The Touch

“Though there are flawed technical aspects of The Touch, the suspense and intrigue of this medical drama brings opposites together, showing that differences can blend in unexpectedly fruitful ways.”

Dr. Andrew Jones has the world in the palm of his hands. A surgeon possessing what others call “The Touch,” he has the talent and skills that allow him to perform intricate operations flawlessly. He also is in love with his soulmate, Faith, and they share the potential of a wonderful future.

One night, as Faith and Jones are driving a treacherous mountain road, they are involved in a horrendous crash. Jones is not seriously hurt, but Faith is, and although he tries his best, he is not able to save her.

Beaten down and filled with guilt, he turns away from his surgical work. Eschewing his God-given talent, Jones does not give up the entire premise of doctoring but takes a job as an emergency room doctor in a hospital near his hometown in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. He is often found thereafter working 48-hour shifts with no sleep, or traveling into the mountains to administer to the indigent hill folk.

Blair Bio-Medical Engineering Company, based in Chicago, is in a desperate search for the most skilled surgeon to help with the invention of a surgical tool that can perform delicate operations. Dr. Lara Blair inherited the business from her father after he passed away. A dedicated and talented doctor in her own right, Lara is frustrated as she continues to fail while operating on her “mock-up model” of a brain. She realizes she must find someone with the surgical experience and qualifications equal to or greater than hers to make this thing work.

Lara’s worldwide search for the right surgeon to partner with her on her new invention proves unsuccessful. She has tried to recruit Jones in the past, but he never showed any interest. So she flies to Virginia to meet the doctor on his own turf.

Considered by her colleagues and employees to be cold and focused on only her work, Lara finds herself letting down her guard with the handsome young physician. Her opinion of him grows stronger when she accompanies him into the mountains to tend to a patient. There she discovers the extent of Jones’s altruism with the medical clinic he operates in a small trailer and how he tirelessly tends to the locals without expecting payment.

Lara and Jones spend time together, and they both realize they are cut from the same cloth. Their main difference is Lara’s agnosticism to Jones’s distinct belief in God. Surprised of the comfort he feels with Lara, Jones opens up, telling her about the pain of losing his love, Faith, as well as the faith in his own skills as a surgeon. Lara confides in him as to why she is so determined to pursue her project with the help of his expertise. Jones recognizes he must find the strength to learn how to believe in himself and reclaim his gift.

Though there are flawed technical aspects in The Touch, the suspense and intrigue of this medical drama brings opposites together, showing that differences can blend in unexpectedly fruitful ways. The characters, poignantly depicted with heartbreaking reality, confirm the main premise of this compelling tale: Never give up hope or lose faith in yourself.