- Day passes to night, and Paul's still stuck in the crater, the French soldier dying slowly beside him.
- Paul tries to help the solider, but with both their canteens empty, he can only provide the man muddied, bloody water pooling at the bottom of the crater.
- The next morning, Paul's distressed and alternates between wishing the French soldier would die and soothing him with promises that he'll live.
- When the French soldier finally dies, Paul's overcome with guilt, realizing he didn't want to kill a man who might have been his brother without the war.
- Paul promises to take care of the French soldier's family and begs the corpse for forgiveness.
- Paul cries himself to sleep. He awakes to silence and crawls back to his line.