Voyager rescues a dying Vidiian and during the process of trying to save her life, the Doctor's adaptive program allows him to experience romantic feelings for the first time. Lt. Paris starts objecting to his treatment on Voyager and ends up assaulting Chakotay.

While trying to avoid the Vidiians, Voyager travels to a region of space that will disguise them from their sensors. Subsequently, an onboard disaster occurs while Ensign Wildman is having her baby, which causes problems for the Doctor.