During a deadly fire at Rockland University, Jim is able to save a young psychology professor, Eli, who suffers a near death experience (NDE). Back at the hospital, Melinda and Jim are shocked as they watch Eli talk to a student, Fiona, who died in the fire. They soon learn that Eli, whose eyes had been bandaged, hadn't realized he was speaking to a ghost, and that even with the bandages removed, he can't see her but can hear her. When Melinda confronts him about it, Eli is unwilling to believe he can communicate with ghosts, blaming it on post traumatic stress disorder.
Later, after being bombarded by several needy spirits, Eli accepts his new ability and turns to Melinda for guidance. However, Eli is also being haunted by Fiona, a former patient, who had a history of arson, and who may have set the fire that killed her. Eli had ended his work with Fiona because he felt he had grown to close to her to treat her professionally. However, she took this as a rejection, and confronted him late at night in his office, just before the fire started. As Melinda and Eli investigate Fiona's involvement in the fire, they discover that Fiona, a foster child, has been covering for her foster brother, Christian, who had burned down their foster home to escape their abusive foster father. A young Fiona took responsibility for the fire because her brother would have been tried as an adult.
They soon learn that Christian is also responsible for the fire that killed Fiona as he was angered by the control Eli had gained over Fiona's life and wanted to scare Eli away. Fiona continues to cover for Christian in death, until Eli and Melinda are able to convince her that he needs help and that she needs to cross over. Melinda then says goodbye to Professor Payne, who is spending several months on sabbatical.
