The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Page #2

He'll blink. One for yes, two for no.

Ok.

One more thing. Stay in front of him

when you talk to him. Ok?

If you stand here, he can't see you,

and here neither.

Talk to him like this.

Right, Jean-Do?

I'll leave you. I'm sure you have a lot

to say to each other...

They tell me you're doing...

Everyone sends their love.

And their prayers.

I didn't bring the children.

I thought I should see you first.

They're both well.

They miss you.

Celeste prays for you every night.

Do you want me to bring them?

Don't you want to see them?

Laurent wants to visit.

Do you want to see him?

Him you want to see.

I'll tell him.

Has she been to see you?

I've met the speech therapist.

I like her.

She thinks she can help you.

Please don't cry.

I know Berck station. I can see her now.

It's the most depressing place in the world.

Well, it certainly was when I had my

holidays here as a child.

Berck. The end of summer.

Waiting with my father for the Paris train.

It was desolate then and it'll be

more desolate now.

I treated her so badly.

And the children, too.

And now I will never be able

to make amends.

Never.

Look at this.

As you can see, it's not the alphabet

we learned at school.

These letters are presented

in order of usage frequency.

Do you understand?

E, S, A, R, I, N...

Usage frequency?

I've talked to a host of colleagues...

...and I think I've come up

with a viable system.

Good for you.

- This is how it works.

You think of something to say.

When you're ready, blink.

I'll recite this alphabet,

very slowly, letter by letter.

When I get to the first letter

of your word, blink.

I'll write it down, letter for letter,

and so on.

In that way we'll form words and sentences.

Two other things: blink twice

when the word is formed.

As if you're hitting the

space bar on a keyboard.

And blink rapidly if we make a mistake.

I know it sounds terribly arduous but,

believe me, we'll become

expert very quickly.

And your friends and family can use it, too.

Are you ready for this?

Look at me.

Do you want to try?

Have you thought of

something you want to say?

Good.

So, let's begin.

- Wait, no...

I don't know what to say.

- E.

Is E the first letter?

- No.

E is not the first letter.

- I don't know what to say.

It's difficult, I know, so let's go slowly.

E, S, A...

That's too slow.

I can't keep my eyelids open that long.

Get cracking!

I...

I?

- Good.

Is I the first word?

My first word is I.

I begin with myself.

E, S...

S?

No.

- No?

Not S.

- That was too fast.

It doesn't work. This is a nightmare.

It'll never work.

Shall we go on?

I've had enough.

Leave me alone.

Up, down, up.

Under my arms.

The back of my legs.

I'm forty-two years old...

...and I'm being handled like a big baby.

my private parts wiped and swaddled.

That's ridiculous.

But as the poet says:

only a fool laughs when

there's nothing to laugh at.

Blow me a kiss.

Come on.

Try it.

Come on.

Try.

It's difficult.

- No mirror.

But that's what I want you to work at.

- Not that face.

When you're resting or

watching TV, or any time at all,

I want you to work at blowing me a kiss.

Okay?

- Okay.

And one other thing you have

to practise as much as possible.

And that's sliding your tongue

to the back of your palate.

That's how you'll learn to swallow again.

Watch.

This just isn't fair. Not fair.

You try it.

- Put that mirror away.

Open your mouth.

Good.

Try sliding your tongue backwards.

I can't.

- Try, go on.

I can't.

Good! You moved your tongue.

Don't make a fool of me.

- Very good. Again.

Unbelievable. Good.

- Yes, but true.

I'll help you to move your head on your own.

Like that.

You're doing it all.

- Left.

Good.

Right. Good.

Left again.

Can you feel my hands on your face?

No.

Never mind, you will, you will.

We're all very sorry for

what's happened to you.

I'm a regular reader of Elle.

I love it.

I just wish all the models

didn't look like boys.

I don't think so.

- They're getting thinner and thinner.

An odd fashion.

How beautiful she is.

I have a strong faith.

I pray for you every day.

He can only see with his right eye.

Look straight at him when you talk.

Who is that?

Pierre Roussin.

Do you remember me?

- Of course.

He blinks once for yes....

- Damn, I didn't call him back.

Do you want me to leave?

- No, please not.

Why didn't I call him back?

I heard what happened to you.

And I just wanted...

I was compelled to come and see you

because of what happened to me.

In a way, I know what you're going through

Being taken hostage is not so different

from what you're going through,

Am I right?

- Hostage?

Jean-Dominique was kind enough

to give me his seat on a flight

The plane was high-jacked and I remained

a hostage in Beirut for four years.

Four years, four months,

two weeks, five days

and seven hours.

They kept me in a cellar.

Very small. Dark.

It was hard to breathe.

I called it my tomb.

I know, a lot about wines.

- What happened to his hand?

I used to recite aloud the wines of the

Bordeaux classification of 1855.

Chteau Margaux, Margaux.

Chteau Lafite Rotschild, Pauillac.

That's what preserved my sanity.

Most times, I was in despair.

Suicidal. Angry.

The beatings, the filth, the cruelty.

But the worst was the waiting.

I survived.

I survived, because I held

fast to my own humanity.

That's all I could do

because that's all I had,

just like you.

Cling to your own humanity

and you'll survive.

Humanity? Easy.

- I just had to say

that to you in person.

Why didn't I call him,

when he was back from Beirut?

I felt too guilty.

It's ridiculous...

- It's not. I feel ashamed.

I?

W?

I want?

What do you want, Mr. Bauby?

D.

I.

E.

Die.

You want to die?

How dare you!

There are people who love you

and care for you.

I hardly know you and

yet I'm there for you.

And you're alive.

So, don't say you want to die.

It's offensive and obscene.

You want to continue?

Alright.

I'll come back another time and see

if you've changed your mind.

I'm sorry.

Why?

- I went too far.

Rest yourself.

Do you like it?

I didn't really know what to bring.

Look, I also brought this.

One moment.

- What are you doing?

What is that?

That's not true.

This makes me look like a rabbit.

I just read the letters and you blink,

is that ok?

Let it be.

- Ok?

S of A?

- As you want it.

A.

- Good then A.

N?

Good, N.

Anne.

You have to look at me, Laurent.

Sh*t, I forgot to look at you.

Sorry, I'll start again and slow down.

As you like it...

Funny.

I've never been a good hospital visitor.

I'm the sort who brings

food and then eats it.

- That's not true.

Why did that have to happen to you?

Everybody's talking about it.

I was in Cafe de Flore last night...

...I heard someone say, 'Did you know that

Jean-Do Bauby is now a complete vegetable?'

Vegetable.

- He can't see you.

Who said that?

And what sort of vegetable?

A carrot, a potato, a pickled cucumber?

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