The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

In this chapter, Bauby braids the hospital visit of his very loyal friend Vincent with a recollection of a day, ten years ago, that he and Vincent spent at the horse races.

He and Vincent used to work at a small newspaper together. Bauby remembers Vincent as impulsive, remembering that it was part of his job to rein in Vincent’s more ridiculous ideas. This poses a striking contrast against the way that Bauby depicts Vincent’s careful, methodical, and dedicated progress to his hospital room. He imagines Vincent weaving expertly along the minor road that winds through a few townships before leading to Berck.

Bauby recounts that he and Vincent were inseparable while working at the newspaper. A track correspondent gave them a tip about a horse named Mithra-Grandchamp—saying that he was a guaranteed winner because the odds on him were twenty to one—and also gave them the password to Aladdin’s cave of racing. Bauby imagines Vincent on the outskirts of Berck as Vincent wonders what the hell he is doing there.

He and Vincent spent so much time enjoying the dining room at the racetrack that they did not make it in time to bet on Mithra-Grandchamp with the money that had been given to them by their colleagues at the newspaper.