James convinces a hockey player with a severe spinal injury to undergo risky surgery to walk again; at the same time, Walter's wife, FDA executive Julianna Wallace, accepts an invitation to Bunker Hill to consider approving a new skin bio-printing trial.

When a young leukemia patient comes to Bunker Hill in need of a miracle, James hopes a new t-cell cancer treatment will save her life, as her optimism inspires him to become a better person. Also, Malik and Zoe agree to go on a date just as James confesses his feelings to her, and Julianna's Christmas visit with Walter uncovers the strain in their long-distance marriage.