Ruth's reputation as a doctor has spread to London. A couple of survivors from the city travel out into the country in a Police range rover. They stop at a farm (Derring farm), where they borrow a horse and cart, and continue onwards to Whitecross
(via the burned out Grange where Greg had left a notice with directions).They are met by Greg and Jen. They say they are from a community at Derring farm, which has been hit with a mystery illness. They bring regards from Abby, who they say is at Derring, but who is also ill. They wish to take Ruth back with them to see to the sick.
Greg is suspicious, having not heard of their settlement before, but after a less than subtle attempt to see if they are
lying, he is convinced that they do at least know Abby. He asks them to supply him with a route to Derring farm (now standard practice whenever Ruth goes away).
Ruth goes off with the Londoners. Back at Derring farm they reveal that they have tricked her, and they wish her to go back with them to London. They say she has no choice, as all surviving Londoners are contaminated with a disease they call the 'London sickness', and now through contact
with them she is contaminated too. They leave her in no doubt they will use force to take her back if necessary.
London is very unpleasant - there is a constant smell, and it is infested with packs of rats. They have to leave the range rover in the suburbs, and travel into the centre along the railway lines. Eventually they arrive at the Oval underground station.
Here, Ruth meets Manny, the leader of the survivors of London. There are about 500 of them
- there is plenty in the city to scavenge, so they have no shortages, as well as electricity, running water, telephones and radio. They are based at the Oval cricket ground, which they have ringed with electric fencing to keep the rats at bay, and have started to cultivate the ground itself.
Ruth is very angry and resentful at having been abducted. She learns that Abby had been in London a month before, and told them of her old settlement. Abby had
still been searching for Peter. She had decided to continue the search - the Londoners don't expect her to have survived in the city on her own.
Ruth demands to know why she has been taken here. She is introduced to an elderly man who is the only doctor. He and Manny had managed to keep a hospital open after the death and maintain its equipment. She sees her first case of London sickness - it takes only 3 days to kill someone. The doctor explains that
about 1000 people survived the original death in London, but secondary disease has halved that number. He believes that they will die out within a few generations unless the population can be stabilised at or above the 500 mark.
He wants Ruth to choose if she wants to stay or not.
While thinking about this, Ruth quite enjoys the relative luxury the community has to offer. She also helps take some of the load off the doctor. From one of his patients, she
learns the real reason she has been brought to London. Manny is has a master plan to transport the entire population down to the Isle of Wight. They need to send out an advance party to prepare the way, and a doctor is needed in that party.
Manny makes regular 'Big Brother' style broadcasts over the internal radio system. We learn of a man called Wally, who has been expelled from the community for a reason as yet unknown, and left to fend for
himself with the rats outside.
Meanwhile, back in the countryside, Greg rides out to Derring farm in search of Ruth. There are only four people living there. The Londoners had left them a route to the Oval in the hope they might come down and join them. They give Greg a copy.
He and Charles set out after Ruth, following the route. They reach the suburbs, where they have to take to the railway lines. At the station they are attacked by a pack of rats...
