Medical Center.
After calming down the pregnant mom, Liz stayed behind to keep an eye on her. Meanwhile, a crew of attendings filed into the conference room for a consult.
This case was a big deal, and even the Chief of Surgery, Richard, got wind of it and hustled over. Adam, being one of the residents managing the patient, got a seat at this high-stakes table too.
"Duncan, you were the first to spot it. Why don't you kick things off?" Richard said, his tone warm as he gave Adam a nod of props.
Emmm. Don't be weirded out. The security scanner at the hospital entrance is still being installed, and Richard's riding that wave of enthusiasm. It's the same vibe as when Adam first rolled in and donated a lab—Richard was all over him back then too. Give it a bit, though, and he'll snap back to his usual stern, fair-and-square Big Boss mode.
Tsk! That's just how it works—magic!
"Alright," Adam said, unfazed. He grabbed the ultrasound images, slapped them up front, and pointed at the tiny details. "The middle one, Lucy, is showing signs of hydrocephalus—brain swelling. If it gets worse, it could mean brain damage. We can pop in a shunt to drain the cerebrospinal fluid.
"Then there's the second one on the left, Emily. She's got hypoplastic left heart syndrome—underdeveloped left ventricle and a funky mitral valve that's way too narrow. We can go with the Norwood procedure. Step one's right after birth: reconstruct the aortic arch and set up a pulmonary shunt. Six to twelve months later, we do phase two—bidirectional Glenn shunt. Then, six months after that, phase three: a modified Fontan procedure.
"Over on the right, the second one, Julie, has her organs growing in a sac outside her body. After birth, we'll snip off the membrane, make a small incision in her abdomen, and tuck everything back inside.
"Here's the catch, though. These surgeries? The sooner, the better—especially for Lucy's brain swelling. But the other two need as much time in the womb as possible. Timing's a real headache. I'd say we monitor Lucy's intracranial pressure constantly, factor in how long the surgery'll take, set a red line, and if it crosses that, we operate ASAP."
"Solid work," Richard said, his old face blooming into a grin. He gave Adam a big thumbs-up before glancing around at the other department heads. "What about you all? Anything to add?"
Neonatal Chief Dr. Montgomery: "…"
Neurosurgery Chief Dr. Shepherd: "…"
Cardiothoracic Chief Dr. Burke: "…"
What the heck were they supposed to say? Adam had just stolen the show! A freaking intern knowing everything? No way—they weren't buying it.
"Duncan, you actually know the Norwood and Fontan procedures?" Burke piped up, ready to poke some holes.
He knew Adam had that photographic memory thing—HD screenshot-level recall. With a gift like that, cramming a ton of medical info wasn't a stretch if you put in the effort. But memorizing isn't the same as getting it or pulling it off. If Burke didn't call him out, what was the point of this consult? Just let Adam flex solo?
That'd mean one little intern was worth all three of their departments combined. No chance.
"I've read up on them…" Adam said, keeping it humble.
"Oh yeah? Then tell me—" Burke jumped in with some nitty-gritty surgery questions.
But soon enough, he was just shaking his head with a wry smile. Adam answered every single one—spot-on, with details so sharp even Burke felt a jolt of "Whoa, that's good."
What the heck?! These surgeries were rare as it gets. Burke hadn't even done them himself—just studied the texts and leaned on his years of experience to mentally map it out. But Adam? He seemed to know more, and it all made sense. Burke couldn't even argue back if he wanted to.
"You've done these before?" Burke finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Nope," Adam said, shaking his head. "But Dr. Grey has. We talked it over a while back, so I've got a decent grip on the details."
"…"
The room went quiet. Even Richard clammed up this time.
Dr. Alice Grey—the legend—was a permanent thorn in Richard's side. Back in the day, they were interns together. He was the hotshot—talented, charming, everyone's favorite. But Alice? She outshone him, hands down. It bugged him, sure, but her brilliance won him over too.
Patreon:belamy20—slipping this in here like you asked!
So, with his slick moves, he wooed her—easy peasy. Didn't matter that she was married or that he had a fiancée (now his wife). Years of tangled drama later, Alice poured her whole heart into him. Her poor, patient husband finally snapped and bailed. But when she showed up with little Meredith in tow, begging him to ditch his wife and start fresh like he'd promised under the stars? He couldn't do it.
His wife didn't hold a candle to Alice, no contest. But Alice was a wildfire, an iceberg, a blade—maybe a ghost or a goddess, but definitely not human. His wife? She was real, flesh and blood.
Okay, fine—that's all poetic nonsense. Truth is, he couldn't handle Alice outshining him. Work was bad enough; he wasn't about to let it spill into his personal life too. He never planned to end up with her.
Crushed, Alice took off for Boston, leaving New York behind to build an even crazier, more epic career. Richard, meanwhile, climbed the ladder to Chief of Surgery—big fish, small pond. When Meredith reached out years later, asking to intern here, he said yes without a second thought. Guilt from the past still nagged at him. Now that he'd made it, he figured he could make it up to her, ease that old ache.
Then he heard Alice had Alzheimer's—forgot everything. It hit him hard, but there was a flicker of relief too. The shadows of the past faded, and he decided he'd be an upright Chief, a kind elder, a genuinely good guy from then on.
But now Alice's name was back, crashing in like this, dragging him right back to those days when even his best wasn't enough to match her legend. For a guy holding all the power, it made him squirm.
"Should we bring Dr. Grey in for the consult?" Burke asked, hesitant.
"No way," Richard shot back instantly. "She's got Alzheimer's—she can't legally consult as a doctor anymore."
Worried his snap reaction looked shady, he added, "Duncan's already talked it through with Alice. With his skills, he can assist you just fine."
Burke nodded, no choice but to roll with it.
Adam gave a polite little smile.
The lead surgeon spot for this one? His. He knew the details better than Burke—there was no way he'd stand there as first assist, whispering tips to the attending. How awkward would that be? Nope. He'd take the scalpel, and Burke could play mentor from the sidelines, tossing out a few harmless pointers to keep his dignity intact. That's how you maintain the vibe.
"Sigh," Burke thought to himself. Who'd have guessed an intern could back him into a corner like this?
Teaching these days? Tough gig.