After a yachting accident, a millionaire and his wife are shipwrecked on a desert island along with their former deckhand, Manuel.

The four-year-old Nicolas Shield leads a brash and peaceful life. An annual unpleasant day has arrived: he has to visit the doctor to get an injection against mumps, measles and rubella. This goes without any problem, because Nicolas - also called Nicky - is a good guy. However, after a few months, Nicolas's behavior begins to change. Mother Christine does everything to get the boy back on the right track. But then comes the dreaded diagnosis: Nicky suffers from autism.