 Phlox is writing a letter to a human colleague on Denobula. He has a lot to write about; he s amazed by the affection crewman Cutler is showing for him and he must save an entire race. Enterprise picked up a pod with a Valakian who tells his race is suffering from a deathly epidemic. Phlox tries to find a cure and finds out Valakia is actually inhabited by two races. The Menk are a more primitive race and hard workers. Since they appear to be resistant to the disease, Phlox thinks investigating them may provide the answer. By doing so, he discovers something about the Menk that makes him reconsider curing the disease