Dunkin' Donuts

The Dunkin' Donuts on Newport Avenue in Derry's Old Cape district is a jolly pink sugarchurch in a drab neighborhood of tract houses built in 1946, now crumbling. The area is marked by elderly cars with wired-up mufflers and bumper stickers expressing political and social views, and by the presence of young children on Fisher-Price Big Wheel trikes. It is here that Ralph Roberts and Lois Chasse stop for coffee on the morning of Friday, October 8, 1993, after their harrowing escape from the burning High Ridge shelter and their encounter with Dorrance Marstellar and Joe Wyzer. They are exhausted and hungry, having not eaten since Tuesday, and need to refuel before continuing their mission to stop Ed Deepneau's planned attack on the Civic Center that evening.

Encounter with the Pro-Life Waitress

Inside the Dunkin' Donuts, Ralph and Lois order large coffees. As they wait, a waitress wearing a button reading "LIFE IS NOT A CHOICE" approaches them. She is a pro-life activist who has been picketing outside WomanCare since 1984. She expresses her views on abortion, stating that killing "something that could someday write a great poem or invent a drug that cures AIDS or cancer" is wrong. She also voices her frustration with what she calls "choicers," whom she accuses of hypocrisy for supporting gun control and opposing the death penalty while also supporting abortion rights. Ralph notices a yellowish-black blotch in her aura, which he interprets as a sign of liver trouble. Lois, using her newfound ability to read auras, learns that the waitress, whose name is Zoë, gave up a baby for adoption in 1989 at Saint Anne's in Providence, Rhode Island. Before they leave, Ralph writes a note on a placemat warning Zoë to see a doctor about her liver and to stay away from the Civic Center that night. Lois adds a postscript revealing the details of her adoption, hoping to convince her of the seriousness of the warning.

Refueling and Drawing Energy

After the encounter, Ralph and Lois drink their coffee and eat a large breakfast. Ralph orders a four-egg cheese and mushroom omelet with bacon, sausage, home fries, and a cheese Danish, while Lois orders the same. The food helps restore their physical strength, but they are both deeply tired from their ordeal. As they prepare to leave, Ralph realizes he is too exhausted to drive safely. He steps outside and draws energy from the auras of two boys who have crashed their bikes in the parking lot, one of whom is wearing a Nirvana tee-shirt. This act of "borrowing" life-force revitalizes him, though it leaves him feeling guilty. Lois also draws energy from the waitress's aura, learning more about her personal history. They then get back into Ralph's Oldsmobile and continue their journey toward High Ridge, the women's shelter where they hope to find Gretchen Tillbury and convince her to cancel Susan Day's speech.

Narrative Significance

The stop at the Dunkin' Donuts serves as a crucial moment of respite and preparation for Ralph and Lois. It is a place where they physically refuel and also demonstrate their growing mastery over the aural world, using their abilities to gain information and restore their own energy. The encounter with the pro-life waitress highlights the deep social and political divisions in Derry that Ed Deepneau's actions have exploited, and it foreshadows the danger that awaits at the Civic Center. The waitress's button and her comments about "jokers in the deck" echo the themes of randomness and purpose that Clotho and Lachesis have explained to Ralph and Lois. The stop also allows Ralph and Lois to briefly connect with an ordinary person, even as they are being drawn into extraordinary events.