Character Relationship Map: A Fighting Choice

Characters

• Kellin Taylor (played by Patrick Dempsey) — supporting

  Kellin Taylor is the 16-year-old protagonist, living with epilepsy and facing renewed seizures after his medication stops working. He falls in love with Susie, pursues legal independence to choose exp...

• Dr. Tobin (played by Lawrence Pressman) — supporting

  Dr. Tobin is Kellin's highly praised doctor, whom Kellin visits every two weeks for epilepsy treatment. After Kellin suffers another seizure, Tobin recognizes that the drugs are no longer effective an...

• Susie Fratelli (played by Danielle von Zerneck) — supporting

  Susie Fratelli is the student assigned to tutor Kellin after his medical appointments interfere with schoolwork. She develops mutual romantic feelings with him, invites him jogging, accepts his epilep...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Kellin Taylor → Susie Fratelli (Romantic Love Interest) — Kellin develops a romantic relationship with Susie.

  Kellin immediately falls in love with Susie after she is assigned to tutor him. They later become intimate, and he wakes after surgery surrounded by h...

• Kellin Taylor → Dr. Tobin (Professional Patient) — Dr. Tobin is Kellin's treating physician.

  Kellin visits Dr. Tobin every two weeks for epilepsy treatment. Dr. Tobin monitors his seizures and evaluates the failure of his medication.

Story Analysis

A teenager with epilepsy fights for the right to choose experimental surgery while illness, legal conflict, and love reshape his life.

Plot Progression

1. A Fragile New Beginning — Kellin enters regular high school after five seizure-free months but struggles to keep up with schoolwork. Meeting Susie brings hope and romantic excitement before a new seizure interrupts his progres...
2. Truth Between Young Hearts — Kellin misses a planned jog and fears Susie's reaction to his epilepsy. His confession is met with acceptance, allowing their relationship to grow closer.
3. The Choice Becomes Public — Dr. Tobin identifies the failure of Kellin's medication and raises experimental surgery as a possible answer. Kellin discovers the information through a letter and begins pursuing legal independence.
4. Doubt Under Oath — The lawsuit and its publicity fracture Kellin's home life, while moving away intensifies his guilt and isolation. A seizure before Susie makes his medical danger immediate again.
5. Consent And Recovery — Testimony from a successfully treated patient renews Kellin's determination. Judicial consent, emotional reconciliation, and a difficult five-hour operation lead to his successful awakening.