David Trueman is a young doctor who dreams of going to South America to practice medicine among the disenfranchised. Arriving in Bolivia, he encounters enough corruption and oppression to drive him away from his dreams and into the drug scene. Disillusioned and escaping to the U.S., he meets Mary, a young heroin addict who shares his angst. As the two commiserate, their bleak outlook lightens, promising a glimmer of hope for the both of them.