536-540

Chapter 536: Thanksgiving 

Hearing Juno say that, Adam let out a sigh of relief.

Even though deep down he had a feeling Peggy probably wouldn’t mind Heather’s presence, he still tried his best to avoid ending up in a messy love triangle. 

The last guy who was this confident—let’s call him "Honest Bro"—ended up sailing straight to the afterlife.  

“Alright, then it’s settled,” Juno said with a smile. 

“Sounds good,” Adam nodded. “I’ll give the keys to Monica. You guys handle the big meal. I still want to work during the day and save a few more people.” 

“Got it,” Juno agreed without hesitation.  

After hanging up, Adam shook his head. 

“Drunk on wine, I once whipped a famous horse; fearing too much love would burden a beauty.” 

Before, that line was just something he said to sound cool. Now, it felt like every word mirrored his true feelings. 

Sigh. 

Without the carefree, player mindset of guys like Barney or Ted, this was just too hard for him.  

Three days flew by in a blink.  

November 25th, noon, at the cafeteria.  

“Adam, got any plans for tomorrow? If not, come spend Thanksgiving with us!” Liz invited. “It’s just Meredith, George, Christina, and a few others. I’m making a big meal—join us!” 

“Sorry,” Adam shook his head. “I already made plans with some friends. They’ve started prepping and everything.”  

“I told you,” Christina said, munching on her food and casually throwing shade. “Adam’s girlfriends are all getting together. His Thanksgiving’s gonna be lively enough. Does he really need to hang out with us? 

Besides, we’re interns. What Thanksgiving? 

Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time doing more surgeries? 

I hear every Thanksgiving, there are always some unlucky folks…”  

“Christina!” Liz glared at her. “You promised you’d come! It’s already a small group—you can’t bail!” 

“I said I’d see how it goes,” Christina shrugged. “What if there’s a huge accident tomorrow, and we all have to come in for overtime?”  

“Meredith!” Liz turned to her roommate for help. 

“Alright, Christina,” Meredith said, not too fussed either way. “Just join us tomorrow. We’re interns, always busy, barely in touch with family or friends. On a day like this, if we don’t hang out with our coworkers, we’ll really turn into robots.”  

“That’s you guys!” Christina laughed. “Look at Adam. He spends just as much time at the hospital as you, right? But he’s still super close with his friends.”  

“I’ve lost touch with my family too,” Adam waved it off. “My friends are nearby, sure, but I don’t see them as much as before. If they weren’t organizing something, I’d probably be like you guys this year—no one to celebrate with except coworkers. 

And it’s not just Thanksgiving. Christmas, New Year’s—it’s all the same. 

This will probably go on for years, until I get my attending license. Then maybe it’ll get better.”  

“See!” Christina exclaimed, impressed. “Now that’s what a driven doctor should be doing! These are the years to learn and grow fast. Who cares about holidays? 

If I could be a surgical robot, I’d probably die laughing!”  

“…” Liz and the others were speechless. 

They knew Christina wasn’t joking—she really meant it.  

“It’s not about the number of people,” Adam said with a smile. “You three, as roommates, are actually perfect for celebrating together. Thanksgiving isn’t even that great of a holiday anyway. Christmas and New Year’s are way more exciting.”  

“What do you mean?” Liz blinked, confused. 

“How did Thanksgiving start?” Adam asked. “It’s about giving thanks for a good harvest and for the help of Native Americans. But do you know how they helped Americans, so much so that Americans made a holiday to be thankful?”  

“Uh, well…” Liz faltered. 

She was educated, after all, and knew that history. 

Back then, these things were unspoken scandals, swept under the rug. 

Everyone just used it as an excuse for a holiday.  

Now that Adam brought it up, it felt awkward. 

“Looks like everyone knows,” Adam said with a cold smile. “Thanksgiving, huh? Thanking Native Americans for offering their scalps, nearly being wiped out? I don’t know if the person who created this holiday was some twisted anti-human freak! Shouldn’t it be called Atonement Day instead?”  

The room fell silent. 

Liz lost all enthusiasm for inviting others to celebrate. 

A lot of things seem nice on the surface, but peel it back, and it’s all bloody truths.  

Still, holidays are holidays. 

Not for some nonsense gratitude, but just an excuse to hang out with loved ones. 

Can’t help it—everyone’s off work that day.  

The next morning, Chandler and Monica showed up. 

“Thanks for helping out,” Adam handed them the keys. “Juno and Karen will come by later. They’ll help too.” 

“Don’t worry,” Monica took the keys confidently. “A Thanksgiving meal? I’ve got this.” 

“Karen’s a great cook too. You guys can swap tips,” Adam smiled. “Oh, is Phoebe coming tonight?” 

“She is,” Monica said with a grin. “Ross and Rachel wanted to come too, but Dr. Green dragged them away.” 

“Well, Emma’s name is Emma Geller-Green, after all!” Adam teased. “Ross is the son-in-law. Of course he’s gotta spend the holiday at his in-laws’.”  

After a few laughs, Adam left. 

This busyness now was for a better life later. 

First, a small goal: 

Before turning 30 in five years, extend his lifespan to 50 years. 

After that, with a 20-year buffer, as long as he could offset the yearly drain—saving someone every three or four days—it’d be no pressure for a well-known attending.  

By then, Adam wouldn’t have to worry about dying young. He could finally enjoy life freely.  

At the medical center, since it was Thanksgiving, there were almost no scheduled patients. 

Unless someone was so sick they couldn’t wait a day, everyone was celebrating. 

The hospital, aside from a few essential staff, was mostly empty, everyone off to reunite with family. 

It felt a bit desolate.  

Adam did a round in surgery, then headed straight to the ER. 

Today’s lifespan gains depended entirely on the ER. 

But to his disappointment, the ER was practically empty too. 

“Damn it,” Adam muttered under his breath.  

The staff on duty were gathered together, decorating the hospital for some holiday vibe or just messing around. 

Someone was belting out songs at the nurse’s station, switching between rap and group singing. 

There were even nurses roller-skating down the halls, a few “accidentally” crashing into Adam.  

After the third time he steadied a blushing nurse, Adam was thinking maybe he should just go back and hang out with Juno and Peggy when the ER doors swung open. 

An elderly cop walked in, escorting a woman with blood all over her head. 

Adam’s eyes lit up at first, but then he recognized her, his heart tightening as he hurried over.  

Chapter 537: This Woman Is a Beast 

At the medical center, in the emergency room: 

“What’s going on here?” Adam asked as he hurried over. 

“Doc, clean this woman up quick so I can take her to give a statement. It’s Thanksgiving today, and I’d love to get home early to celebrate,” grumbled an older cop. “Ugh, she got blood all over my patrol car!” 

“Adam…” The woman, her head covered in blood, looked at him with a pitiful expression. 

“Phoebe,” Adam sighed helplessly. “How’d you end up like this again?” 

“You know her, Doctor?” the older cop asked, surprised. 

“She’s my friend,” Adam replied, turning to the cop. “What’d she do this time?” 

“She got pecked by a turkey,” the cop said, barely holding back a laugh. 

“Pecked by a turkey?” Adam’s lip twitched. 

“You shouldn’t be shocked,” the cop teased. “Your friend’s a total nutcase about animal rights!” 

“I’m an activist for all living things—animals, plants, you name it,” Phoebe shot back. “Not a nutcase!” 

“Officer, she just has a heart that overflows with love,” Adam said, trying to defend her, though his tone wavered. “She’s not crazy…” 

He trailed off, clearly not fully convinced himself. 

“Whatever,” the cop shrugged. “Some mall set up a Thanksgiving display—dry corn, straw, people dressed like pilgrims, and a big, live turkey!” 

“They were exploiting and abusing that poor turkey!” Phoebe yelled. “Those capitalist jerks are just cruel!” 

“Calm down,” Adam said, wiping her wounds while signaling a nurse to grab some stitching supplies. 

“So your friend here decided to steal the turkey,” the cop said with a grin. 

“I was saving it!” Phoebe corrected him. “If you were trapped there, gawked at by everyone, how would you feel?” 

“Then why don’t you go liberate the zoo animals?” the cop mocked. “Try setting some tigers and lions free—see if you’re still alive to preach about ‘saving’!” 

“It’s not the same,” Phoebe argued. “Zoo animals have protection groups looking out for them. But this turkey? All alone, exploited, abused, stuck in a tiny cage without even a sip of water! It’d be dead from mistreatment before any group could save it.” 

“So you grabbed the turkey, tossed it into a car, and tried to bolt,” the cop said with a smirk. “That’s theft!” 

“And then what?” Adam cut in. “How’d she get pecked?” 

“While she was running, the turkey fought back—clawing and pecking her,” the cop chuckled. “And here’s the funniest part—guess what your friend did next?” 

He couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. “Hahaha! The girl who wanted to ‘save’ the turkey snapped its neck! Hahaha!” 

“…” Adam’s lip twitched again as he shot Phoebe a speechless glance. 

Classic Phoebe! 😂 

Just then, the older cop’s partner—a younger officer—walked in, holding a huge white turkey upside down by its legs. 

“Look at this! Guess your Thanksgiving dinner’s sorted now!” the older cop said, pointing at the turkey and cracking up. 

“Oh, God…” Phoebe hung her head in shame, unable to look at it. 

“Officer, maybe take that outside?” Adam suggested. 

Phoebe might be a total weirdo, but she was still his friend, and he’d help where he could. 

“Huh, is that a Narragansett turkey? It’s huge!” a passing doctor chimed in, strolling over. “Perfect for a little extra meal for us staff stuck here.” 

“The cafeteria won’t prep it this late,” a nurse pointed out. 

“No worries,” the doctor said, taking the turkey with a grin. “I used to pluck chickens as a kid. Now that I’m a doctor, my feather-pulling skills are top-notch. Leave it to me—this turkey’s a beauty!” 

With that, he walked off, turkey in hand. 

“Officers,” Adam said, stitching Phoebe up while addressing the two cops waiting nearby, “it’s Thanksgiving. Why don’t you head home early? The statement can wait until tomorrow. It’s not a big deal—don’t let this ruin everyone’s holiday vibe.” 

“No can do,” the older cop shook his head. “Duty’s duty. Your friend stole in public—that’s pretty bad!” 

“Al,” the younger cop said, glancing at Phoebe and tugging at his partner’s sleeve. “Maybe we can do it tomorrow? No rush.” 

The older cop eyed his rookie partner, catching the hint of a crush in his tone. It wasn’t a huge deal anyway, so he decided to play nice. 

“Fine. Leave a number, and we’ll do the statement tomorrow after the holiday,” he said, nodding at the younger cop to get it. 

The young cop blushed a little, pulling a pen and paper from his pocket and handing them to Phoebe. “I’m Gene, by the way.” 

“Phoebe,” she replied with a knowing smile. She’d been around the block enough to spot a spark. Gene looked kinda cute in his uniform—shy, but charming. She scribbled her number with a grin. 

“Make sure you remind me, Officer, or I might forget! Ouch—Adam, easy!” she yelped. 

“Stop moving!” Adam snapped. “I’m stitching your face here. You keep grinning like that, it’s gonna hurt more.” 

“We’re outta here,” the older cop said, waving his lovesick partner along as they left. 

“Gene’s pretty nice, huh?” Phoebe said, beaming as she watched him go. 

“What’s this?” Adam teased. “Already forgot about your turkey?” 

“…” Phoebe clammed up. 

“Look, you should find a boyfriend,” Adam sighed. “Fall in love, get married, have kids—pour all that extra love into them. Stop pulling stunts like this. Remember a few Christmases back when you tried to save those wilted old trees from being trashed? All you did was get Joey fired from his tree-selling gig. What’s the point of these random crusades?” 

“I’m done,” Phoebe muttered, sounding defeated. “I can’t keep doing this.” 

“Why not?” Adam asked, genuinely surprised. 

He hadn’t expected her to give up so easily. This wasn’t like her—maybe she’d finally hit her limit. 

“Okay, real talk,” Phoebe said, lifting her head with a conflicted look. “When that turkey was pecking me, my fight-or-flight kicked in hard. I couldn’t control it—I turned into a total beast. And when I grabbed its neck and heard that crack…” 

She lowered her head, ashamed. “I kinda… enjoyed it.” 

“Hey, don’t sweat it. That’s a normal reaction—no shame in that,” Adam said, fighting a grin. “You did so much to save it, and it turned on you, pecking you to bits. If it scars your face, that turkey’s the real villain here. Feeling good after getting even? Totally human.” 

“Wait—scars?!” Phoebe shrieked. “That damn turkey! I’ll skin it alive!” 

Adam: “…” 

Chapter 538: A Thousand Ways to Get Yourself Killed 

Medical Center. 

“Stop yelling already.” 

Adam cut off Phoebe, who had instantly turned into a wild beast. “I’ll stitch you up, and it won’t leave a scar.” 

“Really?” 

Phoebe’s eyes lit up with surprise. 

“Yep.” 

Adam nodded. 

“Fine then.” 

Just like that, Phoebe returned to her normal self. 

Hmmm. 

Such a classic American mindset. 

When all their material needs are met, they’re still willing to ‘gentlemanly’ focus on spiritual stuff. 

Like last year’s Christmas tree—it withered this year and had to be sent to the shredder. 

Phoebe was all hung up on that ‘poor’ old Christmas tree. 

She thought it was just too cruel compared to the lush green new Christmas tree beside it. 

As if the new one, already chopped down and sold, was somehow still alive or something. 

Or take this turkey, for example. 

Eating turkey on Thanksgiving night is an American tradition. 

Millions of turkeys get gobbled up every year on this one evening. 

But Phoebe? She’s only worried about this particular one. 

Talk about spiritual pursuits—so deep and mysterious. 

But the second their own interests are at stake, they flip like a switch, no surprise there. 

“After I stitch you up, don’t go running off. Head to my place and help Monica prep for the Thanksgiving feast, okay?” 

Adam tried to reason with her. 

“Isn’t that turkey supposed to be an extra meal for the hospital staff?” 

Phoebe didn’t agree right away. “Can I stay and have some?” 

Adam was speechless. “Seriously? You’re that hung up on it?” 

“Absolutely!” 

Phoebe insisted. “You said it yourself—this is revenge!” 

“Alright, fine.” 

Adam sighed, giving in. “But you don’t need to stick around here. Go on ahead, and I’ll bring you some turkey meat when I head back tonight.” 

“Bring a lot!” 

Phoebe reminded him. “Tonight, I’m only eating its meat!” 

“…” 

Adam’s lips twitched. 

This girl used to be a perfectly good vegetarian. But ever since she got a taste of the deer meat Adam hunted years ago, look at her now. 

Always itching to eat meat to vent her frustrations! 

Tsk! 

After sending the not-so-normal Phoebe on her way, Adam told the nurses to pack up some extra turkey meat for him to take home later—gotta let Phoebe have her revenge, right? 

Then, amid the nurses’ cheers, he called to order a full Thanksgiving meal set to be delivered to the hospital later, as a treat for the staff staying overnight. 

Sure, Adam could’ve just taken a bit more of that free turkey meat without anyone caring. 

But with his status, he wasn’t about to take advantage like that. 

It also kept the gossip at bay. 

Because human nature’s complicated. 

No matter how high your reputation is or how well you handle relationships, in a hospital this big, there’s always a few people who don’t like you—or even downright hate you. 

For Adam, it was just a quick phone call to shut down any potential drama from the little nurses’ fanbase or nosy critics. Why not, right? 

Tonight, the Friends’ Bar was also rolling out some deals for hospital colleagues who didn’t have time to go home and could only drink alone after work—50% off all drinks, plus other promos. 

And trust me, the drinks at Friends’ Bar are already way cheaper than most other places. 

With this setup, it’d definitely warm the hearts of those lonely colleagues on this chilly night. They’d come to love the bar and feel Adam’s kindness in one go. 

Because these discounts? They were only for medical staff. 

No comparison, no hurt feelings. 

But without comparison, you can’t feel superior either! 

“Dr. Duncan!” 

After a bit of waiting, the ER finally got a new patient. 

“What’s the situation?” 

Adam dashed over, quick as a flash. 

“Mark Vogel, 32 years old. Abdominal pain, fever, headache, nausea, sweating, spasms—suspected acute appendicitis.” 

The paramedic rattled off. 

“It’s not appendicitis.” 

Adam pushed the stretcher toward the exam room while checking the patient’s condition. He quickly ruled out appendicitis and looked at the sweating man lying there. “Did something bite you?” 

“Poisoning?” 

One of the nurses caught on right away. “Should we run a toxicology test?” 

“Yeah.” 

Adam nodded. 

What frustrated him was that the patient, upon hearing Adam’s question, only gave a mysterious little smile and didn’t answer. 

The nurse swiftly drew blood and dashed off to the toxicology lab for testing. 

“Blood pressure 180/120.” 

Another nurse alerted him. 

“IV push of sodium nitroprusside, 50 milligrams.” 

Adam ordered. 

“Argh!” 

The patient let out a scream, his body convulsing. 

“Sedative injection.” 

Adam instructed. 

From there, a slew of symptoms popped up one after another, forcing Adam to treat each one as it came. 

When the toxicology results finally came back, it was no surprise—the patient had indeed been poisoned. 

“Administer antivenom immediately.” 

Adam directed. 

After a flurry of activity, when Adam heard the faint ding of “System +0.01,” he let out a sigh of relief, a wave of joy washing over him. 

Coming in today wasn’t a waste of time after all. 

“Careful!” 

Just as the nurse was turning the patient over, Adam’s eyes narrowed. Bullet time kicked in instinctively—he grabbed a syringe nearby and, lightning-fast, stabbed a spider that had crawled out of the patient’s clothes and onto the nurse’s hand. 

“Ahh!” 

The nurse jumped back, freaked out. 

“No!!!” 

Mark, the patient who had just woken up, saw the scene unfold. When he spotted Adam holding the syringe with the spider dangling in the air, he let out a pained cry: “Elvira!” 

“Damn it!” 

Adam took one look at the situation and knew right away—this guy was probably one of those weirdos who kept strange pets. 

“You killed her! You killed her!” 

Mark struggled to get up, his face twisted with rage as he lunged at Adam. 

“Calm down, Mr. Vogel—this is a black widow!” 

Adam held the patient down with one hand, signaling the nurse to grab restraints to secure his hands and feet. Trying to soothe him, he said, “It’s highly venomous. I’m guessing it bit you, right? It was about to bite the nurse—I had no choice.” 

“You killed my Elvira! I’ll kill you!” 

Mark struggled even harder. 

“Sedative injection.” 

Adam frowned. 

“Yes, Doctor.” 

The nurse moved quickly, and under the drug’s effect, Mark calmed down instantly. 

“Thanks, Dr. Duncan.” 

The nurse who’d nearly been bitten thanked him, still shaken. 

“No problem.” 

Adam placed the dead black widow into a small box, then personally checked Mark’s body to make sure no other venomous critters were hiding on him. 

And that’s when he saw it—Mark’s body was covered in bite marks, most of them looking like snakebites. 

“Hiss!” 

The nurses nearby gasped in unison. 

When Mark woke up again and saw the nurses cautiously keeping their distance, ready to jab him with another sedative at any moment, he finally cooled off. 

“Give me my Elvira.” 

The nurse handed him the box with the black widow inside. 

Mark took it and stared at the motionless spider inside, crying his heart out. 

While he was sobbing, the nurses pieced together the whole story from his choked-up words and ran to fill Adam in. 

“…” 

Adam listened and didn’t know what to say. 

Mark Vogel was a rare pet dealer who kept exotic snakes, lizards, and insects at home, selling them on the black market for a living. 

These dangerous creatures were his beloved lifelong companions. 

His favorite was the smallest of them all—a black widow spider he’d named Elvira. 

Today was Thanksgiving. 

Being all alone, he naturally wanted to celebrate the holiday with his ‘family.’ 

So, he decided to get even closer to his little mistress on this special day. 

People who play with snakes often get bitten and build up some immunity to snake venom over time. 

Mark figured the same logic applied to the black widow. 

If he could survive a bite from her, he’d grow even closer to his little lady afterward. 

Hmmm. 

Adam didn’t even know where to begin with that logic. 

How much closer did this guy want to get after risking his life like that? 

Adam couldn’t imagine it—and didn’t dare to. 

So, Mark stuck his hand right into the black widow’s nest and let her bite him hard. 

At first, he planned to tough it out. 

But as time went on and the excruciating pain in his body grew worse, he started to suspect he might not make it. So he stumbled out the door and headed to the hospital. 

Even then, his plan was just to have Adam give him some pain relief so he could endure it, let his body build immunity to the black widow’s venom, and then go on to have a nice, cozy future with his Elvira. 

Hmmm. 

What a wild country with wild people. 

Adam was done. 

Chapter 539: A Miracle Within a Miracle 

Medical Center 

“Hey, what brings you here?”  

“I heard someone’s out to kill you?”  

“Just another impulsive weirdo. They’ll cool off eventually, no big deal.”  

Adam grinned at Cristina, who was supposed to be off duty. “Dr. Burke didn’t show up today? He didn’t come looking for you?”  

Emmm.  

That’s what he said, at least.  

But Adam had already tipped off the old cop and added this Black Widow fan to the watchlist. Doctor-patient tensions are a global headache—especially in the U.S., where every day’s a rollercoaster. Someone bold enough to blurt out a death threat? No way steady-as-a-rock Adam was letting that slide. Sure, the guy couldn’t touch him, but what if a friend got caught in the crossfire? That’s a risk Adam wasn’t willing to take.  

“Enough about that!” Cristina rolled her eyes. “Burke’s like a clingy shadow I can’t shake off. Right now, he’s at Meredith’s place, teaching Izzie how to cook a turkey dinner using surgical techniques.”  

“Easy fix,” Adam teased. “Just say that to Dr. Burke’s face, and I guarantee he’ll stop hovering. Question is, could you bring yourself to do it?”  

Dr. Burke, a top-tier surgeon, had pride as high as the sky. No matter how much he liked Cristina, if she dropped a line like that, a breakup would be inevitable.  

“I’m gonna check if there’s any surgery to jump into,” Cristina said, dodging the topic. “I told them I was stepping out to buy booze. Can you believe it? Meredith, the booze hound, doesn’t have a single bottle at home!”  

She clearly wasn’t ready to let Burke go. In her career, he was the authoritative expert she idolized. In life, he was the domestic type—breakfast and coffee in the morning, dinner at night. His family owned a restaurant, and he loved perfecting recipes with surgical precision. The food? Delicious. During that whole medical center poisoning scare, Cristina lined up for a checkup, but Burke told her not to bother—he’d only ever been intimate with her. Living that hospital-home grind, he was a rare gem who stayed faithful. And he was always the one making the moves. For someone as passive as Cristina, a boyfriend like that was a gift from the heavens. No matter how much she griped, deep down, she cared too much to let him go.  

“You’re joking again,” Adam laughed. “Does a booze hound have to keep a stash at home? Who’s she drinking with—Izzie? George? Nah, she’d rather hit a bar, get wasted, hook up with some random guy, kick him out at dawn, and strut into work refreshed. She’s not just a booze hound; she’s a seasoned pro. A boozy veteran!”  

“Say that to Meredith’s face and see if she doesn’t come for your throat!” Cristina shot back before heading toward the surgical wing.  

She couldn’t stand how effortlessly her boyfriend had won over her friend group. It felt like her personal space was being invaded. For someone dreaming of becoming a “god” in her field, it was suffocating. That’s why she’d used the “buying booze” excuse to escape to the hospital, hoping a few surgeries would calm her nerves.  

“Adam!”  

Meredith rushed around the corner, her eyes lighting up when she spotted him.  

“You’re here too?” Adam asked, surprised. “Aren’t you Izzie’s biggest cheerleader?”  

“I am, but I’m useless in the kitchen. George is helping her—that’s enough,” Meredith said sheepishly before getting to the point. “Come quick! A permanent vegetative patient from 16 years ago just opened his eyes and looked at me!”  

“Calm down,” Adam said as he followed her. “Some leftover reflexes are normal. What’s the patient’s deal?”  

Most of the attending docs, like Dr. Shepherd, had already gone home. Even if they were around, Meredith avoided him whenever she could.  

“His name’s Holden McKee, a firefighter,” Meredith explained quickly. “He got hit by falling debris on duty and ended up in a permanent vegetative state. He’s been in a nursing home ever since. Today, a nurse flipped him over and accidentally dropped him off the bed. The insurance company wanted him checked out—scalp damage on his skull, plus a hematoma. I was about to clean the wound, stitch it up, and order a CT to rule out brain bleeding or swelling, but then he opened his eyes and looked at me!”  

They reached the room. Adam noticed the patient’s eyes were indeed open. After a closer look, he saw them twitch slightly, tracking Meredith’s voice.  

“He’s definitely watching you,” Adam said with a smile. “Let’s get an MRI. You might be his angel today, guiding a vegetative patient back to life. This is straight out of a cheesy drama!”  

Meredith’s self-pitying vibe faded, replaced by a spark of hope as she gazed at the patient.  

MRI Room  

“We need to call Dr. Shepherd,” Adam said, studying the scans. “His brain hasn’t atrophied. He’s got minimal consciousness—he’s not vegetative at all.”  

“What?!” Meredith gasped. “Not vegetative? But he’s been in a nursing home for 16 years! No one noticed?”  

“Surprised?” Adam glanced at her. “Not everyone gets a spot in Dr. Grey’s fancy nursing home. He’s just a firefighter with standard insurance—nothing fancy. The place he’s at isn’t top-tier. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have fallen off the bed during a routine turn.”  

“No one cared about him,” Meredith murmured, her voice heavy with empathy. “He’s been lying there for 16 years.”  

“Not much anyone could do,” Adam pointed out. “His brain’s been slowly recovering all this time. If we hadn’t watched him closely, we’d have chalked it up to reflexes too. Imagine 16 years ago—he couldn’t even open his eyes. A CT back then would’ve screamed ‘vegetative,’ and any doctor would’ve agreed.”  

“So what now?” Meredith asked.  

“Call Dr. Shepherd, obviously,” Adam grinned. “With his condition, we can wake him up with meds.”  

“Really? That’s amazing!” Meredith’s excitement drowned out her awkward history with Shepherd. She was genuinely thrilled for the patient.  

“Don’t celebrate yet,” Adam warned. “Waking up might not be a blessing for him. Sixteen years changes everything. He might not handle it.”  

Emmm.  

Think about Yang Guo jumping off a cliff after 16 years, only to find not just Xiao Longnu waiting, but Xiao Longnu, Zhen Zhibing, and their kid living happily as a family of three. He’d probably wish he’d smashed into the rocks on the way down.  

Or maybe Xiao Longnu and Zhen Zhibing, feeling guilty, spot Yang Guo first, hide, and send their daughter to trick him into leaving—tying up the Condor Heroes story with a neat bow. Think Yang Buhui—she’d know the playbook. “One look at Yang Guo, and I’m hooked for life.” The daughter might feel the same. Otherwise, with Xiao Longnu older than Yang Guo, 16 years later he’d be a weathered uncle while she’s still in her prime? Too far-fetched.  

And in the author’s eyes, Xiao Longnu’s real-life inspiration had an unfulfilled life—since she didn’t return his love. Emmm. With Yang Buhui’s antics in mind and the author’s habit of tying real-life vibes into his pervy characters like Yun Zhonghe… it’s easy to let your imagination run wild.  

Wonder if this patient’s about to stumble into his own soap opera twist?  

Chapter 540: Adam, Envious of Karen 

At the medical center.  

While Meredith was contacting Dr. Shepherd, the pagers started going off like crazy.  

Adam checked his and immediately rushed to the ER.  

The TV screen at the nurses' station was broadcasting a car accident.  

"At the south exit of the highway, 28 cars and 3 trucks were involved in a massive pile-up. According to reports from the scene, the crash was caused by a car suddenly making a U-turn, hitting surrounding vehicles. At least 41 people are injured, and several are still trapped..."  

"Time to get to work!"  

Susan Lewis, who was in charge of the ER, walked over and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Activate the disaster response plan!"  

The nurses sprang into action, following the emergency drills they'd practiced. Wheelchairs, stretchers, IVs, surgical gowns, common medications, and surgical tools were all pulled out of storage and stacked together to save time when patients started flooding in.  

Adam and the other doctors put on their surgical gowns and waited at the ER entrance.  

"Wow, an actual accident—and a big one! This is great!"  

Christina, also in her surgical gown, ran up next to Adam, lowering her voice but clearly excited.  

"Watch yourself," Adam warned. "This is a humanitarian disaster. Can you not act so thrilled about it?"  

"What? Don't tell me you're not excited!" Christina shot him a sideways glance.  

"That's not the same thing," Adam said, brushing it off. "This kind of major accident is already being broadcast on TV. Reporters are definitely going to show up with the injured, filming how the hospital handles it.  

If they catch that excited look on your face, congrats—you'll overshadow the entire accident and become the star of the show. You'll be socially dead in no time!  

And, uh, if there happens to be a hot-headed family member among the patients... you might not even make it to social death. You could just be... dead."  

"Is it really that dramatic?" Christina said, but the smile had already vanished from her face.  

She knew Adam was right.  

With the media's habit of stirring up drama, if they caught her smiling, she'd go viral overnight—and not in a good way.  

Sure, she wanted to be famous, but as the best cardiothoracic surgeon, not like this.  

"Green for minor injuries, yellow for serious, red for critical, black for deceased!" the head nurse reminded the newer nurses not to forget the triage system.  

"Duncan, you're handling the red patients!"  

"Yang, you're on green!"  

"I'll take yellow," Susan Lewis instructed. "The attending physicians and other residents are on their way to the hospital. Until they get here, we need to stabilize things. Got it?"  

"Got it."  

"Got it."  

Adam's response was enthusiastic, while Christina's was laced with disappointment.  

She didn't want to deal with the minor green injuries.  

Adam gave Susan a smile, but she turned her head, avoiding eye contact.  

Adam gave a wry smile to himself.  

It seemed like the last time, with Susan's sister, his cold attitude had really hurt her. Now she was all business with him.  

Still, he was grateful.  

He loved working on the critical red patients the most. Saving one of them was like adding 0.01 to his lifespan, after all.  

Susan clearly remembered his preference and hadn't let their strained relationship stop her from assigning him what he wanted.  

Of course, it also helped that she knew her skills were far behind his.  

Regardless, Adam appreciated the favor.  

After all, in this world, weren't there plenty of people who thought, "If I'm not doing well, neither should you" or loved to drag others down for no reason?  

Ambulances started speeding in.  

"25 years old, truck flipped, no seatbelt, lost his heartbeat on the scene."  

An EMT was straddling the stretcher, continuously performing CPR on the patient.  

"Alright, I'll take it from here," Adam said, stepping forward to take over.  

Once that patient was stabilized, he moved on to the next.  

"Second to third-degree burns, 25% of the body surface, low blood pressure."  

"Unconscious, T4 spinal injury, step deformity, relaxed muscles in both legs."  

"Derek Jones, 25, run over by a van, left leg amputated below the knee, already lost several liters of blood."  

One critical patient after another was brought in. Adam stabilized their conditions before sending them off to the appropriate departments.  

"Juno, Karen, what are you guys doing here?"  

In the middle of the chaos, Adam suddenly spotted Juno and Karen coming in with the EMTs. His heart skipped a beat. "Did you get caught in the accident too? Are you okay?"  

"We're fine," Juno shook her head. "Do you need help?"  

"You don't have medical licenses for this center..." Adam glanced at the chaotic ER. Many minor patients weren't getting timely care, and the cries of children echoed everywhere. After a moment, he said, "Follow me!"  

He found Susan and quickly introduced them. "Dr. Lewis, this is my friend Juno, a Harvard Medical School graduate. She's currently an intern at Mass General. Can she help with treatment?"  

"Sure," Susan said, glancing at Juno. "You can help with the green-tagged patients."  

"Got it." Juno didn't hesitate.  

Karen, meanwhile, grabbed a surgical gown from the hallway, swiftly helped Juno put it on, and went with her to treat patients.  

They were busy until nightfall.  

More doctors arrived, and all the patients were properly treated. The tense atmosphere finally eased.  

"That's Dr. Duncan's friend, huh? She's amazing."  

"Yeah, she seems way better than Dr. Yang!"  

"Figures, being Dr. Duncan's friend and all!"  

"She's a top student from Harvard Medical School and interning at Mass General. Of course she's amazing!"  

"What do you think their relationship is? They seem so in sync."  

"Either his girlfriend or someone he's flirting with. Didn't you see the way she looks at Dr. Duncan? So lovey-dovey."  

"No way, didn't you notice the girl with her? The way she looks at Juno is off. They're probably the couple!"  

"That girl seems like a nurse too. She looks pretty professional."  

After the chaos, the gossip started flying.  

Juno and Karen's teamwork instantly took some pressure off Christina.  

But it also sparked Christina's competitive side.  

Without a word, she silently started competing with Juno, trying to see who could treat patients better and faster.  

But to her frustration, it felt like facing Adam all over again: she was completely outclassed.  

Just a few months ago, she and Juno were classmates.  

Back then, Juno didn't seem this good.  

Was Mass General's training really that much better than the medical center?  

Had she made a mistake coming here with Meredith?  

Then she dismissed the thought.  

"It's definitely because of Karen!" Christina thought sourly. "Having a nurse like her, who knows exactly what to do with just a glance, would make anyone way more efficient..."  

She wasn't the only one feeling jealous.  

After finishing in the OR, Adam watched Juno and Karen work together for a while and couldn't help but feel envious.  

They were too in sync.  

It was like watching a perfectly choreographed dance.  

If only he could have a personal nurse like that too.