Nobuko Shimura is on duty for the first time at Gyoda Hospital. The duty doctor is Yosuke Naoe. After 9PM Jiro Toda, a childhood friend of Nobuko' s, is brought in with a cut to his forehead from a fight. But Naoe has gone out for a drink, and can' t be found. Both Toda and the ambulance crew become angry and demand to know where the doctor is. Naoe returns and seeing the commotion, he orders Toda be locked in a toilet until he calms down. Nobuko is horrified by Naoe' s attitude but is later impressed with his ability as a surgeon when treating Toda' s injury. This is their first fateful meeting...