Surgeon Thomas MacAlister is on probation from the Medical Board of California for previous lapses in judgment, and is at risk of losing his medical license. It is a fateful day when he operates on Tony Hubbard for a perforated appendicitis. Hubbard is an unscrupulous personal injury lawyer who decides-when malpractice occurs-that money isn't enough. The lawyer has fallen in love with his law partner's wife and decides that MacAlister has both the skill and motivation to take care of his competition. But is the lawyer himself at risk when he later threatens to file a malpractice suit? MacAlister's marriage, to a bright and successful young woman, begins to disintegrate when she realizes his bizarre bedroom games are a symptom of a much deeper depravity. To what lengths will the surgeon go to keep her from revealing his secret life and what options does she have when he refuses to let her go? Practicing excellent medicine is not only about curing disease; it's also about understanding the patient and helping with the stress. It becomes much more difficult for the physician if the patient has a serious mental illness. What happens when the situation is reversed?
