On his first day as an intern, an idealistic Dr. Devon Pravesh faces the harsh realities of medical care, as third year resident Dr. Conrad Hawkins takes him under his wing and teaches his unconventional ways for treating patients. Meanwhile, Conrad goes head-to-head with Chief of Surgery Dr. Solomon Bell, who uses power and intimidation to cover up his mistakes.
Conrad receives the call he's been waiting for when a heart becomes available for a patient who has been on the transplant list for two years. But when a congressman is admitted to the hospital after a heart attack, he is prioritized.
An old army buddy and fellow surgeon (guest star Warren Christie) visits Conrad at the hospital. Meanwhile, the team is put to the test when they have to save the life of an uninsured and undocumented patient, while simultaneously battling the hospital's administrators, who fear the patient will cost millions. Also, Dr. Bell experiments with a new medication for his tremor and Nic swears to investigate the mystery surrounding missing medical records.
After a mix-up in the ER causes Conrad to deliver a death notification to the wrong family, he sets out to fix it. Meanwhile, Nic struggles to find a patient's records who has been under Lane's care, Devon forms a bond with an elderly patient and Mina is benched after overreaching in the surgical unit.
Three concurrent surgeries at the hospital push its staff to the limits. Determined to ease the pressure, Nic requests Jude for one of the operations, making Conrad jealous. Meanwhile, Dr. Lane Hunter sets out to discredit Nic's claims.
As Conrad battles a group of overly aggressive attending physicians on behalf of a patient with a mysterious chronic ailment, he also must face off against his father who has shown up at the hospital unannounced.
Conrad goes head-to-head with Lane when he disagrees with her over a treatment plan for a terminal cancer patient. Tensions rise when Jude inserts himself in the middle by offering to perform the invasive procedure Conrad is fighting against. When a VIP patient crosses the line with Nic, she must devise a strategy on how to stand her ground and combat the situation. Meanwhile, Bell realizes he'll need Mina's hands more than ever.
Much to Bell's dismay, Nic and Conrad decide to admit a homeless Jane Doe, whom they suspect was dumped off by another hospital during Chastain's big Charity Ball. Devon and Irving care for a male escort who offers surprisingly good advice.
Conrad's ex-fiancé, Catherine, is admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain that proves to be quite the medical mystery. As Conrad doggedly tries to figure out her diagnosis and fights the idea of Bell performing her operation, Nic gets some insight into Conrad's past.
Conrad is hit by a bike and badly sprains his ankle, but works through it when he takes the case of his old medical professor, who is hallucinating visions of her old patients. Devon is tasked with admitting Conrad, who refuses any sort of treatment.
When Nic finds herself under investigation in Lily's death, Conrad comes to her defense, but ends up making the situation worse. During a routine surgery, Bell's patient accidentally catches fire, leaving the hospital to start an immediate investigation into his medical records.
Conrad and Devon work tirelessly to save the life of Bradley, a fellow doctor who has fallen through the hospital skylight. As the team contemplates how and why he fell through in the first place, Dr. Bell looks back to when he benched Bradley for falling asleep during surgery. Amidst the madness, Mina is tasked with showing Chastain’s new star cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. AJ Austin, around the hospital, but is caught off-guard by his volatile personality. Meanwhile, Nic finds renewed enthusiasm when she uncovers an oncologist who used to work with Lane, but while paying him a visit, she fears that she’s being followed.
Devon and Conrad race against the clock to save the life of a woman who is deteriorating fast from undetermined symptoms. When the patient turns out to be a hero who helps previous criminals get their lives back together, the team relies on her family of ex-cons to help diagnose and treat her. Tensions rise as Nic continues her search for evidence to incriminate Lane, but must simultaneously tend to her sister, Jessie, who is rushed into the ER. Meanwhile, York returns to the hospital with his mother, who is in need of a risky procedure, and comes face-to-face with the stone-cold Dr. AJ Austin.
In a final and drastic attempt to save Nic from Lane’s acts of sabotage, Conrad must call in a favor from the one person he promised he never would.
