Ling Tan is a poor Chinese immigrant looking for a job in California. She cannot work as a nurse because she dropped out of her community college courses. She’s interviewed for a job at the Tipton household, caring for a teenage boy, Mike, who suffers from leukemia. Although Mrs. Tipton is wary of Ling’s devout Christianity, the mother hires Ling. Ling becomes close friends with Mike. They watch _M*A*S*H _reruns together and read the Book of Job at night until Mike goes to sleep. They make fun of Dr. Hanson, the shrink Mr. Tipton hired to help Mike in this challenging time. Mike will most certainly die, but Ling still prays for him. Mike thinks there’s no use in having hope, but he’s reassured by Ling’s prayers. When Mike slips into a coma, the last person that he speaks to is Ling. He dies shortly after. Ling goes to his room one last time and looks at the familiar picture of Albert Einstein hanging from the wall to remember her friend.