Summary

One morning in March, Sedaris woke up with a kidney stone. With Hugh in Normandy, Sedaris is left to find a hospital on his own, and though he makes minor errors in French, he successfully was able to make it to the hospital. Once there, he was put on an IV, which caused him to seriously reconsider his new sober lifestyle. He writes, “The drugs they gave me at the hospital were delicious and served in an IV. The effect was immediate, like turning off a spigot. I haven’t been fucked up since I quit drinking. For the past 353 days, I’ve been the same from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. The IV made me remember why I so love drugs. It also reminded me that when I’m on drugs, I only want more” (407).

When Hugh returned from...