Medical Center.
Imaging Room.
"Adam?"
Everyone was momentarily stunned when they heard Meredith call out that name.
"He's got a real talent for stopping bleeding," Dr. Shepherd said, his eyes lighting up as he recalled how Adam had pinpointed the source of arterial bleeding just by observing the blood spray pattern.
"But this is a major artery. The moment we pull Bonnie off the steel rod, she'll lose a massive amount of blood…" Dr. Burke countered, but after a brief hesitation, he nodded. "Still, it's worth a try. Page Duncan. No matter what, we have to act fast—both of their vitals are dropping, and they won't hold on much longer."
"I'll have a nurse page Duncan," Dr. Bailey said as she turned to leave.
"I'll go find him myself," Meredith said, pushing an IV stand as she hurried toward the ER.
Halfway there.
Adam, who had just received a page and was rushing toward the imaging room, nearly collided with Meredith.
"Adam!" she called out. "Bonnie needs you!"
"What?" Adam didn't slow down. "Meredith, I just got an emergency call—I don't have time."
"That emergency call is for Bonnie!" Meredith quickened her pace to keep up. "She's the girl impaled by the steel rod. Dr. Burke wants to prioritize saving Mr. Maynard, but Bonnie is kind, bright, and full of humor. She doesn't deserve to be left behind. You have to save her!"
"I'll do my best."
Adam nodded, picking up speed until he was running.
"You have to save her!" Meredith could no longer keep up, but she still shouted after him, her voice hoarse. "Promise me…!"
She couldn't shake the memory of when Bonnie and Maynard were first brought into the hospital.
"Doctor, have you ever seen anything crazier than this?"
Bonnie and Maynard had been impaled by the same steel rod, their bodies pressed together, their heads immobilized by medical staff to prevent further injury. When Meredith walked up to examine them, Bonnie smiled and asked her the question.
"Uh… no," Meredith had admitted, still a little dazed.
Dr. Bailey had shot her a sharp glare for that.
"Are you guys gonna get us off this thing soon?" Bonnie had asked.
When she learned it would take a while, she smiled again. "In that case, does anyone have a mint?"
Meredith remembered that moment vividly. The entire room had gone silent.
Maynard's face darkened.
In the U.S., it's common for couples to freshen their breath with mints or gum before an intimate moment—it's a sign of respect for their partner.
But in this situation, with their lives hanging in the balance, Bonnie asking for a mint… well…
Emmm.
Maynard, who was already dark-skinned, seemed to turn several shades darker.
Fortunately, Bonnie was quick to clarify with a nervous chuckle, "It's for me, not for you."
That made Maynard burst into laughter.
At that moment, Meredith had found Bonnie incredibly charming.
A girl this full of life couldn't just be left behind.
Imaging Room.
"…So that's the situation. We have to remove Bonnie first before we can operate," Dr. Shepherd explained, looking at Adam expectantly. "What do you think?"
"It's possible," Adam said as he studied the X-rays, mentally reconstructing Bonnie's internal anatomy. He zoomed in on the precise areas impaled by the steel rod, visualizing every detail.
"As long as I remove her smoothly and quickly, then immediately use my hands to replace the steel rod—keeping her organs in place and preventing an arterial rupture—she has a real chance of survival."
"You think you can pull that off?" Dr. Burke asked skeptically.
"I can."
Adam had already simulated the procedure in his mind, factoring in his speed and precision. With his heightened reaction time—almost like bullet time—the success rate was higher than most would expect.
"But I recommend calling in Dr. Greene. Once I stabilize her, we'll need an experienced cardiothoracic surgeon to take over. Dr. Burke, you'll need to focus on saving Mr. Maynard."
Dr. Shepherd could assist, but as a neurosurgeon, he wasn't as skilled in this type of surgery as someone from cardiothoracics.
"Agreed," Burke nodded.
"I'll call Dr. Greene right away!"
Meredith, who had just arrived, brightened with hope at the possibility of saving Bonnie.
"OR 1 is ready. I'll go prepare," Dr. Bailey added before heading off.
Senior residents were more than capable of handling things independently—there was no need for an attending to micromanage everything.
"Let's get to work," Dr. Burke said, nodding at Shepherd and Adam.
Operating Room 1.
"I still have a chance?" Bonnie asked, unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.
She had already accepted her fate.
She had seen the look in Dr. Burke's eyes—she knew.
When she had said, "Coming into the hospital like this, I wasn't expecting to walk out," she had meant it.
When Dr. Burke suggested removing her first to increase Maynard's chances of survival, she had agreed without hesitation.
And in her final moments, seeing Maynard insist on sacrificing himself to save her had been enough.
"Of course," Adam said, meeting her gaze. "I'll do everything I can."
"I believe you," Bonnie said, tears mixing with her smile. "They told me you're a miracle worker."
"Then let's make a miracle happen," Adam said, his voice steady.
pat-reon:belamy20
The human will is a powerful thing.
Patients with strong survival instincts tend to beat the odds.
There have even been cases where people on placebos recovered better than those on actual medication—it's proof that belief can influence the body's response.
And a doctor who inspires trust, who creates miracles, can make all the difference.
"Duncan, are you sure you want to do this alone?" Dr. Burke asked.
"Yes," Adam said, scanning the team of doctors who had been preparing to assist. "I have the strength. Doing it alone will be more precise."
A typical doctor wouldn't be able to remove Bonnie without causing additional damage—teamwork would be needed to compensate.
But the more hands involved, the greater the risk of slight force misalignments.
In a moment like this, precision was everything.
"Alright, prep anesthesia," Dr. Burke ordered. "Greene, you lead Team One. We'll take Team Two. Everyone, get ready. Duncan, you call the count."
"Let's make a miracle happen!" Dr. Greene said, energized.
The anesthesiologist stepped forward, sedating both Bonnie and Maynard.
"All set."
"I'll count to three," Adam said, wasting no time. "One… two… three!"
All eyes were on his hands.
Adam gripped Bonnie's arms and, with one fluid motion, pulled her free.
The speed was astonishing—before anyone could even react, his hands had already replaced the steel rod, pressing into her chest to stop the bleeding.