Danny is a sickly and frail boy of twelve. Fed up of leading a life full of worry and anxiety, he stows away to a border town to visit his father. On the fourth night with his father, he accidentally overhears his father confessing to his adoptive sister that Danny will soon die. Stunned by this revelation, he is unable to sleep that night. He sneaks out of the house and spends the night on a nearby hilltop. Very early in the morning, he witnesses an enemy jet bombing his father's living quarters. Shortly thereafter he meets Samuel, who persuades him to escape into the wilderness with him as the country is on the brink of war. They determine to cross the wilderness on foot in the hope of reaching the next city, which is about three hundred kilometers away. However, the boys are forced to interrupt their journey frequently on account of Danny's repeated and violent coughing fits. Samuel, who gradually realizes that Danny's primary illness is psychological rather than physical, has to first coax Danny into forgiving the past as well as the present in order to redeem their future.