At the medical center.
Outside the building.
Facing Adam's tempting proposal, Lily drifted into a daydream. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, her right eyebrow shooting up—once, twice—making it painfully obvious she was imagining something pretty darn nice.
Adam flashed a knowing smile.
Know your enemy, know yourself, and you'll win every battle.
The advantage is mine!
But then—
"No! No! No!"
Lily snapped out of her fantasy, stumbling back while frantically waving her hands, shouting her refusal. The sheer struggle to resist temptation was so intense that even Adam, her friend, felt a pang of sympathy watching her. It reminded him of a buddy from his past life—round as a ball after swearing to lose weight—flailing in panic when Adam and the gang teasingly dangled his favorite food in front of him.
"I can't do this!"
Lily thrust her hands out flat, keeping Adam at bay, her voice tangled with hesitation. "I'm me, you're you—I can't step in for you. In times like this, it's you who needs to go. That's what makes the most sense."
"You're overthinking it," Adam said gently, standing his ground. "What's a guy, anyway? Just a tool, right? Robin needs her bestie—you—way more right now."
"You're a doctor," he added. "You'd be better at helping her heal."
Lily shook her head.
"I've already checked her out. The ointment I gave you—just rub it on evenly."
Adam chuckled warmly. "Three circles left, three circles right—clockwise, counterclockwise, whatever works. If you want her to feel better faster, give her a nice little massage. Get that blood flowing!"
Lily's eyes gleamed again, that right eyebrow arching high.
But before Adam could smirk triumphantly—
"No!"
She shook her head hard, took a deep breath, and got serious. "Whether you did it yourself or not, this all started because of you. Robin's pissed at you. If you still see her as a friend, you've got to go yourself. That's what you, Adam Duncan, should do. Otherwise, how are you any different from Barney? At least Barney never lets a woman get hurt physically."
"…"
Adam's mouth twitched.
What kind of messed-up comparison is that?
Isn't heartbreak always worse than a bruise?
And seriously—him, Adam Duncan, the same as Barney?
No way in hell!
"Fine," he sighed, throwing up his hands as Lily transformed into some kind of fierce life-coach guru. "I'll go, okay?"
"Now that's the Adam I know!" Lily grinned. "Next time, I'll back you up when you're roasting Barney. Gotta have some solid ground to stand on, right?"
"Heh, thanks a bunch," Adam quipped dryly. "Really appreciate you and Matthew's support!"
Just that morning, he'd been comparing Meredith to some TV character, deciding they weren't alike. But now, as night fell, here was Lily channeling that same vibe. He couldn't help but wonder if some mysterious force was pulling strings behind the scenes.
So, what did Lily have in common with that character?
First off—and most obvious—they were both queens of dishing out feel-good wisdom. Lily was basically the go-to emotional therapist for all her friends. Whenever someone hit a rough patch in love or life, she'd swoop in to sort them out. Adam admired that about her. Her moral compass might not be perfect, but in the wild world of American TV drama, it was top-tier.
Second thing—they both took love seriously. Lily and Matthew's relationship blew Adam's mind. In this chaotic, mix-and-match soap opera universe, they were a rare pair who stuck it out, almost from start to finish. A real betrayal of the genre's norms! Even Chandler and Monica couldn't hold a candle to them. Their bond was so pure it reminded him of… well, his parents in this life.
Okay, fine—sitcoms can't compete with Disney family vibes for wholesomeness.
Point is, Lily was basically the American version of that character. When she poured on the heartfelt advice, Adam had no choice but to gulp it down, even if it made him roll his eyes.
"Where you headed?" Lily asked, noticing him turn to leave.
"Gonna swing by the nurses' station, let them know to tell my colleague," Adam replied casually.
Sure, Liz was covering the first half of the night, but he had a hunch this little errand might make him late for the handoff later. Better to give a heads-up now. After all—if you're gonna do something, do it right. This time, he was determined to get Robin to accept his apology.
"Oh," Lily said, not quite getting it. She figured he was still on shift, oblivious that it was barely evening—five or six hours shy of midnight—and Adam was already planning five steps ahead.
At the nurses' station—
"Got it, Dr. Duncan!" The sharpest nurse gave him a sly "I know what's up" wink.
"Thanks," Adam said with a nod, then headed out of the hospital to drive to Robin's place.
"Hey, what're you doing?" he asked, spotting Lily trailing him.
"Coming with you, duh," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
She'd worked so hard to convince him, securing justice for her bestie Robin. No way was she missing the follow-through! What if they fought? What if Adam pulled some shady move again? She needed to be there, keeping an eye on things—otherwise, she'd never relax.
"Nah, you don't need to," Adam said, shaking his head. "It'd be awkward."
"Why's that?" Lily's expression shifted, a little suspicious.
"You tell me," Adam said with a sly grin.
"Wait—you mean…?" Lily's face flushed, her eyes going all dreamy again.
As the resident love guru—amateur grandmaster level—she knew exactly what the best way was for a guy and a girl to bury the hatchet!
Yeah, her tagging along might get… complicated.
But now? She kinda wanted to go…
Emmm. Don't get the wrong idea! She was all talk, no action—just fantasizing like always. If push came to shove, she'd bolt straight back to Matthew's side in a heartbeat.
"Don't worry," Adam laughed. "I'll make sure she cools off."
"I trust you," Lily said, already picturing a dozen ways Adam might smooth things over. She slipped herself into Robin's shoes for a second and thought, If I were her, facing this, I'd have to forgive him. No choice!
"You know where Robin lives, right?" Lily called out, not climbing into the car as Adam settled into the driver's seat.
"Of course," he replied, starting the engine with ease. He shot her a grin, floored the gas, and peeled out, leaving her with one last line echoing in the distance:
"I know that road better than you do!"
---
Robin's Apartment
Ding-dong.
Adam rang the bell.
"Woof woof woof! x5!"
A chorus of ferocious barking erupted from inside. Most people would've turned tail and run.
After a moment, the door swung open.
There stood Robin—one hand gripping leashes for five massive dogs, the other aiming a huge handgun right at Adam.
"You jerk! You've got some nerve showing up here!"
"I bet there's no bullet in that gun!" Adam said calmly, smirking.
Then he glanced at the five dogs—gifts from Robin's five exes—finding them way too loud. One look from him, and—
"Whine whine whine! x5!"
The once-rowdy pack whimpered and shrank back, legs trembling like they'd just met their alpha.
Click.
Adam stepped inside, shutting the door firmly behind him.
"Whine whine whine! x6!"
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(End of Chapter)