In 1918, Burt Berendsen is sent by his estranged wife's parents to fight in World War I. While stationed in France, Burt meets and befriends African American soldier Harold Woodsman. After they sustain injuries in battle, Burt and Harold are nursed back to health by Valerie Voze, an eccentric nurse who makes art out of shrapnel removed from the soldiers, whom they befriend as well.

The three move to Amsterdam, where they live together and become close friends until Burt returns to New York City to be with his wife. Harold, who has fallen in love with Valerie and begun a tenuous romantic relationship with her, also leaves to go to New York and fulfil his own aspirations into becoming a lawyer.

Fifteen years later, Burt has opened his own medical practice catering to veterans of the war, but still remains friends with Harold, who is now a lawyer. They have not heard from Valerie since they left Amsterdam. Harold asks Burt to perform an autopsy on Bill Meekins (a senator who served as the commander of their regiment during the war) at the behest of Meekins' daughter Elizabeth, who believes that he was murdered. Burt performs the autopsy with the help of nurse Irma St Clair. The autopsy reveals that Meekins has a considerable amount of poison in his stomach; Burt and Irma theorise that this must have been the cause of death. Burt and Harold meet with Elizabeth to talk about the autopsy results, but she is suddenly killed when a hitman pushes her into traffic. The hitman frames Burt and Harold for her death, while they flee as the police arrive.