Observing the Operating Room.
As soon as Adam spoke, everyone turned to look at Meredith's fingers.
Meredith instantly panicked.
"Dr. Grey, identify the exact spot you just touched."
While massaging the heart with his fingers in an attempt to restore its rhythm, Dr. Burke ordered in a deep voice, "Defibrillator, ready!"
"The vitals are dropping to 90."
Dr. Burke's calm demeanor influenced the rest of the surgical team, and they quickly refocused on their tasks.
"Charge! 10 joules!"
Dr. Burke took the specialized cardiac defibrillator and positioned it over the heart. "Clear!"
The monitor still showed a flatline.
"20 joules!"
"Clear!"
"Alright, the heartbeat is back," a nurse announced.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"Dr. Grey!"
Dr. Burke called out, "Where is the spot?"
"Here."
Meredith racked her brain, trying to recall, and then pointed to a location in horror.
"The myocardium is strong—it wouldn't tear just from a fingernail scratch..."
Dr. Burke reassured her as he examined the area, but then he suddenly shouted, "Damn it! How is there such a large tear?"
Gasp!
A wave of shock spread through the observing interns.
"This is bad!"
George's heart sank.
Who would have thought that Meredith had actually torn the patient's heart?
"The myocardium is too thin," Adam quickly analyzed. "A small injury turned into a major tear."
"If you hadn't warned us beforehand, the sutures would've failed, and the patient would have needed another surgery."
Christina sighed. "Meredith should really thank you. If this had led to a malpractice investigation, she could have lost her medical license."
"Do you know the patient's medical history?" Adam asked.
"I do..."
Christina was always prepared—she had memorized the records of any patient undergoing major surgery.
"You said she originally weighed 300 pounds and lost weight quickly down to 200 pounds?"
Adam immediately pinpointed the issue. "With such rapid weight loss, she must have used extreme dieting. As her fat decreased rapidly, so did her myocardium, making it dangerously thin. That's why Meredith's touch caused a tear, which then expanded."
"That actually makes sense," Christina murmured, feeling a wave of powerlessness in front of Adam's sharp insight.
"Dr. Burke..."
Adam pressed the intercom and relayed his analysis.
"Excellent diagnosis," Dr. Burke praised while continuing the surgery. "Well done, Dr. Duncan!"
Now that the issue was clear, Dr. Burke's surgical expertise quickly resolved the problem.
"Dr. Grey, you owe Dr. Duncan a big thank you."
Dr. Burke glanced at Meredith.
"I know," Meredith exhaled, relieved, and quickly agreed.
"Alright, let's start closing up," Dr. Burke instructed.
In the Observation Gallery.
The group exchanged glances at Adam, then quietly left their seats.
Not everyone had Christina's level of confidence and competitive drive.
While Christina merely felt a sense of inadequacy in the face of Adam's brilliance, the others had already dismissed him from the category of "intern."
There was no way such an exceptional person could be just an intern.
He must be a senior resident pretending to be a rookie.
How infuriating!
"You shouldn't have said that," George muttered, his thoughts running in a different direction. "At the very least, not in front of everyone."
George was speechless.
Of course, he understood the logic.
But Meredith was his goddess.
"You all live together—so what exactly is keeping her up at night?"
Adam cut straight to the point, seeing through George's thoughts.
Even with 14-hour shifts, that still left 10 hours—more than enough time for proper rest, if she weren't distracted.
"..."
George's face darkened, unable to respond.
What else could it be?
Late-night 'deep discussions' about advanced neurology with Dr. Shepherd, obviously.
Adam stood up and left the observation gallery.
If it hadn't been an emergency, he wouldn't have embarrassed a colleague in front of everyone.
The +0.001 system notification reassured him that he'd done the right thing.
So he had no regrets.
He couldn't stand the way Meredith benefited from her "main character aura."
Think about it—without the privilege of being the protagonist, would she have been so relaxed?
Her boss and her boss's boss were all her personal connections.
That kind of subconscious entitlement made her careless enough to make such a rookie mistake.
A surgeon with nails long enough to tear a glove?
What did she think she was, the Empress Dowager?
Falling asleep while holding a heart in her hands?
How much more careless could you get?
This was Meredith's first time holding a human heart.
For any surgeon, that moment should be unforgettable.
And yet she fell asleep?
Unless she was way too comfortable, lacking the respect and reverence a surgeon should have, Adam couldn't think of any other explanation.
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