The story centres on Viktor Zhivykh. A young, talented surgeon with an ego so thick not even a scalpel could pierce it, he is used to acting on impulse without considering the consequences. While saving a patient, he breaks all the rules and, disregarding the chain of command, interferes with the chief surgeon’s operation. The punishment for such an unauthorised act is worse than a reprimand: Viktor is sent to work in the ambulance service. Working in A&E is humiliating for him: Viktor does not consider it ‘real’ medicine. With every new call-out, his talent and self-confidence are pitted against real life: imperfect patients, absurd situations, bosses who cannot be argued with, and emotions that cannot be dealt with simply by writing a prescription. Will working in the ambulance service bring Viktor down to earth and turn the arrogant surgeon into a real doctor? And most importantly, will he realise that medicine is about so much more than just the operating theatre?
