Someone may be trying to kill an old homeless man on the streets of Cincinnati. Or is he just having some really bad luck?

New City Hospital third year resident Ben Nealy tries to persuade his professors of the former and finally gets attention from Tom Bolling, chief of staff. Tom is a retired Air Force general whose daily activities involve him in quality of care issues beset by tradition.

When he gets involved in Ben's case he draws in an old friend, former Air Force Criminal Investigator Ron Looney to help identify the old man. At that point the case becomes deeper and more sinister than ever.