Kate is injured in a cattle yard accident, forcing Jill to run the practice on her own.

It seems the order of the world has been restored when Jill gets to do some refreshingly routine vet work and achieves results, mostly without Kate's help or interference.

But her world is thrown off kilter again when she and Kate perform highly illegal life-saving surgery on Larry Riley, who has managed to acquire a gunshot wound. Then Kate tests Jill's courage, watching her destroy Larry's mortally wounded dog.

While Kate seems able to justify breaking the law to achieve the right result, Jill now feels completely compromised. By helping to save Larry's life, she has become part of the skewed morality of the Rain Shadow country. Ironically, having longed to be accepted, she is now wondering exactly what it is that she's embraced.