Junkie Frankie Machine has returned to his Chicago neighborhood after a six-month incarceration for taking the fall on an illegal high-stakes poker game. While in prison, Frankie became clean and learned how to play the drums, which he hopes will lead to a drug-free life on the outside as a union-carded musician. Frankie may be unaware that the biggest obstacle to him staying clean is his wife, Zosh, who is holding a secret to keep Frankie to herself.