A miracle unfolded.
"Unbelievable."
"He's actually alive…"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. After being comatose and near death for so long, even if he's saved, he's either brain-dead or a vegetable. We poured so much effort and resources into this, and this is the result? Might've been better to just let him go."
"That's true in most cases, but there's still a chance he could wake up and be normal. What happened to him was a miracle, after all. And how do you know he doesn't want to live?"
"Yeah, isn't survival the strongest human instinct?"
"Easy to say until it's you in that situation. Then you'd be praying for a doctor like Duncan to show up."
"…"
The crowd around them started buzzing with chatter. Sure, a few had their doubts, but most people gave Adam's life-saving efforts a thumbs-up. On top of his looks, wealth, stamina, strength, charm, and medical skills, Adam's ethics as a doctor now earned him widespread respect.
As someone pointed out: no matter what people said out loud, deep down, everyone had their own scale of judgment. If they ever faced a situation like this, Adam Duncan would be the doctor they'd all hope to have.
"Page Dr. Shephard."
After listening to the patient's chest with his stethoscope, Adam let out a long breath. He'd actually done it. But this wasn't the time to celebrate just yet. The patient's heart was beating again, and now the focus shifted to the brain. After such a prolonged coma and near-death state, the big question was whether the patient's brain function was still intact.
And in that area, Dr. Shephard, the hospital's top neurosurgeon, was the expert they needed.
Word of the dramatic scene spread fast. Dr. Shephard, summoned by the page, arrived in no time. After a thorough check, he smiled. "So far, things look promising. But we still need to run a transcranial Doppler, EEG, evoked potential tests, a CT scan, and an MRI. If everything comes back clear, then we just wait for him to wake up on his own."
"Got it," Adam nodded.
"Great work, Dr. Duncan!" Dr. Shephard clapped Adam on the arm, then started applauding. Clap, clap, clap! The nurse who'd been by his side throughout the ordeal joined in, clapping hard, tears streaming down her face as she beamed with joy. She felt like she'd earned a piece of this victory too.
Clap, clap, clap! Outside the room, the doctors, nurses, and curious patients who'd gathered to watch finally joined in the applause.
Adam began running the brain function tests on the still-unconscious patient. The staff at the testing stations—who usually bent over backward to rush his requests—had already heard the news and worked even faster than usual.
By noon, Adam had all the results in hand and couldn't help but smile.
"Dr. Duncan, is it good news?" the nurse asked.
"Yeah, it's good news," Adam said with a grin. "Barring any surprises, once he wakes up, everything should be back to normal."
"That's amazing!" the nurse exclaimed. "This really is a miracle!"
"It sure is," Adam chuckled. "He's in your hands now—keep a close eye on him."
"Don't worry," she assured him. "I won't leave his side for a second. The moment he wakes up, I'll call you."
"Great, thanks," Adam said before heading out.
Cafeteria
"Well, if it isn't our miracle doctor!"
"Adam, you're incredible!"
"You're the real deal!"
"…"
Liz, Meredith, and the others showered him with praise. Bianca's eyes sparkled with a look that practically screamed, "You're not getting out of letting me come over tonight." Good thing Alice hadn't picked today to spring her "revenge plan," or it'd be a total showdown later.
"Luck!" Adam said modestly.
"Luck?" Bianca shot back. "Sure, some might call it that. But would any of them keep fighting for over an hour to save someone already declared dead? Without that kind of pressure and persistence, would this miracle even have happened?"
"Exactly," the others chimed in. "Adam's effort and determination are what made this miracle possible."
"How's he doing? Brain function okay?" Christina asked, keeping her cool as always.
"All the tests are pointing in the right direction," Adam said with a smile. "I think he'll wake up and be just fine."
The group let out a collective sigh of awe.
"What are you all doing?" Adam suddenly leaned back in his chair.
"Huh?" Everyone blinked, confused.
"Someone just pulled off a miracle," Adam said, dead serious. "Shouldn't that someone get a little more praise?"
"…"
The group couldn't help but laugh at Adam's blatant, "I'll play humble, but don't you dare stop complimenting me" vibe.
Bianca, unfazed, snapped out of her daze and burst out laughing before launching into a full-on rainbow of flattery. Liz and Meredith pitched in too, though their praise was less over-the-top. Christina, meanwhile, rolled her eyes so hard they nearly got stuck.
It took a while for things to calm down.
"It's all that drunk driver's fault," George piped up. "The guy's a total alcoholic—drank himself into cirrhosis and got on the transplant list. No liver for him, though. Now his son might have to give up half of his own."
"Might?" Liz jumped in. "Scotty still hasn't decided? The liver regenerates! Even if he gives up half, it'll be back to normal in two months. That's his dad—how's that even a question?"
"Not so fast," Adam countered. "Donating's a choice, not a must. Yeah, the liver can grow back, but the surgery's risky. And even if it regenerates, is it really the same as before? His overall health would still take a hit. In a loving, tight-knit family, sure, it's a no-brainer. But with a dad like that? It's normal he's hesitating."
"He said his dad deserves what he got," Christina added quietly.
"Liz, you're handling his dad's surgery, right?" Adam asked.
"Yeah, why?" Liz paused, then laughed. "Wait, you don't think that's why I said what I did, do you?"
"You tell me," Adam said, giving her a long look. "You only talked up the perks of the surgery, not a word about the downsides. Sounds like a sales pitch. You sure there's no bias there?"
"No way!" Liz protested. But when everyone turned to stare, her next denial just wouldn't come out.
Beep, beep.
Beep, beep.
"Is that him?" All eyes went to Adam's waist.
He checked his pager, grinned, and bolted toward the patient's room. Christina and the others followed close behind. This was the moment to witness the miracle—how could they miss it?
Patient's Room
"Dr. Duncan, he's starting to respond!" the nurse said, thrilled.
"Got it." Adam stepped up to the bed, checked the patient, and gently called out, "Mr. Dean? Mr. Dean?"
"S… S…" The patient's eyelids fluttered, his mouth opening slightly as he mumbled.
"What're you trying to say?" Adam leaned in to listen.
Liz and the others held their breath.
"S～o～n…" Mr. Dean struggled to get the word out.
"He's thinking of his son!" Meredith thought she'd cracked it.
But she was quickly proven wrong.
"Son, of…"
The group's expressions turned weird.
"Son, of, the…"
Finally, Mr. Dean opened his eyes, weak but furious, spitting out, "Son of the bitch!"
That must've been his last thought before the crash knocked him out…