(After a touching memorial to Columbia) the story snaps into focus on Phlox and T'Pol discussing her hush-hush health. She's infected with something and could die. NX-01 travels to a conference of the Interspecies Medical Exchange where secretly Phlox contacts the Vulcan delegation indirectly - OK, he lies outright - regarding T'Pol, as her affliction is taboo among stodgy Vulcans. They find his cover story unsatisfactory and quickly guess the situation; coming aboard they swipe a genetic sample to confirm their suspicions (how hard could that have been for her to anticipate?).

Well into the show Archer finally appears, confronting his officers after being embarrassed by a Vulcan dignitary (not a favorite thing in his family). Archer blows his top that Phlox knew and kept it a secret from him and the Vulcan High Command, but remembers the mind-raper. Fearful of losing his first officer Archer visits the obstinate Vulcan doctors; they are content to withhold medication for the "undesirable." (I hope the meld can be molded to fit what we know. Somehow kohlinahr and faltorpann function without these higher neuralytic enzymes, so what gives?) Another secret member of this minority, a Dr. Yuris, cracks the closet door to help T'Pol deal with the intolerance inherent in the illogic of racism. Yuris' colleagues declare T'Pol unfit for duty and wish to return her to Vulcan, but Archer reads the Vulcan medical protocols and saves her with a hearing, though Yuris takes the fall.

In a less heavy-hearted back-story, coming aboard to install Sickbay's new neutron microscope is Feezal Phlox, one of the dear doctor's wives who finds Trip worthy of a rose bath. Denobulans, renowned for their patience, apparently are known for peripatetic partners as well. Trip's discomfort with Phlox's "beloved" makes for a few smiles, and Hoshi and Reed and Mayweather fill in the gaps. (Nice rotating shot by the way, around the mirror for a panoramic view of most of T'Pol's quarters.)

Enterprise needed a hit and delivered with its second doctor show in as many seasons. This one's a controversial show too (literally spelled out as "of paramount importance") dealing with rough truths about bigotry and simple definitions of intimacy. We learn a little more silliness regarding the Denobulans, and gain a serious insight as to some sort of impending Vulcan paroxysm. As for T'Pol, until she starts throwing soup or something it's hard to tell if she's gonna die or melt or just rot away, hopefully the series will bear out how serious this infection really is.