Now an aspiring young architect in Indiana, Willum Cubbert has often told his friends about the debt he owes to Rick Steadman, a fellow ex-GI whom he had never met but who saved his life in Vietnam. Willum is delighted when Rick shows up unexpectedly at his apartment on the night of his birthday party. But soon it becomes apparent that Rick is a hopeless “nerd” - a bumbling oaf with no social sense, little intelligence and less tact. As Rick's stay drags on, his presence leads to one uproarious incident after another, until the normally placid Willum finds himself contemplating violence.