Father and parishioner Dave Long sustains a leg injury in a softball game and refuses to have it treated. As his leg worsens, his rocky relationship with his son begins to heal.

Dave Long is an amateur baseball player, a Baptist parishioner, and father to a petulant teenage son. Randy tolerates his mother Susan, a practical woman busily immersed in church life, but everything his father says and does exasperates and embarrasses him. When Randy calls Dave stupid for running toward third base in a Church-league game, Dave is motivated to slide into third. He succeeds, to raucous applause, but he also peels the skin off his leg from ankle to knee.

Out for a beer after the game, Dave discusses theology with Pastors Rick and Jeff. At night, nursing his leg, he finds himself spontaneously praying for Randy, who overhears him. As the leg becomes worse and worse, secreting pus, Randy’s outbursts subside. Dave begins to lie to his doctor, saying things are getting better when in reality he can barely get off the couch anymore. Pastor Rick visits and admonishes Dave for not taking care of himself. That night, Dave wakes to find Randy crying at the foot of the couch. Hastily composing himself, Randy regains his cool tone and tells Dave to go to the doctor. Dave has the urge to touch his son at those words, but he’s knocked back down in his attempt to rise. Randy balks, urges him to go to the doctor again, but Dave knows his leg is lost.