A young Pediatric resident, Doctor Carl Wiggles, has ignored the civil rights conflicts of the 1960s until new interns under his direction bring the problems to his service. The interns, a Jewish female from Missouri and a Baptist male from Mississippi, continuously battle over issues related to civil rights. Fortunately, James, a black janitor, serves as the young doctor's advisor and source of information about the issues being argued. As the stress from caring for seriously ill infants and children changes the doctors' relationships while they work together, Doctor Wiggles gradually realizes that ignoring civil rights conflicts isn't possible because the health problems of the children under his care are a product of a segregated world. The gradual transformation of Wiggles from an isolated life dedicated to completing his residency to a role in life as part of an imperfect world is the central theme of the book. Every major character contributes in some way to changing Carl's viewpoint despite different backgrounds and beliefs. While trying to save the life of a critically ill infant, the young doctors learn to ignore each other's prejudices to work together and save the infant's life.