Nighttime at the Medical Center
The little study session was back in action.
"Huh? Just you tonight?" Adam asked, surprised to see only Christina there.
"Yeah, Meredith didn't feel like coming—she's at the bar," Christina said casually as she plopped down with her neatly organized notes. "George tagged along with her. Izzie's swamped working under Dr. Montgomery—she's basically a dog on a leash with no time to spare. As for Bianca and the others, well, that's on you."
"Ahem," Adam coughed lightly, giving her a chill grin. "The ones who wanna show up will. No point forcing the rest."
Christina shot him a little smirk, like she was calling his bluff.
So, why wasn't Bianca here? Simple—she and Adam were in a bit of a tiff. It all started recently: Adam's been juggling helping Kate with her case while also playing baby-prep assistant to Peggy, getting ready for their "first kid." That meant Bianca's usual slot on his schedule got squeezed down to almost nothing.
Sure, Adam's stamina could rival Naruto's, but he doesn't have some Reverse Harem Jutsu to split himself into a dozen clones. One's in New Jersey, the other's in New York—doesn't matter how tough he is if he's not even in the same zip code. Over time, even though Bianca knew the deal going in, she couldn't help but throw a mini tantrum.
Adam, being the stand-up guy he is, didn't pull any fake sweet-talk to smooth it over. He left it all up to her—her call.
Emmm… This definitely isn't some "don't reject, don't initiate, don't take responsibility" move! Nope, not at all!
Tonight's study session was just Adam and Christina—smallest stove crew yet.
After wrapping up…
"No date with Dr. Burke tonight?" Adam asked as he finished calming Alice Grey down and gave the nurses some instructions. He fell into step with Christina as they headed out.
"He asked," Christina shrugged. "But I blew him off. Dating's cool and all, but shadowing Alice Grey? That's the real deal."
"You're killing it," Adam said, flashing a thumbs-up. "You're gonna be one hell of a surgeon someday." 👍
For someone without a cheat code or golden ticket, Christina's got the perfect combo: talent and relentless hustle. Barring any wild curveballs, she's got success in the bag. Maybe not Alice Grey's legendary status—that takes more than grit; it's like winning the cosmic lottery—but hitting Dr. Burke's level of "famous doc" or even Chief of Surgery Richard's "big shot" tier? Totally doable.
"Just good?" Christina rolled her eyes at him. "You mocking me? My goal's always been Alice Grey."
"Nah, you know I didn't mean it like that," Adam laughed.
She gave him a quick look and nodded. "Good. Yeah, there's a gap between us, but I'm always chasing it. I don't do surrender."
"I bet your dates with Burke are a riot," Adam teased.
"More like a nightmare," she groaned. "He doesn't get me at all. He's never even seen me outside the hospital…"
"Oh, really?" Adam grinned, leaning into it.
"Naked doesn't count," she added quick, then kept ranting. "He's like some relic from the '50s or '60s—sleeps with a woman and suddenly he's ready to slap a ring on it without even asking if we're game! I hate talking personal stuff, but now he's all curious about my life. It's driving me nuts! I wish he'd be more like you."
"Hmm?" Adam's eyes slid over to her, suspicious.
"It's a compliment!" Christina threw her hands up. "Aren't you that guy? You and your lady friends seem to get along just fine."
"True," Adam nodded, owning it.
She wasn't wrong!
"Seriously, why bother with some fancy dinner date?" Christina griped. "We've got a better spot right here—crash Alice Grey's open lectures together. Learn some cutting-edge stuff and have a blast. What's not to love? He's into it too, but nope—too stuck-up with his 'attending surgeon' and 'thoracic surgery bigwig' ego to show up!"
"You could push a little harder," Adam said, eyes lighting up as he egged her on. "That'd be a fun date."
"Right?" Christina perked up. "You get it too, huh?"
"Totally," Adam agreed. "All your time with Burke's been in the hospital. He's into the version of you he sees there—outside life doesn't even matter."
"Thanks," she said, her face screaming finally, someone gets me.
"Heh," Adam chuckled.
Oh, and here's a quick shoutout—patreon:belamy20—keeping creators like this alive is the move!
Truth is, Adam's got an angle here: he's trying to rope Burke in as extra muscle. During work hours, Burke's teaching moments are all in the OR—short bursts, hit-or-miss timing. But if Burke joined the study crew? Adam could go full throttle, picking his brain for hours.
Burke might not be Alice Grey's legend-tier, but he's still a name-brand doc with some unique tricks up his sleeve. Plus, he's always in the OR, always leveling up. For Adam, that's gold. Normally, dragging an attending like Burke into something like this would be a pipe dream—guy's got a life after clocking out. But seeing how clueless Burke is with romance?
Using Christina as bait could totally work. And the best part? She's on the same page—same goals, same payoff. Tsk! That's why, out of all the docs he works with, Christina's the one he vibes with most as a friend.
The Next Day
Bright and Early
New day, fresh start.
Meredith was slumped on a bench outside the building, nursing a hangover with a coffee in hand. Christina was chatting her up.
"Every time I kick them out, they look so sad," Meredith said with a laugh. "Seriously, why don't these guys get it? Taking them home from the bar doesn't mean it's real."
"Easy," Adam chimed in, strolling over after catching her line from a distance. "Usually, it's guys saying that! When it's you, they're just thrown off—not actually heartbroken."
"Well, you guys better get used to it," Meredith grinned. "More and more women are gonna start treating you like that."
"Let's hope not," Adam said, his mouth twitching into a half-smirk.
"Meredith," a random guy interrupted, walking up to her. "You work here?"
"Steve, what are you doing here?" Meredith's face darkened.
This was her bar hookup from last night—the "tool" she'd just booted out. She had a sneaking suspicion he'd followed her.
"I've got a little problem…" Steve hesitated.
"What kind of problem?" Christina asked, instantly switching from bestie mode to doctor mode, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Well, actually, it's a big problem," Steve said. He dropped the jacket he'd been holding in front of himself, revealing said issue.
"Pfft!" Adam nearly lost it, choking back a laugh so hard he almost hurt himself.
From now on, if anyone asks who the real showstopper at the medical center is? Adam's got one answer: Meredith Grey!