- Raskolnikov is sick, delirious, and mostly unconscious.
- While sick, he thinks many people are around, afraid of him and out to get him.
- Nastasya seems to be a constant presence, as is another man. The man is familiar, but Raskolnikov can't remember who he is.
- He forgets about the murder he committed but is aware that he's forgotten something important.
- Thoughts of escape, driven by fear, make him try to get away, but someone, he thinks, always holds him down. He doesn't know for how long he's been sick.
- At 10 a.m. one morning, he comes back to the world. Nastasya is near him, with a man Raskolnikov doesn't know.
- Now, Razumihin enters the room, comments on what an awful room it is, and says he's glad to see Raskolnikov awake.
- Apparently Raskolnikov has been sick for about four days and hasn't really eaten or drunk anything.
- Razumihin has had a doctor, Zossimov, checking on Raskolnikov.
- The stranger in the room is there to bring Raskolnikov 35 roubles, sent by his mother. Raskolnikov tries to refuse, but Razumihin makes him accept the money.
- After that, Nastasya brings food, and Razumihin sends her out to buy beer, which she does.
- Raskolnikov starts wolfing down soup, but Razumihin says he shouldn't eat anymore until Zossimov says it's okay. He pours tea for his sick friend and for Nastasya, too.
- Raskolnikov thinks he's got lots of energy, but he wants to hide the fact from his friends.
- Razumihin explains that, when Raskolnikov acted so weird the other day, he thought something was up and tracked Raskolnikov down through the "address bureau."
- After finally finding Raskolnikov, Razumihin learned everything that was going on with him, he says.
- He's also gotten to know the landlady (whom he calls Pashenka) pretty well, and apparently has a big crush on her.
- Anyway, he knows about Raskolnikov promising to marry the landlady's daughter, Natalya Yegorovna, but sees it might not be the best thing to bring up.
- Razumihin talks about the note instead. The landlady (whom Razumihin thinks is really something special, smart, beautiful, etc.) did want to get rid of Raskolnikov when he stopped working, but Mr. Tchebarov pressured her into action.
- But, all that is past. Razumihin has gotten the note back and presents it to Raskolnikov, who turns his face to the wall.
- Eventually, Raskolnikov asks some questions.
- He learns that he panicked when Zametov came in. (Zossimov is the doctor, and Zametov is the head policeman. Zametov was in the police station in Part II, Chapter One, but his name wasn't given. He was identified as "the head clerk.")
- Now, Raskolnikov panics again, wanting to know why Zametov, the "head clerk" at the police station, was there.
- Razumihin wants to know why he's getting all worked up. Zametov has been most helpful. He provided the details about Raskolnikov's situation and is now Razumihin's friend.
- Raskolnikov wants to know what he said when he was asleep.
- Apparently, he talked about jewelry, about Krestovsky Island (where he buried the stuff), about the police, and about his sock.
- He was crying for his sock and wouldn't calm until he had it. When Zametov, the detective, found it and gave it to him, he snuggled the dirty thing like a doll.
- Razumihin says he's taking 10 of Raskolnikov's roubles and will be back later.
- As soon as he leaves, Raskolnikov leaps out of bed.
- Do they, or do they not know, he wonders, fearing he's being cruelly toyed with.
- Confused, not sure what he needs to do but knowing he needs to do something, Raskolnikov looks in the hole but doesn't find anything.
- He looks in the stove and finds the fringe from his pants and the bloody pocket. (Didn't he decide not to hide stuff in the stove?)
- He locates his sock inside his blankets, and he wonders why Zametov has been coming around. He feels he needs to leave the room now but can't find his boots.
- They hid them from me, he thinks, but they didn't get my old student's coat!
- He wants to run away to America. Laughing hysterically, he guzzles leftover beer, then gets tired (again) and passes out (again).
- When he wakes, Razumihin is back and has decent clothes for Raskolnikov (who is still very confused). He makes a big show of presenting the clothes and tries to get Raskolnikov to model them.
- As you can imagine, Raskolnikov is completely uncooperative and out of it. He doesn't remember where the money came from until Razumihin reminds him. (It's from Raskolnikov's mom.) Raskolnikov wishes everybody would just go away and leave him alone.
- A new man comes in. He's heavy and looks familiar to Raskolnikov. It's Zossimov, the doctor.