Medical Center. Outpatient Ward.
"Dr. Duncan, come over here!"
Elizabeth was really into it. "Is there something wrong with my heart? Why aren't you coming over to listen?"
"Dr. Plimpton, please put your clothes back on," Adam said, swallowing a flood of mental commentary. He turned slightly, his face serious. "I don't know what Leonard told you, but I'm not the kind of guy you're imagining."
"I know you're a proper gentleman!"
Elizabeth's grin was practically spilling over. She stepped forward, reaching for his hand, trying to force him into giving her a stethoscope check-up.
"You're the doctor—I'll do whatever you say!"
"…"
Adam's mouth twitched. He dodged her hand, locked eyes with her, and said firmly, "I'm serious—this isn't some cosplay game!"
Elizabeth froze, then studied him closely. It sank in—she'd gotten the wrong idea.
"Sorry about that," she said, quickly slipping her clothes back on, her face apologetic. "Leonard told me… I thought you were, like, my kindred spirit or something…"
"It's all Leonard's fault," Adam said with a wry smile. "He's got a thing for you, so he probably exaggerated a bit. You get it, right?"
"Yeah, I get it," Elizabeth said with a nod, though a flicker of disappointment lingered in her eyes.
Clingy and desperate?
Come on, no way!
Sure, she loved diving into Fifty Shades-level cosplay games, but she was still a brilliant, accomplished scientist.
That stuff was just a hobby—not her whole life.
So, seeing Adam's no-nonsense vibe, she bounced back fast.
"I'm good now," she said with a smile. "Thanks for the 'treatment,' Dr. Duncan."
"No problem," Adam replied, genuinely impressed by how she handled it.
Elizabeth left.
The nurses nearby shot Adam looks of pure admiration.
Everyone said Dr. Duncan was a flirt.
But here was this classy, gorgeous woman—practically throwing herself at him with obvious intentions—and Dr. Duncan stayed cool as a cucumber, solid as a rock.
Wasn't he basically the poster boy for a good guy?
Next time someone tried to trash-talk their Dr. Duncan as a player, they weren't letting it slide.
Adam didn't pay much attention to their stares.
At a corner of the hospital hallway, there was a little cart selling food and drinks for the staff.
Doctors swung by now and then to refuel.
As Adam passed, he spotted George, Cristina, and Meredith huddled around it, munching on bread and sipping coffee.
"Adam, grab something to eat!" George called out, all enthusiastic.
Adam glanced at the cart. No fancy braised pork knuckles or anything tempting—just basic stuff. He shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. Not hungry."
Cristina and the others ate while dishing out gossip.
Adam, as usual, hung back and listened. It was a good way to pick up on new cases and stay in the loop about hospital buzz.
But today, he was a little distracted.
Couldn't help it!
Ever since leveling up to super-genius status, that high-def, photographic memory he'd "borrowed" from Sheldon had fully kicked in.
It was a huge boost for studying and work, sure, but it came with some side effects.
Like right now—his mind kept replaying crystal-clear images of Elizabeth from earlier, and they wouldn't quit.
"She's a pro cosplay player, alright," he thought to himself. "Coming to the hospital in broad daylight, going full commando under there—was that for convenience?"
She'd been so into it, Adam seriously wondered if he hadn't been such an upright stick-in-the-mud, she might've actually staged a daytime "doctor-patient" scene right there.
Talk about commitment!
Adam sighed inwardly, zooming in on the mental details despite himself. "Well, can't let her trip here be a total waste. Might as well give her a quick once-over, rule out any issues—it's the least I can do."
Guess even a tough guy like him had a soft spot.
Cold on the outside, warm on the inside.
"Adam! Adam!" Cristina's voice snapped him out of his mental diagnosis.
"What's got you so zoned out?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said with a casual smile.
"Heard you did an ovotesticular removal today?" Cristina said, her tone laced with envy. "And Burke personally tapped you for it?"
"Yeah," Adam said, giving her a teasing look. "Don't be jealous. If you hadn't been tied up with your 'big stuff' lately, Burke probably would've picked you instead."
The latest chapters are always up first at 69 Book Bar!
Cristina was the next best after Adam, hands down.
If she hadn't been dodging Burke these past few days—intentionally or not—her ambiguously flirty vibe with him might've made Burke think twice between her and Adam.
"What 'big stuff'?" Cristina said, avoiding his gaze, playing dumb.
"Oh, you've definitely got something going on," Meredith chimed in, borrowing Adam's logic.
Cristina's eyes flickered, giving her away.
"Hey, you guys smell that?" George suddenly leaned in close, shooting them a sneaky look.
"Smell what?" Cristina jumped at the chance to change the subject.
"Over there—the anesthesiologist, Dr. Taylor," George said, nodding toward a middle-aged guy standing nearby. "I think he's been drinking."
"As long as it's not during work hours, who cares if he drinks?" Meredith said, annoyed. "Don't we all knock a few back to unwind after shifts?"
"We drink," Adam teased. "You binge."
In America, binge drinking was basically a national pastime—AA meetings were everywhere.
Meredith was definitely leaning that way.
Get her a few drinks deep, and her pants were halfway down before anyone could stop her. Blacking out? Routine.
So, of course, she'd push back on George.
"I mean during work hours," George said, lowering his voice. "Dr. Shepherd's got that kid patient, right? I'm the resident on the case, and I swear I smelled booze on Taylor. That's why I asked if you guys noticed."
"Nope," Meredith said, shaking her head.
"George, don't stir up trouble," Cristina warned. "Taylor's the best anesthesiologist here. Piss him off, and you're out of the OR. Any surgery he's on? You're banned. Trust me."
"But that's messed up!" George said, torn. "The patient trusts him. Shouldn't I say something?"
"The patient trusts Dr. Shepherd, the attending," Adam pointed out, glancing at him. "Shepherd's the one who picked Taylor. If you really think it's a problem, don't make a scene—just quietly tip off Shepherd. After that, it's out of your hands. It's his surgery, his call."
George could be a total simp around his crush, Meredith, no question.
But normally? Dude had a strong sense of justice.
Otherwise, why would a lowly intern even think about snitching on the hospital's top anesthesiologist?
If he ticked Taylor off, Cristina wasn't exaggerating—no attending would stick their neck out for a tattletale intern over a star like Taylor.
So, Adam figured he'd throw him a bone with some advice.
PS: Thanks to Taro Sesame Paste and Demon Neighbor for the tips!
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