Plot

Jamie is freed following a daring rescue, but his mind lingers on the torture he endured.

The British guards at Wentworth Prison are saluting the rising flag. Down below, we see Jamie lying on his stomach on a cot in the prison cell with his hand bloodied and wounded. As the camera pans, Jack Randall is shown laying next to Jamie on his back. He is awakened by the sound of music and rises from the cot, naked, and dresses to join the guard. Jamie hoarsely states that Randall owes him a debt. Randall grabs his dagger and starts toward Jamie but is interrupted by a strange sound. As he goes to investigate, Jamie grunts and groans. In the hallway, Randall hears the sound even louder and it sounds like a stampede. He looks out the window of a door and is subsequently trampled by a stampede of cattle. He has blood emanating from his head and is presumed dead by Murtagh, Angus, and Rufus, who have come to save Jamie. They go to Jamie's cell and find him lying on the ground, having turned himself over while trying to get Randall's attention. He is in pain. Murtagh grabs his kilt from a nearby heap, wraps Jamie's naked body and lifts him over his shoulder to carry him out the back door that Claire left open. Meanwhile, the guard is busy trying to get the cattle under control.

Far down the road, Claire is standing watch and waiting for Jamie's kinsmen to bring him to safety. She sees Rufus driving the wagon and, as he stops, she climbs aboard to assess Jamie's condition. Apparently, Jamie has already been tended as he smells of lavender oil, which is used to relieve pain. As Claire rouses him from his stupor, he mistakes her for Randall and tries to strangle her. She escapes his clutches and Murtagh shouts that it's only Claire. Jamie is in a daze and is distant from reality, having been been put into a trance by both pain and emotional trauma. Rufus races Jamie to a monastery where Willie has made temporary preparations. Fr. Anselm greets her and they bring Jamie inside so Claire can tend his wounds.

Br. Paul tries to give him food but Jamie knocks the food out of his hand. Br. Paul leaves and Claire tries to talk some sense into Jamie but he doesn't want to be touched. Claire asks what Randall did, to which Jamie replies, "too much and not enough."

Back in the prison cell, Jamie's hand is still nailed to the table. Randall, having escorted Claire from the prison, has returned and is drinking out of a flask. He offers the flask to Jamie who willingly takes it and tries to drink the remaining contents but is stopped by Randall. Randall offers to make Jamie more comfortable and grabs his dagger. Randall warns Jamie that this will cause pain, as he slowly releases the nail from Jamie's hand. Jamie falls to the floor and vomits. Grabbing a nearby bucket of water, Randall takes Jamie in his embrace in a misguided attempt to comfort him. Randall places drops of water on Jamie's brow and exclaims that Jamie is a "magnificent creature" while looking him over. As he clutches Jamie, they look like a perverse version of Michelangelo's "Pieta." Randall attempts to kiss Jamie but gets an unwelcome response, especially when he tries to open Jamie's mouth with his tongue. He claims that kissing Jamie is like "kissing a corpse" and says he knows he can do better. He threatens to have his men bring Claire back within the hour. Jamie remarks that he said he would not resist but Randall is not happy that he only wants to submit "like Christ on the cross" and says he will see about that. Lifting Jamie up, he places him on a stool and spread Jamie's legs. He reaches underneath Jamie's kilt and begins to stroke. He asks Jamie if he likes this before ducking down and attempting to arouse him orally. Jamie, though trying to resist, begins to feel pleasure. Randall notices his hesitance and warns him not to "play the worm with me" and states he wants to "make this a pleasant experience for them both." He continues to stimulate Jamie with his hand (we see nothing). Jamie exclaims to Randall to do "take his pleasure and be done with it" as he spits on Randall's face. Taken aback by this exclamation, Randall asks whether Jamie believes Randall cannot "control the darkness he inhabits." Seeing Jamie's terror, he drops Jamie's kilt and bends him over the table, stating he will get a response out of Jamie - one way or another. He proceeds to brutally rape Jamie from behind and tells Jamie to scream.

As Claire begins her work, Br. Paul tries to convince Jamie to take the laudanum that Claire is attempting to administer so he can sleep through the pain. Claire must set 9 bones in his hand and is worried about his well-being. Jamie tells her that Randall made him crawl and beg to the point that Jamie wished for death. Claire states that he is not dead and she will not let him go through life as a cripple. He states he does not care and grabs the vial away from Claire and tries to harm himself rather than take the dosage Claire measured out. She grabs the vial away from him and he falls asleep. Claire sets to work - first, setting the bone sticking out of Jamie's ring finger on his left hand. It is not an easy task and requires considerable force. Claire narrates that the wounds she tended as a nurse in the war were horrific, but none of them were her husband, however, she forgets anything outside of what she is doing and we see her stitch Jamie's hand and splint it. Claire is afraid of infection and paralysis but does the best she can. Br. Paul suggests that Claire get some sleep and he will wake her if anything should happen. As Claire leaves the room, she feels sick and vomits in the hallway.

As the friars are called in from their daily duties, Claire seeks solace in the chapel but is interrupted by Fr. Anselm lighting the candles on the altar for the evening vigil. He apologizes for interrupting her prayer and asks if she would like him to hear her confession. Its been years since Claire has confessed and tells him that it probably won't make sense. Nevertheless, Fr. Anselm beckons her to sit and she opens up about everything - the fact that she has another husband, her travel through time, her marriage to Jamie, etc. Rather than show unbelief, Fr. Anselm claims that Claire's travel through time has been a miracle and, whatever her sins may be, she should trust they will be forgiven. He absolves her and she goes on her way.

The next morning, she goes to see Jamie and asks Br. Paul how he is doing. Jamie is refusing food and drink. As Claire assesses his current condition, she realizes he is running a fever but the wounds are healing nicely. Claire requests that Br. Paul bring her a bucket of the coldest water he can find so she can relieve his fever and plenty of clean cloth. Jamie states that Claire cannot save a man "who does not want saving."

Meanwhile, Jamie's kinsmen are conversing amongst themselves. Murtagh is worried that Jamie is refusing food. Willie is worried as well as he states that his uncle, who lost his arm in a tree accident, lost his life in the same manner - by refusing bread and starving himself to death. This upsets Murtagh and he goes to see Jamie. They talk in Gaelic but Murtagh is obviously upset over something Jamie says and and shouts at Jamie.

In another flashback, Jamie crawls on the ground and tries to get away from Randall who is sitting in the corner, amused by Jamie's attempts. Jamie vomits again and tries, unsuccessfully, to get up. Randall goes over to him and stands over Jamie. As he is talking, Jamie hallucinates that Claire, not Randall, is talking and he reaches for her. Randall uses this in an attempt to manipulate Jamie further, asking if Jamie is his. Jamie responds "you, yes, only you." Randall grabs his letter signet and heats it in the nearby lamp. He lifts Jamie up and gives him the signet, telling him to put Randall's mark on him. Confused, Jamie does as he is told and cries out in pain.

In the present time, Claire and Jamie's kinsmen are worried about Jamie's well-being (and the Redcoats) and make plans to head to France. They state Jamie has two relatives in Paris - Fraser and McKenzie. Willie also remembers that Claire said she had relatives in France, but she states they were relatives of her late husband and would not be supportive of her marriage to Jamie. She believes Jamie should be with relatives of the Fraser clan and Murtagh makes plans to find ship for passage.

Willie goes to Jamie's bedside, determined to talk some sense into him. Jamie, on the other hand, wants Willie's blade to put him out of "this black misery." Horrified, Willie runs away and tells Claire of Jamie's suicidal thoughts. Claire confronts Murtagh (who just got passage on a ship to France) about Jamie's request but Murtagh states that Jamie told him in confidence. Teary-eyed, Claire wonders aloud why Jamie wants to die so badly. Murtagh reminds her that Jamie has been through torture and rape and "isn't that reason enough?" Claire disagrees. Murtagh warns her that he will not allow Jamie to die like an animal with his "foot caught in a trap" and, if Jamie shows signs of death, he will put Jamie out of his misery. Claire faints in Murtagh's arms. She is roused by Br. Paul who states that Jamie's physical wounds are still healing but his soul is tormented. Murtagh suggests that Claire join Jamie in the darkness in order to bring him to the light.

Later, Claire picks lavender in the monastery garden and makes an oil from the herb. Using the potion, she attempts to wake Jamie and shock him back into reality. Jamie hallucinates that Claire is Randall again and tries to attack her when she rubs the oil on him. Claire defends herself but discovers what Jamie has been hiding - the mark of "JR" on his side. He tells her that Randall did not brand him - he did it himself. Reluctantly, he gives up his secret and tells Claire that Randall did not just use force to get what he wanted - he made love to Jamie.

Back in the prison cell, Randall pours the bucket of water over himself and turns to Jamie with a smile. He holds out a bottle of lavender oil and tells Jamie to smell it. He rubs the oil on Jamie's wound and tells Jamie to think of Claire's hands. Using Claire as bait, Randall manipulates Jamie into masturbating. He rubs them both with the lavender oil and proceeds to join Jamie on the cot. Randall removes his hair tie and holds his hair above Jamie's nose. Jamie is still confused and thinks this is Claire's hair. Randall seizes this opportunity and enters Jamie from behind. Randall tells Jamie to call him Claire, which Jamie does. He experiences arousal while Randall makes perverse love to him. Realizing what has just happened, Randall tells Jamie that Claire will never be able to forgive him. Jamie feels incredibly guilty over the shameful incident. Recalling this to Claire, he tells her that it was the first time he wasn't in pain and he couldn't help himself. Claire tells him there is nothing to forgive but Jamie doesn't believe her. He tell her he cannot be her husband any longer and he won't be anything less. Claire states that he did what he promised - to use his body as protection - and what was necessary to survive. Jamie believes Randall broke him and he now belongs solely to Randall because of the brand. He wants Claire to touch him, but at the same time, he wants to "vomit with shame." Determined to change his mind, Claire grabs hold of Jamie and tearfully states that she believes Jamie is the only reason for all that has happened and if he wants to die, she will die right there with him. Suddenly realizing that he is causing Claire pain, he reaches for her but pulls away. As she weeps, Jamie wonders how could she love him like the way he is but she says she will "have him any way she can always." They embrace, at last.

Later, Claire attempts to give Jamie laudanum but he refuses, stating that he wants to be awake when the brand is cut out of his skin. Murtagh grabs the sterilized knife and quickly inserts it, removing the branded flesh. He holds it in his hand for a few seconds before tossing it into the flames and Jamie spits on it. They watch it burn away.

Jamie's kinsmen say goodbye while Jamie waits for Claire and Murtagh in a small boat. Angus asks Claire if he can kiss her and she agrees, but he takes advantage of the situation by grabbing her forcefully. He then claims he lost his head and apologizes. Rufus takes Claire's hand gently and kisses it and Willie hugs Claire goodbye. Claire and Murtagh then join Jamie on the Cristabel. Claire soon feels ill and Jamie is amused that she is ill, not him. Claire is glad that Jamie is regaining his sense of humor and hopes everything will be alright. Jamie promises it will but they are both headed into an unknown future in France. He also promises that they will return to Scotland. Claire reminds him of the rising, Culloden, and the end of Highland culture but wonders if they can stop it from happening. She also, reluctantly, announces that she is pregnant and is worried about Jamie's reaction since she told him she was unable to bear children. However, he is very happy about the news and embraces her as they head out into open waters to France, full of hope and a fresh start. Murtagh joins them, glad that Claire has brought hope back into Jamie's life.