Finny's shattered leg ends his involvement in sports, a consequence that brings the guilty and fearful Gene to tears. Once in the infirmary and again at Finny's home, where he is recovering, Gene tries to confess that he caused the fall. But Finny's trust in Gene is absolute, and he refuses to believe the confession.
Without Finny around, Gene grows closer to Brinker Hadley, a student leader who teases him with the accusation that he got rid of Finny to have their room to himself. Brinker's joking frightens and angers Gene, but his new friend's energy also inspires him. One night, after Brinker announces his intention to enlist immediately, Gene decides to enter military service as well, a resolution that disappears suddenly upon Finny's return.
Finny tells Gene that he must become an athlete for both of them and proposes to train him for the 1944 Olympics. When Gene tries to explain that the war will most certainly make the Olympics impossible, Finny announces that the war is a fake. Finny's dream of the 1944 Olympics becomes a shared reality between the friends as the former athlete trains his replacement. Gene joins his friend in a peaceful retreat from the world, celebrated in the school's (unofficial) Winter Carnival.
