The Next Day. dical Center. ER Entrance.
Adam, decked out in disposable protective gear, stood with the Fab Four, waiting for the ambulance.
"So, how'd last night go?" he asked with a grin.
"Amazing!"
"Aweso!"
"Unbelievable!"
"Perfect!"
The four of them outdid each other with the hype.
"Oh, really?" Adam glanced back at them. "So, what you're saying is… none of you could handle it?"
"…"
The Fab Four awkwardly dropped their heads, silent.
They were top-notch surgeons, convinced they could do anything. But the truth? Exterminating pests—dirty, grueling work—totally stumped them.
Adam's dad, Bob, could support a whole volleyball team's worth of kids because he was a pro exterminator. In this TV world, houses were mostly wood—pri real estate for snakes, bugs, rats, you na it. One slip-up, and bam, pest apocalypse. Your house? Hollowed out.
Plus, labor here was crazy expensive. That's how Bob could afford a big house, raise six kids like it was nothing, and still have a fat savings account.
It's a legit skill—not as easy as it looks!
"Keep at it, guys. You've got this—I believe in you," Adam said, all serious-like.
"Help! Please, help!"
Right then, a car screeched up, slamming to a stop in front of them. Soone inside was yelling for help.
Two guys and a woman piled out.
The driver, face sared with blood, had two gaping holes in his left hand draped over the steering wheel. He didn't even seem to notice his own pain—just shouted at Adam's crew, "Save my brother!"
In the back, a woman in a cap was screaming for help next to a guy in his thirties. He was slumped over, eyes blank, his jacket draped across his chest.
The whole car was a ss of bloodstains.
"Carter, grab a gurney!" Adam barked, sprinting over.
The Fab Four snapped into action behind him.
"What happened?" Adam asked, already checking the worst-off guy.
"A bear. We got attacked by a bear," the driver said, eyes locked on his brother.
Adam lifted the jacket and peeked at the guy's chest. His eyes narrowed.
Holy crap.
This was bad—real bad.
Looked like a bear claw had straight-up gutted him.
Adam scooped the guy up in a princess carry, super gentle. No choice—his injuries were too severe. Any other way would've needed a second person hunched over, holding the guy's stomach together while they moved.
Carter rolled up with the gurney just in ti. Adam laid the man down carefully, then glanced at the other two survivors. "lendez, take this guy to Dr. Bailey," he ordered, nodding at the driver.
"Yes, sir!" Shorty jumped into gear.
"O'Malley, take the lady to Dr. Shepter. She's got blood on her head—check for a skull injury," Adam added.
"Got it." George stepped up, gesturing for the capped woman to follow.
"We're fine—just save my brother!" the driver yelled.
Adam was already wheeling the bear-mauled guy—whose stomach was a shredded ss—toward the ER at top speed.
"Grey, book an OR!"
"Carter, 100 mL of succinylcholine, 20 mL of midazolam!"
"Get an intubation kit!"
Inside the ER, Adam started ergency asures, stabilized the guy as best he could, and then bolted for the OR.
"He just touched it… He just reached out…" the man mumbled once he could talk again.
"Your brother petted a bear?" Carter asked, floored. 😳
"The cub wouldn't let go of his hand…" the man managed. "Then its mom showed up… I couldn't just watch my brother die, so I stepped in… We camp all the ti—he knows how dangerous grizzlies are… I don't get why he's acting like this… He even married so waitress he t, like, a few days ago…"
"Mr. Robinson, your brother wasn't always like this?" Adam asked, pushing the gurney toward the OR.
He'd caught the guy's na by now.
"No! He's not this guy—I don't even recognize him anymore…" Mr. Robinson shook his head.
"Carter, tell lendez to remind Dr. Bailey—after she patches up Mr. Robinson's brother, get an MRI on him. Check for a brain tumor," Adam instructed.
"You think my brother's sick, and that's why he's like this?" Mr. Robinson perked up, hope flickering.
"It's possible," Adam nodded. "You said it yourself—you camp a lot, you know grizzlies inside out. He's never done this before, and then there's the random flash wedding… A brain tumor can ss with judgnt—totally spontaneous and unpredictable. Could explain all this."
"He's sick… He's sick…" Mr. Robinson muttered, looking way more at peace than before.
As long as it wasn't intentional stupidity, risking his life to save his brother felt worth it.
Operating Room.
The anesthesiologist had knocked Mr. Robinson out. Adam and Lexie scrubbed in fast, sterilizing everything.
"Dr. Duncan, I passed the word," Carter panted, rushing in. "Dr. Bailey's with lendez working on the brother's injuries. The woman's hurt too. At first, she thought she just scratched her head on a branch running away, but when they took off her hat—bam, a huge chunk of her left scalp was ripped open by a bear claw. Dr. Shepter checked—no brain damage, thankfully."
"Hiss." Lexie sucked in a breath. "How'd she not feel that?"
"That's for you to figure out, Dr. Grey," Adam said, scrubbing his hands briskly.
"Adrenaline?" Lexie guessed, unsure.
"She's blissed out!" Carter chid in. "She was just a waitress—ten days ago, so rich, hot guy swept her off her feet, and they got hitched. She's been on cloud nine ever since. Add in the terror from earlier, and her adrenaline's through the roof. She didn't even notice the injury."
"Carter, what's our plan for Mr. Robinson?" Adam asked.
"He's showing signs of severe sepsis. We need to tackle the blood loss first," Carter replied instantly.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Adam finished scrubbing, spread his hands, gave Carter a look, and shoved through the OR doors.
Lexie trailed right behind.
Carter blinked, then scrambled to start washing up. No way he was missing this surgery! 😅
(End of Chapter)
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