After a Black woman named Ella Hogue falls ill and is bedridden, her daughters — Bee, Andretta, and Lucindy — come home to Alabama to be with her. Ella regains consciousness on the third day after their arrival and is surprised to see her daughters; she asks them if she is dead yet, to which Lucindy exclaims she has gotten better. The girls are all half-sisters: Lucindy is the oldest; Andretta is the middle daughter, and Bee is the youngest and the only child Ella had while married to her late husband.  Ella asks for Doll, a woman who has been taking care of her prior to her daughters arriving, and says that she wants Doll to get Dr. Dobbs to see her. Bee explains that Dr. Dobbs has been retired for three to four years, but Ella insists that he is the only one who can restore her health. As Doll (whose real name is Sally) reflects on Ella telling her that she wanted to die at home instead of going to a hospital, Lucindy knocks on her door to tell her of Ella’s request. Doll says she will do her best to fetch the doctor.  Dr. Dobbs’ driver, a Black man named Elmo, drives Dr. Dobbs up to Doll’s porch, and Dr. Dobbs lets her in the car, which is on the way to Ella’s house. In the car, Dr. Dobbs asks where all the Black people are in the town (using the N word) and says he wishes they’d all leave. Referring to Ella by the N word as well, he asks for clarification on what her name is and who she is. When the car arrives at Ella’s house, all the daughters greet the doctor respectfully.  Dr. Dobbs enters the house and checks Ella’s blood pressure, heartbeat, etc., only to tell her that her ailment is old age. Then Mr. Dobbs suddenly remembers that Ella used to make muscadine wine and asks if he can be brought some, which Bee attends to.  From outside the house, the daughters and Elmo discuss how long Dr. Dobbs has been inside. Bee peeks through the window and exclaims that both their mother and the doctor have fallen asleep due to the wine. Elmo tries to assure them that Dr. Dobbs is still a good doctor, and the daughters discuss who is to stay behind to look after their mother. They agree that they will not put her in a nursing home “like white folks” and sit in silence, grateful their mother is still alive but concerned about what to do next.