The Medical Center
With Meredith's authorization in hand, Adam started helping Alice Grey with her pre-surgery prep.
Adam was a pro at this—he had the skills and the charm to back it up. Playing himself naturally, he got Alice Grey to cooperate like it was no big deal.
Since Surgical Chief Richard couldn't operate himself, he called in Dr. Burke, the guy he trusted most.
The surgery itself? Nothing much to say. After a rush biopsy on the tissue sample, it turned out to be a benign tumor. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief—Adam most of all.
"Meredith, want to grab dinner tonight to celebrate?"
Once the good news spread to everyone who needed to hear it, Adam tracked down Meredith and tossed out the invite with a grin.
The second he said it, Liz, Cristina, George, and Meredith all whipped their heads around to stare at him, their eyes dripping with suspicion.
"What's up?" Adam asked, shrugging.
"Something's off with you," Cristina said, her voice low and teasing.
"Super off," Liz chimed in with a nod.
"Count me in!" George blurted out, antsy.
"Okay, spill it. What's your angle?" Meredith cut through the noise, glaring at him. "This about my mom, isn't it?"
"…" Adam's mouth twitched.
What kind of way is that to put it? he thought. It sounded so awkward—like he was some creep rounding up favors or something.
"Can't it just be a normal hangout between friends? You know, celebrating your mom's health and everything going smoothly?"
"Psh!" Liz, Cristina, and George scoffed in unison.
"That's it? You think we're buying that?" Cristina smirked.
"I've got it!" George shouted, pointing at Adam. "You're trying to keep learning from her!"
"Learning from her?" Cristina's sharp little eyes lit up with interest.
George spilled the whole story—how Alice Grey had sized Adam up, plus her glowing review of him. "She seriously said that, and you guys actually believe her?"
Cristina, Liz, and Meredith went quiet, their gazes flickering over Adam uncertainly.
"You're not seriously buying this, are you?" George asked, feeling a bit awkward when no one backed him up. His eyes darted between the three women, and after a few rounds of silence, it clicked. He gasped.
"If it were you, I wouldn't believe it," Cristina said, throwing him a side-eye.
"Yeah, if it were anyone else, I'd call BS," Liz added with a sigh.
"Remember that nurse with pancreatic cancer?" Meredith said softly. "She was my mom's surgical nurse for eighteen years. My mom's got Alzheimer's—doesn't even remember me, her own daughter. But when that nurse came up, Mom lit up instantly, laughing, asking if she was still scrubbing in, calling her the best surgical nurse ever."
"Totally makes sense," Cristina said matter-of-factly. "How much time did you spend with her compared to that nurse?"
Meredith froze. She'd never thought about it like that.
Now that she did, it hit her—her mom barely took her anywhere as a kid. For decades, Alice Grey practically lived in the OR. Twenty-seven years as her daughter, and Meredith's time with her probably didn't even add up to a fraction of the eighteen years that nurse clocked. Her mom forgetting her but remembering the nurse? It tracked.
"So, here's the thing," Adam said, grinning. "I've got an idea. How about we rent an office for Dr. Grey here at the hospital? Keep her in an environment she knows like the back of her hand. Pair that with the latest meds to boost brain metabolism and cognition, and we could really slow down her Alzheimer's. Sure, there's no cure yet, but with the right combo, we can delay it big-time."
"And then you can keep picking her brain!" Liz rolled her eyes. "Don't you think that's a little too self-serving?"
"It's a win-win-win-win—and no, I'm not winning four times!" Adam shot back. "It's good for Dr. Grey, good for Meredith, good for me, and good for you guys too! A legendary doctor's knowledge and experience are priceless. Letting it go to waste would be a shame—not just for medicine, but for all of humanity!"
"I say we try it," Cristina said, predictably the first to jump on board. "Adam's willing to shell out his own cash to help Meredith's mom ease her Alzheimer's, improve her quality of life down the road, and pass down some medical legacy while he's at it. What's that? Pure, selfless vibes! Why would we stop him?"
"No way," Meredith said, shaking her head, conflicted. "I don't want to see her. I'm scared of seeing her…"
"That's it?" Adam cut in. "I can set her office up far from where we hang out and get some seasoned nurses to keep an eye on her so she doesn't mess with hospital ops. If you don't want to see her, I'll make sure you don't. How's that?"
"Meredith," Cristina jumped in without missing a beat, tag-teaming like a pro. "Alzheimer's can be managed. Your mom's sharpest memories are from her doctor days. Put her in that setting, recreate those scenes, reinforce those memories—it's good for her. Who knows? She might even remember you one day."
"And even if she doesn't," Adam added, "letting her live in her glory days beats leaving her to rot alone in some nursing home by a hundred miles, right?"
"If it were me, I'd pick this in a heartbeat," Cristina said, nodding.
"Meredith," Adam said earnestly, "she's your mom. Back then, she didn't have time for you. Now, I'm willing to pull every string to create the perfect setup so you can spend time with her, let her be there for you, help you, watch you grow, and be proud of you. This is a chance to start over with her—do you really want to throw it away just because it feels weird at first?"
"Think straight, Meredith. This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot to fix some regrets!" Cristina piped up. "Plus, with her condition, keeping her in the hospital is way better than a nursing home. If something goes wrong, we can handle it on the spot. A nursing home? Good luck with that. Time's life. You really want to risk the delay?"
"Meredith…"
"Meredith…"
"Meredith…"
Adam finished, and Cristina jumped in seamlessly. Cristina wrapped up, and Adam picked right back up. It was a perfectly synced duet—George and Liz were floored.
Meredith's face twisted in indecision, then she clutched her head, and finally she couldn't take it anymore. "Fine, stop! I'll agree, okay? Just stop!"
"Smart move!" Cristina grinned.
"It's gonna be a beautiful fresh start," Adam said, his smile genuine. "Meredith, trust me, you won't regret this. Oh, and I hear you've got a stash of your mom's old surgery tapes at home. Bring 'em over sometime—replaying those could help her condition."
"Great idea!" Cristina chimed in.
Meredith, George, and Liz: "…"
P.S. Thanks to Anita for the tip!