The Next Day.
Medical Center.
"Phew."
After Adam finished examining Dr. Gray, Christina—standing by his side—read the answer in his eyes and let out a long sigh.
What a relief!
That little chubby George had only managed to drag Dr. Gray's emotions back over twenty years.
Dr. Gray's expertise and experience have always been top-notch.
Indeed.
George—who had been mistaken for Zack—never really measured up to Dr. Gray, and nothing could ever compare to her deep passion for medicine.
"Zack, don't interrupt Dr. Gray's work—come with me," Adam said with a smile.
"Right, don't disturb my work," Dr. Gray agreed with a nod.
"…"
Helpless, George had no choice but to follow Adam out.
When he turned back, intending to say something to Dr. Gray, he found Christina blocking his path, her little eyes practically screaming, "Hurry up and go—don't mess around, or I'll beat you up!"
Adam's gaze was full of mischief as he teased, "So, how'd you sleep last night? Looked like you slept like a baby, huh?"
The good news had erased most of his irritation with George. He had originally planned to punish him, but now it was just all playful teasing.
"Adam, it's not what you think…" George's chubby face instantly flushed.
"Don't bother explaining," Adam waved him off. He was an old hand at this routine—the whole "no need to explain; any explanation is just a cover-up for the truth" spiel.
"Hey, don't you guys tell Meredith, okay?" George pleaded.
"Of course I have no problem, but do you really think Christina would keep such explosive news from Meredith?" Adam shot back teasingly. "Besides, you two don't have any secrets between you. What's there not to say, Zack?"
George looked utterly mortified.
"Relax," Adam grinned. "Meredith won't mind at all."
"Really?" George's eyes lit up.
"Of course—she might even be dying for you to be Zack right now."
Adam said seriously, "That way, you get to take care of Dr. Gray, and she won't have to take care of you."
"Adam!" George exclaimed, a bit annoyed at being teased once again.
"Okay," Adam raised his hand. "But seriously, if I were you, I'd ask Dr. Gray which brand of cologne Zack uses."
"Why?" George asked, taken aback.
"Women who grow up without a father tend to develop a bit of a daddy complex," Adam explained with a laugh. "There's actual research showing that if you're dating a woman like that and you use the same cologne as her dad, your chances of getting her into bed go up tenfold."
With that, Adam left a pensive George behind and quickly walked away. Adam worried that if he stayed any longer, he'd burst out laughing.
That so-called scientific study was something Beverly had once passed on to her son Leonard. Leonard did end up in bed with Penny that very night, but whether he actually used the same cologne as Penny's dad is debatable. And besides, Meredith is different from Penny. For someone like her—who lost her father Zack when she was just five—a daddy complex might not mean she adores his scent; it could just as easily be rooted in disgust…
---
At Green Clinic:
"Adam, did Rachel come to the Medical Center for a check-up yesterday?"
Leonard complained, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Rachel told me over and over not to mention it," Adam replied with a laugh. "She's perfectly fine, so I didn't say anything—after all, finding you is just like finding me!"
Leonard paused in surprise, then nodded and laughed, "That's true."
He had gone through so much effort to accept Adam's closeness and do everything he could to help him grow—wasn't it all for this moment? After all, he was steadily getting older, and in the future, when a medical issue arises, people won't be turning to him but to Adam! Adam had already taken care of this and even pointed it out first, which truly filled Leonard with satisfaction.
"So, have you thought of a name for Rachel's baby yet?"
Leonard was in such high spirits he couldn't help but grin as he pulled Adam aside for a chat.
"If you ask me, if it's a boy, name him Adam Green! As long as my grandson is even half as awesome as you, I wouldn't even care if he were a love child!"
[Latest update—first published in Book 69!]
"She did have that idea," Adam said, his lips twitching. "But Chandler and Monica already reserved it."
"That's not acceptable!" Leonard objected. "What gives them the right to reserve it first? Do they even have a kid yet?"
"Not yet," Adam replied with a shake of his head. "But they're working on it."
"Then that's that!" Leonard waved his hand. "They're your friends, and Rachel is your friend too. If Rachel ends up having my grandchild, then his name will be Adam Green! I said so!"
"…"
Adam's lips twitched, leaving him speechless. If this were in the East—with Rachel and Ross saying stuff like that—Adam would have beaten them up already.
I treat you as friends, yet you act like my parents?
You're taking advantage of me!
You're asking for trouble!
But this isn't the East—it's the USA! In America, it's traditional to name your child after a relative, friend, or someone you admire. This isn't an insult—it's recognition! It's legacy! It's honor!
For example, in The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and Amy's son is named Leonard Cooper! Originally, Sheldon even planned to add a middle name—Nimoy! After all, it was taken from his favorite TV character, Leonard Nimoy (the actor who played Spock in Star Trek). But Amy vetoed it. According to her exact words, "If you're going to name him Leonard, just be content with that!"
Clearly, Amy didn't want their son named Leonard either. Since they were always together, you'd inevitably end up having to call them Big Leonard and Little Leonard. If clueless onlookers mistook Little Leonard for the son of Leonard and Amy, that would be downright awkward!
But there's nothing you can do about it. Sheldon insisted! And Leonard had sacrificed so much for Sheldon that, no matter how much Amy disliked it, she had no choice but to endure and accept that potentially awkward name. For Leonard, such an honor was almost as sweet as Sheldon thanking him during his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. At first, Leonard was genuinely happy—feeling that after nearly twenty years of being tormented by Sheldon, it was all worth it. But once Sheldon explained himself, Leonard's gratitude evaporated in an instant.
"Leonard, I know you'll never win a Nobel Prize in your life, but my son certainly will. That way, your name will be indirectly immortalized in Nobel Prize history," Sheldon declared bluntly. "So, don't thank me!"
"Thank you?"
All I want to do is strangle you—or blast your head off with the Force!
Luckily, Leonard was an old ninja; he only had to give Sheldon a meaningful look. And Sheldon took that as a sign of gratitude.
Perfect!
He really is such a great friend!
It's precisely because of this custom that Adam can only accept his friends' enthusiastic endorsements with a wry smile—while secretly hoping that one day there won't be a situation where everyone starts calling him "dad"!
Friends: "Adam!"
Kids: "Dad, Mom!"
Adam: "…"
---