Medical Center. Corridor.
Adam borrowed Sheldon's "three strikes" theory to give George a heads-up.
It was his first time using it, but honestly, it worked so well that not only George got it—even Lexie understood right away.
Why? Because the "three strikes" thing comes straight from baseball rules.
And baseball? In the U.S., it's the second-biggest sport after football.
Pretty much everyone's watched a game at some point and knows the basics—rules, famous players, you name it. Girls included!
Take Sheldon's twin sister, Missy, for example. Back in the day, she joined a baseball team and became the first girl to play locally.
Okay, fine—she kinda got a boost from her super-charming grandma.
The coach of that team started off scoffing, "Girls playing baseball? Yeah, right."
But to win over Missy's grandma, he ended up eating his words, taking Missy on despite the confusion, mockery, and jealousy from everyone else. True love, huh? 😏
Emmm.
Those old guys who'd seen Missy's grandma in her prime were so jealous.
Baseball's influence doesn't stop there, though.
Take the ER staff at the medical center, for instance.
Before the hospital cracked down with that 80-hour weekly work cap and the nurses went on strike, they were all running on fumes—working back-to-back shifts like absolute champs.
Even then, the ER crew still found time to form their own baseball team. They'd squeeze in a few games every month!
The team had it all: male doctors, female doctors, male nurses, female nurses.
The women—doctors and nurses alike—were always the most hyped about it.
Newbies would show up, guys and girls alike, practically begging to join.
Getting in meant you'd earned everyone's respect—you were part of the crew, one of the family.
It's like a little peek into the bigger picture, you know?
So, under that vibe, when Adam dropped the "three strikes and you're out" line, George and Lexie caught on instantly.
"Come with me," Adam said.
Noticing a bunch of people glancing their way, he didn't want George to feel too embarrassed. He motioned for them to follow him to his office.
Jumping straight to punishment without explaining? Not cool—especially with friends. Plus, this was a teaching hospital, after all.
The "three strikes" theory was something he'd just tailored for George, so he had to lay it out clearly first.
Adam's Office.
"George, you've got a ton of question marks floating around, don't you?" Adam said with a grin. "Think I'm being too harsh?"
"N-No…"
George shook his head, but it was weak. He couldn't even finish the denial.
Because, yeah, Adam was kinda harsh—harsher than Dr. Bailey, even!
"George, our relationship's different now," Adam said, getting real. "To keep our friendship from taking a hit, we need to talk this out. So, let me ask you: what's your goal in your career?"
"Uh…"
George just blinked, totally thrown off.
"Look," Adam said patiently, breaking it down. "Take me and Christina—we're straightforward. Actions match words. We've always wanted to be top-tier surgeons.
Meredith? She's got a bit of that drive too, but it's more about proving herself to her legendary doctor mom—that she's just as good.
Ever since her mom got Alzheimer's and started forgetting everything, though, that spark's faded.
It's tough to keep pushing when the person you're trying to impress can't even remember how they dissed you in the first place.
So now, she's just coasting—more like she's here to star in some drama about dating hotshot doctors.
Still, she's got talent, and with us nudging her along, her skills are solid. But that's about it."
Lexie's face twisted a little hearing this.
She really hadn't expected her big sis to come off like that in her idol's eyes.
"So, what, I'm just the sidekick in her show?" George blurted out, half-joking, half-miserable. "Who's the leading man—Dr. Shepherd or you?"
"Nah, I'm not in Meredith's little drama," Adam laughed. "I turned down her drinks invite from day one. But you? Yeah, you're her number-one supporting guy."
"Why?" Lexie cut in, surprised. Then it hit her, and her eyes went wide. "Wait—did George take my sister up on drinks too? George and my sister…?"
"Heh." Adam chuckled. "Remember what I told you last night? Now you see why I stressed rule number one, right?"
Lexie shivered.
Without Adam around, a sweet guy like George might've been her type.
But holy crap—she never would've guessed…! Talk about a close call.
She was not about to end up in some weird sister-rivalry mess with her half-sister!
"Adam!" George squirmed under Lexie's stare, totally mortified.
"Alright, alright—let's get to the point," Adam said, steering things back.
"So, Izzie? She figured out what she wanted after meeting Denny. Threw her career—something she used to care about—out the window to chase it. Now she's off being the wife or girlfriend of some rich, handsome second-gen dude.
Alex? He shouldn't have even been here. Flunked his exams, didn't even get his medical degree at first. His performance matched his grades—awful, and he dragged others down with him.
Now he's back where he belongs.
That's our batch.
Now, your new crew:
Melendez? No question—Johns Hopkins star, came here to build a legacy.
Lexie, Harvard Med grad, partly here because of her sister, sure—but I'd bet her real goal is to hit the top of the medical world and make something of herself."
Lexie's eyes lit up, nodding like crazy at Adam.
That was her biggest dream.
To her, Adam was the peak of medicine.
"Then there's Carter," Adam went on, smiling at Lexie before turning back to George. "His school's the weakest, and his talent's average, but he's got grit and a good eye. He's aiming to be a legendary doc too.
So here's the question, George O'Malley: what's your goal?
To be a famous doctor?
Doesn't seem like it—you don't put in the work, and you don't have the mindset.
You barely scraped by on your medical boards.
And that certification exam a few days ago? You had a decent year of residency under your belt—shouldn't have been near the bottom. Yet you landed third-to-last and got cut.
At this point, it's not even about being a famous doctor—it's about whether you even want to be a doctor!
If that's not your goal, what, you're just here to coast and kill time?
Then why stick with me?
The name I crossed off that list—the intern the chief handpicked, the one you replaced? I'd bet they were gunning to be a legendary doc."
"I…"
George's chubby face went red. He mumbled, "I want to be a famous doctor too."
"Alright," Adam nodded, not arguing. "You're my friend. You say that, so sure, you've got the right to take that crossed-off intern's spot.
But you can't say you want to be a legend and then keep screwing up like an amateur.
Words and actions gotta match, right?
Now do you get why, on top of my five unbreakable rules, I made a special 'three strikes' rule just for you?"
"Yeah…" George muttered, ashamed.
He'd already done a year of residency—he knew the ropes.
If he hadn't bombed that exam, he'd be leading interns by now.
But his performance? Worse than some of the newbies.
No excuse for that.
Now Adam was giving him three more shots. If he struck out again, it'd be his own fault—wasting Adam's time and that poor crossed-off intern's chance.
Adam, as a boss and a friend, had done more than enough.
"George, I know you're a nice guy," Adam teased. "But in the hospital—or anywhere, really—'nice' doesn't get you far. You're always the friend-zone guy or the backup good dude.
People are warm-blooded, sure—you're a cozy 37 degrees. But you'll never hit 45 degrees! 😅
Even in a choir, men's and women's voices are only eight notes apart.
Eight degrees? That's a whole gender gap right there."
George: "…"
(End of Chapter)