Episode 4 of "Before" kicks off with Noah indulging in his drawing once more. However, amidst his creative endeavors, Eli catches sight of a tiny action figure nestled in the sandpit, sending shivers down his spine. He hastily discards it to the side, just as Noah's eerie voice echoes back, coaxing Eli to join in the artistic endeavor. But Eli, unable to shake off the creeping dread, bolts out of the room to regain his composure.
Denise strolls in, greeting her son warmly and inquiring about his well-being. Eli informs her that Noah is faring alright, albeit grappling with the aftereffects of the sand therapy. To Eli's astonishment, he discovers Noah has vanished.
In a mad dash through the hospital corridors, Eli finally spots Noah concealed within a linen closet. Eli, realizing he's missing a pen and suspecting Noah has it, confronts him, demanding the object hidden behind Noah's back. Noah, sensing the palpable fear radiating from Eli, decides against further conversation and clams up.
Eli's state of mind is far from stable, and the enigma intensifies when one considers the farmhouse drawing. Why would Noah depict it? His past doesn't hint at any connection to such a place, yet the recurring motif of a drowning girl persists in his sketches. Eli's thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a leak seeping through the floor, originating from the bathroom down the hall. Upon investigation, Eli discovers a dripping faucet, which he seemingly repairs.
However, soon after, the plug begins to bubble, filling the tub. A large clump of hair gets stuck, necessitating Eli's immediate intervention. He extracts it and hastily tosses it into the trash. Barb, returning to the scene, finds Eli in a flustered state, her suspicions aroused—especially considering it's "Grandpa Day," meaning Eli is supposed to spend time with Sophie.
The duo heads to the church, where Eli brings his work along, driven by a desire to uncover more about Noah. Sophie interrupts his train of thought, reminding him of Lynn's demise. When the priest attempts to offer compassionate words, Eli lashes out, dismissing religion as mere falsehoods.
Unfortunately, the day unraveled into a tapestry of disasters, sparked by Eli's revelation to Sophie that Lynn's essence did not dwell within the lizard teddy she cherished and clung to. Meanwhile, Barbara, grappling with her own sorrow, longed to tidy the house and rid it of clutter. Amidst the overwhelming stress, Eli kindly offered to shoulder this burden alone, yet Sophie inadvertently left her beloved teddy behind.
Eli's attention was drawn to a series of emails exchanged between Lynn and Jackson, prompting him to seek out Jackson's company. It transpired that Lynn had also been sketching, creating illustrations for a book she was penning on the subject of mortality. Their approaches to coping with Lynn's treatment diverged sharply; Eli, resolute, focused solely on the scientific perspective, whereas Lynn sought solace and personal growth through Jackson.
The conclusion of her journey seemed to unfold in her dreams, and subsequently, Jackson presented Eli with those poignant drawings. Among them was a portrayal of a boy and a girl, hand in hand, wandering through a forest, their bond evident in every brushstroke.
In the hospital, Noah found himself haunted by the child who occupied the bed directly opposite his in the ward. He confronted the child, demanding the return of a tiny figurine from the sandpit that Noah had concealed beneath his bed—a treasure he had carried away from the room, contrary to Eli's assumption of a stolen pen. Noah's struggles intensified, as he felt a chilling sensation, akin to the throes of childbirth. Precisely at this moment, Eli's own visions commenced, the images on the table coming to life, Noah's voice resonating eerily through the air.
