Barney Livingstone and Laura Castellano are childhood neighbours who share an unforgettable friendship.

From the crucible of med school's merciless training, through the demanding hours of internship and residency to the triumphs - and sometimes tragedies - of their daily professional lives, we follow Barney and Laura to unsettling celebrity and unsatisfying love . . . until their friendship ripens into passion.

But they have yet to learn the ultimate lesson: that their devotion to each other, even their outstanding medical gifts, may not be enough to save the one life they treasure above all others . . .