Kit DeLeeuw has just about come to terms with his not-quite-acceptable status in the town of Rochambeau, New Jersey, when he is faced with contempt at home: his newly adolescent daughter suddenly decides he's just another uncool moron, like all the other adults in her life. And right when his domestic situation has reached unprecedented evels of turmoil, he is shattered by the news that his friend and mentor, Benchley Carrolton, has suffered a stroke. Benchley has been transferred to Elston Manor, the crown jewel in a chain of nursing homes run by a powerful local senator. Elston Manor prides itself on providing comfort, good food, excellent care, and airtight security - security so tight it makes Kit suspicious. Why won't the armed guards let him in? What makes Big Nurse so hostile? And what's the true story behind two recent "accidental" drug overdoses?