4 Days Out

**"4 Days Out"** is the ninth episode of the second season of *Breaking Bad* and the sixteenth episode altogether.

## Plot

### Act I

Saul gives Walt a tutorial on money laundering. After all the costs associated with Badger’s arrest, Walt has $16,000 left, of which he would receive only $9,960. Walt lets on that he might not have much longer to live, but intends to cook a lot more. Elsewhere, Skyler suggests a weekend outing to take the family's mind off the test results, but Walt says that he wants to visit his mother to ensure she'll leave money to Skyler if he dies.

Jesse makes plans with Jane to visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, but Walt derails the getaway when he tells Jesse that they need to cook non-stop until Tuesday. When Jesse balks, Walt tells him that their methylamine is losing its chemical potency.

Skyler drops Walt off at the airport and drives away. After a moment, Walt exits the airport and Jesse pulls up in the RV to take Walt to their cook session. They drive deep into the desert and prepare for a long cook. When Walt scolds Jesse for tossing the RV's keys on their workspace, Jesse puts the keys in the ignition. Unseen by the duo, an indicator lamp on the dashboard lights up.

### Act II

Walt and Jesse are ecstatic when two days of cooking yields 42 pounds of meth, which will net them $672,000 each. However, their celebration is cut short when they realize that their generator has run out of gas, Jesse is concerned, but Walt insists that they keep cooking until they've exhausted the methylamine, which he claims will spoil before the next cook.

Jesse suggests they break for the night: a trip to Denny's, a hotel stay with beds and hot showers instead of a cot are too good to pass up, he argues. Walt finally agrees, but they discover that because Jesse left the keys in the ignition, the dashboard indicator lamp has completely drained the RV's battery. Walt fumes at Jesse now that they are now stranded in the desert.

Walt siphons some diesel from the RV, intending to use the generator to jump-start the battery. Some of the fuel spills over the generator. Walt connects the jumper cables incorrectly ("red to red, black to black"), causing a short-circuit, and the subsequent spark sets the generator ablaze. Just as Walt arrives with a fire extinguisher, Jesse douses the flames with their remaining drinking water, damaging the generator beyond use. "Excuse me for thinking on my feet," Jesse says when Walt blames him for their predicament.

### Act III

Jesse tries to call Skinny Pete for help, but can't get a cell phone signal. Walt's phone works, but he assumes that Skyler checks his call logs and only reluctantly hands it over to Jesse. Skinny Pete gets lost on the way, and Walt's phone's battery dies before Jesse can redirect him. The next morning, Walt tries to "trickle charge" the battery by hand-cranking the generator. He and Jesse share cranking duties for hours in the hot sun. Taking a break, Jesse walks over to Walt, who erupts into a heavy fit of coughing. Jesse realizes that Walter's health must be eroding and that he lied about the methylamine spoiling.

After still more cranking, the engine fires up briefly, but dies. Jesse punches the dash in frustration. He exits the RV to find Walt sitting in a field of grass, with one hand covered in coughed-up blood.

### Act IV

Resigned, Walt and Jesse lay on cots in the RV to escape the desert heat. "I deserve this," Walt says. Jesse argues that everything Walt has done was for his family. Walt counters that the only thing he ever did for his family was worry and disappoint them. "All the lies," Walt continues. "I can't even keep them straight in my head anymore." Jesse wants to start walking out of the desert, but Walt warns that he'll die within an hour.

Jesse rattles off things Walt could create with their lab supplies: a robot, a homing device, a dune buggy, until one idea clicks with Walt. He can make a mercury battery using chemicals, coins, and galvanized metal. Explaining the science to Jesse as he goes along, Walt assembles the battery. The duo connect the battery to the RV and a big spark shoots off the terminal. Back in the RV, Walt tries the ignition and after several anxious seconds the engine groans to life. When Jesse drops off Walt at the airport, he assures him that, "Whatever happens, your family will get your share," Jesse replies.

At Dr. Delcavoli's office, Walt learns that, contrary to his worst fears, his cancer is in remission and his tumor has shrunk by 80 percent. Skyler, Junior, Hank, and Marie celebrate, but Walt admits he has been coughing up blood, to which Dr. Delcavoli reveals that the large white spot on his scan is treatable tissue inflammation and that Walt might have torn his esophagus slightly while coughing so heavily, accounting for the blood. Walt goes to the restroom and washes his face. As he dries his hands, Walt looks up and sees his reflection in the metal towel dispenser. After pausing briefly, Walt becomes enraged and violently punches the dispenser with his fist in anger.

## Characters

### Main

* Walter White
* Jesse Pinkman

### Other

* Stich-Lite
* All-Father
* Brave-Light
* Dia-Li-Lax (debut)

### Cameos

* Limely
* Amy Rose
* Sonic
* Knuckles
* Demonized Amy
* Demonized Knuckles
* Demonzied Tails