On the other end of the phone, Joey said he had recently started seeing a single mother who had just given birth not long ago. However, while they were getting intimate, her eight-month-old baby suddenly started crying uncontrollably.
The new mother, who had been single for a while, wasn't too eager to stop.
Seeing this, Joey cleverly called Adam, a doctor, to check if they really needed to go to the hospital immediately…
"I'm just an intern, not a family doctor!"
Adam was speechless. "You're still thinking about that at a time like this? Take the baby to the hospital! Right now!"
Half an hour later.
Emergency Room.
"…She refuses to drink formula. I only give her healthy, natural breast milk. How could this happen all of a sudden? Her face swelled up in just this short time!"
The young mother looked puzzled as she described her baby's condition.
"Delicious!"
Joey stood to the side, giving a thumbs-up and winking while pursing his lips.
"Don't do that, Joey."
The young mother lightly patted Joey, but she couldn't suppress the amusement in her eyes.
"…"
Adam's mouth twitched.
Your eight-month-old daughter's face is swollen, and you still have the mood to flirt with a man?
Poor kid.
Adam reached out, touching the baby's forehead and then her cheeks. "No fever, glands seem normal… Hmm?"
"What is it?" Joey asked.
"She hasn't been vaccinated?"
Adam pointed to the baby's medical record.
"That's right!"
The young mother said naturally, "I'm not letting her get any vaccines."
"Why not?"
Adam was shocked.
"I don't think vaccines work."
The young mother confidently said, "Those big international pharmaceutical companies just want me to believe vaccines are effective so they can make money. I'm not falling for it."
"Let me guess—you and Joey fell in love at first sight, didn't you?"
Adam remarked sarcastically.
"How did you know?"
The young mother spoke while gazing affectionately at Joey.
"Heh."
Adam forced a smile.
How did he know?
Joey was clueless, and she was… well, let's just say not the brightest.
Luckily, Joey had a bit of an innocent charm—making him clueless but adorable.
And she had good looks—making her clueless but pretty.
They were a match made in heaven. It made perfect sense that they clicked.
"Antibodies from breast milk only protect a baby for six months. That's why those 'evil' pharmaceutical companies think they can make money off you."
Adam explained.
"No! I don't believe it!"
The young mother shook her head. "There are so many medical scandals showing that vaccines are unsafe. They have tons of side effects—they cause depression, autism, and, in severe cases, even death! I will never let my child get vaccinated."
Adam paused.
This was about the credibility of vaccines in the Western world.
In a way, this young mother wasn't completely talking nonsense.
In a profit-driven society, companies often prioritize their bottom line over human lives.
Take the pharmaceutical company where Bernadette worked in The Big Bang Theory, for example.
As researchers, Bernadette and her colleagues knew the drug they developed had weak effects and potentially serious side effects. But under corporate pressure, they still pushed it through for approval and aggressively marketed it.
Whenever issues arose, the company had a standard response:
"There are countless factors that could cause these symptoms. Why assume it's our drug?"
As a major pharmaceutical corporation, they had plenty of money.
As long as there wasn't a large-scale outbreak of issues, they could easily handle any problems with their financial power.
By the time a real scandal broke out, they had already made massive profits from the drug.
And who paid the price? Ordinary people.
With so many medical scandals happening over and over, it's no wonder Americans—and Westerners in general—have such little trust in vaccines.
The endless conspiracy theories and absurd reasons for refusing vaccines all stem from this deep-seated anxiety.
"What's wrong with the baby, exactly?"
Joey couldn't help but ask.
"My diagnosis is a common cold."
Adam answered cautiously. "But I'll have a pediatric specialist take a look. You should listen to what they say."
"A cold?"
Joey was dumbfounded. "How is that possible?"
Who doesn't catch a cold a few times a year? Could it really be this serious?
Adam smiled and had a nurse notify the pediatric department.
The common cold is no small issue.
The Spanish flu was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, infecting a billion people and killing 40 million, with a 4% fatality rate.
Even today, despite vaccines, the U.S. still sees tens of thousands of flu-related deaths every year.
Not vaccinating and exposing an infant to this environment? It's a serious risk.
"Dr. Ross."
"Dr. Duncan, what's the situation?"
A handsome male doctor walked over—pediatric senior resident Doug Ross.
Adam explained the case.
"Your diagnosis is correct."
After examining the baby, Dr. Ross confirmed Adam's assessment.
"It's really because she wasn't vaccinated?"
Hearing it from two doctors, the young mother started to waver.
"Yes."
Dr. Ross couldn't help glancing at the young mother's partially exposed "baby food supply," left open for convenience. "For just $40, you can protect your child from most serious diseases. It's best to get her vaccinated. These basic vaccines are nothing like experimental new ones—they've been tested for a long time and are proven to be safe."
"Can you guarantee 100% safety?"
The young mother pressed.
Dr. Ross's charming smile froze.
Who could guarantee that?
No medication is foolproof. That's why doctors always ask about allergies before prescribing drugs.
For some, a certain medication is life-saving.
For others, the same drug could be deadly.
Only God could guarantee 100% certainty.
And God doesn't work as a doctor.
Adam stayed out of it, simply observing.
Vaccinating or not was entirely up to the mother.
If, by some rare chance, a vaccine-related complication occurred, the doctor who encouraged her to vaccinate would likely be the one in trouble.
At that point, she wouldn't care about the doctor's good intentions or the risks they took trying to help.
It might sound cruel.
But this is what absolute freedom looks like.
With it comes the responsibility to bear the consequences.
"Adam?"
Joey looked at Adam for input.
"Listen to Dr. Ross."
Adam remained neutral. "He's the pediatrician."
"I can't guarantee absolute safety."
Dr. Ross knew the risks too. He was no longer distracted by the "food supply" and said cautiously, "The choice is yours. You can also seek another opinion at a different hospital."
"Give her the vaccine."
After a long struggle, the young mother looked at her baby's swollen face and decided to trust the doctors.
Despite her limited education, she had always been confident—almost anti-intellectual, like many working-class Americans.
But when faced with a real crisis, she knew better.
If she blindly stuck to her beliefs now, the one who would suffer would be her own child.