Medical Center
Ward
"Rebecca…"
After getting an earful from Adam, Dr. Montgomery snapped out of it. She realized now wasn't the time to let a pregnant woman call all the shots. Taking a deep breath, she walked back into the room with Adam by her side, ready to talk some sense into her.
But trust and authority? Once you lose those, they don't come back easy—or fast.
"I've got a plan!" Rebecca snapped stubbornly. "You can't be 100% sure there's no hope, and as long as there's even a tiny chance, I'm sticking to my way! I'm not about to miss out on the full experience of giving birth just to make things easier for you or dodge some legal mess!"
"This isn't about convenience or lawsuits—it's a professional call…" Adam chimed in, trying to help.
"And who are you?" Rebecca cut him off sharp. "You're so young—probably just an intern. Even Dr. Montgomery can't say for sure, so what gives you the right to talk about 'professional judgment'?"
No matter how much Adam and Dr. Montgomery tried after that, she wouldn't budge. She ended up yelling again, shooing them out of the room with a hoarse roar. 😤
"Now what?" Dr. Montgomery glanced at Adam, almost on autopilot.
"Up to you," Adam said with a shrug. "We've done our job as doctors—our consciences are clear. She wants to do it her way? Fine. Like she said, we can't be 100% certain."
"Guess that's all we can do," Dr. Montgomery sighed.
Adam gave her a quick look before heading off to the cafeteria. Their bond had gotten tighter since that wild gooseberry rash incident—closer than your average coworkers. Plus, with the situation being so urgent and no outsiders around, he'd felt okay giving her a little heat earlier. Still, she was the head of neonatology. Even if she'd dropped the ball big-time here, she had her pride.
Cafeteria
"I can't take this anymore," Meredith groaned, clutching her hair like she was about to lose it.
"Who told you to go all wild and double-book dates?" Cristina quipped. "What, you think you're Adam or something?"
"Hey, leave me out of this!" Adam laughed as he plopped down at their table.
"She's complimenting you, dude!" Cristina teased. "Meredith said earlier that this whole crazy idea came from thinking surgeons are supposed to dream up insane, reality-defying procedures—turning the impossible into possible.
And yeah, it kinda makes sense.
But not for her! She's not some top-tier surgeon, and she doesn't have that elite-level talent. So, of course, she's burned out already.
But swap her out for you, Adam Duncan? It fits like a glove. You make it look easy—'cause you're the best!" 😏
"…" Adam just stared, speechless.
Because, uh, yeah, that surgeon-trashing logic did kinda apply to him…
"Here comes Mr. Passion," Cristina said, leaning back with a smirk, ready to watch the show.
"Congrats!" Mark Sloan strode up to their table, glancing at Adam before locking eyes with Meredith. "I knew you'd pull it off. How about drinks tonight? Celebrate our little 'dirty mistress' victory?"
"Get lost," Meredith said, rolling her eyes hard. 🙄
"Dr. Duncan," Mark turned to Adam, "looking forward to working with you as colleagues."
"Same here, Dr. Sloan. Can't wait to learn from you," Adam replied with a polite smile.
Mark's grin faltered for a sec, probably flashing back to that lion syndrome kid—Adam had really put the pressure on him that time and left him reeling.
"Dr. Sloan, how's Mr. Sullivan doing?" Cristina jumped in, playing peacemaker.
"Who are you?" Mark gave her a quick once-over.
"I'm Cristina Yang," she said, blinking in disbelief. "We met this morning—I'm Mr. Sullivan's resident."
"Don't need a resident for this case," Mark said, his arrogance practically dripping off him.
His charm and flirty vibe? Reserved for beauties only. Cristina didn't make the cut in his book.
"I'm not asking to be his resident," Cristina snapped, fuming. "I just want to know how my patient's doing!"
"He's not your patient anymore," Mark said coolly, then turned and walked off.
Beep beep. Beep beep.
Adam's pager went off. He checked it and bolted toward the ward without a word.
Hallway
"Dr. Duncan, hurry! Dr. Montgomery needs you!" a nurse shouted the second she spotted him.
"Where?" Mark, who'd been ahead, spun around to ask the nurse before sprinting toward the room too.
Outside the Delivery Room
"Ahh! Ahh!" Rebecca's pained cries echoed from inside.
"Breathe, breathe! I love you, babe—I love you so much!" her husband chanted, trying to cheer her on.
"Shut up!!!" she screamed back, all that earlier stubbornness about "experiencing natural birth" gone. She wasn't toughing it out anymore—just wailing at her poor encouraging husband.
It hurt that bad! 😖
"What's going on?" Adam asked as he arrived, taking in the chaos.
"The baby's head is out, but it's stuck—shoulder dystocia!" Dr. Montgomery yelled, cradling the emerging head.
"He's too big," Adam said, getting it instantly.
The baby's shoulders were caught on the pelvic bone, jamming everything up.
"Do something!" Rebecca's husband barked.
"McRoberts maneuver—flex her thighs!" Dr. Montgomery instructed, still holding the baby's head. "Adam, help me realign the shoulders!"
"Got it!" Adam didn't hesitate. After the nurses lifted Rebecca's legs, he pressed on her abdomen, syncing up with Dr. Montgomery's moves.
"Damn it!" Dr. Montgomery tried a few times, sweat beading on her forehead. "It's not working!"
"Episiotomy—widen the opening!" Mark suggested, stepping in.
"Scissors!" Dr. Montgomery called out.
A nurse handed them over fast.
"Ahh!" Rebecca let out another gut-wrenching scream.
No anesthesia for natural birth—every ounce of pain hit her brain full force.
"I'll try the Woods maneuver," Dr. Montgomery said after widening the cut, giving it another shot.
Still no dice.
The baby's size was turning into a literal death sentence.
"It's not budging!" Dr. Montgomery's face darkened.
"We've got to use the Zavanelli maneuver—push the baby back in and do an emergency C-section," Adam said urgently. "If we don't get him out in five minutes, he'll suffer brain death!"
"Right!" Dr. Montgomery turned to Rebecca. "Rebecca, I need your consent!"
"Yes, yes! Just get him out—please! Ahh!" Rebecca sobbed, all traces of her earlier defiance gone.
"No time for the OR—grab the C-section tray now!" Dr. Montgomery ordered.
"I'm on it!" Adam shot off like a gust of wind.
Every second counted. Sure, Rebecca had been a pain earlier, but the baby in her belly? Totally innocent. As a doctor, Adam had to give it his all.
(End of Chapter)