Dr. Kay O'Brien makes critical decisions on a pair of emergency patients: a young woman who refuses surgery due to her parent's religious beliefs; and a terminally ill photojournalist who wants to get the most out of his remaining days.

Dr. Wallach's pal undergoes a mild stroke on the tennis court but stubbornly maintains he's much too healthy to be confined in a hospital and misunderstandings abound with a Sri Lankan physician anxious to learn about American surgical procedures.