Dr. Victor Moritz is a physician-scientist at Lake View Medical Center, and respected as an outstanding clinician, teacher, and researcher. Moritz’s hard work and independent efforts have resulted in the development of a new treatment against prostate cancer cells that have spread to and destroy patients’ bone. Moritz seeks to begin a clinical trial of his discovery to prove its value and possibly establish the method as the treatment of choice to stop death from bone destruction by metastatic prostate cancer cells. The Patient Care and Research Ethics Committee at Lake View Hospital must approve his clinical trial protocol before allowing Moritz to begin treatments at Lake View. Several faculty and extramural peers agree with Moritz’s proposal, and special support and encouragement come from two friends. One is a retired physician, Dr. Otto Zellers. The other is Ruth, Moritz’s lover. Moritz believes in his discovery, yet expects challenges during the Committee’s review. As Moritz pursues Committee approval for his clinical trial protocol, he continues earnest dedication to his responsibilities at Lake View in research, teaching, and patient care. He is recognized by students, peers, patients and friends for his rational and objective thinking applied to the pursuit of his achievement and happiness. However, Moritz’s independence focus is not viewed favorably by several members of the Administration and Faculty at Lake View. Demonstration of this resentment towards Moritz surfaces as the Committee review process moves forward. Members of the Committee actually harass one of Moritz’s research team, and another time commit theft of some of his research data. Certain Administrative personnel also become involved in activities that negatively affect Moritz’s clinical trial attempts. In addition, there are developing changes in the ideology of several upper and inner circle members of the Lake View Administration and Faculty. These include socialistic approaches to productivity and distribution, and new imposed controls on Faculty choice and function at Lake View. The increasing implementation of such decisions at Lake View is pivotal in affecting Moritz’s quest for scientific truth, achievement, and his right to live for his own sake. The opportunity for resolution comes to Moritz at Rocky Peaks.
