Leopold regains consciousness on a Wednesday morning in the year 2001 in Stuart's apartment at 88 White Street, Manhattan. Stuart explains that the portal will reopen on the next Monday, until which time Leopold should stay in Stuart's apartment. While taking his dog out, Stuart is injured by falling into the empty elevator shaft and, after ranting about his scientific discovery in the hospital, is involuntarily committed to a mental institution. According to Stuart's concept, Leopold's time travel to the 21st century has caused a widespread "occlusion" of elevators, and may cause the disappearance of Stuart himself if Leopold does not go back to 1876 on Monday.