To the devoted caregivers of the Community Memorial Hospital NICU, every 'premie' heartbeat is a precious gift, and every family whose baby they care for is like their own. So when, in the midst of planning the department's annual Christmas party, nurse Jenny Miller finds out that her mentor and the NICU's very heart and soul, head nurse Alice Shelby is being forced into early retirement as part of a cost-cutting plan initiated by the hospital's new CFO.