Tess is in an uncharacteristically grumpy mood as she gives Monica her new assignment, to be interviewed by Callie Martin, a cynical reporter writing an expose on angelic encounters. Explaining that she is an angelic experience, Monica recounts the story of a recent case. Heart transplant surgeon Dr. Joe Patcherek is assigned to operate on Ethan Parker, the drunk driver who killed Joe's five children. Since that incident Joe and his artist wife, Lisa have drifted apart. She has immersed herself in a sculpture that will stand in the children's wing of the hospital as a dedication to her kids. During a heated, emotional conversation, Lisa urges her husband to forgive her, Ethan, and God for their children's deaths. Later, in the middle of the surgery, Monica, the transplant coordinator, stops time and reveals herself to Joe. She tells him that he is holding his own life in his hands and that no one except God has the right to determine whether another human should live or die. A