Melanie Woods had all the qualifications of a fine nurse--intelligence, quickness and dedication. But one fault threatened her brilliant career; she placed people ahead of rules. So when Melanie, acting almost instinctively, performed an emergency tracheotomy with only a penknife and a key, the Director of Nurses gave her a final warning.

Although Melanie promised to obey hospital rules in the future, could she live up to her promise when a dying man requested the one thing forbidden to him?