Medical Center, Ward 2
The patient, Bill, still hadn't woken up.
Adam checked all the data—everything looked normal.
Then, glancing at Bill sleeping soundly on the hospital bed, Adam couldn't help but feel a strange sense of absurdity. Bill was born infertile, yet his wife was about to give birth any day now.
No kidding!
What made it even weirder was that this couple had always struck Adam as genuinely lovey-dovey from the first moment he met them.
Who would've thought… uhh…
No wonder Dr. House next door was always ranting about his deep distrust of human nature, constantly testing people and never being surprised by the results. Humanity's weaknesses were just too many, and its bright spots? Way too few.
Spend enough time in a hospital, and you'd see every flaw imaginable laid bare.
Adam figured if he stuck around long enough, the next time he saw a "happy couple" like this, his first instinct wouldn't be admiration—it'd be skepticism.
Is this real love? Or just a show? What ugly secrets are hiding beneath the surface, waiting to disappoint?
"Your marriage is a total sham."
Just then, Dr. Burke's voice, thick with suppressed anger, drifted in from outside the room.
Looks like Burke had mulled it over and decided he couldn't just sit back and let his best buddy live in this fake, "good enough" happiness. He wasn't about to play the "it's not my place to judge" card and pretend he didn't know.
"We're happy right now," Bill's wife, Holly, shot back. "We've wanted a kid for ages. Why do you have to ruin his joy like this?"
"Does he know you cheated?" Burke cut straight to the point.
Holly froze for a second, then softened her tone. She dropped the righteous act and switched to pleading. "Preston, this is between me and my husband. Please, just forget about it. Why can't you let it go?"
"Because Bill's my best friend, and he doesn't know the kid isn't his," Burke snapped. "Holly, you need to tell him!"
"Tell him what?!" Holly dropped the begging and went full-on furious. "I'm not letting your morals wreck my life! If you're really his friend, you wouldn't say a word! As long as he doesn't know, he won't get hurt. You telling him? That's you wanting him to suffer!"
Burke: "…"
Adam: "…"
What flawless logic!
She sounded so dang confident about it, too!
If Holly weren't a patient's family member—and a pregnant one about to pop, at that—Adam would've marched out there and given her a piece of his mind. This wasn't even his mess to deal with, but still!
"Your morals"?! Burke's stance was basic human decency, not some warped personal code. It's the kind of thing any normal person should stick to.
Otherwise, why would Burke even bother asking her first, giving her a chance to come clean? He could've just spilled the beans to his buddy right away and left her with no room to squirm.
That's Burke playing by the rules of common decency.
And if Holly thought those values were such trash that they'd "ruin her life," why was she begging Burke to keep quiet for his friend's sake? Caring about your buddy's feelings? That's the same damn decency she was trashing!
So, when it worked in her favor, she was all for it. When it didn't, it was garbage.
Adam could see echoes of some "powerful" figures in her attitude…
"Whatever!" Burke finally muttered after a stunned pause. He let out a cold laugh. "Maybe a friend shouldn't say it, but I'm still his doctor. And a doctor doesn't hide things from their patient!"
With that, he turned and stormed off, refusing to spare "buddy's wife" Holly another glance.
Holly just stood there, her face a mess of emotions.
One second, she was glaring daggers at Burke.
The next, she was wallowing in self-pity.
Then she rubbed her belly.
In the end, she didn't even step into the room—she just took off.
Adam watched, jaw practically on the floor.
What kind of move was that?
No explanation, no attempt to smooth things over—just bolting out of there like her life depended on it?
Wait a sec… was this some classic American divorce playbook? Bill's still stuck in the hospital, so she runs off to consult a top-notch divorce lawyer and lock down the best deal? It actually didn't sound that far-fetched.
Take The Big Bang Theory—that entomologist Sheldon and Howard went to for advice? While he was out doing fieldwork, his wife cleaned out everything he owned and ran off with some guy. And "ran off" didn't even mean fleeing—she just left, and he knew exactly where she and her new fling were living it up. Couldn't do a thing about it, though, because she'd probably done it all legally.
That's the power of planning ahead and getting a good divorce lawyer.
No wonder lawyers and life-saving doctors were neck-and-neck as the go-to middle-class gigs.
One saves your life.
The other saves your money.
Adam couldn't help but glance at the patient again.
Right then, Bill stirred awake.
"You're up?" Adam asked.
"Dr. Duncan, looks like the surgery went well?" Bill managed a weak smile.
"Dr. Knox is the best OB-GYN around, and Dr. Burke was right there assisting. It went perfectly," Adam replied with a grin.
"Thanks," Bill said, beaming. He glanced around. "Where's my wife?"
"Uh…" Adam hesitated, then got up to check the monitors. "I'm not sure. Want me to grab Dr. Burke for you?"
"Thanks," Bill said, not thinking much of it.
"Dr. Burke, the patient's awake," Adam said when he found him.
Burke's face twisted with mixed emotions. After a moment, he nodded and headed toward Ward 2.
"Is Holly there?" Burke asked.
"Nope. Bill was just asking about her," Adam replied, playing dumb.
This wasn't exactly a shining moment for anyone involved.
He figured Burke didn't want him in the loop anyway. The surgery was done, the results looked solid, and Adam had pretty much nailed Burke's request. That was enough.
He followed Burke to the ward's entrance, and when it seemed like Burke didn't need anything else, Adam took the hint and peeled off.
Ring ring.
His phone buzzed.
Adam checked it, and his eyes narrowed.
Here it comes.
"Alright, I'm on my way," he said into the phone before heading toward the outpatient clinic.
"Dr. Duncan," a young nurse said, nodding toward a closed room.
Adam got the message, pushed the door open, and sure enough, there was Elizabeth Plimpton, standing there looking as lively as ever.
"Dr. Plimpton," he greeted.
"Dr. Duncan," she replied, her eyes lighting up. She didn't bother pointing out that he didn't need to be so formal—yesterday, she'd told him to just call her Elizabeth.
"Something wrong?" Adam asked.
"Well…" Elizabeth glanced at the nurse who'd followed him in. "Can we talk alone?"
"No can do. Hospital rules," the nurse said flatly.
"Your hospital has a rule like that?" Elizabeth wasn't your average person—she smirked at the excuse. "What about patient privacy?"
The nurse's face stiffened.
"It's fine, you can step out," Adam said after a beat. He figured he'd handle this quick, send Elizabeth on her way, and save everyone the hassle. Broad daylight, hospital setting—what's the worst she could do?
The nurse huffed and shuffled out.
"So, what's up?" Adam asked with a smile.
"My heartbeat feels off," Elizabeth said softly.
"Alright, let's check it out." Adam turned to grab a stethoscope. He was a surgeon, not an internist, so he didn't have one dangling around his neck 24/7.
When he turned back, stethoscope in hand, his mouth twitched.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping you listen," Elizabeth said innocently.
Adam shifted to the side, avoiding a direct look at "clueless, innocent" Elizabeth.
"Put your shirt back on. I can hear your heartbeat through clothes just fine."
"Oh, really?" She grinned. "Mine, or yours?"
Adam: "…"