399-401

Chapter 399: A Miracle Descends 

Half an hour later, Dr. Bailey, having finished arranging care for her other patients, walked past the room and stopped in her tracks, surprised. 

"Huh? They're still trying to save him?" 

"Because he still has a chance to live," Adam replied, continuing chest compressions. 

"Another unit of epinephrine!" he called out. 

"Yes, Doctor," the nurse responded, quickly injecting the dying patient. 

"How long has this been going on?" Dr. Bailey asked, glancing at Adam. She could sense something emotional in his movements as she stepped forward to check the patient herself. 

"Dr. Duncan’s been at it for 34 minutes," the nurse replied, checking the time. 

"How many rounds of epinephrine and atropine have you given?" Dr. Bailey pressed. 

"This is the third round," the nurse said, casting a quick look at Adam. 

"Dr. Duncan, stop," Dr. Bailey said, shaking her head. 

In the standard protocol, if one round of meds didn’t work, you declared the patient dead right then and there. Anything more was just a waste of resources. 

"He’s still got a shot," Adam insisted, still pressing down rhythmically as he looked at Dr. Bailey. "You said it yourself—only when we say he’s done is he really done." 

"Do you know him?" Dr. Bailey asked, frowning slightly. 

"No," Adam shook his head. "But I want to save him." 

He knew what Dr. Bailey was getting at. If this were a friend or family member of a staffer, bending the rules and burning through resources like this would be quietly tolerated. They wouldn’t give up until the very last second. 

Three rounds of meds? That’s for regular families. But if it were someone important—or their loved ones—it wouldn’t matter if it took six rounds, ten, or even twenty. As long as there was hope and no one was ready to throw in the towel, they’d keep going. 

How else did Adam come across that four-hour resuscitation record? Ordinary people didn’t even get a chance to be part of something like that! 

And why did Leonard pretend not to notice Adam cozying up to him, even playing along happily? Simple—Rachel and her three daughters were a handful, and not one of them had any interest in medicine or taking over his network of connections. 

Think about it: in a situation like this, whether you’re one of the hospital’s own makes the difference between life and death! Leonard, fully aware of this, was tearing his heart out for his girls. 

"He’s your patient, Dr. Duncan. It’s your call," Dr. Bailey said after a pause, giving Adam a look before heading out. 

She didn’t push back any further. Truth be told, if she didn’t have a stack of surgeries waiting for her, she’d probably have stayed to help Adam see it through to the end—a doctor’s final duty. 

She’d had moments like this herself once. A sudden pang of emotion, a desperate need to save a patient she didn’t even know, despite everyone telling her to let go. Protocol said to give up, but she wouldn’t. Couldn’t. 

Over time, after seeing so much life and death, that spark had faded, nearly vanished. But watching Adam now—this familiar scene—stirred something in her. That last "Dr. Duncan" she called out was her quiet way of saying she finally saw him as the real deal. 

An hour later. 

"Still going?" 

"Still going! It’s been 98 minutes straight." 

"Dr. Duncan hasn’t stopped for a second." 

"They should’ve called it ages ago. This is just wasting resources." 

"Yeah, what, does he think he’s God’s eldest son, the savior of the world or something?" 

"Or maybe he’s just showing off his stamina?" 

Word of Adam’s ongoing efforts spread through the hospital like wildfire. Most people were whispering about it in corners. 

"My husband Bob’s a great driver," the crash victim’s wife said from her hospital bed, rambling on as Cristina examined her. "This pickup cut us off. He saw something in the road and tried to swerve—it all happened so fast. We were having such a perfect morning, and then, just like that…" 

Cristina didn’t even bother responding. 

"How’s my husband Bob doing?" the woman asked for the umpteenth time. 

"He’s in surgery," Cristina said flatly, her face blank. 

"You’ve got a problem with me?" the woman pressed. 

"No," Cristina replied. "I just wish you’d stop with the stories and rest. I’m not a cop." 

"What’s that supposed to mean? Everything I said is true—you don’t believe me?" The woman’s voice rose. 

"It’s the police’s job to figure out the truth," Cristina said, still expressionless. "But no, I don’t buy it. Your son next door told a completely different story." 

"What did Scotty say?" the woman asked, suddenly tense. 

"He said you two fought over breakfast. Your husband was in a rotten mood, blew through three red lights on the highway, got passed by someone, lost his temper, and started chasing them down. It wasn’t about dodging something in the road—he was trying to ram the car in front of him. They kept evading, but when he finally caught up, he yelled and slammed right into them." 

Cristina gave a cold laugh. "Now the guy he hit is basically dead. And you—those injuries on your back, your collarbone, humerus, third and fourth ribs—all those healed fractures? Plus that big yellow bruise over your kidney and the hematoma around it? No way that’s from ‘just now’ in the crash or ‘falling last week’ like you claimed. The evidence is crystal clear. The truth is right there—you can’t just spin a story and make it go away. Your son says your husband had it coming. That he abused you. Right?" 

"No!" the woman cried out in despair. "It’s not like that!" 

"He’s been hurting you for years, killed someone today, and nearly got you and your son killed too. Why are you still defending him?" Cristina asked, genuinely baffled. 

"Doctor, have you ever been in love?" the woman shot back instead of answering. 

Cristina froze for a second. 

Seeing her reaction, the woman perked up, tilting her head. "Have you ever loved someone?" Her expression screamed, If you had, you wouldn’t ask that. 

Cristina sighed inwardly. Pitiful people always have something hateworthy about them. "Love has its limits," she said, her face still a mask. 

The woman fell silent. Clearly, her love for her abusive husband hadn’t quite crossed into no-limits territory. 

Back in the room, Adam’s resuscitation efforts pressed on. 

Cristina, Meredith, George, and Izzie, done with their own tasks, wandered over one by one. 

"I’ve never seen him like this," Izzie said, marveling. 

"This is his moment," Meredith murmured. 

"He’s trying to pull off a miracle," Cristina said, her tone detached. "But miracles are miracles because they’re not supposed to happen." 

"I hope Adam makes it happen," George said. "Someday, we might need a miracle too." 

"There’s a heartbeat!" the nurse shouted, staring at the monitor as the numbers jumped from zero and kept climbing. 

The crowd watching erupted in gasps and chatter. 

A miracle had descended. 

Chapter 400: What a Shout! Medical Center 

A miracle unfolded. 

“Unbelievable.” 

“He’s actually alive…” 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. After being comatose and near death for so long, even if he’s saved, he’s either brain-dead or a vegetable. We poured so much effort and resources into this, and this is the result? Might’ve been better to just let him go.” 

“That’s true in most cases, but there’s still a chance he could wake up and be normal. What happened to him was a miracle, after all. And how do you know he doesn’t want to live?” 

“Yeah, isn’t survival the strongest human instinct?” 

“Easy to say until it’s you in that situation. Then you’d be praying for a doctor like Duncan to show up.” 

“…” 

The crowd around them started buzzing with chatter. Sure, a few had their doubts, but most people gave Adam’s life-saving efforts a thumbs-up. On top of his looks, wealth, stamina, strength, charm, and medical skills, Adam’s ethics as a doctor now earned him widespread respect. 

As someone pointed out: no matter what people said out loud, deep down, everyone had their own scale of judgment. If they ever faced a situation like this, Adam Duncan would be the doctor they’d all hope to have. 

“Page Dr. Shephard.” 

After listening to the patient’s chest with his stethoscope, Adam let out a long breath. He’d actually done it. But this wasn’t the time to celebrate just yet. The patient’s heart was beating again, and now the focus shifted to the brain. After such a prolonged coma and near-death state, the big question was whether the patient’s brain function was still intact. 

And in that area, Dr. Shephard, the hospital’s top neurosurgeon, was the expert they needed. 

Word of the dramatic scene spread fast. Dr. Shephard, summoned by the page, arrived in no time. After a thorough check, he smiled. “So far, things look promising. But we still need to run a transcranial Doppler, EEG, evoked potential tests, a CT scan, and an MRI. If everything comes back clear, then we just wait for him to wake up on his own.” 

“Got it,” Adam nodded. 

“Great work, Dr. Duncan!” Dr. Shephard clapped Adam on the arm, then started applauding. Clap, clap, clap! The nurse who’d been by his side throughout the ordeal joined in, clapping hard, tears streaming down her face as she beamed with joy. She felt like she’d earned a piece of this victory too. 

Clap, clap, clap! Outside the room, the doctors, nurses, and curious patients who’d gathered to watch finally joined in the applause. 

Adam began running the brain function tests on the still-unconscious patient. The staff at the testing stations—who usually bent over backward to rush his requests—had already heard the news and worked even faster than usual. 

By noon, Adam had all the results in hand and couldn’t help but smile. 

“Dr. Duncan, is it good news?” the nurse asked. 

“Yeah, it’s good news,” Adam said with a grin. “Barring any surprises, once he wakes up, everything should be back to normal.” 

“That’s amazing!” the nurse exclaimed. “This really is a miracle!” 

“It sure is,” Adam chuckled. “He’s in your hands now—keep a close eye on him.” 

“Don’t worry,” she assured him. “I won’t leave his side for a second. The moment he wakes up, I’ll call you.” 

“Great, thanks,” Adam said before heading out. 

Cafeteria 

“Well, if it isn’t our miracle doctor!” 

“Adam, you’re incredible!” 

“You’re the real deal!” 

“…” 

Liz, Meredith, and the others showered him with praise. Bianca’s eyes sparkled with a look that practically screamed, “You’re not getting out of letting me come over tonight.” Good thing Alice hadn’t picked today to spring her “revenge plan,” or it’d be a total showdown later. 

“Luck!” Adam said modestly. 

“Luck?” Bianca shot back. “Sure, some might call it that. But would any of them keep fighting for over an hour to save someone already declared dead? Without that kind of pressure and persistence, would this miracle even have happened?” 

“Exactly,” the others chimed in. “Adam’s effort and determination are what made this miracle possible.” 

“How’s he doing? Brain function okay?” Christina asked, keeping her cool as always. 

“All the tests are pointing in the right direction,” Adam said with a smile. “I think he’ll wake up and be just fine.” 

The group let out a collective sigh of awe. 

“What are you all doing?” Adam suddenly leaned back in his chair. 

“Huh?” Everyone blinked, confused. 

“Someone just pulled off a miracle,” Adam said, dead serious. “Shouldn’t that someone get a little more praise?” 

“…” 

The group couldn’t help but laugh at Adam’s blatant, “I’ll play humble, but don’t you dare stop complimenting me” vibe. 

Bianca, unfazed, snapped out of her daze and burst out laughing before launching into a full-on rainbow of flattery. Liz and Meredith pitched in too, though their praise was less over-the-top. Christina, meanwhile, rolled her eyes so hard they nearly got stuck. 

It took a while for things to calm down. 

“It’s all that drunk driver’s fault,” George piped up. “The guy’s a total alcoholic—drank himself into cirrhosis and got on the transplant list. No liver for him, though. Now his son might have to give up half of his own.” 

“Might?” Liz jumped in. “Scotty still hasn’t decided? The liver regenerates! Even if he gives up half, it’ll be back to normal in two months. That’s his dad—how’s that even a question?” 

“Not so fast,” Adam countered. “Donating’s a choice, not a must. Yeah, the liver can grow back, but the surgery’s risky. And even if it regenerates, is it really the same as before? His overall health would still take a hit. In a loving, tight-knit family, sure, it’s a no-brainer. But with a dad like that? It’s normal he’s hesitating.” 

“He said his dad deserves what he got,” Christina added quietly. 

“Liz, you’re handling his dad’s surgery, right?” Adam asked. 

“Yeah, why?” Liz paused, then laughed. “Wait, you don’t think that’s why I said what I did, do you?” 

“You tell me,” Adam said, giving her a long look. “You only talked up the perks of the surgery, not a word about the downsides. Sounds like a sales pitch. You sure there’s no bias there?” 

“No way!” Liz protested. But when everyone turned to stare, her next denial just wouldn’t come out. 

Beep, beep. 

Beep, beep.  

“Is that him?” All eyes went to Adam’s waist. 

He checked his pager, grinned, and bolted toward the patient’s room. Christina and the others followed close behind. This was the moment to witness the miracle—how could they miss it? 

Patient’s Room 

“Dr. Duncan, he’s starting to respond!” the nurse said, thrilled. 

“Got it.” Adam stepped up to the bed, checked the patient, and gently called out, “Mr. Dean? Mr. Dean?” 

“S… S…” The patient’s eyelids fluttered, his mouth opening slightly as he mumbled. 

“What’re you trying to say?” Adam leaned in to listen. 

Liz and the others held their breath. 

“S～o～n…” Mr. Dean struggled to get the word out. 

“He’s thinking of his son!” Meredith thought she’d cracked it. 

But she was quickly proven wrong. 

“Son, of…” 

The group’s expressions turned weird. 

“Son, of, the…” 

Finally, Mr. Dean opened his eyes, weak but furious, spitting out, “Son of the bitch!” 

That must’ve been his last thought before the crash knocked him out… 

Chapter 401: The Flexible Neck 

Medical Center. 

Ward Room.  

As Mr. Dean, the patient, let loose a colorful string of curses, the shouts of this "Son of the Beach" echoed through the room.  

Everyone broke into smiles.  

That spirit!  

His brain function was clearly just fine!  

"Some people were saying it’d be better to just let him go," Liz quipped. "But if they heard this, they’d know exactly how much he wants to stick around."  

"With something like this, how could anyone leave without letting off some steam in person?" Meredith said with a laugh. "Maybe it’s that fire that’s kept him going this whole time."  

"I never thought I’d find someone cussing so… delightful," George muttered.  

"Pretty normal," Cristina chimed in. "Because here, it’s the sound of life—the voice of the soul!"  

"What about that jerk?"  

After a good venting session, Mr. Dean finally calmed down enough for Adam to run more tests. Still, he couldn’t stop grumbling about the road-rage guy.  

"He’s still in the OR, waiting for his son to decide whether to save him," Liz blurted out, quick as ever.  

Mr. Dean froze for a second, then snarled, "Serves him right! If you ask me, why drag his kid into this mess? Even if they save him, he’s spending the rest of his life in prison—I’m suing him for attempted murder!"  

Out on the highway, weaving recklessly, trying to ram other cars, and causing a crash? Yeah, that’s attempted murder alright.  

Adam didn’t say much, just kept his focus on the exam, staying unusually low-key.  

A doctor’s job is to heal and save lives.  

Anything else? Best to steer clear.  

Once you start picking sides or mouthing off, there’s a good chance the opposing side might hold a grudge—or worse. Even if it doesn’t get that far, stuff like this happens way too often in hospitals.  

No point wasting time or energy on it.  

Leave God’s work to God and Caesar’s to Caesar.  

Attempted murder? That’s for a judge to decide.  

Beep beep. 

Beep beep.  

Liz glanced at the pager on her hip, said a quick word, and hurried off.  

"Scotty’s decided to donate his liver to save his dad."  

Cristina followed her out—she was handling the culprit’s wife.  

The group scattered, each with their own pile of work to tackle.  

2:00 PM  

Adam’s phone rang out of the blue. It was Rachel.  

"Of course I can help. What’s up—something wrong with the baby?"  

Rachel had asked him to book her an OB-GYN appointment and keep it hush-hush from Leonard. Adam agreed, but his tone was laced with concern.  

Normally, she’d go to her family doctor for routine checks. Only if they couldn’t handle it would they refer her to a big hospital.  

"No, no, everything’s fine…" Rachel rushed to explain over the phone. "It’s just that those OB-GYNs aren’t exactly… friendly."  

"Come over now then. You good on your own? Alright, stay safe. Call me when you get here."  

After hanging up, Adam’s lips twitched into a smirk.  

All the OB-GYNs weren’t friendly? 

Translation: Rachel was the unfriendly one.  

But hey, pregnant women and big tempers? Par for the course.  

Rachel showed up soon enough. Four months pregnant, her belly just starting to show.  

Adam greeted her with a grin. "Rachel!"  

"Adam!"  

Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she threw her arms wide open.  

Adam sighed inwardly and went in for the hug.  

But then something felt… off.  

Rachel wasn’t letting go. And was that… weird breathing near his ear?  

"Ahem," Adam coughed lightly. "Alright, Rachel, let’s not squish the baby."  

"Oh, it’s fine. The doctor said to just be careful…" she replied, her tone dripping with subtext.  

"…"  

Adam’s mouth twitched again.  

He was starting to see why those OB-GYNs weren’t "friendly."  

The awkwardness was thickening, and Rachel still hadn’t let go. Adam had to pull out the big guns.  

"Rachel, keep this up, and Leonard’s gonna walk in any second."  

"Ah!"  

She jolted, eyes snapping open as she released him, glancing around nervously.  

"What’s really going on?" Adam asked.  

"What do you mean?" Rachel’s eyes darted away.  

"All the OB-GYNs aren’t friendly?"  

He wasn’t letting this slide. If he set her up with another doctor and something awkward happened, it’d be his embarrassment too.  

"Um…" She tried to dodge.  

She turned her head. He followed. 

She turned it again. He kept up.  

After nearly twisting her neck off, she finally caved under Adam’s relentless, 360-degree neck-tracking stare—paired with his "just come clean" look.  

"Fine, fine! I’m four months pregnant, and lately, I’ve been really… you know…"  

"They were all male OB-GYNs?" Adam cut in.  

"Yeah, all hot male OB-GYNs~" Her eyes glazed over dreamily.  

"Got it. Totally normal—hormones going wild," Adam said, half-laughing, half-exasperated.  

"Ha! You’re a doctor, you get it, right?" Rachel beamed, relieved. "Lately, everything feels like spring’s in the air. Last weekend, I hit up every store, sat on the lap of every mascot in a cartoon costume. Then I went to the OB-GYNs, and every single one made me want to… flirt like crazy."  

"And then they kicked you out, huh?" Adam grinned.  

"Yeah!" Rachel huffed. "What, am I not attractive to them at all? So heartless!"  

"You’re a patient. A pregnant patient. They’re doctors," Adam said, deadpan. "What did you expect?"  

"Alright, forget them."  

Rachel shook her head, grabbed Adam’s hand, and gave him a suggestive smile. "So… how you doing?"  

"…"  

Adam was now 100% sure her hormones were off the rails.  

"Ow!" Rachel yelped. "Adam, what the heck?"  

"Just snapping you out of it. You’re Rachel, not Joey!"  

He gently swatted her hand away. "If you keep this up, how am I supposed to refer you to an OB-GYN? Forget male doctors—I’m not even sure female ones are safe now!"  

"I don’t mean to!" Rachel pouted, genuinely upset. "It’s all these stupid hormones! You’re my friend and a doctor—you should help me. Like Phoebe—she’s a mess, but at least she tried."  

"What’d she do?" Adam asked, curious.  

"She sent some 40-year-old creep to my place to ‘fix my problem,’" Rachel said.  

"And then?" Adam’s jaw dropped.  

"I kicked him out, obviously!" Rachel snapped. "I don’t even know him! Plus, he was hideous. I’m not that desperate! I don’t need a boyfriend right now, and I don’t want one. I just want one perfect night—no strings, just… you know, with someone I like who gets how to handle it. Simple as that."  

She locked eyes with him. "So, Adam… how you doing?"  

"…"  

(End of Chapter)