369-371

Chapter 369: This Is a Condition—It Needs Treatment! 

New York Medical Center. 

“Dr. Burke, here’s the patient’s CT,” Adam reported. “There’s clearly a growing bulge in the patient’s bladder.” 

“A tumor?” Dr. Burke asked, startled. He took the CT scan and studied it. “Look at these edges—it doesn’t seem like a tumor.” 

“No, it’s not a tumor,” Adam confirmed, handing over the biopsy report. “Based on the chromosome analysis, the DNA in the patient’s body comes from two different embryos. It fused in the womb. That ovary-shaped bulge? It’s an actual ovary.” 

“What?” Dr. Burke exclaimed, floored. “Bill’s got an ovary in his bladder?” 

Adam couldn’t help but marvel too. Sure, medical textbooks mention cases of hermaphroditism, but seeing it in real life? Mind-blowing. 

Dr. Burke reviewed the biopsy report, double-checking that Adam wasn’t pulling his leg or misdiagnosing. Nope—his good buddy really had an ovary. 

Through the glass window, Dr. Burke locked eyes with Bill in the hospital room and forced a smile.  

Maybe it was his imagination, but suddenly Bill looked… prettier? More refined?  

It’s like when someone hands you a random gift—you don’t think much of it at first. Then they show you the price tag, and under the dazzling glow of its value, everything changes. 

Damn it! Dr. Burke cursed under his breath.  

But there was no getting around it. As Bill’s attending physician, he had to break the news face-to-face. 

“Go get Dr. Knox from gynecology,” Dr. Burke instructed. “We’ve got an ovary here that needs removing.” 

Adam nodded and headed off. 

Everything went smoothly. Dr. Knox was the best in gynecology, and normally, booking her for surgery took forever. But when the acting surgical director said jump, even her packed schedule got rearranged.  

The already-scheduled patients? They’d just have to wait.  

Plus, Dr. Knox usually operated on women. Now, cutting an ovary out of a guy? No ambitious doctor—gynecologist or otherwise—would pass that up.  

How do you build experience? How do you make a name for yourself? Sure, nailing routine surgeries helps, but it’s the rare, wild cases that stack up your résumé.  

If no one else has done it—or knows how to—you’ve got the edge.  

Outside the room, Adam peeked through the glass, watching Dr. Burke talk to Bill. He figured it was best to hang back for now. 

“The tissue we found isn’t a tumor,” Dr. Burke started. 

“That’s good, right? Anything’s better than cancer,” Bill said, lighting up. 

Dr. Burke looked down, bracing himself to drop the bombshell. 

“What? You’re saying I’m a guy with an ovary?” Bill blinked, totally thrown. 

It’s like telling a girl she’s secretly a gun-toting badass. Well, okay, a real badass would already know. Maybe it’s more like a guy who loves cute girls seeing one whip out a pistol… 

“It’s super rare. Think of it as a glitch when God was putting you together,” Dr. Burke said, trying to soften the blow. 

Bill went quiet for a sec, then asked shakily, “I’m still a man, right?” 

“Absolutely,” Dr. Burke shot back without hesitation. “Manliest of men! Pure testosterone! You didn’t even know this was in there. We cut it out, and you’re good as new. I’ve already lined up the best gynecologist. Surgery’s happening ASAP.” 

Bill nodded, his face a mix of emotions. A guy like him getting surgery from a gynecologist… 

If Adam could hear his thoughts, he’d probably say, “Big deal. Back in East Country, battered husbands go to the Women’s Federation for help.” 

Seeing Dr. Burke wrap up and Bill agree, Adam stepped inside. “Dr. Burke, Dr. Knox is ready whenever you are.” 

“Great,” Dr. Burke said with a nod. 

The surgery got scheduled fast. As the resident overseeing Bill’s case, Adam joined Dr. Burke and Dr. Knox in the OR. 

It went off without a hitch—mostly. There was one unexpected twist, though. 

“Keep this under wraps,” Dr. Burke said as they stepped out of the operating room. 

“Got it,” Adam agreed instantly. 

Dr. Burke rubbed his temples and walked off, looking like he had a headache brewing.  

One mess down, another popping up. Finding an ovary in his buddy’s body was bad enough. But during the surgery, they’d discovered Bill’s vas deferens had been blocked all along—and his wife was five weeks from giving birth… 

It was lunchtime. Adam hit up the cafeteria. 

“Just you two?” he asked, spotting only George and Meredith at the table. 

“Liz went to check on Alex,” Meredith said with a smile. “As for Cristina, no idea. She’s been acting all secretive lately.” 

“Yeah,” George chimed in. “This morning, she even asked me to cover her shift.” 

“What?” Meredith gaped. “Cristina asked you to cover for her?” 

“Sounds like something big’s up,” Adam said thoughtfully. 

Cristina was the ultimate workaholic. The hospital was basically her home—she ignored the mandatory 5-6-6 rest rule like it didn’t exist. Even with a cold or fever, she’d drag her shaky self to work. Always the first to snag a surgery.  

And now she was asking for a shift swap? 

“What about Liz, huh? Is she nuts?” George said, shifting gears to vent to Adam. “Alex treated her like crap back in the day, and now she acts like they’re besties. She’s always running off to see him whenever she’s free. And he’s still a jerk to her! What’s going through her head?” 

Alex had been saved, sure, but he’d also “entered the palace”—a polite way of saying he’d been fully castrated. Back in ancient East Country’s Forbidden City, that’d be a sweet gig: snipped clean and thorough, no need for the every-three-years “minor tune-up” or every-five-years “major overhaul.”  

But Alex? He’d been a playboy. Now, “surrounded by a harem of gorgeous women,” he could only look, not touch. That kind of torture…  

Sure, with everything gone, he wouldn’t feel that pent-up frustration from a botched job. But testosterone doesn’t just come from down there—your adrenal glands pump out some sex hormones too.  

No unbearable pressure, maybe. But if the stimulation’s strong enough, Alex could still get… ideas. Ideas he couldn’t act on. That’s a recipe for a mental breakdown.  

Liz, though? She didn’t hold a grudge—she was doubling down on being nice. Alex swung between touched and pissed off, while Liz just kept at it, loving every second. 

“She’s got a condition. Needs treatment,” Adam said, shaking his head. 

There’s a type of person out there with an oversized urge to care for the sick or “defective”—way more than they’d give a normal person. Kinda like survivor’s guilt. Often, it’s because they’ve dealt with some flaw of their own. 

So, what’s Liz’s deal? 

Chapter 370: A Friend’s Wife – Off Limits? 

Medical Center. Self-Service Cafeteria. 

“Liz isn’t sick—she’s just dumb!”  

George, being the loyal bestie, wasn’t thrilled with Adam’s take.  

“Alright, fine,” Adam said, not bothering to argue. He grinned. “Let’s call it dumb, then. Maybe this is just the start of her dumb phase. Trust me, there’s probably worse to come.”  

“No way, really?” George said, wide-eyed.  

“I studied psychology,” Adam reminded her. “I’ve seen cases like this before. One of them was a lot like Liz right now—another female doctor. Guess what she ended up doing?”  

“What’d she do?”  

Meredith’s attention snapped back from daydreaming about her magical weekend with Mr. Dreamy last Sunday.  

“She married a cancer patient so he wouldn’t die alone,” Adam said, cutting straight to the punchline.  

“What?!”  

George and Meredith blurted it out at the same time, jaws dropping.  

Everyone was floored.  

If the female doctor had just dated the cancer patient to give him some happy final memories, they could wrap their heads around that.  

After all, offering some physical comfort? Not a big deal around here.  

But marriage? To Americans, that’s still kind of a sacred thing.  

How do you mix up caring for a patient with the kind of love that comes with marriage?  

Imagine being a bride, only to face your husband’s death right after the wedding. How brutal would that be for her?  

For the rest of her life, it’d feel like a piece of her heart was carved out, quietly aching.  

“She went way overboard,” Meredith said, frowning.  

“Liz wouldn’t do that, right?” George asked, suddenly worried.  

“I hope not,” Meredith replied, her expression shifting.  

Then it hit her—Liz’s situation might actually be worse than that doctor’s. Alex had only been castrated, not diagnosed with cancer. He wasn’t dying anytime soon. If Liz pulled the same move as that doctor, she’d be signing up for a lifetime of misery.  

That was terrifying to think about.  

“You think that’s the end of the story?” Adam said, smirking at them.  

“What happened next?” George and Meredith asked in unison again, leaning in.  

“The first part’s a fairy tale. The second part? That’s reality,” Adam said with a sigh. “After they got married, the bride-doctor, now a wife, sparked her dying husband’s will to live. He started cooperating with her treatment plans. She poured her heart into saving him, and luckily, his best friend was there by her side, helping her through it…”  

At that point, George and Meredith’s faces twisted into something weird.  

They didn’t need him to finish—they could guess where this was going.  

A friend’s wife, off limits? 

Sorry, not here!  

This is America—follow your heart, do what you want. That’s freedom, baby.  

“They fell in love?” Meredith asked, her expression a mix of curiosity and unease.  

“Dunno,” Adam said, shaking his head. “In the case study, the bride-doctor said she fell for the best friend and felt like they were in love. But I put two question marks next to that.”  

“Two question marks?” Meredith tilted her head, confused.  

Sure, the best friend might’ve just been caught up in hormones—whether he actually loved her was questionable, so one question mark made sense. But what was the second one for?  

“I don’t think the bride-doctor really loved him either,” Adam said with a chuckle. “Just like I don’t think she loved her husband. If it’s all ‘love,’ doesn’t it feel like love comes way too fast and leaves just as quick? Makes it seem kinda cheap, right? I’d bet she didn’t even know what love is—just got swept up in a moment of emotion and impulse and called it love.”  

He was reminded of that line from How I Met Your Mother. Robin once said: “I’m like this all the time—one minute we’re head over heels, the next minute, he’s dead to me.”  

Ted, her boyfriend at the time, heard that and felt his heart sink. He just stared at her, stunned, while she kept calling him “honey” and insisting he was the exception. He forced a smile and nodded along—but deep down? Yeah, right.  

“So how’d it end?” George, being the guy, couldn’t help but think of the real leading man in this messy love triangle. “What about her husband?”  

“He died,” Adam said with a sigh.  

“The bride-doctor was so ‘emotional’ she sucked at hiding her feelings for the new guy. I mean, she didn’t exactly take her time before impulsively marrying a cancer patient, right? Her husband probably figured out she was ‘in love’ with his best friend before he died. Makes you wonder—if he had a do-over, would he still choose this ending, or would he rather die alone?”  

George went quiet.  

Meredith, though, piped up. “I think he’d pick this ending. At least in his final days, he had some happiness—even if it ended badly. It’s still better than dying alone. Maybe he even blessed them in the end.”  

Adam’s lips twitched into a half-smile.  

In some cultures—like back in the East—falling “in love” and then betraying someone before they die? That’s straight-up revenge. Think Empresses in the Palace or The Moon Embracing the Sun. Emperors like Yongzheng or kings like Qin nearly died with their eyes wide open in shock.  

Of course, you could also argue they “blessed” the couple, wanting to see them happy together in their final romantic moment…  

“The doctor lived with guilt ever after,” Adam said flatly, sticking to the facts.  

Meredith fell silent.  

What was there to argue? Why the guilt? The answer was obvious.  

Her husband didn’t exactly pass away with a smile on his face.  

That’s a normal guy’s reaction, honestly.  

“Now that you’ve said all this, I’m even more worried about Liz,” George said, his voice heavy with concern.  

Reality was brutal.  

He didn’t want Liz going down the same road as that doctor.  

“Adam, what should we do to help her?”  

“Nope, nope, nope,” Adam said, shaking his head. “Don’t drag me into this. Stuff like this is always a thankless job—I’m not touching it. My advice? You shouldn’t get too involved either. Give her a heads-up and leave it at that. Like you said, Liz is just dumb, not sick.”  

“…”  

George looked a little embarrassed.  

He’d only been trying to stick up for his bestie earlier, but now? Adam was totally right.  

His bestie wasn’t just dumb—she was sick. Like, needs-treatment sick!  

Adam finished his food and bolted.  

Dr. Burke trusted him to look after his friend, and he wasn’t about to let that trust—or that favor—go to waste.  

Having a chief physician in your corner opens a lot of doors.  

No way was he wasting time trying to talk sense into Liz, who was probably too far gone already.  

He didn’t even need to see her to know how she’d react—likely going on about how she was doing something noble, how it was her freedom and her belief, and how anyone trying to stop her was either infringing on her rights or discriminating against Alex.  

On his way back to the ward, a thought hit him.  

It was already noon—where the heck was Elizabeth?  

PS: Thanks to Mr. Shadow 002 for the tip!  

Chapter 371: Who’s the Master of Hardcore Flirting? 

Medical Center, Ward 2 

The patient, Bill, still hadn’t woken up. 

Adam checked all the data—everything looked normal. 

Then, glancing at Bill sleeping soundly on the hospital bed, Adam couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of absurdity. Bill was born infertile, yet his wife was about to give birth any day now.  

No kidding! 

What made it even weirder was that this couple had always struck Adam as genuinely lovey-dovey from the first moment he met them. 

Who would’ve thought… uhh… 

No wonder Dr. House next door was always ranting about his deep distrust of human nature, constantly testing people and never being surprised by the results. Humanity’s weaknesses were just too many, and its bright spots? Way too few. 

Spend enough time in a hospital, and you’d see every flaw imaginable laid bare. 

Adam figured if he stuck around long enough, the next time he saw a “happy couple” like this, his first instinct wouldn’t be admiration—it’d be skepticism. 

Is this real love? Or just a show? What ugly secrets are hiding beneath the surface, waiting to disappoint? 

“Your marriage is a total sham.” 

Just then, Dr. Burke’s voice, thick with suppressed anger, drifted in from outside the room. 

Looks like Burke had mulled it over and decided he couldn’t just sit back and let his best buddy live in this fake, “good enough” happiness. He wasn’t about to play the “it’s not my place to judge” card and pretend he didn’t know. 

“We’re happy right now,” Bill’s wife, Holly, shot back. “We’ve wanted a kid for ages. Why do you have to ruin his joy like this?” 

“Does he know you cheated?” Burke cut straight to the point. 

Holly froze for a second, then softened her tone. She dropped the righteous act and switched to pleading. “Preston, this is between me and my husband. Please, just forget about it. Why can’t you let it go?” 

“Because Bill’s my best friend, and he doesn’t know the kid isn’t his,” Burke snapped. “Holly, you need to tell him!” 

“Tell him what?!” Holly dropped the begging and went full-on furious. “I’m not letting your morals wreck my life! If you’re really his friend, you wouldn’t say a word! As long as he doesn’t know, he won’t get hurt. You telling him? That’s you wanting him to suffer!” 

Burke: “…” 

Adam: “…” 

What flawless logic! 

She sounded so dang confident about it, too! 

If Holly weren’t a patient’s family member—and a pregnant one about to pop, at that—Adam would’ve marched out there and given her a piece of his mind. This wasn’t even his mess to deal with, but still! 

“Your morals”?! Burke’s stance was basic human decency, not some warped personal code. It’s the kind of thing any normal person should stick to. 

Otherwise, why would Burke even bother asking her first, giving her a chance to come clean? He could’ve just spilled the beans to his buddy right away and left her with no room to squirm. 

That’s Burke playing by the rules of common decency. 

And if Holly thought those values were such trash that they’d “ruin her life,” why was she begging Burke to keep quiet for his friend’s sake? Caring about your buddy’s feelings? That’s the same damn decency she was trashing! 

So, when it worked in her favor, she was all for it. When it didn’t, it was garbage. 

Adam could see echoes of some “powerful” figures in her attitude… 

“Whatever!” Burke finally muttered after a stunned pause. He let out a cold laugh. “Maybe a friend shouldn’t say it, but I’m still his doctor. And a doctor doesn’t hide things from their patient!” 

With that, he turned and stormed off, refusing to spare “buddy’s wife” Holly another glance. 

Holly just stood there, her face a mess of emotions. 

One second, she was glaring daggers at Burke. 

The next, she was wallowing in self-pity. 

Then she rubbed her belly. 

In the end, she didn’t even step into the room—she just took off. 

Adam watched, jaw practically on the floor. 

What kind of move was that? 

No explanation, no attempt to smooth things over—just bolting out of there like her life depended on it? 

Wait a sec… was this some classic American divorce playbook? Bill’s still stuck in the hospital, so she runs off to consult a top-notch divorce lawyer and lock down the best deal? It actually didn’t sound that far-fetched. 

Take The Big Bang Theory—that entomologist Sheldon and Howard went to for advice? While he was out doing fieldwork, his wife cleaned out everything he owned and ran off with some guy. And “ran off” didn’t even mean fleeing—she just left, and he knew exactly where she and her new fling were living it up. Couldn’t do a thing about it, though, because she’d probably done it all legally. 

That’s the power of planning ahead and getting a good divorce lawyer. 

No wonder lawyers and life-saving doctors were neck-and-neck as the go-to middle-class gigs. 

One saves your life. 

The other saves your money. 

Adam couldn’t help but glance at the patient again. 

Right then, Bill stirred awake. 

“You’re up?” Adam asked. 

“Dr. Duncan, looks like the surgery went well?” Bill managed a weak smile. 

“Dr. Knox is the best OB-GYN around, and Dr. Burke was right there assisting. It went perfectly,” Adam replied with a grin. 

“Thanks,” Bill said, beaming. He glanced around. “Where’s my wife?” 

“Uh…” Adam hesitated, then got up to check the monitors. “I’m not sure. Want me to grab Dr. Burke for you?” 

“Thanks,” Bill said, not thinking much of it. 

“Dr. Burke, the patient’s awake,” Adam said when he found him. 

Burke’s face twisted with mixed emotions. After a moment, he nodded and headed toward Ward 2. 

“Is Holly there?” Burke asked. 

“Nope. Bill was just asking about her,” Adam replied, playing dumb. 

This wasn’t exactly a shining moment for anyone involved. 

He figured Burke didn’t want him in the loop anyway. The surgery was done, the results looked solid, and Adam had pretty much nailed Burke’s request. That was enough. 

He followed Burke to the ward’s entrance, and when it seemed like Burke didn’t need anything else, Adam took the hint and peeled off. 

Ring ring. 

His phone buzzed. 

Adam checked it, and his eyes narrowed.  

Here it comes. 

“Alright, I’m on my way,” he said into the phone before heading toward the outpatient clinic. 

“Dr. Duncan,” a young nurse said, nodding toward a closed room. 

Adam got the message, pushed the door open, and sure enough, there was Elizabeth Plimpton, standing there looking as lively as ever. 

“Dr. Plimpton,” he greeted. 

“Dr. Duncan,” she replied, her eyes lighting up. She didn’t bother pointing out that he didn’t need to be so formal—yesterday, she’d told him to just call her Elizabeth. 

“Something wrong?” Adam asked. 

“Well…” Elizabeth glanced at the nurse who’d followed him in. “Can we talk alone?” 

“No can do. Hospital rules,” the nurse said flatly. 

“Your hospital has a rule like that?” Elizabeth wasn’t your average person—she smirked at the excuse. “What about patient privacy?” 

The nurse’s face stiffened. 

“It’s fine, you can step out,” Adam said after a beat. He figured he’d handle this quick, send Elizabeth on her way, and save everyone the hassle. Broad daylight, hospital setting—what’s the worst she could do? 

The nurse huffed and shuffled out. 

“So, what’s up?” Adam asked with a smile. 

“My heartbeat feels off,” Elizabeth said softly. 

“Alright, let’s check it out.” Adam turned to grab a stethoscope. He was a surgeon, not an internist, so he didn’t have one dangling around his neck 24/7. 

When he turned back, stethoscope in hand, his mouth twitched. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Helping you listen,” Elizabeth said innocently. 

Adam shifted to the side, avoiding a direct look at “clueless, innocent” Elizabeth. 

“Put your shirt back on. I can hear your heartbeat through clothes just fine.” 

“Oh, really?” She grinned. “Mine, or yours?” 

Adam: “…”