Mountain Forest
Snap!
Under Adam's hands-on guidance, Peggy drew the bowstring and fired an arrow at a distant tree.
"Feel that? You're ready to try it solo," Adam said, coaching her through a few more shots before stepping back to let her take the reins.
Peggy focused, drew the bow, and—
Snap!
The arrow flew like a gust of wind.
"No way!" Cristina, who'd been reluctantly watching this PDA-fest, had been hoping for a flop. Peggy's porcelain skin, delicate frame, and youthful vibe made her look more like a dainty princess than an archer. Cristina? She'd sooner die than touch a bow—pulling that string could wreck her hands, and her hands were her life, way more precious than her face.
So naturally, she figured Adam and Peggy were just showing off and would crash and burn. Ideally, Peggy would nick her hand or twist her waist, giving Cristina a chance to swoop in with some smug medical TLC.
But reality? This "fragile" girl effortlessly drew the bow, her arrow slicing through the air and landing right next to Adam's shots on the tree. Beginner? Please.
"Boring!" Cristina rolled her eyes, convinced she'd cracked the case. "You two are ridiculous. She's obviously done this before—why pretend? Just go shoot some animals already."
"Nope, Peggy's never practiced," Adam said with a grin. "She's just naturally gifted."
"Yeah, right," Cristina scoffed. "Archery's not that easy. Meredith, back me up here?"
Meredith just smiled, clearly skeptical too.
"It's simple if you've got the strength, the mental math, and a little technique," Adam said earnestly.
"Math, sure," Cristina snorted. "Dr. Adler whipped up the Duncan-Adler formula and surgical technique—tracking an arrow's path is child's play for her. But strength?"
Adam chuckled but didn't bother explaining. Instead, he guided Peggy back to practice.
Cristina saw Peggy's baby face and assumed she was some frail little thing. Wrong. Under Adam's tutelage, Peggy had been training with stuff like the Muscle-Changing Classic, Marrow-Cleansing Scripture, and Divine Foot Sutra—daily, no less, like some kind of enlightenment crash course. Her strength, stamina, and speed? Off the charts now. She might look delicate, but she could take down ten scalpel-wielding "aunties" like Cristina without breaking a sweat.
It just clicked for Adam: Peggy's sudden interest in his surgeries and woodland hunting? She was bursting with energy—a side effect of her newfound vigor.
Think about it: the system panel—intelligence, strength, stamina, speed, lifespan—the big five. Back in the day, Adam had to grind like a desperate underdog to boost those stats. Now? Peggy, his brilliant, gorgeous partner-in-crime, was basically reaping the benefits of a watered-down version of his system.
Strength, stamina, speed—check. Lifespan? Her youthful glow, untouched by time, proved that. And intelligence? Staying young at a cellular level kept her mind buzzing with inspiration. For scientists, peak creativity hits when you're young. Imagine if Einstein or Newton stayed in their prime forever—Xavier and Magneto vibes, right? One conjuring worlds, the other shifting the Earth.
Peggy wasn't that wild, but her bursts of genius were like an intellect buff. Adam was her walking, talking system—rechargeable, though. Want more power or to keep the juice flowing? Gotta top up the tank.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Peggy fired away, getting smoother and sharper with every shot. For a math prodigy like her, the calculations behind archery were a breeze. After a few rounds, she nailed one of Adam's arrows dead-on.
Cristina and Meredith? Jaw-dropped. 😳
"Let's go hunting!" Adam grinned, satisfied, leading the crew off to track some game.
This time, Cristina and Meredith perked up. Peggy's prey didn't drop instantly—perfect for them to brush up on their surgical skills. Adam left a couple of catches for the two to practice on, then took Peggy to scout the area. One, to clear out any threats. Two, to teach her some extra charming archery moves he couldn't demo in front of the others. 😉
They played until dusk, then the four of them headed back. With kids in the group, they left the game behind.
That night, a bonfire party kicked off. Adam got roped into singing a few songs, dishing out gossip and work stories. Being in the wild really brought everyone closer. The fun stretched late, and eventually, they crashed in their tents.
Everyone was hyped, and on the way back, they thanked Adam's foresight—those tents were pitched far apart. Well, except for the surgical director and Mark Sloan.
Mountain nights? Freezing. The director, a camping newbie, brought neither a tent nor warm clothes. Think Sheldon, Leonard, and the gang huddling for warmth in the Arctic without heat—survival trumps pride.
Mark had his own gear, but when the director barked, could he say no? Nope. He gritted his teeth through an awkward, chilly night, regretting every life choice that led him there.
The Next Day
Shepherd was up at dawn, fishing solo by the mountain stream. A true angler, he'd been bummed yesterday—too many people scared the fish off. Morning was his redemption. By the time everyone else rolled up, he'd nabbed several big ones.
Still, with the crowd? Not enough grilled fish to go around.
No problem—Adam and Peggy stepped up. Bow in hand, they stood by the creek, Peggy sniping fish in the clear water downstream. One arrow, one hit. The efficiency left everyone speechless. 😮
"Lame," Shepherd muttered, shaking his head at their "brute force" tactics. A real fisherman's pride.
After a fish feast and another day roaming the woods, they headed down the mountain at sunset, buzzing with satisfaction. Adam played along, driving partway with the group before splitting off to meet Lisa, who'd been on standby in a nearby town after his call.
They crashed at a local inn for the night.
The next day, Adam and Peggy hiked back up, set up camp at the peak, and he helped her slip into the elf archer outfit.
Golden, flowing elven hair.
Cute, pointed elf ears.
Intricate accessories on her forehead, wrists, ankles, and battle garb.
A sleek white elven longbow in hand.
She looked ethereal, otherworldly—like an elf had truly descended into the misty mountain forest, bow drawn, ready to face her orcish nemesis…
(End of Chapter)