The seventh item in the main character’s trash bin is the settlement papers, Madeline’s mother agreed to sign when a trucker fell asleep at the wheel and killed her father and brother. In the book, she talks about not remembering them much at all and whenever that certain subject is brought up, Madeline feels guilty for not feeling depressed. When the terms were settled, the money they received, all went to pay for their house. Since the house can never be contaminated with foreign bacteria, the house is equipped with modern technology to filter the air in the house, a machine that decontaminants people, and other various machinery that does not allow for germs to enter the house.