28 years have passed since "Trapper" John McIntyre served his country as a surgeon during the Korean War. Now as Chief of Surgery at San Francisco Memorial Hospital, Trapper must face his past when a younger version of himself, a Vietnam vet, arrives at the hospital.
While Trapper and Gonzo work with a deranged Vietnam veteran, memories of the past flood back to both doctors. Meanwhile, Stanley tries to find ways to save on his taxes.
After an employee from a nearby nucelar power plant is admitted to San Francisco Memorial with signs of radiation poisoning, Gonzo tries to find out why the power plant isn't doing more to protect their workers from the harsh exposure to radiation.
Trapper is stuck in the middle of a love triangle after his ex-wife, Melanie, arrives in San Francisco and persistantly flirts with him. Meanwhile, Stanley goes on a mission to get rid of the "titanic".
When a weathly woman is injured in a car accident, she tries to hide the fact that she has no friends by sending herself get-well cards and flowers.
Trapper is eager to go on his vacation but a fire damages a nearby hospital and all its patients are moved to the Memorial. An old lady suffering from carcinoma charms the staff. Dr Hanley a surgeon from that hospital cracks under the pressure and must reveal his own ailments.
Unknown and unseen a mystery surgeon has been at work at San Francisco Memorial and the hospital staff is shocked and baffled by the secrecy and surgical skill involved.
The staff is stunned to learn that a beautiful surgical nurse (Kim Cattrall) is moonlighting as a highly paid centerfold model.
Nurse Shoop's haughtiness impedes she deals with hearing loss, until she's nearly hit by an approaching ambulance. A second story line narrates the problems of a disturbed trumpet player.
Gonzo wants to go with his fiancée Fran on vacation, however, once and again a new operation hinders his purpose. In the end, the stress leads to a breakdown: He suffers a stroke. Trapper operates Gonzo's heart and something in the operation goes very wrong- he can neither run nor speak afterwards. He seems willing to give up himself, becomes more apathetic visibly and doesn't accept assistance. Until one day Fran calls him a failure...