Medical Center.
A bunch of intern doctors were still sweating over their exams.
Adam, though? He'd already bounced back to the operating room to keep doing surgeries.
Exams were a breeze for him—way too easy.
With that kind of time, he figured he'd rather do another surgery, save a life, and tack on some extra years to his own clock. Obviously the smarter move!
So, he didn't bother pacing himself. If anything, he cranked up the speed.
But that just piled insane pressure on the other interns.
No one thought Adam was throwing in the towel—not a chance.
Instead, they were all like, "Wow, Adam's Adam for a reason," while secretly stressing out like crazy. 😅
Today's exam wraps up, tomorrow the results drop, and boom—one year of internship officially done.
A year ago, the surgical chief, Richard, hauled them all into the practice room and laid it out:
"Eight of you will transfer to cushier departments, five will crack under the pressure, two will get the boot. This is your starting line, your arena. Where you end up? That's on you."
Now, a year later, it's playing out exactly like he said.
Alex and Liz, that chaotic duo, were the first to flop. Between all their messy drama, they didn't heal their childhood baggage or take their patients seriously. Yep, they're the two who got kicked out.
Then there's today's big evaluation exam.
The bottom five—those who couldn't handle the grind over the year or totally bombed this test—either burned out or got cut.
Another eight will shift to easier specialties.
The big three in surgery? General, cardiothoracic, and neurosurgery.
Everything else—neonatal, plastics, urology, ophthalmology, OB-GYN, you name it—those are the "easier" gigs. Places where less-than-stellar surgical interns end up, whether by choice or not.
Right now, Adam and Cristina are locked in for cardiothoracic.
Meredith's pretty much set on general surgery.
George? He started out dreaming of cardiothoracic—Burke's little shadow, always bragging about being his right-hand man.
But with Adam and Cristina already dominating that field, George doesn't stand a chance. He's stuck picking between neuro or general.
General surgery's no slouch, though—Chief Richard came up through it.
Top-tier, just below legendary status, the peak of the game.
Two spots left, and barring any surprises, they're probably going to Bianca and bald Chris.
Bianca's eyeing neurosurgery, while Chris is leaning general.
Final call depends on tomorrow's scores and the hospital's plan.
Outside the Exam Room.
"Time's up! Pens down, please," the proctor announced, glancing at the clock.
Most interns dropped their pens, but a few kept scribbling like their lives depended on it.
And honestly? With five getting cut, it's no joke.
This is their future—who wouldn't go all out?
The exam's difficulty? It's relative.
For Adam, it's a walk in the park.
For Cristina, no biggie either.
But for the less gifted—or the ones coasting through internship—it's a nightmare.
Every question's a debate, every answer a shaky guess.
They double-check, second-guess their gut, and before they know it, time's gone.
Their answer sheets? Still half-empty.
Drop the pen now? No way!
"Doctor, please put your pen down!"
The proctor had to march over to one intern still scribbling away, reaching for the paper.
"Mm-hmm," the intern mumbled, still writing, even chasing the paper as the proctor pulled it away.
Only after a stern warning did they finally throw their hands up like, "Fine, I'm done!"
Over the top? Maybe.
But this is tame, trust me.
These are doctors—interns, sure, but legit MDs with degrees!
They've got the book smarts and they've seen life-and-death stuff in the hospital.
They've built some mental toughness and physical grit.
Plus, this isn't even the make-or-break med school exam.
Fail this? They can reapply for internships—worst case, at a less prestigious hospital.
So yeah, it's tense, but not "Cristina's dream medical-emergency-during-the-exam" tense. 😏
Law exams, though? That's brutal.
Take Matthew and Lily's wedding—Matthew's old crush, that law school senior, kept hurting herself just to skip the bar exam.
Not without reason.
Law students grind for years, grad school and all, only to face a two-day hellscape of a test for freedom.
It's their version of the med school gauntlet—pass, and you're a lawyer.
But they're not doctors. They haven't stared down death daily.
With a 50% pass rate and that kind of pressure, people snap.
Some puke the second they get the paper and get carted off.
Others scream "No, no, no!" mid-exam, bolting out the door.
When time's called, they collapse on desks like drained robots—classic scene.
So, law students dodging that stress with wild excuses? Totally get it.
Doctors and lawyers—these "middle-class gold standards"—aren't easy gigs. Capitalist cash doesn't come cheap!
"Tonight, Old Friends Bar—Dr. Duncan's treating!"
A little nurse stood outside, beaming at the interns streaming out. "Everyone's invited!"
"Sweet!"
"Internship's done—tonight's for letting loose!"
"Hell yeah, results tomorrow? If I don't get trashed tonight, how am I sleeping? I'm in!"
The interns were all hyped.
Adam had tipped the nurse to spread the word.
He'd kinda flexed his privilege, throwing everyone off their game a bit, so a little payback felt right.
Plus, it's the last day of internship—time to celebrate! 🎉
After tomorrow, this crew might never cross paths again.
Even if they do, it'll be different vibes, different roles.
Nighttime. Old Friends Bar.
This place had long replaced Joe's shuttered joint as the go-to spot near the medical center.
Every night, it's packed with hospital staff.
Tonight? Even crazier.
Adam had declared it an open tab—free for all med staff. Basically turned it into a massive hospital party!
Anyone in scrubs could roll in and enjoy.
After mingling with the crew for a bit, Adam hit the bar, told the bartender and waitstaff to keep everyone happy, and got ready to dip.
He's a busy guy.
A time-management guru like him? Every minute's gotta shine.
Hanging out here shooting the breeze? Not maxing out his clock.
"Hey!"
A girl slid up next to him, flashing a friendly grin.
"Hey," Adam replied, keeping it cool.
She wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, but she was easy on the eyes.
"Can I buy you a drink?" she asked, jumping right in.
"Never seen you before—are you new?"
Adam didn't call her out for being bold—he's used to it. He smirked. "Wait, don't tell me. Let me guess—you just came from Boston, and… your last name's Grey, right?"
"You know me?" she said, wide-eyed.
"Nah," Adam chuckled, teasing. "You just remind me of your sister. Same bar-hopping vibe, same forwardness. I can't tell if it's 'cause you're both doctors—or 'cause you're both Greys…"
Meredith's half-sister, Little Grey, Lexie Grey: "…"
(End of Chapter)