Medical Center.
Observation Surgery Room.
Under Adam's gentle guidance and reassurance, the patient, Mr. Adeno, completely forgot his fear.
The surgery went off without a hitch—smooth as butter! 😎
"Absolutely brilliant!"
The Chief of Surgery stood outside the operating room, clapping his hands as Adam walked out. He piled on the praise, throwing in a bunch of fancy words to really drive it home.
"Thanks!" Adam grinned. "As long as you're not mad, Chief, I'm happy."
"Why would I be mad?" the Chief boomed, all magnanimous. "Quite the opposite—I'm honored to be part of such an amazing surgery, even just like this. Next time something like this comes up, don't hesitate to call me in. No reservations, got it?"
"Got it," Adam said with a laugh, nodding along.
In that situation, picking anyone else might've been awkward. Not everyone likes being compared to a certain bird, you know? But the Chief? No problem there. Adam knew he wouldn't mind. Plus, since the Chief was his boss, people would just assume it was a work thing—nothing personal or negative. Smart move! 😉
After wrapping up the surgery, Adam took the four interns to the lab. Tomorrow, they'd be injecting Mr. Little Robinson with an active virus that was currently being cultured there.
"Melendez, Grey, you two are on watch tonight," Adam instructed.
"Yes, sir!" Shorty and Lexie chirped in unison.
"Alright, if nothing comes up tonight, don't page me," Adam said, glancing at his watch with a quick reminder.
"Yes, sir!"
"Adam, got plans tonight?" George piped up, seamlessly switching from intern mode to buddy mode after everyone else nodded.
"You don't need to stay tonight, so take Kelly out for a nice date. Stop worrying about random stuff," Adam teased with a playful scold before heading out.
"What's Dr. Duncan up to tonight?" Lexie asked George quietly, sneaking a glance at Adam's retreating figure.
"What else?" George chuckled. "A date, obviously! You have no idea—Adam's got a whole lineup of drop-dead gorgeous lady friends. Every time they show up, we're all just staring, jaws on the floor. No wonder he doesn't date anyone from the hospital."
"You forgetting Dr. Samson?" Carter cut in.
"Oh, right! Except for Bianca—she and Adam were classmates at Columbia Med," George said, slapping his forehead. "But honestly, they've cooled off ages ago. Not surprising, though. Compared to Adam's other women, Bianca doesn't stand a chance."
"I'd say only Dr. Kidman around here could give them a run for their money," Carter gossiped. "But she's Dr. Murphy's girlfriend, and Murphy's so protective of her, no one dares go near her—not even Dr. Sloan!"
George and Carter kept chattering away, dishing the dirt. Meanwhile, Shorty had already turned to get to work, and Lexie? She just stood there, looking a little lost.
Nightfall.
Adam left the medical center, hopped into his sports car, and sped off. Before long, he was in New Jersey.
"Boss, you're here!"
His assistant, Lisa, was already waiting downstairs. She walked him up, chatting as they went.
"Dinner's all set…"
Every week he came by, a candlelit feast was a must. Fancy, right? 🕯️
"Peggy, close your eyes and hold out your hands—I've got a gift for you," Adam said with a grin, hiding something behind his back as Peggy stepped out of the study. She swept her long hair back and tied it into a casual ponytail.
"Please," Peggy said, giving him a side-eye. "I'm not falling for that again."
"…" Adam froze for a second, realizing his little trick had worn thin. Peggy loved surprises, but she was tired of opening her eyes to the same old "big precious" gag with no twist.
"No, seriously, this is for you!" Adam said, a bit flustered, quickly pulling the gift from behind his back and handing it to her.
"What's this?" Peggy asked, curiosity piqued. Seeing he wasn't messing with her this time, she took it and unwrapped it. It was a VHS tape. Her face darkened instantly.
"No way!" she snapped, tossing it back at him.
"…It's not what you think!" Adam stammered, laughing despite himself. "I swear, you'll love this one!"
Lisa, standing off to the side, nearly burst out laughing. Boss, oh boss, she thought. You love your little games, but now Peggy assumes everything's a trick! 😂
"Lisa's still here!" Adam said, throwing her a lifeline.
Peggy paused, then shrugged. "Fine, play it then. We'll watch it together."
Adam might love teasing her, but he'd never pulled anything weird with Lisa around. Fair point.
"Lisa!" Adam handed her the tape and nodded toward the player.
"Boss, you sure?" Lisa asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"It's really not what you're thinking…" Adam groaned, seeing the disbelief on both their faces. "Just play it, alright?"
"Alright," Lisa said with a dramatic sigh, popping the tape into the VCR like she was bracing herself.
A moment later, the apartment echoed with Peggy's shriek—followed by roaring laughter.
"Call Sheldon! Call Sheldon now!" Peggy urged, practically bouncing.
"On it!" Adam said, thrilled the gift was a hit. He put a finger to his lips to shush them, then dialed Sheldon's video call.
"What?" Sheldon answered, mid-bite into some Chinese takeout. He barely blinked at seeing Adam and Peggy together on screen—old news by now. "Don't interrupt my dinner. Game time's next."
"Sheldon, remember that first chess game we had and what we talked about?" Peggy asked, grinning.
"What're you getting at?" Sheldon squinted, instantly suspicious, glancing between Peggy and Adam. Chess was a sore spot for him with these two—they were his eternal nemeses.
"You said you believe in the multiverse theory," Adam chimed in. "Because Professor Hawking did. Peggy didn't buy it back then—remember?"
"Of course," Sheldon said, perking up. "Even now, it's still the most elegant interpretation of quantum mechanics…"
"Stop!" Peggy cut him off. "I didn't believe it before, but now I do."
"Really?" Sheldon blinked, stunned. "Didn't you say if there were infinite multiverses, the theory would be dumb in every single one?"
Then his eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Ha! I knew it! You actually believed in it all along! You just said that to mess with me and win, didn't you? You didn't beat me with brains—I knew it!"
"If you're not convinced, we can play again," Peggy teased. "No talking this time. But first, you've got to beat Adam."
"…"
Sheldon froze, staring at them with a twitching face, completely speechless.
(End of Chapter)