Sections 1-4
- During med school, Martin has the unfortunate honor of attending the classes of a guy named Doctor Geake (Dr. Geek?). The guy's only real message to his class is that they should buy fancy equipment to impress patients and should make as much money as they possibly can.
- As Christmas exams come on, Martin decides that he needs to be with Leora. She has gone back to her hometown in South Dakota to visit her mother, though.
- Meanwhile, his lab work suffers because he's feeling distracted. His mentor Gottlieb is quick to notice and to criticize him for it. During these days, he finds that the best way to make his brain stop working is to drink.
- During a medical school event, there is scandal over the behavior of a drunk visiting doctor named Benoni Carr. It turns out that this guy is a total fraud. He's just some dude that Clif Clawson paid to act like a famous doctor. Once the prank gets traced back to Clif, he gets expelled from med school. Now Martin feels lonelier than ever.