François Baillou returns to his village to spend the winter as part of his treatment of tuberculosis. On the arrival, François sees his former best friend Serge and greets him, but Serge is drunk and does not recognize him. François learns that Serge is a frustrated man since he had not gone to the Architecture University and has stayed in the village working as truck driver since he had to marry his pregnant girlfriend Yvonne. When the baby was born, he was mongoloid and died. Now Serge is the drunkard of the village. François meets the seventeen year-old Marie, and he feels attracted by the teenager. Meanwhile he tries to help his friend.
