In New Orleans, a lawyer is in his home one evening with his wife, Joan, when Deputy Bert Bijou calls to see if he can help his friend, Howard Bedlow. Bedlow and Bijou come to the lawyer's house, and Bijou explains that Bedlow has lost his company and has financial and marital issues. Bert is concerned that if the lawyer can't help him get his act together, Bert will have to take Bedlow to court on a DUI and several other misdemeanor charges after having picked him up from Millie's Bar. Bedlow would like to divorce his wife, as he believes she has cheated on him, resulting in the birth of their son.

The lawyer pulls Bert aside and asks for his own explanation. Bert tells him that the Bedlows' child has a severe illness or disability that has left him permanently confined to a state hospital. Howard's wife, Irma, spent the first few years of his life going to the hospital and praying for him every day until the hospital asked her to stop praying. At this point, Howard started drinking, and his marriage seriously declined. He then convinced himself that the child wasn't his.

The following day, the lawyer goes in for work, and his wife calls to tell him she will be going to their beach house for a few days, and she has left the children with their nanny, Louise. It is clear that there is an issue in the marriage, but she won't say what. That evening, the lawyer goes home to find that Louise has taken the children to the country for the day, so the house is quiet. He drinks by himself until Bert comes by with Irma. She tells her side of the story and brings the lawyer and Bert to Alexandria, where the hospital with her son is.