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Added 2025-05-20 17:21:14 +0000 UTCChapter 289: 48 Hours
Medical Center – Interns’ Changing Room
After finishing his speech, Chief of Surgery Richard Webber left the room.
The group headed to the changing room, where they put on blue scrubs and white coats, stethoscopes hanging around their necks, officially stepping into their roles as surgical interns.
In a hospital, hierarchy is strict—even attire follows specific rules.
Interns and residents wear blue scrubs, while attending physicians wear dark blue ones.
“A 48-hour shift right off the bat? That’s insane.”
Bianca whispered to Adam, “It’s way easier in internal medicine.”
“That’s surgery for you,” Adam replied with a grin as he adjusted his coat.
“Only six women out of twenty surgical interns? That’s a bit unfriendly,” Meredith commented, glancing around the room.
“Has Harvard Medical School reached a 1:1 gender ratio already?” Adam asked curiously.
“...” Meredith was momentarily speechless.
In most industries, men still dominate—and the medical field is no exception. Male students still outnumber females significantly. A 14:6 ratio was already considered relatively inclusive, especially since this was general surgery, not gynecology.
Her complaint was more of an instinctive feminist reaction, but Adam’s bluntness caught her off guard.
“That’s nothing. One of the six women is even a model,” Cristina scoffed, glancing toward Alice. “Seriously though, are we supposed to be impressed by that?”
“Alice isn’t the model,” Adam said with a smile. “If anyone here fits that description, it’d be her.”
Following Adam’s gaze, the group saw a tall, curvy blonde adjusting her hair.
“No way,” Cristina said, surprised. “Aren’t models supposed to be skinny and frail-looking?”
“Depends on the kind of model,” Adam explained. “Those edgy high-fashion models, sure. But mainstream models usually have that classic ‘tall blonde bombshell’ look—it’s more in line with conventional beauty standards.”
“And how do you know so much about this?” Meredith asked with a teasing smile.
“I dabble,” Adam replied modestly.
“Of course, he would know. Billionaires always do,” Cristina remarked, her gaze shifting from Alice to the blonde bombshell, then to Bianca, Meredith, and finally herself in the mirror. Her tone turned a little sarcastic.
“Our group’s really something. A billionaire turning doctor, a bunch of gorgeous women—it’s like we’re starring in a medical drama, Our Days or something.”
“You watch Our Days too?” Adam asked, raising an eyebrow. “So, what do you think of Dr. Derek Lamore?”
At the mention of Derek’s name, Meredith froze for a second.
“He’s hot but kind of dumb. I mean, let’s be real—he’d never cut it as a doctor in real life,” Cristina judged.
“Ha!” Adam couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“The actor who plays Derek Lamore is Adam’s friend—Joey Tribbiani,” Bianca explained.
“Really?” Cristina looked genuinely surprised. TV actors always seemed so far removed from regular life, but considering Adam was a billionaire author, it made sense.
“Can I ask you something about Joey?”
“Go ahead,” Adam replied with a grin.
“When he’s talking and suddenly stops, tilting his head like he’s deep in thought—did he forget his lines?”
“That’s called the ‘Smell-the-Fart’ acting technique,” Adam chuckled. “It’s what actors do to buy time when they blank on their lines.”
“I knew it!” Cristina smirked. “How’d he even land the role? You’d think an important supporting character could at least memorize his lines.”
“Hehe.” Adam dodged the question with another one. “You think he came up with the technique on his own? Nah, he learned it from the pros.”
How did Joey get the role? Connections, of course—but that wasn’t something he needed to share.
“Okay, Martin, Robinson, Bond, Hawkins!”
A hospital staff member began assigning interns to groups.
Four interns quickly stepped forward and followed instructions to meet their resident supervisors.
“Who are you assigned to? Meredith and I are with Bailey,” Cristina asked.
“You too? I’m with Bailey as well,” a slightly chubby guy interrupted before Adam or Bianca could respond. “At least we’ll suffer together. I’m George O’Malley.”
When Meredith and Cristina ignored him, he turned to the smiling Meredith. “We met at the bar last night. You were wearing a black dress with a slit and Roman sandals… And, no, I’m not gay, by the way.”
“You sure about that?” Adam teased. “Most straight guys don’t notice those details.”
Sure, men check out women from head to toe—but remembering the exact style of her dress and shoes? That leaned a bit too far into meticulous territory.
“O’Malley, Yang, Grey, Stevens!” the staff member called out.
The chubby intern quickly followed Meredith, while the tall blonde model also caught up with them.
“He’s got some serious lady luck,” Adam remarked to Bianca, watching the four walk away. “Surrounded by women—it’s like being in a harem.”
“You’re overthinking it,” Bianca chuckled. “Too many women can be a bad thing. He might not be gay now, but give it time.”
“True,” Adam nodded with a grin. “If everyone starts treating him like ‘one of the girls,’ he might just get absorbed into the sisterhood. O’Malley seems a little soft—could be dangerous.”
“And if it were you instead?” Bianca gave him a playful side-eye.
“Heh.” Adam just smiled knowingly. “If it were me, I’d have them joining my team, not the other way around.”
“Duncan, Samson, Turk, Fowler!”
Another set of names was called.
“Let’s go,” Adam motioned for Bianca to follow.
“Hey, I’m Chris Turk,” a bald African-American guy greeted them enthusiastically. “Looks like we’re all under the same attending—the Compassion Doctor.”
“Adam Duncan.”
“Bianca Samson.”
They both shook his hand.
“Compassion Doctor? You mean Dr. Sydney Heron’s nickname?” Adam asked.
“Yep,” Chris grinned. “Total opposite of Bailey. Dr. Heron’s super kind—loves to care for patients and colleagues alike. We’re lucky.”
Chapter 290: Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkey
Medical Center.
“Hah, isn’t this my group of interns?”
A female doctor in her thirties, with an average appearance and a bright smile, looked at the four of them. “Let me guess—you’re Adam, you’re Bianca, you’re Chris, and you must be Stu, right?”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
Adam and the other two nodded with a smile. The last one, a chubby white guy, had an ingratiating grin on his face, looking both comical and slightly creepy.
“I’m Stu Fowler. It’s an honor to learn under you, Dr. Sheeran. Your smile is like the warmest sunshine, truly heartwarming. May I call you Sheeran?”
“Of course.”
Dr. Sheeran Hiran’s smile grew even sweeter. “We’re all colleagues here. I just started three years ahead of you. From now on, we’re friends—let’s get along and improve together.”
“That’s fantastic, Sheeran!”
Stu cheered sincerely.
Adam and the others exchanged glances, looking at each other speechlessly.
Where did this guy come from? He was stealing the spotlight like crazy.
“Dr. Hiran, please assign us our tasks,” Adam reminded her.
“Okay.”
Sheeran glanced at Adam and smiled. “I’ve heard you love to learn, Adam. Here’s the trauma department’s handbook, a list of doctors’ contact numbers, and your pagers. The nurses will call you whenever you’re needed, and you must respond immediately. It’s best if you run—sometimes, a few seconds can mean the difference between life and death for a patient. The sooner you arrive, the greater their chances.”
Beep beep. Beep beep.
“Speak of the devil—follow me.”
Sheeran’s pager went off. She glanced at it and immediately started running.
The four interns quickly followed.
Rooftop
A medical helicopter slowly descended.
“What’s the patient’s condition?”
As soon as it landed, Sheeran stepped forward.
“Brian Tucker, 38 years old. Cardiac arrest. He’s undergone CPR but remains unconscious…”
The paramedic quickly reported the situation.
“I know him—he was scheduled for a coronary bypass surgery with Dr. Green this Friday.”
As she guided the others to wheel the stretcher into the building, she observed the patient. “Adam, go notify Dr. Green.”
“Got it.”
Adam responded and immediately ran downstairs.
“Holy shit!”
Chris, the bald one, and Stu, the chubby one, were stunned by Adam’s speed.
Adam rushed to the nurse’s station and had the nurse page Leonard.
Leonard arrived swiftly.
“Brian Tucker?”
Upon hearing the name, Leonard took the case seriously and hurried to the patient’s room with Adam—Brian was part of his patient group.
The Complex and Interesting U.S. Healthcare System
The U.S. healthcare system is both complex and fascinating.
The relationship between hospitals and doctors is somewhat like that between department stores and brand counters or platforms and online writers—it’s a partnership.
Doctors provide medical expertise, while hospitals supply facilities, equipment, residents, nurses, and other support staff. The two parties collaborate to generate revenue.
Of course, this only applies to attending physicians who have obtained independent medical practice licenses—doctors like Leonard.
Interns like Adam and residents like Sheeran, though they work under Leonard, are actually employed by the hospital and assigned to attending physicians.
Once residents complete their training and pass the attending physician’s licensing exam, they typically have two options:
Stay at the hospital as a salaried attending physician.
Hospitals employ a limited number of full-time attending physicians to ensure coverage when partnered doctors are unavailable.
Since these partnerships aren’t exclusive, a doctor might choose to work at another hospital when needed.
Newly licensed doctors often lack their own patient base, so staying at a hospital allows them to build one before eventually opening their own practice.
Open their own practice either inside or outside a hospital.
If they have established a solid reputation and a patient base, they can rent office space in a hospital or elsewhere and operate independently.
Leonard, for instance, rents a room in the hospital and runs his own practice. Over the years, he has built a loyal patient group, making him a business partner rather than an employee of the hospital.
This setup means his income is significantly higher than that of a salaried doctor.
Because of this, doctors like Leonard strive to provide the best service to every patient in order to maintain and expand their patient base.
Back to the Case
“Adam, you’ll be the primary doctor responsible for this patient’s bed.”
After stabilizing the patient, Sheeran began assigning tasks.
“Bianca, you handle the rounds.”
“Chris, write the report.”
“What about me?” Stu asked eagerly.
“Stu, the rectal exam unit is backed up with patients—you can go help.”
Sheeran smiled sweetly.
“…”
Stu’s face instantly darkened.
Adam found it amusing.
He understood exactly why he was assigned this case—since the patient was scheduled for a coronary bypass surgery on Friday, as the primary doctor responsible, Leonard could justifiably allow him to assist in the procedure.
Participating in an open-heart surgery right off the bat? That was something to brag about.
Six Hours Later – Hospital Cafeteria
Adam’s group of four sat together with Meredith’s group of four at a table.
The fierce blonde model-like woman, Elizabeth Stevenson—nicknamed Liz—was covering her nose, looking like she was trying hard not to vomit.
“This shift is like a marathon. You better eat something, or you won’t last,” said George O’Malley, a chubby intern with a slightly effeminate demeanor.
“I can’t. I just can’t.”
Liz shook her head, looking miserable.
“What happened?” Adam asked curiously.
“Try doing 17 rectal exams in a row and see if you can eat afterward.”
Liz looked devastated.
Adam’s group immediately turned to look at the chubby Stu.
“You were doing rectal exams too?”
Stu, still stuffing his face with greasy food, looked up, his eyes shining. “Of course! I did 23!”
“…”
Liz immediately covered her mouth and ran off.
“Wow.”
Stu remained unfazed. Watching Liz’s figure as she ran, he grinned in a particularly sleazy way. “Heh heh heh… Who knew Liz and I had such a strong connection?”
Everyone else averted their eyes in discomfort.
“You guys hear about the attending physicians picking the best interns for a surgery on the first shift?” Christina chimed in, changing the subject. “I wonder which one of us will get chosen.”
“With four of us, our chances are pretty good,” Adam said with a smile. “Now we just have to see who gets picked first.”
“Your group will definitely pick you,” Christina shot him a glance.
“Not necessarily.”
Adam shook his head. “Each attending has their own style. I heard your attending, Dr. Preston Burke, likes to ‘kill the chicken to scare the monkey’—he picks the weakest intern or the one he finds most annoying and absolutely crushes them to make an example of them.”
“Pffft!”
George, mid-bite, immediately spat out his food, his face turning pale.
Chapter 291: The Honor of the First Surgery
Medical Center – Indoor Cafeteria
“Is Dr. Burke really like that?”
George, the slightly chubby guy with a soft demeanor, was visibly anxious.
“That’s what I’ve heard, but who knows if it’s true.”
Adam raised an eyebrow. “Why? What happened?”
“I think I offended him,” George stammered, panicking.
“Man, you’ve got some guts,” Adam said, giving him a thumbs-up. “It’s your first day as an intern, and you already managed to piss off your boss’s boss.”
“George, what exactly did you do to offend him?” Christina asked, curious.
“It was about Tony, the patient I was assigned to. I couldn’t get the IV needle in properly right away, so Dr. Burke took over and did it himself,” George explained, frustration in his voice. “I just said, ‘I bet you made mistakes when you first started too…’”
Clap, clap, clap!
Before George could finish, Adam started applauding.
“What’s your problem?” George glared at him.
“Dude, you just threw shade at the attending physician in front of the patient. That’s bold as hell!” Adam praised sarcastically, giving him two thumbs up.
“George, you shouldn’t have done that,” Meredith said, shaking her head. “Medicine has a strict hierarchy. You can’t challenge a senior doctor’s authority—especially not in front of a patient.”
“Yeah,” Adam added, twisting the knife. “And considering you couldn’t handle the situation yourself, insulting the big boss was just asking for trouble.”
Top surgeons like Leonard usually have their own clinics and partnerships with hospitals. Dr. Burke was no exception—he was even more well-known than Leonard and was close to the Chief of Surgery. There were even rumors that Burke would become the next Chief himself.
In medicine, skill and authority are everything. If an intern disrespects a senior doctor in front of a patient, any attending physician would be annoyed.
Who else would they take their frustration out on if not you?
“George, you’re screwed,” Christina said, shooting him a sympathetic look.
“Really? It can’t be that bad…” George’s face went pale. “I only made an offhand comment. Dr. Burke wouldn’t hold a grudge over something so small, right?”
“Wouldn’t he?”
Liz, who had just come back from vomiting, glared at him. “Dr. Hahn just dislikes me, and she’s already made me clean bedpans 17 times—and she’s just a resident supervising us. You, on the other hand, pissed off her boss. Think about it.”
“I bet George will be the first among us to perform surgery,” Adam said, smirking.
Dr. Burke was a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and a rival of Leonard’s.
Leonard had mentioned him to Adam plenty of times—especially the fact that both Dr. Burke and the Chief of Surgery, Richard, were African American and had their own tight-knit circles.
While Leonard had been overshadowed by Richard before, now the younger Dr. Burke was following closely behind, making it seem like they were systematically excluding the white doctors.
Based on what Adam had heard, he was sure Dr. Burke was going to give George a hard time.
Speak of the devil!
“Good afternoon, interns,”
A tall, well-built Black doctor approached them. Under George’s horrified gaze, he made a beeline for him, folding his arms and smiling.
“Word spreads fast, but I wanted to deliver this good news personally,” Burke said. “As you all know, the honor of performing the first surgery goes to the intern with the most potential. I have a procedure later today, and I need someone for it.”
Christina, Meredith, and Liz all straightened up, trying to look as eager as possible, even though they knew this was probably Burke’s way of getting back at George.
That’s the power of surgery—irresistible, no matter the circumstances.
“You, George O’Malley!” Burke suddenly clapped George on the shoulder.
“Me?” George trembled.
“Yes,” Burke replied with a sly smile. “You’ll be performing an appendectomy this afternoon. Congratulations—enjoy it.”
With that, he left, looking very pleased with himself.
“How is that a punishment?” Christina grumbled.
“Yeah, an appendectomy is super easy,” Liz agreed. “If that’s what it takes, I should’ve pissed him off too.”
“Difficulty is relative,” Adam said, nodding toward George. The soft-spoken intern was already sweating and staring blankly into space.
“Sure, an appendectomy is easy if everything goes according to plan,” Adam continued. “But what if something unexpected happens, like sudden bleeding?”
Everyone fell silent.
In surgery—especially for rookies—unexpected complications are the worst.
They didn’t have the experience to think things through on the spot. If something went wrong, they’d have to react instantly, or they could lose a patient’s life right there on the table.
That pressure could crush a newbie. The fear of going completely blank or panicking was real.
This was why interns and even residents weren’t allowed to operate without supervision from an attending surgeon.
If you performed well, your attending would let you do more on your own. It was both a sign of trust and a heavy responsibility since the attending was ultimately responsible for the outcome.
So, even if Burke’s goal was to punish George and send a warning to the rest of the interns, he wouldn’t risk giving him anything more complicated than an appendectomy.
Because if something went wrong, Burke was confident he could step in and fix it immediately.
But if it were a more complex surgery, things could get messy fast—and that risked making Burke himself look bad.
Why not give George a slightly more challenging procedure? Simple: Burke had done his homework. He knew George barely made it into the program and had a soft personality.
For a rookie like him, even a “simple” appendectomy would be enough of a challenge.
After lunch…
The interns went back to their hectic routines.
As the common joke among them went:
“We’re interns—the bottom of the surgical food chain. We run tests, write reports, and pull all-nighters. Even if we drop from exhaustion, we can’t complain. We’ve still got to buy coffee for the boss and smile while we’re at it. It’s brutal…”
“Adam, you’re up for the next appendectomy,” Leonard announced, walking over. “Come with me and get ready.”
“What?!” Adam was stunned.
“Burke’s not the only one doing appendectomies today,” Leonard said, grinning. “The honor of performing the first surgery should go to the best intern, not someone caught up in a petty revenge game.”
(End of chapter)
