Ward.
"Zac, you head out for a sec."
Adam held Ellis Grey, giving George a quick wink as he spoke.
George sighed, helpless, and shuffled out.
With the chaos defused, Adam's targeted soothing worked like a charm. In no time, Ellis Grey calmed down, slipping back into the sharp, composed legendary doctor she once was.
After escorting her for an X-ray, Adam's brow furrowed.
"So, what's the deal?" George popped up again.
Adam wasn't surprised.
Ellis Grey was, after all, assigned to George by Dr. Bailey.
Not to mention, she was his goddess Meredith's mom.
No matter how harshly she'd chewed him out earlier, he had to suck it up.
He couldn't slack on caring for her—not even a little.
"It's definitely diverticulitis," Adam said, frowning. "That's not a big deal, but there's an abnormal mass near her liver."
"No way!" George gasped. "Liver cancer?"
Then he started aching for his goddess. "Poor Meredith. Isn't it bad enough her mom's got Alzheimer's? Now she's got to fight cancer too?"
"It's not confirmed as liver cancer yet," Adam cut in. "It's just an abnormal mass. Could be a benign tumor. We'll need a biopsy to know for sure."
"I'll go tell the chief," George said. "He told me to take good care of her."
"Then I'll find Meredith," Adam nodded. "We need her authorization for the biopsy."
With Alzheimer's, Ellis Grey no longer had the capacity to make her own decisions.
Whether she got surgery was entirely up to her daughter, Meredith.
It was a grim reality.
At this point, you've lost your free will.
Real freedom—not the overhyped, all-encompassing kind people brag about.
"I'll go talk to Meredith," George said quickly, hesitating.
He could already picture how heartbroken his goddess would be hearing this. He wanted to be the one by her side, comforting her.
"Fine by me," Adam shrugged. "I'll go tell the chief then—get him to set up the OR and schedule the surgery ASAP."
"Got it." George nodded, his face heavy as he went off to find Meredith.
---
Surgical Chief's Office.
"Dr. Duncan, what's up?"
Chief of Surgery Richard, who'd barely been home a few days before rushing back to work, looked up at Adam with mild surprise.
"Chief, it's about Ellis Grey."
Adam laid out the situation.
Chief Richard's expression darkened, and he let out a small sigh.
"Alright. I'll do the surgery myself."
"Chief, your condition—" Adam blinked, startled. "I can handle this kind of procedure."
"I'm fine," Chief Richard said, standing up. "No time for paperwork. I'll get a verbal okay from Shepherd first."
"Dr. Shepherd won't go for it," Adam warned. "Your brain surgery was just a week ago. You're not cleared to operate."
"I can do it!" Chief Richard shot Adam a glare. "I'm the Chief of Surgery! I call the shots!"
"Okay," Adam backed off.
A biopsy was a minor procedure—any resident could handle it.
And with the chief pulling rank like that, Adam wasn't about to argue.
"She's Ellis Grey—my good friend," Chief Richard added, softening his tone after realizing he'd come off harsh. "I have to give it everything I've got. I can't risk any slip-ups. I know my body, and you all know my skills."
"True," Adam nodded.
To be the surgical chief at one of the top medical centers in the U.S.—in the economic and cultural hub of the Big Apple, no less—Richard's medical prowess was undeniable.
He was the real star of the hospital.
"Come with me," Chief Richard said, pleased with Adam's response, and headed out.
Adam hurried after him.
Chief Richard went to Dr. Shepherd for verbal approval.
Too bad Shepherd was still pissed at him and flat-out ignored his requests—and threats.
No matter how big a deal you are, right now, you're just my patient.
If I say no, it's a no.
You're the one who handed the interim chief gig to Burke, then invited my nightmare of an ex-wife here—blowing up my life before I could even explain to my girlfriend, Meredith. Now everything's a mess.
"Let's find Burke," Chief Richard stormed off, his face dark.
"Chief, George went to get Meredith's authorization," Adam piped up. "No one's with Dr. Grey right now. Should I head back and help with her pre-op prep?"
He'd already seen the chief get shut down once.
If Burke shot him down too, Richard might take it out on him.
No doubt about it!
Adam hadn't done anything wrong, but that's just how the world works.
"Fine," Chief Richard thought it over and nodded.
After Shepherd's pushback, he wasn't as cocksure anymore.
Sure, he was the chief, but big-name surgeons like Shepherd and Burke could easily overrule him in public if they had a solid reason.
---
Outside the Ward.
"How bad is it?" Meredith and George peeked at Ellis Grey from a distance.
"What's her bilirubin level?" she asked.
"Four," George replied, giving her a sympathetic look. "Not great, but not terrible either. Adam's right—it might just be a benign tumor. No jaundice yet, at least."
Jaundice would've meant serious liver trouble.
"I know," Meredith mumbled, distracted.
"What are you two doing out here?" Adam walked up. "Meredith, have you signed the authorization?"
"Done," George said, waving the consent form.
"Alright. The chief's getting Burke to do the diverticulitis surgery and handle the biopsy at the same time," Adam reassured them. "You know Burke's skill. It'll be fine."
Then he turned to George. "George, pre-op for Dr. Grey—you going, or should I?"
"…" George's face darkened.
He wanted to.
But with Ellis Grey's attitude toward him, he'd be useless.
"You go," George muttered, still sulking.
"Hey! You'd better be thorough!" Adam shot back, unimpressed. "Who's got the sour face now? You're the one who begged me to help—not like I stole your surgery! It hasn't even started. You can still take it, and I won't say a word."
"George, Adam's just trying to help," Meredith said, shifting her gaze from her mom to them. She stepped in to mediate.
She'd just accepted Adam's offer, and honestly, she felt better with him handling her mom than George. Naturally, she took Adam's side.
"I know. Sorry," George said, his chubby face flushing red, then white, his eyes brimming with frustration.
Life was hard for him.