Old Friends Bar.
"No way!"
Ted hadn't even spoken yet when Matthew jumped in, sounding super confident. "Ted's my buddy. I know him better than anyone, and there's no chance it's what you're saying."
"I believe in Ted too," Lily chimed in, nodding like crazy. "He's not hallucinating. He and Anna were totally in love before." 😊
"Oh, really?"
Adam shot Lily and Matthew a look that screamed, "How do you guys know so much?" "Well, if that's the case, then it's not a big deal. Hmm, probably not your issue, Ted."
"You sure?"
Ted hesitated, still unsure.
"Hmm?" Adam grinned. "I was sure, but now? Not so much. Look, the same symptom can come from tons of causes—some physical, some mental. I'm starting to think you've got some headspace issues going on. How about I hook you up with a pro therapist to chat it out and boost your confidence?" 😉
"Nah, I'm good," Ted said, waving him off. "Maybe it's just in my head."
"Alright, no more joking around," Adam said, switching gears. "When you get a chance, have Anna swing by the hospital for a checkup. I noticed she didn't look great—could be something physical or mental with her."
"Wait, were you just messing with him?" Lily asked, rolling her eyes. 🙄
"Not exactly," Adam said with a chuckle. "These things affect both sides. Maybe it started with Anna, but now Ted's clearly shaken and doubting himself. Suggesting a therapist to help him vent? Totally legit advice."
"Is Anna sick?" Ted asked, suddenly all tense. 😟
"No clue," Adam admitted, shaking his head. "I can only tell she's off. Could just be she's not feeling well, but whether it's serious? That needs a proper checkup. I'm not a psychic, dude."
"I'll convince her to see you at the hospital," Ted said, worry creeping into his voice.
Ever since Adam became a doctor—and showed off his insane talent—his friends had been hitting him up for all their medical stuff. Even Ted, with this awkward, hard-to-talk-about problem, came straight to him.
Why?
Trust, plain and simple! In the U.S., trust outweighs embarrassment by a mile when it comes to healthcare. Too many horror stories out there—crazy docs experimenting with new techniques, testing drugs, or just digging into the deepest secrets of the human body.
Feeling tired or bored? Some might carve their name into your liver for an "artsy signature" and call it a day. Worse, if a nutjob doctor's god complex kicks in, they might etch stuff like "Skynet Property, Steal and You're Screwed" or "Surprise, MF!" into your DNA. Enough to drive any devout believer nuts! 😱
Back in the day, Ted and the gang had no choice but to roll the dice and hope for the best. But now? With Adam—a top-tier doc they could actually trust—why would they go anywhere else? Plus, it's way easier and cheaper. Small issues? No need to book an appointment—just chat about it over drinks at a hangout. Big problems? Adam's got their back with straight-up, reliable info—no overblown diagnoses or lazy one-size-fits-all treatments that tank your quality of life.
Most people can't tell if a procedure's even necessary. And don't get started on quacks—mixing up left and right legs, turning a minor fix into a total disaster, or even killing you outright. Happens more than you'd think.
Adam had heard all the wild stories from the nurses. One veteran nurse had a name for these types: "Little Punks." Picture this: top 10 in their class, top 5% of their graduating year, good-looking, bright future ahead—but zero care. They're too busy flirting over the phone or texting during work hours.
There's this classic case: a cyclist crashes, leg messed up bad. The nurse checks him out, sees blood in his ear canal, and tells the hotshot young intern doc, "He's banged up like this—better do a CT to check for a brain bleed." But the guy's glued to his phone, doesn't even look up, and just orders a thigh X-ray. Then, to flex his "genius," he jokes around with the patient, acting all buddy-buddy to prove nothing's wrong.
Young, charming doc? Patient buys it.
Then, bam—not long after, the guy's dead. Acute subdural hematoma—brain vessel bursts, rapid bleeding in the skull. Done.
Afterward, the nurse, devastated, confronts the doc. He doesn't even care it's his screw-up that killed the guy. Just keeps grinning, flirting on his phone. When she pushes him, he thinks she's hitting on him and tries to kiss her! 😡
And get this—it's not a one-off. Nurses say these types are everywhere. Docs like Adam or Christina, who actually live for medicine? Rare as heck. Even Meredith, George, and Izzie—sure, they mess up sometimes, but they've got the drive to be great doctors. That's why when Dr. Bailey went on maternity leave, the other residents called her interns "demons." Without that fire to learn and top-tier talent, they'd have been chewed up, spat out, and axed by the surgical chief ages ago.
Think about it—Christina's gunning to be the next Dr. Burke. But how many Burkes are out there? Most docs are just average. Add a bad attitude, and for patients, it's a straight-up disaster.
---
Over the next few days, Adam didn't hear anything from Anna or Ted. He figured they were fine and didn't sweat it. After all, looking rough could be anything—stress, bad sleep, no biggie.
Then, on the fourth day, Lily called him, sobbing. "Adam, oh my God, it's bad—Anna… Anna got in a car wreck last night. She's gone." 😭
"What?!" Adam was floored, then frowned. "She crashed last night, and no one called me?"
If she'd been brought to him or he'd gotten to the scene, maybe she'd still be alive—same kind of crash patient, different outcome.
"We just found out!" Lily cried. "They said she died on impact. Went straight to the morgue. Her emergency contact was her mom, who didn't even know about Ted. He only found out this morning when he tried calling her. Oh God… Ted lost it, raced to the morgue, saw her body, and just froze. We can't snap him out of it—it's freaking us out. Please come quick!"
"I'm on my way," Adam said, no hesitation. He hung up, told Leonard he was stepping out, and bolted from the hospital, driving straight to the morgue.
(End of Chapter)