After hanging up the call with Juno, Adam immediately dialed his assistant, Ada. He instructed her and Lisa, another assistant, to hire six female bodyguards for Peggy—ones who could carry firearms.
With his future-driven vision and billions in capital, his assets practically grew on their own.
A superyacht or a private jet? Maybe he couldn't buy those on a whim just yet.
But hiring a few extra bodyguards? That was easy.
In the Hallway
Nurse Carol paced back and forth, looking anxious.
"What's wrong?" Adam asked, already having a good guess.
"Jenny is gone," Carol blurted out, panicking.
"Did you check with security?" Adam reminded her.
Carol froze for a moment before realizing what he meant. She immediately pulled out her phone and called security.
"She left," she said after the call, sounding dejected. "How could she leave? She should've fought back! If no one resists, those bastards will only become bolder."
Adam sighed.
This was reality.
Once the initial surge of bravery fades, most people choose to retreat.
Self-preservation is human nature.
"Carol, this was her choice," an older nurse who had been standing nearby gently interjected. "After what happened, her boyfriend didn't believe her—thought she did it on purpose—and broke up with her. She's been through enough. You can't force her to face this."
"But she said no!" Carol argued, her voice shaking. "She fought back! And because her boyfriend didn't believe her, she should be even more determined to stand up and tell the truth…"
Adam couldn't listen anymore. He turned and walked away from the ER.
He felt bad for Jenny, but he was powerless to help.
What was emotional exhaustion?
This.
At least his brain worked differently.
He mentally packed up all that negativity, encrypted it, and shoved it into a mental folder labeled Do Not Open.
Feeling refreshed, he shifted his focus back to preparing for his private medical lesson with the legendary Dr. Grey later that night.
Learning made him happy.
In the Dead of Night
The private lesson ended.
Christina was still full of energy, eager to pull Adam aside for more questions, but he refused.
He still had to head to New Jersey for his usual rounds.
Despite his mental encryption, the events of the day still lingered.
As he walked past the nurses' station, an unexpected sound reached his ears.
A sound that… shouldn't be echoing through a hospital at this hour.
Adam froze mid-step, his expression one of pure disbelief.
A group of nurses huddled together, giggling.
"…I'm not imagining this, right?" Adam asked, torn between amusement and exasperation.
"Nope."
One of the blushing nurses nodded toward a nearby patient room. "New admission. Dr. Shepherd prescribed it… until his surgery tomorrow."
"Dr. Shepherd prescribed it?"
Adam's mouth twitched.
It was way too late for this kind of nonsense.
This was New York Medical Center.
Not some anime hospital like St. Juliana's!
Curious, Adam walked over.
Room 3
Inside, a middle-aged, overweight white man lay in bed, staring intently at the TV.
He didn't even acknowledge Adam's presence.
From the speakers, those sounds continued to play.
On the couch nearby, a woman—presumably his wife—sat knitting. She looked up at Adam and smiled, completely unfazed.
Adam picked up the patient's chart.
Henry Labette, 42 years old. Herniated spinal disc. Allergic to all pain medication.
Ah. That explained it.
"Henry's in a lot of pain," the woman explained, setting her knitting aside. "The doctor said watching… these kinds of movies helps release dopamine, which eases his pain and keeps it at a tolerable level."
"You scheduled a spinal implant with Dr. Shepherd tomorrow?" Adam asked, amused.
It was a great surgery. After his trip to New Jersey, he'd try to snag it for himself.
That is, if hospital drama didn't get in the way.
He sighed internally.
Shepherd and Meredith Grey's ridiculous love saga again…
Originally, when Dr. Montgomery—Shepherd's wife—showed up, Meredith had completely ignored him.
Then the truth came out—Shepherd had been cheated on. Hard. So, Meredith softened toward him.
Next, Shepherd got his divorce papers. He was this close to being free.
Cue more flirting.
Then came the plot twist—he hesitated. Didn't sign the papers.
Meredith, pissed, ghosted him again.
For the past week, Adam had taken on a ton of surgeries that would've normally gone to Meredith. She was too caught up in her emotional rollercoaster to care.
Which suited Adam just fine.
But just when he thought she was done with Shepherd…
Boom.
Some patient must have inspired her because she went full drama mode, marched up to Shepherd, and told him:
"Pick me. Choose me. Love me."
Adam nearly choked on air when he heard.
You're almost thirty. Have some dignity.
His dream of snagging more prime surgeries? Shattered.
Now that she'd made her move, the ball was in Shepherd's court.
Regardless of what he chose, one thing was certain:
If there was a surgery, he'd take Meredith with him.
Whether it was as a devoted boyfriend or a guilt-ridden ex, she'd be there.
Adam internally rolled his eyes.
"You two are so dramatic. Just drink some hot tea and calm down."
Back to Henry
"Yes," Henry's wife nodded. "Hopefully, after the surgery, we won't need to do this anymore."
"Dr. Shepherd is one of the best neurosurgeons," Adam said, putting the chart back. He glanced at the TV and added, "But even if he prescribed this, and even if it works, you should probably turn the volume down and keep the door closed. It's still a hospital."
"Of course, Doctor."
She got up and lowered the volume.
Adam nodded and closed the door on his way out.
He couldn't really blame himself for assuming the worst.
After all, the movie Henry was watching was called…
"Slutty Nurses."
And judging by the dialogue, it featured doctors, nurses, and patients.
Perfect.
Since he was allergic to all pain meds, watching that helped distract him from his pain.
Medically? Justifiable.
But of all the movies out there…
Why choose this one?
And worse—it was the fourth installment in the series.
Adam was starting to suspect that Henry might be… a bit of a perv.
Turning back to the nurses, he warned, "Don't be alone with him."
"We won't," they giggled, faces flushed.
One nurse, eyes gleaming with mischief, added, "Dr. Duncan, he does have a herniated disc. He can't exactly move."
Adam gave her a look, then bolted.
If he stuck around any longer, these nurses might actually drag him into their antics.
And turn him into a 2D anime character.