Medical Center. Emergency Room.
"Liz, what are you doing here?"
Adam spotted Liz waiting outside the ER in her surgical scrubs and asked, surprised.
"I don't know, someone paged me," Liz said with a shrug.
"Carol," Adam called, turning to the ER nurse.
"Dr. Duncan, an ambulance is on its way," Nurse Carol jumped in to explain. "The patient's a 35-year-old male—difficulty breathing, rapid and irregular pulse. His chart says he's got acute arrhythmia and congestive heart failure. He's Dr. Burke's patient."
"Oh my gosh! 😱" Liz gasped. "It's Danny!"
"Yeah," Carol nodded. "The patient's name is Danny."
"The Danny waiting for a heart transplant?" Adam asked, glancing at Liz.
"Yup," Liz nodded heavily, her voice thick with worry. "Last time he came in for a transplant, I was his attending. Sadly, he didn't get that heart."
"You okay?" Adam frowned, noticing her tone.
"Huh?" Liz blinked, snapping out of her daze.
"I mean, I'll take this patient," Adam said kindly. "You don't seem in the right headspace to be his doctor right now."
"No way!" Liz snapped. "He's my patient. I can take care of him!"
"You sure about that?" Adam gave her a long look. "Your emotions are all over the place—not exactly the vibe a doctor should have with a patient. It's not good for you or him."
"I've got this!" Liz locked eyes with him, determination blazing.
"Fine," Adam shrugged. "I'm just trying to help. If you think you're good, go for it. I don't need another heart transplant case—and I definitely don't want a spiked bat to the head."
"A what now?" Liz relaxed a bit, then tilted her head, confused.
"A joke. You wouldn't get it," Adam said with a small grin.
This Danny guy? Adam knew him. Looked exactly like Negan from The Walking Dead in his prime. Yup, the flirty dude with the barbed-wire bat who smashed delivery guy Glenn's head in. Poor Glenn—total tragedy. First, he's driven nuts by his roommate Sheldon and bails, only to still not escape that brutal fate.
Adam figured if Glenn had a choice—death by bat or mental breakdown via Sheldon—he'd be torn. Maybe a 60-40 split? Bat's the 60. When Leonard and Sheldon watched The Walking Dead later, wonder if they recognized him? Sheldon probably didn't care, but Leonard? He'd owe Glenn big time—and kick himself for ignoring the guy's warnings.
Flashback: Leonard's checking out Sheldon's apartment, and Glenn's bolting out, yelling, "Run! Run as fast and as far as you can!" If Leonard had listened, he'd have dodged decades of torment. Then again, Leonard might secretly enjoy the pain—surface-level misery, inner masochistic glee? Who knows! 🤷♂️
As Adam's mind wandered, the ambulance rolled up.
"It's really Danny!" Liz rushed forward. "What'd you do on-site?"
"Until he's handed over, he's my patient," the paramedic shot back, clearly annoyed by her tone.
"I know him," Liz fired back, unfazed. "He's high on the transplant list—our surgical patient. Dr. Burke's on his way. Hand him over now. What'd you do on-site?"
"Gave him 40 units of a diuretic and 6 units of adenosine," the paramedic grumbled, reluctantly handing him off after hearing Burke's name.
"What's the situation?" Dr. Burke strode in.
"It's Danny," Liz said urgently.
"Irregular heart rate, heart failure," Burke said, already checking him.
"Bisoprolol could lower mortality," Liz blurted. "Maybe try BP meds or digoxin—yeah, give him digoxin!"
"Hold up!" Burke waved off the nurse mid-motion and turned to Liz, his face stern. "Dr. Stevenson, he's my patient. I know his condition. He can hold on."
"But we can do something, right?" Liz took a deep breath, pleading.
"What we can do is get him to the ICU and monitor if his heart stabilizes," Burke said firmly.
"I'll be his attending. I'll look after him," Liz volunteered eagerly.
"No," Burke shot her down, then turned to Adam. "Dr. Duncan, you're on Danny."
"What?!" Liz's voice cracked with emotion. "I can do it! I was his attending last time!"
"Dr. Stevenson!" Burke's tone sharpened. "Are you questioning me?"
"No," Liz said, still rational despite her frustration, her eyes begging. "I just want to see it through. I know Danny better."
"We're doctors, not lovers," Burke snapped. "We do what's best for the patient—not some 'start-to-finish' romance arc. And how many relationships even last these days? You think you're better than Dr. Duncan?"
"No…" Liz's face flushed red.
"Any other issues?" Burke stared her down.
"No…" Liz muttered, defeated.
"Danny's been my patient for years," Burke said, turning to Adam.
"Got it," Adam smiled. "I'll keep a close eye on him."
"Good. I trust you," Burke nodded.
ICU.
"Liz, don't you have anything else to do?" Adam shook his head as Liz buzzed around Danny's bed.
"Nope," Liz said softly, staring at the unconscious Danny without turning.
With Dr. Bailey on maternity leave, her interns were like wild horses—chasing surgeries, dodging their temp supervisor, sunny-and-sweet Shani, who couldn't rein them in.
"It's so unfair," Liz murmured.
"Huh?" Adam asked.
"We fix idiots every day, patch them up, send them off—whether they deserve it or not," Liz said with a bitter laugh. "But Danny? He's a good guy with a bad heart, and all we can do is wait. And wait. Who knows if that perfect heart will ever come?"
"Nikki, keep an eye out," Adam said to the nurse. "No one lets Dr. Stevenson in without me or Dr. Burke's say-so."
"Yes, Dr. Duncan," the nurse replied.
"What?!" Liz froze, staring at Adam in disbelief.
"You heard me, Dr. Stevenson," Adam said flatly. "This is Dr. Burke's patient, not yours. You're not family. You've got no reason to be here. Please get out!"
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