491-495

Chapter 491: Juno Benno 

Medical Center. Locker Room. 

“So, what’d you get up to last night? You’re practically glowing,” Christina said, squinting at Adam with her sly little eyes. 

“I’m always a happy-go-lucky guy,” Adam shot back with a grin. “Plus, it’s a holiday—gotta be extra cheerful, right? Double the fun!” 

“Yeah, something’s fishy here,” Christina muttered, not buying his excuse for a second. 

She didn’t dwell on it, though, quickly switching gears with a secretive smirk. “Hey, have you guys heard? Dr. Montgomery’s officially on board. The surgical chief dumped a huge budget on her—top-tier private services, the slickest neonatal ICU, and a salary that’s the highest of any surgeon in New York. Talk about a big move!” 

“She’s worth every penny,” Liz chimed in. “She’s one of the best in her field. With her here, our pediatrics department might actually have a shot at being number one.” 

“Lucky you, getting picked by her,” Christina teased. “You’re definitely gonna outshine the rest of us down the line.” 

“Hmph!” Liz scoffed. “Wanna trade? I bet if you asked, Dr. Montgomery would jump at the chance to take you instead.” 

“Not so fast,” Adam laughed. “Not just anyone can handle pediatrics. Christina? No way she’s cut out for it.” 

“Absolutely not,” Christina said, waving her hands like she was shooing off a fly. “Adults annoy me enough—now throw in screaming, rowdy kids? I’d lose it just thinking about it.” 

“That’s the only reason?” Liz smirked. “Come on, the real issue is you look down on pediatricians, don’t you?” 

Christina just grinned, saying nothing. Adam caught her drift and smirked back. 

Pediatricians always get the short end of the stick in the doctor pecking order. Sure, Dr. Montgomery rolled in with VIP treatment and the fattest paycheck among surgeons, but that’s as good as it gets for peds. She’s the kind of outlier who drags the average up just enough so the specialty isn’t always dead last—sometimes they snag second-to-last instead. Still, Christina couldn’t hide her disdain for the gig. 

“I don’t know about the future, but I do know you’re gonna regret today,” Liz said suddenly, a sly smile creeping onto her face. 

“Why’s that?” Christina’s head whipped around. “Does Dr. Montgomery have a juicy case?” 

At that, Adam’s eyes lit up too. He’d been interning at the medical center for months now, seen tons of surgeries, even taken the lead on plenty. But cases with kids? Those were rare. Tiny hands, tiny feet, tiny hearts—he figured he could use the practice. 

Liz held up her hand, all smug, and wiggled her fingers. “Ever seen quintuplets?” 

“You’re kidding, right?” Christina’s jaw dropped. 

“Quintuplets?” Adam blinked. 

It jogged his memory—back when Phoebe was set to be a surrogate for her brother and his wife. If Adam hadn’t stepped in, they’d have implanted five embryos to up the odds. If all five took, boom—quintuplets. 

“That’s a hell of a risk,” Adam said, shaking his head. 

“No kidding,” Liz agreed. “Word is, she already had triplets—all boys—and really wanted a girl. So they tried again. She got her girl this time… along with four others.” 

“Her husband’s face probably went white as a sheet when he heard,” Adam said with a chuckle. 

“Who could blame him?” Christina snorted. “Unless you’re loaded like you, Adam, good luck affording enough nannies to raise eight kids!” 

“Maybe she could write a book,” Adam quipped, recalling a meme from his past life. “First Pregnancy: Triplets. Second: Quintuplets. Ultimate Supermom!” 

“What even is that?” Liz rolled her eyes. “Who’d read something that random?” 

“Who knows?” Adam shrugged. 

“I’m off to rounds,” Liz said, slamming her locker shut and heading out. “Dr. Montgomery gets in early, and today’s the official kickoff for the pediatric chief’s first big win.” 

“I’d kill for a high-profile case like that,” Christina groaned. “The chief’s probably already got reporters lined up for this quintuplet bombshell.” 

“Not so fast,” Adam cautioned. “This is quintuplets we’re talking about—super high-risk pregnancy. Calling in reporters now? One slip-up, and it’s less ‘face in the spotlight’ and more ‘egg on their face.’” 

Sure enough, the case was a total buzzkill—or buzzmaker, depending on how you looked at it. Rounds wrapped up, and the hospital was already abuzz with gossip. 

“Liz, what’s up?” Adam asked, spotting her in the hallway. Her vibe was off, and he couldn’t help but pry. 

“It’s the quintuplet mom, Mrs. Lusabin,” Liz said, frowning. “I just did her ultrasound. The numbers are… barely okay. She shouldn’t be picking out names right now—she should be thinking about letting two go. That’d give the other three more time in the womb, better development, healthier outcome.” 

“How far along is she?” Adam asked. 

“Only 32 weeks,” Liz said, shaking her head. “She had to check in already.” 

Normal pregnancy? Forty weeks. Twins? Thirty-six. Quintuplets? Thirty-four weeks is pushing it for an ideal term. The shorter the pregnancy, the less time the babies get to grow, and the worse off they are health-wise. Preemies come with a laundry list of risks—every mom wants their kids to cook a little longer. But with multiples, it’s not like you can just will them to stay put. Five fetuses growing at once? The strain on the mom is unreal. There’s a hard limit to what a body can take. 

“Your attitude’s off,” Adam said gently. “It’s her call, not yours. As a doctor, you can’t let your feelings bleed into it. Besides, 32 weeks—two more, and they’re out. You really think she’d ditch two of her kids now? That doesn’t sound like you.” 

Liz opened her mouth, then shut it. Her face darkened, and she turned to leave. 

“Man, what a mess,” Adam muttered, watching her go. Something was up with Liz—something tied to kids, no doubt. She had a story, and he’d bet it wasn’t a happy one. 

Meanwhile, over on patreon:belamy20, maybe someone’s crowdfunding their own wild tale—could be worth a peek. 

“Could she be our Juno Benno?” Adam mused, cracking a smile. 

In the original timeline, Juno got pregnant in high school and made waves. But with Adam flapping his giant butterfly wings, that story got shredded. Juno didn’t chase after the shy jock—instead, she grabbed Karen’s hand and charged full speed ahead. Now Liz was giving off those old Juno vibes, like she’d lived through something similar. A double-standard do-gooder like her wouldn’t normally suggest sacrificing two kids unless she’d been there herself—maybe gave up a baby young and convinced herself it was the right call. Otherwise, she’d have to admit she screwed up, and that’d drive her nuts. 

Chapter 492: The Vase Adam 

Medical Center. Corridor.  

“Dr. Duncan.”  

Adam was quietly muttering to himself as he watched Liz storm off when a voice piped up beside him.  

“Dr. Shepherd.”  

Adam flashed a grin at the hospital’s second officially hired Dr. Shepherd.  

Though calling her Dr. Montgomery might’ve been more fitting.  

But fresh off her victory over the “other woman,” Meredith, and winning back her husband, Dr. Montgomery clearly preferred the “Dr. Shepherd” title. Sure, it meant explaining things to confused onlookers every time she appeared with her hubs—but she didn’t mind one bit! Money can’t buy happiness, and she was loving it. The “ohhh, I get it” reactions followed by compliments about what a golden couple they were? She ate that up! 😍  

Adam, being the seasoned pro he was, wouldn’t dream of making the rookie mistake Liz had. Liz, tied to Meredith through roommate and friend vibes, had the guts to give a senior attending the cold shoulder. If Dr. Montgomery weren’t so chill about it, Liz’s impulsive, emotional antics would’ve gotten her crushed by someone like the Chief long ago.  

That said, Adam wasn’t blind—he could see the subtle game behind Montgomery’s “chill” vibe. Was it really just kindness? Or was she cleverly crafting a good-guy image, dangling her authority like bait to pull Meredith’s pals into her orbit, isolate her rival, and watch her crumble? Hard to say. After all, with so many interns in the hospital, was Liz—the face-slinger—really the only one with killer pediatric skills? Hmm. 🤔  

Patreon:belamy20—sliding this in here, as promised!  

Side note: this whole drama had Adam thinking of Wulin Waizhuan. That show’s Jin Xiangyu would’ve called Montgomery a pro. In Wulin, when Tong Xiangyu’s crew turned on her, she started off fighting back but eventually just rolled with it—“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” Meredith, though? She got totally steamrolled by Montgomery’s poise and presence at first.  

On looks alone, the second Montgomery showed up, Meredith bolted to buy new lipstick, constantly touching up in the mirror and fussing with her hair. No way was she letting this “TV-star-level rival” grind her into dust. On skill? During Montgomery’s surgery, Meredith was straight-up mesmerized. Afterward, she wailed to her boyfriend, Dr. Shepherd, “She’s too good. She’s an amazing doctor. You shouldn’t even compare me to her!”  

A few combo punches like that, and Meredith’s fighting spirit was toast.  

But then—plot twist! When Shepherd actually leaned toward his wife, Meredith’s fire roared back. She swallowed her pride, begged her flaky boyfriend to pick her, love her, and even roped her friends into cussing out Montgomery before every convo. Cristina, George, Liz—they all let her have it. Thing is, deep down, they didn’t really hate Montgomery anymore.  

Adam, though? He wasn’t buying into Meredith’s self-hype nonsense. “Wanna sway me? Step up like Montgomery and throw some real incentives my way. Then we’ll talk.”  

Totally different vibes. Tong Xiangyu and Meredith? Night and day. If Tong Xiangyu dropped into this medical center, Adam would’ve skipped right over Meredith’s basic friend status—or even Cristina’s—and treated her like Chandler and Monica-level BFFs. No question. (And no, this has nothing to do with Tong being the ninth-generation master of Dian Cang Mountain’s Seven Wonders Palace or a hypnosis legend. Nope. 🙅‍♂️)  

Where there’s people, there’s drama. Can’t go around hurting folks, but you’d be dumb not to watch your back. Adam kept his cool with Montgomery, never giving her a chance to pull a Jin Xiangyu or a Chief-level power move on him.  

“Heard the news?” Montgomery asked, giving him a sly smile.  

“You mean Mrs. Lusabin’s quintuplets?” Adam grinned back. “Congrats, Dr. Shepherd! That’s a headline-worthy case right there.”  

“Thanks!” She beamed. “You know it’s gonna take a ton of hands on deck. Dr. Duncan, you interested in jumping in?”  

“Absolutely.” Adam nodded, then hesitated. “But what about Dr. Stevenson?”  

“Oh, don’t worry,” Montgomery said with a chuckle. “You two can handle it together. This case is a big deal—can’t get too much attention. And honestly, among all the interns here, who’s more dependable than you? If you were into peds even a little, I’d say you could run this solo.”  

“You’re too kind,” Adam said with a humble smile.  

But inside? He was more convinced than ever that Montgomery wasn’t that sold on Liz. This woman was a force. And it made sense—she rolled in, faced a patient defending her honor, and still calmly explained Meredith wasn’t to blame. Then dropped that killer line: “I might be a loose woman, but I could still be your soulmate.” Absolute legend status.  

Montgomery glanced at Adam, clocking his steady, unruffled vibe. No bite on her hook. She let out a little laugh, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of frustration.  

Yup—she was trying to reel him in.  

The neonatal unit was thriving under her, and she was riding high. But the pressure? Massive. All that capital pouring in wasn’t charity—it was about boosting rep and raking in cash. If she flopped, she’d go from golden girl to laughingstock. Sure, a top doc like her would never hurt for money, but losing face? Unacceptable.  

She needed a solid team. Problem was, the skilled residents were already locked into specialties under other attendings. She could call on them, but only when their bosses didn’t need them. For a pediatric chief with big dreams and bigger stress, that wasn’t gonna cut it.  

Standard move? Pick a promising intern, train them up, and lock them in as her resident post-internship. Liz was her pick for that. But lately, Adam’s rep had been echoing through the halls. Montgomery realized she might’ve overlooked a better option.  

Adam—an intern with skills so wild they rivaled an attending’s? She didn’t fully buy that, but she’d admit he was on par with the legendary Dr. Bailey. If she nabbed him, her neonatal squad would level up fast—way quicker than grooming Liz.  

Still, she wasn’t delusional. Adam was destined for cardio or neuro, not peds. She’d never pitched him before, but this rare case gave her an opening to test the waters.  

No dice. Expected, sure, but it still stung a little.  

“Mrs. Lusabin’s showing some depressive signs,” Montgomery said, shifting gears with a half-smirk. “Her husband’s swamped at home with their triplet boys. I think you could really step up here, Dr. Duncan. Science says handsome male docs are perfect for OB-GYN—puts the moms at ease, y’know?”  

“…” Adam’s lip twitched.  

True? Yeah. Weird to hear? Oh, for sure.  

Chapter 493: You Telling Me How to Do My Job? 

Medical Center 

“So, Dr. Duncan, we’re all set then?”  

Dr. Montgomery cracked a little joke, her mood lifting as she flashed a smile.  

“Yep, sounds good.”  

Adam, who’d been labeled a “pretty face” more than once, swallowed his urge to snap back and nodded with a grin. “The chief said everyone’s under Dr. Shephard’s command right now, so naturally, we’re all your people.”  

Dr. Montgomery’s smile froze for a second. She shot Adam a deep, probing look before nodding and walking off.  

How could she not catch the subtle jab in his words?  

But Adam wasn’t wrong either.  

It was the surgical chief’s call, and with such a rare case on the table, she did have the power to pull everyone together—for now. That kind of authority wouldn’t stick around forever, though.  

In fact, just earlier, when she’d been hashing things out with her husband (the neurosurgery chief) and Dr. Burke (the cardiothoracic surgery chief), she’d already taken some heat.  

One of them had quipped, “Oh, no problem at all—since I don’t have to run a neurosurgery department.”  

The other chimed in, “Yeah, obviously our departments are at your beck and call.”  

The unspoken punchline? “You telling me how to do my job?”  

Even Shephard and her husband—equals in status but with a marriage on the rocks—weren’t immune to this vibe. Same went for Dr. Burke and Cristina, who, despite their wildly unequal positions, were still in that “honeymoon phase.”  

Not long ago, they’d finally stepped out of the hospital for a legit date. But according to Cristina later, it was awkward as hell.  

Picture this: the two of them sitting there in silence, glancing left and right, accidentally locking eyes for a split second before looking away—like some bad blind date from Adam’s past life where neither side was impressed but still had to suffer through the meal.  

When it came time to order, Burke tried to pick lobster for Cristina, saying it paired better with the red wine.  

Cristina flat-out shot it down and ordered herself a steak.  

“You eat red meat?” Burke had asked, stunned.  

“You don’t?” she fired back, fully aware he didn’t touch the stuff but not budging an inch.  

If it weren’t for a guy at the next table suddenly keeling over, triggering their doctor instincts and letting Burke see the Cristina he fell for again, that relationship might’ve crashed and burned right then and there.  

Point is, a top-tier surgeon like Cristina—or any of them—hates being told what to do when they don’t need the lesson.  

And Adam’s little comment? It hit Dr. Montgomery right in the gut.  

What she needed was someone she could boss around.  

Sigh.  

The incompetent ones? She wouldn’t waste her time. The talented ones? Too much attitude.  

Adam was clearly a lost cause.  

Guess she’d have to pin her hopes on Liz—someone with a spark of talent and a bit of sass.  

VIP Ward  

This case could put the medical center’s neonatal unit on the map, so the hospital was rolling out the red carpet for Mrs. Rusabin.  

“You’re here?” Liz asked, spotting Adam and tilting her head curiously.  

“Yeah, Dr. Shephard told me to join in,” Adam explained casually.  

“Oh, cool.”  

Liz didn’t think much of it, probably assuming he was just backup. She turned to Mrs. Rusabin, who was lying there, and grinned. “This is Dr. Duncan, our center’s star intern. Clearly, Dr. Shephard’s pulling out all the stops to make sure everything goes smoothly for you.”  

“Hi, Mrs. Rusabin.”  

“Hello, Dr. Duncan.”  

Mrs. Rusabin beamed at Adam. “Dr. Shephard really knows how to make me feel special. Looks like I picked the right place.”  

Adam started checking her vitals, but his brow furrowed. He grabbed the ultrasound machine and got to work.  

“What’s wrong?” Mrs. Rusabin asked, her voice tight with nerves as she watched him like a hawk.  

“You see something?” Liz added, wide-eyed.  

“Call Dr. Shephard,” Adam said, eyes glued to the ultrasound screen. “Both of them. We need a consult. Oh, and get Dr. Burke too.”  

“Okay.”  

Liz wanted to press him, but one glance from Adam, and she nodded, trusting him enough to run off and fetch the others.  

“Is something wrong with the babies?” Mrs. Rusabin’s voice trembled.  

“Uh, yeah,” Adam admitted, rubbing his neck.  

Keeping a pregnant woman calm is crucial—especially with quintuplets—but he couldn’t lie when he’d spotted a real problem.  

“It’s okay, though,” he added quickly. “We should be able to handle it. Try not to worry too much.”  

“What is it?” she demanded, her fear spiking. No more admiring Adam’s good looks—she was past that now.  

“It’s the third one, in the middle,” Adam said carefully, choosing his words.  

“Lucy!” Mrs. Rusabin gasped, already naming the unborn child.  

“Yeah, Lucy,” Adam confirmed, keeping his tone steady. “She’s showing signs of hydrocephalus—basically, fluid buildup in the brain. Too much fluid can put pressure on her brain and might cause damage. But we caught it early, so we can treat it fast. As long as there are no complications, she’ll recover fully.”  

He spoke slowly, buying time for the others to arrive.  

“No brain damage?” she pressed.  

“No brain damage,” Adam assured her with a nod.  

“How do you treat it?”  

“That’s for Dr. Shephard to map out once they get here,” he said, sticking to protocol.  

“Oh.”  

Mrs. Rusabin had seen enough doctors to know the drill. She nodded, but then another worry hit her. “What about Dr. Burke? Why him?”  

“Dr. Burke’s our cardiothoracic chief,” Adam said, bracing himself.  

Thankfully, the Shephards burst in right then.  

“What’s going on?” they asked in unison.  

“Take a look,” Adam said, relieved to pass the baton. He pointed at the ultrasound. “The third fetus has hydrocephalus symptoms. The second one on the left has an underdeveloped left ventricle. And the second on the right has organs protruding outside the body.”  

“Ha… haha…” Mrs. Rusabin let out a shaky laugh. “Three out of my five babies have issues. Haha!”  

Her laughter turned wild, teetering on the edge of hysteria.  

“Calm down,” Adam urged, while the Shephards studied the fuzzy images. “These are all things we can fix with surgery.”  

It took a while—and a few nudges from Adam—before the Shephards zeroed in on the subtle signs he’d caught.  

Truth is, in a day or two, a thorough scan would’ve flagged these issues anyway. But Adam spotting them now? It left them stunned—and a little impressed.  

They agreed with his assessment and jumped in to calm the near-frantic Mrs. Rusabin.  

It took forever, but she finally settled down, tears in her eyes as she accepted that three of her daughters had problems—but problems with solutions.  

Adam, though, sighed inwardly.  

He could see it in her eyes: endless regret.  

He knew plenty of doctors—like Liz—had warned her to let go of two fetuses to give the others a better shot. Even her husband had agreed.  

But she’d insisted on keeping all five.  

Now? She had no one to blame but herself.  

For a mother, that kind of guilt was pure torture.  

Chapter 494: Step Aside, Someone’s About to Go Big 

Medical Center.  

After calming down the pregnant mom, Liz stayed behind to keep an eye on her. Meanwhile, a crew of attendings filed into the conference room for a consult.  

This case was a big deal, and even the Chief of Surgery, Richard, got wind of it and hustled over. Adam, being one of the residents managing the patient, got a seat at this high-stakes table too.  

“Duncan, you were the first to spot it. Why don’t you kick things off?” Richard said, his tone warm as he gave Adam a nod of props.  

Emmm. Don’t be weirded out. The security scanner at the hospital entrance is still being installed, and Richard’s riding that wave of enthusiasm. It’s the same vibe as when Adam first rolled in and donated a lab—Richard was all over him back then too. Give it a bit, though, and he’ll snap back to his usual stern, fair-and-square Big Boss mode.  

Tsk! That’s just how it works—magic! ✨  

“Alright,” Adam said, unfazed. He grabbed the ultrasound images, slapped them up front, and pointed at the tiny details. “The middle one, Lucy, is showing signs of hydrocephalus—brain swelling. If it gets worse, it could mean brain damage. We can pop in a shunt to drain the cerebrospinal fluid.  

“Then there’s the second one on the left, Emily. She’s got hypoplastic left heart syndrome—underdeveloped left ventricle and a funky mitral valve that’s way too narrow. We can go with the Norwood procedure. Step one’s right after birth: reconstruct the aortic arch and set up a pulmonary shunt. Six to twelve months later, we do phase two—bidirectional Glenn shunt. Then, six months after that, phase three: a modified Fontan procedure.  

“Over on the right, the second one, Julie, has her organs growing in a sac outside her body. After birth, we’ll snip off the membrane, make a small incision in her abdomen, and tuck everything back inside.  

“Here’s the catch, though. These surgeries? The sooner, the better—especially for Lucy’s brain swelling. But the other two need as much time in the womb as possible. Timing’s a real headache. I’d say we monitor Lucy’s intracranial pressure constantly, factor in how long the surgery’ll take, set a red line, and if it crosses that, we operate ASAP.”  

“Solid work,” Richard said, his old face blooming into a grin. He gave Adam a big thumbs-up before glancing around at the other department heads. “What about you all? Anything to add?”  

Neonatal Chief Dr. Montgomery: “…” 

Neurosurgery Chief Dr. Shepherd: “…” 

Cardiothoracic Chief Dr. Burke: “…”  

What the heck were they supposed to say? Adam had just stolen the show! A freaking intern knowing everything? No way—they weren’t buying it.  

“Duncan, you actually know the Norwood and Fontan procedures?” Burke piped up, ready to poke some holes.  

He knew Adam had that photographic memory thing—HD screenshot-level recall. With a gift like that, cramming a ton of medical info wasn’t a stretch if you put in the effort. But memorizing isn’t the same as getting it or pulling it off. If Burke didn’t call him out, what was the point of this consult? Just let Adam flex solo?  

That’d mean one little intern was worth all three of their departments combined. No chance.  

“I’ve read up on them…” Adam said, keeping it humble.  

“Oh yeah? Then tell me—” Burke jumped in with some nitty-gritty surgery questions.  

But soon enough, he was just shaking his head with a wry smile. Adam answered every single one—spot-on, with details so sharp even Burke felt a jolt of “Whoa, that’s good.”  

What the heck?! These surgeries were rare as it gets. Burke hadn’t even done them himself—just studied the texts and leaned on his years of experience to mentally map it out. But Adam? He seemed to know more, and it all made sense. Burke couldn’t even argue back if he wanted to.  

“You’ve done these before?” Burke finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.  

“Nope,” Adam said, shaking his head. “But Dr. Grey has. We talked it over a while back, so I’ve got a decent grip on the details.”  

“…”  

The room went quiet. Even Richard clammed up this time.  

Dr. Alice Grey—the legend—was a permanent thorn in Richard’s side. Back in the day, they were interns together. He was the hotshot—talented, charming, everyone’s favorite. But Alice? She outshone him, hands down. It bugged him, sure, but her brilliance won him over too.  

Patreon:belamy20—slipping this in here like you asked!  

So, with his slick moves, he wooed her—easy peasy. Didn’t matter that she was married or that he had a fiancée (now his wife). Years of tangled drama later, Alice poured her whole heart into him. Her poor, patient husband finally snapped and bailed. But when she showed up with little Meredith in tow, begging him to ditch his wife and start fresh like he’d promised under the stars? He couldn’t do it.  

His wife didn’t hold a candle to Alice, no contest. But Alice was a wildfire, an iceberg, a blade—maybe a ghost or a goddess, but definitely not human. His wife? She was real, flesh and blood.  

Okay, fine—that’s all poetic nonsense. Truth is, he couldn’t handle Alice outshining him. Work was bad enough; he wasn’t about to let it spill into his personal life too. He never planned to end up with her.  

Crushed, Alice took off for Boston, leaving New York behind to build an even crazier, more epic career. Richard, meanwhile, climbed the ladder to Chief of Surgery—big fish, small pond. When Meredith reached out years later, asking to intern here, he said yes without a second thought. Guilt from the past still nagged at him. Now that he’d made it, he figured he could make it up to her, ease that old ache.  

Then he heard Alice had Alzheimer’s—forgot everything. It hit him hard, but there was a flicker of relief too. The shadows of the past faded, and he decided he’d be an upright Chief, a kind elder, a genuinely good guy from then on.  

But now Alice’s name was back, crashing in like this, dragging him right back to those days when even his best wasn’t enough to match her legend. For a guy holding all the power, it made him squirm.  

“Should we bring Dr. Grey in for the consult?” Burke asked, hesitant.  

“No way,” Richard shot back instantly. “She’s got Alzheimer’s—she can’t legally consult as a doctor anymore.”  

Worried his snap reaction looked shady, he added, “Duncan’s already talked it through with Alice. With his skills, he can assist you just fine.”  

Burke nodded, no choice but to roll with it.  

Adam gave a polite little smile.  

The lead surgeon spot for this one? His. He knew the details better than Burke—there was no way he’d stand there as first assist, whispering tips to the attending. How awkward would that be? Nope. He’d take the scalpel, and Burke could play mentor from the sidelines, tossing out a few harmless pointers to keep his dignity intact. That’s how you maintain the vibe.  

“Sigh,” Burke thought to himself. Who’d have guessed an intern could back him into a corner like this?  

Teaching these days? Tough gig.  

Chapter 495: The Heroine Who Came Knocking  

Medical Center 

VIP Ward  

“…So that’s the surgery plan. Once the babies are born, we’ll need to operate right away—no time for Q&A then. So, if you’ve got any questions, now’s the time to ask.”  

Dr. Montgomery, the neonatal chief heading up this case, laid out the whole procedure step by step.  

But Mrs. Rusabin just stared blankly, lost in her own world. The bad news had clearly hit her like a truck.  

“We get it. No questions,” Mr. Rusabin said, his face etched with sorrow as he gave a stiff nod.  

Ring ring!  

His phone went off again.  

“Sorry, it’s from home. My mom’s in her seventies, and she can only handle our three four-year-old boys for so long. Could you guys keep an extra eye on Doree for me?”  

He glanced at his phone, gave a bitter smile, and made the request.  

“Of course,” Dr. Montgomery replied with a quick nod.  

“Mom?”  

Mr. Rusabin kissed his wife’s forehead, picked up the call with a soft “Hey,” nodded to everyone, and stepped outside.  

“Dr. Duncan, Dr. Stevenson, you two figure out your schedules and handle round-the-clock care,” Dr. Montgomery instructed.  

“Yes, ma’am,” Adam and Liz replied in sync.  

Once everyone else cleared out—  

“Wait, weren’t you just on standby?” Liz asked, giving Adam a sideways look.  

“It’s all work, standby or not,” Adam said, brushing it off with a straight face. “Let’s sort out the shifts. With Mrs. Rusabin’s condition, she’s delivering tomorrow or the day after, tops. So, our main watch is these next few days. How about you take the first half of the night, and I’ll take the second?”  

“Deal.”  

Liz jumped at it. Night shift was Adam’s burden now, and she wasn’t about to complain about him picking up the slack.  

She didn’t mind an extra hand, honestly. But it still rubbed her the wrong way.  

She’d started out as the “host” here, with Adam as the “guest.” Now? He’d totally flipped the script and taken charge.  

And the worst part? She had no choice but to roll with it. It felt like this damn, ruthless, shameless, unfair life all over again!  

Adam, meanwhile, grabbed the ultrasound scans and headed to Dr. Alice Grey’s office to go over Mrs. Rusabin’s case. They brainstormed ways to optimize the surgery.  

Dr. Grey’s past ops hadn’t involved quintuplets, after all. Some details Adam had tossed around with her back then hadn’t even crossed their minds.  

Every case is its own beast.  

But Dr. Grey—legendary for a reason—brought experience, perspective, and ideas that sparked something in Adam when tackling this new challenge.  

Nightfall  

After wrapping up the case discussion, knowing the next few days would be eaten up by the quintuplets, Adam slipped over to the ER while Liz held down the fort.  

Might as well sneak in some work and bank a little “life credit” while he could.  

Nurse Station  

“Hey, Violet, any fun cases tonight?” Adam asked the sharpest nurse on the floor.  

“Oh, you bet.”  

Violet smirked, fishing a chart from the stack and handing it over. “Dr. Duncan, this outpatient’s a riot.”  

“Really?”  

Adam grinned, snagging the chart and heading to Exam Room 7.  

“Mr. Patrick? I’m Dr. Duncan,” he said, stepping in and smiling at the young white guy inside. “What’s bothering you?”  

Then he clocked it: the guy’s finger was broken.  

Before Adam could point it out, though—  

Mr. Patrick started talking. He poked his left leg with the busted finger. “Oof, hurts here.” Then his right leg. “Oof, here too.”  

He kept jabbing at random spots—his arm, his side—wincing each time. “Oof, hurts everywhere.”  

Finally, he looked up at Adam with a dead-serious face. “Doc, am I dying? Is this some big disease?”  

“…”  

Adam’s lip twitched. He studied the guy’s expression—no sign of a prank—and a hunch clicked into place.  

“Mr. Patrick, you been doing any drugs?”  

“Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “Never touch the stuff.”  

Adam nodded, holding up three fingers. “How many?”  

“Three!”  

“What day was yesterday? Halloween, right?” Adam asked casually.  

“November 1st,” Mr. Patrick said after a pause.  

“And the day before?”  

“Uh… October 30th? Or 31st?” He scratched his head.  

“Here’s one I’ve always wondered,” Adam said with a chuckle. “Why’s your reflection in a mirror flipped side-to-side, not top-to-bottom?”  

“Uh…”  

Mr. Patrick froze, scratching his ear, racking his brain, but came up empty.  

“Guess I’m not the only one stumped,” Adam cut in. “No one’s got that figured out.”  

“Oh, okay,” Mr. Patrick said with a goofy grin.  

“But good news—I’ve got your diagnosis,” Adam said, smiling. “You’re not hurting all over. Your finger’s broken. Every time you poke yourself, the pressure makes it hurt more, so it feels like your whole body’s in pain.”  

“Ohhh, that makes sense!” Mr. Patrick’s eyes lit up. “Can you fix me, Doc?”  

“You bet.”  

Adam patched up the injury—nothing fancy, just enough to help.  

But it was a band-aid fix. If he had to guess, Mr. Patrick wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders upstairs.  

“Dr. Duncan, over here!”  

He’d barely stepped out of the room when Violet waved him over.  

Adam glanced her way, did a double-take, and hustled over.  

A kid’s face was stuck in a tiger head.  

“He climbed a stool at home, shoved his head in, and started freaking out,” the dad explained, exasperated. “I’ve taken him to see The Lion King nine times. Guess this is payback.”  

“The teeth are caught on his neck,” Adam said, checking it out. “We’ll need to pull the tiger’s teeth off.”  

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” the dad yelped. “This thing’s been in my family for ninety years—my great-granddad brought it back from the Three Kingdoms with Teddy Roosevelt. It’s a priceless antique!”  

“Your kid’s neck is bleeding,” Adam pointed out.  

“I tried yanking them out earlier—might’ve made it worse,” the dad admitted, wincing.  

“Dad, it hurts!” the kid whined.  

“Do it,” the dad said through gritted teeth.  

Kid trumped antique, apparently.  

“Dr. Duncan, I’ll grab a saw,” Violet offered.  

“No need,” Adam said, shaking his head.  

He reached into the tiger’s mouth, gripped a tooth, and with a quick twist, popped it loose from the root. A few more tugs, and all the teeth pinning the kid were out. He freed the boy’s head and handed the stunned dad a fistful of tiger fangs.  

While Adam cleaned up the kid’s neck—  

“ADAM!”  

A familiar, furious female voice cut through the air.