The car flips over, and they both end up in the hospital, but Valrie falls into a coma. When it is realized that she can no longer even recognize her own son, the Department of Social Services places Tom in a group home. Now he is forved to cope with a host of other young punks as well as a headmaster with some pointed ideas about how to rehabilitate his charges. Despite his own personal problems (and at great risk), Tom sneaks away from the group home and dedicates himself to helping his mom recover her memory.