At the dical center, nightfall.
In the locker room.
"Heading to Old Friends Bar tonight?"
Adam strolled in, changing out of his scrubs while tossing out the invite with a grin.
"Did I hear that right?"
Izzie let out an exaggerated gasp. "Is this Adam Duncan actually inviting us out?"
"You must've misheard."
redith chid in. "No way that's happening!"
"Yep."
George nodded. "Looks like that bomb blasted us all into so hallucination."
Cristina, mid-change, just snickered off to the side.
"Drinks are on tonight, all you can handle."
Adam shot a cheeky smile at redith.
"What's that supposed to an?"
redith huffed. "In your eyes, am I just so booze hound?"
"Heh."
It wasn't just Adam laughing now—everyone cracked up.
"Okay, fine, maybe I enjoy a little drink now and then."
redith's defense was weak under the chorus of laughter. "But do you think I'm after your asly bar tab? Can't I afford my own?"
"Of course you can. That's not the point."
Adam grinned. "The point is we all dodged death today. We have to celebrate. You can chip in if you want."
"Why should I?"
redith shot back, indignant.
"Hahaha!"
Another round of laughter erupted.
redith inherited Alice Grey's fortune, so she's got so cash—no surprise there.
As an intern, she pours most of her ti and energy into work. That ti she nicked a patient's heart with her fingernail was a brutal wake-up call, so she's been laying off the heavy drinking.
Otherwise, with her boozy habits, if she really let loose, her inheritance might not even cover it.
"Today was way too close."
George sighed once the laughter died down.
"Adam, how are you so good at this?"
Izzie turned to him, wide-eyed.
"Not as good as redith."
Adam smirked modestly. "I only sense danger when it's right in my face. But redith? She felt it hours before it even happened. What's that about? It's like she's got so next-level instinct—'the cicada senses the autumn breeze before it blows.' Pure, top-tier foresight!"
Hmm.
Okay, more accurately: the plot gods tipped off the main character…
After today, Adam's 100% sure—redith's the star of the show.
Cristina might get the Mary Sue treatnt, but in terms of spotlight, she's no match for center-stage redith.
Why?
Simple. Cristina's got zero crisis radar.
"I'd rather have your knack."
redith grumbled. "Mine's all fuzzy—I couldn't even be sure. Otherwise, Cristina and the gang wouldn't have dragged out of bed to the hospital. You? You just had a hunch, no clue what was up, and still stopped a critical patient from coming in."
"Heh."
Adam just smiled, saying nothing.
"Let's go! Old Friends Bar, here we co!"
Izzie finished changing and waved everyone on.
The group got up and headed out together.
Old Friends Bar is right next to the dical center—just a few steps, no car needed. They walked over.
"Joe really shouldn't have crossed you."
Outside the hospital, Cristina glanced across the street at Joe's bar, looking pretty dead, and drawled a comnt.
Everyone followed her gaze.
"Adam, your grudge ga's no joke."
Izzie sighed.
"Grudge? What grudge?"
Adam shook his head. "If I didn't want a spot super close to the hospital to hang with friends and save ti, I wouldn't even think about it. This was just a side move."
"Your 'side move' tanked Joe's business."
Izzie winced. "I heard he's shutting down the bar he's run for over a decade, subleasing it, and starting over sowhere else. Who knows what he'll do next."
"Joe's a decent guy."
redith couldn't help but pipe up.
"So?"
Adam shrugged. "You save soone's life, and they stab you in the back. Not retaliating is already generous—am I supposed to buddy up and boost his business too?"
No one had a coback.
They're Adam's colleagues; they know the whole story. Put themselves in his shoes—even if they hadn't saved Joe from that oncoming car way back when, as his attending, they'd still be pissed.
Joe handed off a spot in that famous "stillness surgery" to soone else when it should've been theirs. They wouldn't stomach it either.
At the very least, they'd stop hitting up his bar.
No matter how friendly Joe's chubby face was, it'd probably just tick them off.
Bars are for drinking, unwinding, and de-stressing—why go sowhere that'd stress you out?
"Why overthink it?"
Adam laughed. "I didn't target him. It's just business—market economy, fair competition. If he's got the skills, he can win his old custors back."
"…"
Everyone's lips twitched.
Fair competition? Seriously?
A loaded guy like you "competing" with a small-tir like Joe? That's laughable!
Even if Joe's a business genius with years of experience and killer new ideas, he's no match for your deep pockets. You'd either buy him out or copy his vibe, undercut his prices, and crush him.
And since Joe ticked you off, he's not even getting the "join " offer. No chance to work for you.
The second you made your move, Joe's bar was toast.
"With Joe's place gone, Old Friends Bar will own this area's bar scene."
Cristina side-eyed Adam. "You're not gonna sneakily jack up prices later, are you?"
"Gasp!"
Izzie sucked in a breath, dramatic as ever. "She's right! The brave dragon-slaying kid always turns into the evil dragon in the end. Monopoly's the poison that corrupts the hero!"
"Then I'm drinking big tonight."
redith jumped in. "Gotta get my money's worth before Adam turns into that dragon and starts bleeding us bar-goers dry without us noticing."
"Without us noticing?"
Cristina drawled. "Even if he sucked your blood right out in the open, what could you do? We're fine—we can skip drinking. But you? Booze is your lifeline."
"What do you an, my lifeline?"
redith's protest was half-hearted. "Okay, fine, I like a drink. But I can just buy my own and sip at ho!"
"Co on, solo?"
Izzie cut straight to the chase.
"…"
redith had nothing to say.
Sa drink, triple the price at a bar compared to a store nearby—and people still line up, bribe the bouncer, just to get in. Is it really about the booze?
Nope.
It's about the vibe—hanging out, having a blast with friends!
Like that old saying: without limits, the flashiest stuff always boils down to sex, gambling, and drugs.
Booze? It's the wingman for fun! 😉
"Of course I won't."
Adam cut in with a laugh. "That's how typical capitalists play. I'm not so money-grubber. The bar's just a casual side thing—uh, I an, a spot for friends to chill. Do I look like I need the cash?"
Hmm.
Almost slipped up there.
Sure, Adam won't hike prices.
But once Old Friends Bar becos the only decent joint near the dical center, the foot traffic's gonna skyrocket.
For soone like him, looking to network in the dical world, traffic's gold!
If everyone shows up, vibes with the place, and sees Adam the owner as a pal, his path in the dical field? Wide open, baby.
belamy20
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