This section begins with narration in the present tense (whereas all previous chapters have used the past tense). Eleanor wakes on the floor of her apartment, naked and lying beneath a table. She wonders how many other kitchens the blue table inhabited before being passed down, dilapidated, to her. She observes the methods of suicide she has lined upon the table: painkillers, a sharp bread knife, and drain cleaner. She has drunk copious vodka and considers it a matter of time before she takes her own life. She passes out again and wakes up, not knowing how much time has passed. She sees she has vomited and considers the sorry state of her body, inside and out. She wonders how many days have passed since her bender began.

In flashback, Eleanor recounts the day of the concert. Polly the plant dies that morning, a bad omen. She arrives at the concert and stands close to the stage. Johnnie never looks at Eleanor as he plays, and Eleanor realizes she has clung to an infatuation with a man who would not want to be with her. She wonders why she chose him, since she doesn’t know much about him and doesn’t enjoy his music.