378-380

Chapter 378: A Perfect Day Joe’s Bar. 

“Such a shame.” 

Adam tapped into his memory database, ran a serious analysis, and concluded that Dr. Shepard probably didn’t have a cuckold fetish. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone, ready to make a call. 

In a situation like this, it was safer to call Christina, Liz, or one of the others. 

Bang! 

The bar door swung open. 

Speak of the devil, and they shall appear! 

George stormed in with a dark look on his face, followed by Christina, her expression blank as a board. 

Adam perked up, pocketed his phone, waved at them, and slid into the seat next to Meredith. 

“Gimme a beer!”  

George plopped down, barked his order, and as soon as the bottle hit his hand, he started chugging. 

“How about a game?” he suggested. “Let’s see who’s the unluckiest.” 

Meredith’s eyes gleamed with a mix of haze and madness. “I’ll win. I always win!” 

“You don’t wanna play this with me,” Christina said, her face still deadpan, like some untouchable master issuing a warning. 

“Let’s make it the four of us—whoever loses picks up the tab!” George shot Adam a sideways glance and shouted. 

“I’m in!”  

“I’m in!”  

Meredith and Christina turned to Adam in unison, chiming their agreement. 

“Alright, I’m in too,” Adam said with a shrug. 

It was obvious they’d been stewing over his recent “look at me” antics, and with each of them clearly dealing with their own crap, tonight was going to cost him some cash.  

But Adam didn’t mind. It was just a few drinks.  

Go ahead and try to drink me broke, he thought. 

“Joe, you heard ‘em!” Meredith laughed loudly. “When the time comes, bring out the good stuff—make him regret it!” 

“I heard ya,” Joe said, glancing at Adam. Seeing Adam nod, he chuckled in agreement.  

But Joe wasn’t the type to overdo it. He’d been running this bar for over a decade, building a reputation and a business—he wasn’t about to fleece Adam like some sucker. The drinks he brought out later were just a step up, nothing outrageous. 

“I’ll go first!”  

Meredith slammed back another drink, then turned to the group. “Derek’s married.” 

“Pfft!”  

George, mid-sip, spewed beer out of his mouth and nose. 

“What?!” he sputtered, wiping himself off, wide-eyed.  

But amid the shock, Adam caught a fleeting glint of glee in George’s eyes. Compared to the frustration of pissing off a top-tier anesthesiologist—or maybe some other doctor—earlier today, this juicy tidbit about his goddess was a jackpot. Meredith had been stabbed in the back, her defenses down. It was prime time for a backup guy like him to step up and make his move. 

“Told you I’d win,” Meredith said, giggling with a drunken smirk. 

“You didn’t,” Christina replied, unfazed, sipping her drink with the coolness of a seasoned pro. 

“Didn’t you hear me?” Meredith snapped, annoyed. “I said that stupid, cheating jerk is married. Nothing you say can top that—I’m the biggest loser here!” 

“I’m pregnant,” Christina said flatly, taking another sip. 

“…”  

Meredith was instantly speechless. 

“Burke’s?” Adam cut in. 

“Not yours,” Christina shot him a look. 

“How did you guys even…” Meredith, momentarily forgetting her own mistress status, stammered in shock. “You’re both doctors—didn’t you use protection?” 

“The first time was spontaneous. Who’s got time to dig around for a condom in a moment like that?” Christina grumbled. “Not everyone’s like Adam’s gimpy friend, carrying a whole string of them in his pocket—and even then, he doesn’t always use ‘em, or he wouldn’t have caught that STD.” 

She left out the part where it all started: assisting Dr. Burke in surgery, blown away by his skill, then tracking him down afterward, cornering him in the on-call room, and locking the door behind her. 

“…”  

Adam’s lip twitched.  

Anyone unfamiliar got labeled as “Adam’s gimpy friend”—Barney. With Barney’s wild reputation, he was always the talk of the town, dragging Adam’s own image down with him. 

“So after that, you used protection?” Meredith pressed. 

“Of course,” Christina said, downing another gulp, clearly irritated. 

“One shot, one kill,” Adam mused. 

“You planning to keep it?” Meredith asked, shooting Adam a glare before turning to Christina with concern. 

“Do I even need to answer that?” Adam interjected. “Look at how she’s pounding those drinks—she’s not keeping it. Wednesday’s the day, right? That’s the big thing we’ve all been guessing about.” 

“Ohhh,” George said, the pieces clicking. “No wonder you asked me to cover your shift.” 

“Christina, are you sure?” Meredith urged. “Maybe think it over?” 

“What, you gonna pull a ‘let’s talk it out’ like my appointment doc?” Christina chugged more beer and sneered. “Raise it myself or give it away? Either way, I’d have to carry it for nine months first! I’m a surgical intern! I’m aiming to be a badass surgeon like your mom. Where am I supposed to find the time for that? What would you do?” 

Meredith froze.  

She’d become a doctor partly to spite her mom, who didn’t think she could hack it as a top surgeon, and partly because, deep down, she idolized her mom’s legendary status in the field.  

Being a decent surgeon was hard enough. Adding a kid to the mix? Impossible.  

Her silence said it all. 

“See?” Christina took another swig and smirked coldly. “I never hesitated for a second.” 

“Have you checked it out yet?” Adam asked. “What if it’s ectopic?” 

Christina’s face shifted.  

An ectopic pregnancy was no joke—ruptured tubes, massive bleeding, maybe even losing a fallopian tube. Worst case, it could kill you. 

“I’m fine! Surgery’s the day after tomorrow. Then it’s back to normal,” she insisted, raising her glass again, but Adam snatched it away. 

“What the hell?” 

“Back to the hospital. Get an ultrasound,” Adam said, yanking the drink from her hand. “If I remember right, you smoke too, don’t you? That already ups your odds of ectopic, and you’re basically living at the hospital 24/7. I’m worried you won’t make it to Wednesday.” 

“I’m not going to the hospital,” Christina protested.  

She’d booked her procedure at a different place to keep it from her colleagues. 

“Then we’ll go somewhere else,” Adam said, turning to the others. “Meredith, George, what are you waiting for? Grab her—let’s go!” 

“Oh—oh!”  

“Christina, listen to Adam!”  

George and Meredith snapped out of it, each taking an arm and hauling Christina toward the door. 

“Joe, put it on my tab,” Adam called, tilting his chin. 

“No problem,” Joe replied with a grin.  

Even Alex could run a tab here—Adam was a sure bet. 

Adam felt great.  

One, he might’ve just saved Christina from a real danger, maybe even bought her some extra years. Two, he’d distracted Meredith enough to keep her infamous “100% drunk pants-dropping” move from happening tonight.  

And on top of that, he’d pulled off two high-level surgeries today, earning favors from two big-shot doctors.  

A damn near perfect day! 

Chapter 379: New York Metro News One Williams Clinic, New York. 

It’s a private clinic.  

Specializing in gynecology.  

At this hour, if you want a check-up without an appointment, aside from your own medical center, a private clinic’s your only bet.  

Of course, you’ve got to shell out some extra cash.  

Otherwise, if you rely on insurance-approved hospitals and their surgery schedules, you’d hit a snag—Christina might end up giving birth before her appointment even rolls around, thanks to some unforeseen delay.  

Though if she could line up a second or third kid right after, maybe that’d work out…  

Adam drove, with George and Meredith sandwiching a reluctant Christina in the backseat, pulling up to this well-known private clinic. 

“I’ve already booked it—surgery’s the day after tomorrow,” Christina grumbled. “This place doesn’t take my insurance.” 

“Tonight’s game made you the big winner,” Adam said with a grin. “I’m the loser, so think of this as my bet payout. It’s just a check-up—won’t cost much.  

If it’s not ectopic, you can totally wait till Wednesday.  

But if it is ectopic, I’d say it’s worth every penny.  

Plus, we’re all doctors—chances are we’ll open our own clinics someday. Let’s call it a sneak peek, a little field trip. Sound good?” 

“Yep!”  

“Christina, come on, it’ll be like a group learning experience!”  

George and Meredith chimed in eagerly. 

“I’m unlucky, but not that unlucky!” Christina muttered, half-mocking herself.  

Still, with Adam laying it out like that, she didn’t argue further. Sure, insurance wouldn’t cover it, but it’s not like she couldn’t afford it out of pocket.  

Stepdaughter’s a daughter too, right?  

Rich man’s daughter—get to know her.  

Half an hour later:  

“How could this happen…”  

Christina stared at the ultrasound image, her face paling.  

She didn’t need a doctor to explain—she was a doctor. 

“It’s really ectopic…” Meredith said, eyeing her with concern. 

“It’s a big win wrapped in a big loss,” Adam said reassuringly. “Catching it early and getting surgery beats a ruptured tube, losing it—or worse, bleeding out with no time to save you, right?” 

“Now that you put it that way, yeah,” Meredith replied, her eyes—sobered up by the scare—starting to glaze over again. 

“Shit!” Adam cursed under his breath. “No way. Is her ‘100% drunk pants-drop’ move some kind of unstoppable superpower? I threw her off, and she’s still gearing up for it?”  

He couldn’t help but overthink it—Meredith’s hazy stare was locked right on him. 

“Let’s do the surgery now,” Adam said, ignoring her look and turning to Christina. “The sooner it’s done, the sooner you recover. Interns don’t have time to waste.” 

“Yeah,” Christina agreed without hesitation this time.  

As a doctor, she knew full well how dangerous an ectopic pregnancy could be. With her work schedule, she probably wouldn’t last till Wednesday. 

“Dr. Williams, set up the surgery,” Adam said to the gynecologist waiting for their call. 

“Got it,” Dr. Williams replied with a smile, heading off to prep. 

“Christina, should we let Dr. Burke know?” Adam asked, knowing the answer. 

“No need,” she said firmly, as expected. 

Adam nodded. “Meredith, go with Christina into the OR.” 

“Sure,” Meredith said, her gaze drifting back to Adam, even hazier now. 

“…”  

George’s already pale face went whiter. 

A private clinic with a little extra cash thrown in? Lightning-fast service.  

Christina, with Meredith by her side, was in the operating room in no time. 

Waiting area:  

Adam lounged there, flipping through TV channels with the remote. 

“What’s up?”  

“Nothing.”  

George’s eyes darted around nervously.  

Adam knew what was on his mind, but since he wasn’t spilling, Adam was happy to play dumb.  

Still, he figured George wouldn’t hold it in for long.  

Sure enough, a minute later:  

“Adam, don’t you think Dr. Shepard’s gone too far?” George blurted out. “He’s married and still pretended to be single to fool Meredith!” 

“Mm-hmm,” Adam hummed, flipping channels. “What’s your plan?” 

He agreed Dr. Shepard was kind of a jerk.  

Meredith and Shepard had hooked up the night before her first day as an intern, and now, over two months into the gig, he’d been crashing at her place publicly for more than a week. All that time, and he never mentioned something as huge as being married? No excuse for that.  

Adam also remembered a few days back—Meredith had said their thing was more heart than love, and she barely knew the guy. She’d chased him down from home to the hospital, grilling him during work hours to learn more about him.  

And what’d he do? Took her to his “home”—a trailer—spouting off some generic checklist: a few sisters, a couple nephews, favorite foods, drinks, hobbies, books, bands, colors.  

It sounded sincere enough to make Meredith swoon—she nearly tore the trailer apart that night.  

But the one critical detail—married—he conveniently left out.  

Barney’s famous words: “Touching bubbles and breakup bubbles are the ultimate experiences you can’t miss.”  

Adam could only nod and say, “Expert.”  

“I’m going after Meredith,” George said, clenching his jaw. 

But Adam didn’t react like he’d hoped—just kept staring at the TV. 

“Adam!” George huffed, annoyed. 

“Shh!” Adam hushed him, pointing at the screen. 

George blinked, following Adam’s gaze, and saw the TV airing a news segment—with two familiar faces. 

“Ban the strippers!”  

“Women deserve better!”  

On-screen, a crowd was protesting outside a strip club, blocking the entrance. A reporter was mid-interview. 

“Excuse me, are you two heading into the strip club?”  

A stunning female reporter hurried after bald Chris and chubby white Stu, who’d just walked up and were already turning to leave. 

“Of course not—we’re here for the protest,” bald Chris said, quick on his feet. 

“We’re worried about the kids,” chubby Stu added, nodding solemnly. 

“Then what’s that in your pocket?” the gorgeous reporter pressed, signaling the camera to zoom in on a fat wad of bills sticking out of Stu’s jacket. 

“Uh, uh, that’s 38 bucks in change. I bought a paper for 40, and this is what I got back,” Stu stammered, flustered. 

“Pfft!”  

Adam and George cracked up.  

Buddy, there’s no such thing as a 40-dollar bill.  

And even if there were, who’s handing you 38 singles as change?  

The sharp reporter clearly saw through it too, ready to turn it into a big scoop, when—thud!—she spun around to see her cameraman collapse. 

“Neil!”  

“OMG!”  

“Sir?”  

The crowd gasped in shock.  

Bald Chris and chubby Stu sprang into action. 

“No pulse.”  

“Starting CPR.”  

“Call an ambulance.”  

The reporter, no slouch herself, hoisted the fallen camera, aimed it at the rescue, and started narrating.  

“You’re watching live as two young doctors fight to save my cameraman… This is New York Metro News One, Robin Scherbatsky.”  

Chapter 380: Dude, You See That Girl? 

New York. 

Ted and Marshall’s apartment. 

“She’s here!”  

Ted was sprawled out on the couch, eyes glued to the barely-watched New York City News Channel One. The second Robin’s face popped up on the screen, he bolted upright.  

“…And now we’re headed to the medical center to check on my colleague Neil…”  

“Medical center!” Ted muttered, grabbing his jacket and making a beeline for the door.  

“Huh, what a coincidence—Barney and Adam are both over there,” Lily said, raising an eyebrow.  

Before she could finish, Ted froze for a split second—then took off like he was running the 100-meter Dash.  

“What’s up with him?” Lily asked, genuinely curious.  

“Babe, isn’t it obvious?” Marshall grinned. “Ted’s trying to win Robin back. Why else would he go through all this trouble tracking her down for a ‘casual’ run-in? But with Barney and Adam around? Those guys are lady-killers and every man’s worst nightmare. Of course he’s freaking out.”  

“Ted’s lost it a little,” Lily said, shaking her head. “First, he drops ‘I love you’ on their very first date and scares her off. Now he’s turning into a full-on stalker. I’m starting to regret setting him up with Robin in the first place.”  

A few days earlier, at McLaren’s Pub:  

Marshall and Lily’s mushy PDA was blinding, and Ted was rambling on again about his quest for true love. Then, mid-rant, he spun around—and there she was: Robin, looking drop-dead gorgeous.  

It was like a scene from an old movie. A sailor spots a girl across a crowded dance floor, turns to his buddy, and says, “See that girl? Someday, I’m gonna marry her.”  

“Hey, Mom, Dad—check out that girl!” Ted said, doing a dramatic lean-back and nudging the couple who were busy making out like no one else existed. “I just found the future Mrs. Ted Mosby.”  

Marshall and Lily’s relationship was rock-solid—practically married already. Lily was the queen of giving friends life advice, and Marshall was shaping up to be a smooth-talking lawyer. So, living together, Ted sometimes jokingly called them “Mom and Dad.”  

“Whoa! She’s hot!” Lily exclaimed—not Marshall.  

Robin was stunning, with this sharp, confident vibe that made guys swoon and even some girls take notice.  

“Ted, what are you waiting for? Go for it!” Marshall urged.  

“I can’t just walk up to her. I need a plan. Maybe wait till she heads to the bathroom…” Ted hesitated, overthinking as usual.  

“Hey, have you met Ted?” Lily rolled her eyes, channeling Barney’s classic move. When Robin came up to the bar to order a drink, Lily tapped her shoulder, tossed out the line, and promptly ditched the scene, leaving Ted to take over.  

It started off great—until Ted got too eager, blurted out “I love you,” and spooked Robin, who was only looking for something casual.  

Still, she hit it off with Lily and became fast friends. When Lily let slip that Robin wasn’t into anything serious right now, Ted hatched a new plan: Operation Casual. He couldn’t just ask her out—that’d be too direct. Instead, he’d track her down, stage a “coincidental” meetup, and “casually” invite her to a totally nonexistent party he’d throw together on the fly.  

Ted dubbed himself the “Prince of Casual.”  

Lily, a fellow romantic, thought he was losing his damn mind.  

“Marshall, let’s head over too. Might as well check in on Barney and Adam,” Lily suggested.  

“Yeah, sounds good,” Marshall agreed, always down for whatever.  

At the medical center:  

“Ted?”  

Robin was in the hallway, mid-conversation with Bald Chris about her passed-out colleague Neil’s condition, when she caught a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t hide her surprise.  

“Robin? Whoa, small world!” Ted said, playing it cool. He’d spotted her ages ago but turned away, waiting for her to call out first. His tone and expression weren’t even that over-the-top—pretty smooth, actually.  

But the sweat dripping from his forehead after sprinting over? To a seasoned pro like Robin, it was a dead giveaway. Hilarious, even. Still, she liked him enough not to call him out.  

“What are you doing here?” she asked.  

“Me?” Ted faltered for a second, then remembered Lily’s tip. “Oh, I’m visiting a friend. My buddy Barney’s in here—hospitalized.”  

“The Barney from Lily’s stories?” Robin grinned. “I haven’t met him yet. Wanna go see him together?”  

“No!” Ted yelped, then caught her puzzled look and backpedaled. “Uh, his condition’s kinda… not visitor-friendly. Trust me, you don’t wanna see it.” He pulled a grossed-out face for effect.  

“Oh, got it,” Robin said, nodding like she totally bought it. She dropped the subject.  

“So, what about you? What brings you here?” Ted asked, steering the conversation away.  

“My colleague…” Robin explained the situation.  

“He okay?” Ted asked.  

“Should be,” Robin shrugged. “That’s what the doctors said.”  

“Good to hear,” Ted said, relaxing a bit. Then the “Prince of Casual” kicked in, laying it on thick with exaggerated nonchalance. “Oh, since we bumped into each other—there’s this party tonight, Friday night thing. If you’re up for it, you should swing by. Totally casual, no pressure!”  

“Aw, I’m heading home for the weekend,” Robin said, genuinely bummed. “If it were tonight, I’d be in.”  

“It is tonight!” Ted corrected himself lightning-fast. “My bad—I keep saying Friday ‘cause I’m so used to it. But yeah, it’s tonight! Tonight! Just a chill party, you know, super casual~”  

“Cool, I’m in,” Robin said with a laugh.  

“Marshall, Lily—you guys made it!” Ted spotted them arriving and rushed over, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Party’s tonight. Don’t spill the beans. I’m heading back to set it up.”  

After a quick hello, he shot them a wink and bolted.  

At Williams Clinic:  

“Hey,” Adam answered a call from Lily. “I’m off work, not at the hospital anymore. A party? Sure, if I’m free later, I’ll swing by.”  

He hung up.  

“You’re going to a party?” George asked, a little jealous.  

“Gotta wait till Cristina’s out of surgery first,” Adam said, shaking his head.  

It’d been a while since he’d hung out with Marshall, Lily, and the crew. They were good friends—each one had helped him rack up some “attribute points” in life—but catching up over drinks couldn’t compete with surgery. Every seasoned doc tells patients or their families the same thing: “Surgery comes with risks!” Anesthesia alone was never 100% safe. Even with a top-tier surgeon handling Cristina’s case, Adam wasn’t about to ditch and party just yet.  

Two hours later:  

Surgery wrapped up. No drama, everything went smooth.  

“Meredith, Cristina’s in your hands tonight. You good staying with her?” Adam asked.  

“Of course,” Meredith nodded.  

They were med school buddies and besties—it was a given, no question needed. But after Meredith’s rough day and a few too many drinks, Adam figured a heads-up couldn’t hurt.  

“George, let’s roll,” Adam called, motioning him out.  

He wasn’t about to leave George behind. After tonight, if George wanted to hook up with someone and accidentally cuckold Shepherd right in front of him, Adam would just grab popcorn and watch. But tonight? No way. Losing Shepherd’s favor was one thing—getting on his bad side was another.  

“I—”  

“Meredith’s got this. Go home, rest up. You’ve got early shift tomorrow, plus you’re covering for Cristina the next couple days,” Adam cut George off, dragging him out before he could argue.  

Back at Marshall and Ted’s apartment:  

Thanks to Ted’s frantic last-minute hustle, the party was in full swing. The place was packed.  

When Marshall and Lily walked in with Robin, they quietly flashed Ted a thumbs-up. But Ted barely noticed—too busy grabbing his architect sketching tools. His original plan? Flirt with some hot girl while sketching, showing off his charm and “casual” vibe to impress Robin. Problem was, the only person in front of him now was a flamboyantly gay dude.  

Still, with Robin approaching, Ted powered through.  

“Hey, hi there~” he said, spinning around “casually” with a tactical lean-back as he sensed her behind him.  

“Hey, cool party!” Robin said, genuinely impressed.  

“Make yourself at home~” Ted tossed out, turning back to chat up the guy about his “super cool” architecture stuff.  

Robin wanted casual? Oh, he’d give her casual.  

Robin blinked, a little thrown off when Ted actually ignored her. Shrugging, she wandered over to Lily.  

Ted smirked to himself. Step one: ignore her for an hour. Step two: “casually” invite her to the rooftop later. Moonlight, stars, a dreamy night sky—no one could resist falling in love up there. Flawless plan!  

“What’s up with Ted? He’s acting weird,” Robin complained to Lily.  

Lily gave a wry smile. She knew exactly what was going on but couldn’t say a word. If she did, Robin would realize she’d blabbed—spilling the stuff Robin had explicitly told her not to tell Ted.  

“Robin…” Lily racked her brain for an excuse, but Robin cut her off.  

With a dramatic lean-back of her own, Robin nudged Lily, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Hey, Lily—see that guy over there? If I ever get married, that’s the one I’m marrying!”  

Lily: “…”