Len is a middle-aged man who lives in New York city. He is covered and dirt and ash, sitting on a park bench. He tries to go to the subway, but it is closed. So, he walks with crowds who are escaping the city. They walk over a bridge, and he contemplates jumping off but the netting is too thick. Len walks an hour and a half to his car that is in a parking garage in Brookline next to the bar that he owns and manages. There is no reception on Len's phone, and the traffic is barely moving.
As he drives, the only thing on the radio is talk about an explosion that happened in the city and all of the dead. The bridges and subways finally open back up, and Len is able to get home. At home, he is greeted by his wife and two young children, who have all been worried about him. Over the next few days, Len works from home because he does not want to go into the city. His wife can tell that something is wrong.
A few days after the explosion, a crowd of reporters shows up outside of Len's home. They ask why he risked his life, and show a video of him running towards the explosion and carrying people out of the way. Len's wife is distraught, and asks what he was even doing in Manhattan.
The day of the explosion, Len's mistress, whom he met at his bar, told Len that he needed to tell his wife about them. Len said that he would, and he walked her to the subway after they got coffee. As Len walked away from the station, he heard an explosion and felt the ground shudder. He ran to the subway against the crowds of people running away, and carried people from the subway up the the street, trying to find his mistress. Eventually, he was pulled away by first responders.
When the victims are identified, they are published in the newspaper, and Len sees his mistress. He tries to find family members but is unsuccessful. Movie producers and book publishers contact Len wanting to use his story, and when he returns to work his partners want to use him to promote the bar. The mayor presents Len with the keys to the city, and Len's wife makes him promise to never tell the truth of why he rescued the people, as it would humiliate her and their family.