An 82 year old woman, eccentric and distrustful of doctors, is interviewed by a young, inexperienced male psychiatrist in a test for dementia. Because of absurd misunderstandings, Dr. Grey assumes that Hannah has dementia, but as she begins to trust him and talks more about her aging, he begins to see the insights behind her words. He decides that her stories are not signs of ordinary dementia, and then he suddenly sees this as his chance to achieve his dream of fame as a psychiatrist: he will create a theory of the aging brain.

Act II begins with a monologue in which Hannah talks about her life with her dogs, especially her older dog, Jake, who is slowly changing. Late one night she has heard Jake speaking to her, and she fears that ‘hearing voices’ means that she is losing her mind. She returns to Dr. Grey, who now overcomes his ambition in order to show her that her communication with Jake is not dementia, but rather a part of their deep connection, and their aging and dying together.