New Year's Eve falls as Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) submits to dangerous, experimental brain surgery in New York with a hopeful Dr. Corday (Alex Kingston) by his side while a guilt-ridden father (guest star James Belushi, "Return to Me") who is severely injured in a car wreck is only concerned with the safety of his teenaged son (guest star Jared Padalecki) who is also hurt. However, the dad's condition deteriorates as the irascible Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane) is called on to begin desperate heart surgery and Greene's radical procedure soon develops complications.