2 of the report, entitled “Family Life,” and focuses on the troubled past of Emmett’s biological father, Lou. 

Lou has a history of violence, including a conviction for voluntary manslaughter and arrests for domestic battery during his marriage to Emmett’s mother, Joanna. The report also notes that Lou was once a suspect in the murder of his first partner. Described by family as a “rageaholic,” the report suggests that his behavior may be relevant to Emmett’s later actions.

The novel presents a transcript of a 2024 interview with Lou Truesdale. Lou admits that he knew his son’s stepfather, Hank, was emotionally abusive and that he threatened Hank through Joanna. He recalls finding Emmett once hiding in a pantry, terrified, after eating a tub of ice cream. Lou confronted Joanna, who retaliated by claiming that Emmett was scared of Lou’s alcoholism. Hurt and angered by what he perceived as his son’s betrayal, Lou confronted Emmett and told him to deal with Hank on his own. He states that Emmett never asked for his help again.

Emmett and Lizette eat at a taco shop that holds many memories of his childhood weekends with his father, Lou. He reflects on their complicated relationship, specifically his anger that Lou knew about Hank’s abuse but never intervened to protect him. 

Lizette expresses concern about how quickly Emmett is losing weight, calling the treatment unsafe. Their conversation is cut short when Aaron calls Emmett to inform him that he didn’t get the museum job.

In a journal entry dated July 25, Emmett reports that he has now lost a total of 71 pounds. Despite the disappointment of not getting the job, his overall state is euphoric. He feels amazing and confident and is enjoying being able to shop in regular-sized clothing stores. Most importantly, he feels that for the first time, people see him for who he is. He credits Obexity with making him the happiest he has felt in a long time.

The novel presents another excerpt from the investigative report prepared by the law firm Prentice & Darrow LLP, this time returning to Part 1 of the report, “Background.” The investigative report observes that Emmett’s Instagram account gained traction after he began documenting his weight loss in summer 2023. It observes that, due to the NDA barring any mention of the treatment, many followers attributed Emmett’s transformation to conventional methods.

Emmett’s Instagram post from August 6 features before-and-after photos celebrating his 81-pound weight loss in 12 weeks. In the caption, he writes about taking back control of his life and health. 

The post receives hundreds of likes and many supportive comments from people who call him an inspiration. One comment, hidden by the platform, cynically suggests that he’s using drugs.

Emmett wakes up to find dried blood on his hands, which he quickly realizes isn’t his own. He remembers teaching a class at Future Makers but has no other memories of the previous night. After confirming that Lizette is safe, he finds no source for the blood. He worries briefly about the trial’s known side effects like memory loss and aggression but pushes the thought away. 

At work, Rick promotes Emmett to team leader with a substantial raise, citing the discipline that Emmett has shown by losing weight. Emmett is ambivalent but accepts, happy that people are finally recognizing his worth.

A July 27, 2023, article reports on a recent coyote attack in La Jolla. A woman was seriously injured by a large, unusually aggressive coyote. The article notes a significant increase in coyote sightings and bold behavior across San Diego since May, with wildlife officials unable to explain the change.

While waiting for a takeout order, Emmett scrolls through the adoring comments on his latest Instagram post, where he has surpassed 1,000 followers. He feels a pang of guilt over hiding the truth about his weight loss but justifies it. 

His attention is caught by a TV news report about a local missing woman. He’s horrified to recognize her as the woman from Future Makers who had interviewed him for a job months prior. He remembers seeing her on the day he can’t fully remember and also remembers feeling a surge of intense anger toward her. Emmett connects this feeling to waking up with bloody hands.