When J.D. asks Dr. Cox to give the residents a pep talk, Dr. Cox takes things a little too far by telling them that inevitably, they will eventually kill a patient or two, which throws the staff into a frenzy. Meanwhile, Carla becomes so annoyed with Turk's stuffed dog Rowdy, she takes drastic measures to get rid of him. Elsewhere, Elliot fights for a patient to receive a heart valve, and becomes frustrated when Molly steps in to thwart her efforts.

J.D. is dismayed when his brother Dan shows up with news of their father's recent death. Everyone faces the challenge of how to be sensitive to J.D. and stumbles over their words of condolences. Meanwhile, Turk has symptoms of diabetes but in his stubbornness refuses to admit it or visit a doctor as Carla wishes. Molly must employ some advanced psychology to force him to face the issue.