Dr. Martin Blake, a young and ambitious doctor struggling with insecurities, begins a residency at a hospital where he feels underappreciated and overshadowed by his colleagues. Seeking validation and a sense of control, Martin is initially drawn to a beautiful and amiable patient, Diane, who is admitted with a kidney infection. Martin becomes unusually attentive to Diane, subtly manipulating her treatment to ensure she remains hospitalized. His care crosses professional boundaries as he takes an unhealthy interest in her, finding solace in the gratitude and admiration she offers him.

As Diane starts to recover, Martin realizes that her discharge would mean a return to his sense of inadequacy and invisibility. Driven by a need to maintain his fabricated sense of importance, Martin's actions grow progressively more unethical and dangerous. His obsession drives him to commit increasingly desperate acts to keep Diane under his care, raising suspicions among his peers and jeopardizing both his career and Diane's well-being. It becomes clear that Martin's intentions are far from pure, leading to a tense and gripping exploration of how far one might go to preserve their own ego at the expense of others.