Medical Center. Afternoon.
"Duncan, come here."
Dr. Bailey called out.
"What's up, Dr. Bailey?"
Adam hurried over.
"Kerry Lodge's surgery is done," Dr. Bailey said. "She's about to wake up, and we need to check if the surgery worked. I can't think of anyone better for the job than you."
"Got it."
Adam didn't hesitate.
---
In the hospital room.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Kerry Lodge slowly came out of anesthesia and greeted Meredith with a groggy smile.
"Is it over?"
"Yep, surgery went great," Meredith said with a grin. "We're just keeping an eye on you now. Dr. Shepherd will be here soon to check on you."
"Say that again?"
Kerry's smile froze.
"What?"
Meredith blinked, confused.
"Say his name—Dr. Shepherd."
Kerry clarified, then noticed her face wasn't heating up like it used to. She lit up with excitement. "OMG! Look at my face!"
"Not even a little red. You're cured," Meredith laughed. "No more 'blushing like crazy thinking about your husband' from now on…"
Just then, Adam walked in.
"Dr. Duncan."
Kerry glanced at him, then something felt off. She touched her cheeks and gasped, "My face is red again! Did the surgery fail?"
Meredith's expression turned serious.
"Relax," Adam stepped forward, checked her over, and reassured her. "The surgery just dialed down the overactive sympathetic nerve response to the minimum—it didn't completely eliminate it. The blushing you're feeling now isn't the kind that used to cause fevers or dizziness. It's just normal blushing. The surgery worked."
"Really?"
Kerry looked skeptical.
"Really," Adam said with a smile. "It's not your fault—it's mine!"
"Heh."
Kerry kept touching her face. The wild heat she used to feel didn't show up, and that calmed her down. She couldn't help but laugh.
Meredith let out a relieved breath too.
"I'll go grab Dr. Shepherd to check you out."
Since it was her surgery, Dr. Shepherd arrived quickly. The results matched Adam's take—everything went perfectly, no issues at all.
Hearing the news, Cristina smirked. "The miracle doctor versus Mr. Dreamboat—who's got the most charm? You guys ready to admit defeat yet?"
George and Izzie rolled their eyes in unison, refusing to take the bait.
---
Nightfall.
Thanks to Adam's deep pockets, Dr. Grey's office was finished in record time. Six caregivers eagerly signed up to help care for the legendary Dr. Ellis Grey.
Ellis Grey was moved from the VIP ward to her new setup.
"Dr. Grey, these are some tapes of surgeries you performed," Adam said. "We were hoping you could walk us through your thought process back then and share some practical tips."
"We?"
Ellis Grey frowned. "I don't have time to teach a bunch of clueless interns. Just you, Adam. You've earned it."
"Thanks."
Adam's lips curled into a smile. He shot a look at Cristina, who was bristling with indignation, and smoothly added, "Dr. Grey, I misspoke earlier. I'm the only student here. They're just my interns, here to listen and help out. If they've got questions, I'll handle them. We won't waste your time."
"Okay."
Dr. Grey nodded coolly, then pointed at Meredith, who was leaning against the doorway, trying to blend into the background. "But she's not allowed in here."
"Mom?"
Meredith stared at her mother in disbelief.
At first, she'd been against Adam's whole plan. But now that it was happening, she couldn't pretend anymore. Deep down, she longed for what Adam had promised: a fresh start with her mom, having her there to support and witness her growth. That's why she was standing there, after hours, when no one could force her to be.
But she never expected this. She hadn't even brought up how her mom's affair with Chief Richard left her fatherless at five, stuck growing up with a single mom in a hospital. And now her mom was doubling down, saying something this hurtful.
Her eyes started to well up.
"She's a child. I don't work with kids," Ellis Grey said flatly, oblivious to the sting of her words.
In her mind, Meredith was still just a kid. And kids should be off playing, not bothering her while she worked.
"Dr. Grey, Meredith isn't a child anymore—I can vouch for that," Adam interjected.
He paused for a second. If any kid had her knack for getting plastered and dropping their pants 100% of the time, their parents would probably disown them faster than you can say 'Li Jing from Chentang Pass.' Of course, if they were up against someone who could catch a blade barehanded like Li Jing, that'd be a different story.
Shaking off the random thought, Adam continued, "She's finished med school and is a fully qualified intern. Test her if you don't believe me."
He gave Meredith a subtle nod.
Cristina quickly stepped over from Dr. Grey's side to Meredith's, whispering, "She's a patient. Humor her a little."
"Fine," Dr. Grey said, glancing at Adam. "I'll ask you…"
Meredith almost ignored her mom's question entirely. But with Cristina tugging at her arm and a flicker of wanting to prove her wrong, she swallowed her frustration and focused on answering.
Dr. Grey had never thought much of her daughter. But they were still mother and daughter—how could Ellis's insane medical talent not trickle down at least a little? Meredith might not be on her mom's level, but she was still top-tier.
That's how she'd managed to party hard and still graduate near the top of Harvard Med, becoming besties with overachiever Cristina.
But as Dr. Grey cranked the difficulty up to a near-vertical climb, even Cristina—silently answering in her head—started to falter. Meredith, naturally, hit a wall. Talent alone couldn't match Cristina's talent-plus-grind combo.
"That's it?" Dr. Grey said coldly.
"…"
Meredith's face flushed red.
Izzie shot her a sympathetic look. Having a mom like that? Total headache material.
George wanted to step in again, channeling Dr. Grey's husband Zack from last night to shut her down, but Adam's glare stopped him. Then Adam stepped forward, blocking his view entirely.
"Dr. Grey, that question's way beyond an intern's knowledge base. It's normal that Meredith couldn't answer," Adam said, smoothing things over. "As their mentor, that one's on me to tackle…"
And then he nailed the answer.
"Dr. Grey, they're with me. They won't disrupt your work," Adam said with a smile. "I promise."
"Alright," Dr. Grey nodded. "Your interns, your responsibility. Let's get started."
Meredith: "…"
Who's your real kid here? With her mom's attitude so drastically different, she'd almost rather be ignored completely.
"Hemipelvectomy…"
Adam hit play. The big-screen TV they'd set up flickered to life, showing a surgery led by a younger Dr. Grey. Her face was hidden behind a mask, but her steady, confident, almost icy eyes radiated charisma.
As the older Dr. Grey narrated, Adam and the others dove in, fully engrossed.
Even Meredith.