The night passed smoothly enough.
The next day rolled around.
Adam headed to the medical center, the spring breeze brushing against him. 🌸
Sheldon and Missy were already gone.
They both had their own stuff to deal with—no way they could stick around forever to keep their little cousin and aunt company.
Even Sheldon's grandma had taken off.
Yup, you heard that right!
She's that charming! 😎
A bunch of old guys were chasing after her, dying to marry her, but no dice.
She's got a lover back in Texas, deep in the honeymoon phase, pining for her return.
But her daughter, the super-devout Mary who's all about God, didn't have the time—or patience—for that.
Naturally, Mary had some strong opinions about it.
Still, Grandma, as always, flipped the script and told her daughter to get a life of her own.
"How old am I?" she'd say.
"And how old are you?"
"Whose life's more chill here?"
The answer was obvious. 😏
---
Changing Room
"Whoa, look who's here—the Dance God himself!"
Christina spotted Adam and immediately started teasing him. "So, how many nurses did you sweep off their feet last night?" 💃
"You didn't show up," Adam said with a grin.
"I told you I wasn't going!" Christina shrugged. "Dance parties? Not my thing."
"Meredith and George were there, though," Adam said, glancing at George and Meredith—who was keeping her head down. He added with a sly tone, "I bet they had a blast."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Christina's radar pinged instantly, and she eyed her two buddies suspiciously.
"Nothing!" George waved it off, all prim and proper.
"He's quite the ladies' man," Adam teased. "Dr. Callie Torres straight-up asked him to dance."
"Callie Torres? The ortho resident?" Christina's jaw dropped. "Wow, George, you're finally stepping up your game!" 😲
"It's not like that!" George protested, flustered. "We just… appreciated each other. Totally innocent. Not like you and Meredith."
"Not like us how?" Christina shot him a icy glare.
"Uh—forget I said anything," George mumbled, dropping his head. No way he was tangling with his crush and her sharp-tongued bestie. He was outmatched.
"Meredith, you went too?" Christina turned to the still-silent Meredith. "With Finn?"
Finn's a vet—yep, a veterinarian—and recently started dating Meredith.
Emmm.
They met at a bar, of course.
Meredith's dream of knitting sweaters and staying celibate in a bar? Totally crashed and burned. 😂
"Yeah," Adam said, his smile turning weirdly cryptic.
"Finn's a decent guy," Christina said, missing Adam's vibe. She nodded at Meredith like they were dissecting a boyfriend review. "Not as hot as McDreamy, but a solid catch."
"Uh-huh," Meredith stiffened, slamming her locker shut with a bang. She gave a half-hearted grunt and bolted for the door.
"Huh?" Christina might be slow on the uptake sometimes, but she wasn't that dumb. Something was up. She glanced at Adam's smirking face and chased after Meredith.
---
Morning. ER.
"What's the situation?"
"Newborn preemie, found in a school dumpster. Umbilical cord's still attached," the paramedic rattled off quickly.
"You didn't start an IV? He's dehydrated!" Adam took over, checking the baby fast.
"Couldn't find a vein," the paramedic shook his head.
"I need a vein access point," Adam barked at a nurse. "Get me a bone marrow needle, a neonatal intubation kit, and call Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd!"
"Yes, Doctor!" The nurse sprang into action.
---
Neonatal Unit
"Adam, what's going on?" Dr. Montgomery rushed in.
"Preemie with bruising, platelet count at 17,000. CT shows internal bleeding—things are bad," Adam explained.
"17,000? Have you transfused yet?" Montgomery asked, stunned.
"Of course," Adam nodded. "But we need the mom ASAP for platelet antibody testing. Problem is, he was dumped in a school trash bin—probably some underage student who gave birth in secret. The school's still investigating."
"Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd, some people are here. They say it's about the baby," a nurse interrupted.
"Got it," Montgomery nodded. "Adam, keep him stable. I'll check it out."
"Let me know if you need me," Adam said, still focused on the tiny abandoned preemie.
---
Family Waiting Area
Four teenage girls in school uniforms sat in a row, their parents—moms or dads—facing them. Total silence. Awkward city. 😬
"I'm Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd, treating the newborn," Montgomery said as she approached. "He's got an emergency bleed. We need to know whose baby this is."
"Yeah, we'd all love to know," one mom snapped, glaring at her daughter. "Sarah, spill it!"
"I don't know anything about this baby," Sarah said, pushing up her glasses. She looked like a total good-girl type, shaking her head.
"Yeah, none of us do," another chimed in.
"One of you does," Montgomery cut through the noise. "Or your parents wouldn't have dragged you here."
"Our girls…" one mom hesitated. "The principal said they were the last ones in the bathroom before the baby was found. We just wanted to figure this out before the cops show up."
"Someone here knows," a dad growled, pointing at the girls. "Admit it! I don't want my Lisa caught up in this. The police are almost here!"
In the U.S., abandoning a baby's illegal. Jail time's on the table.
"Can't you just do a DNA test?" another mom groaned. "Then the rest of us can leave!"
"DNA takes days," Montgomery sighed. "I don't care when you leave—this baby doesn't have days. If we don't treat him soon, he'll die! I'm doing a pelvic exam on every girl here."
"My daughter's 14! She's not capable of this! You're not touching her!" one mom shouted.
"If you won't let her, you're hiding something!" the lone dad roared. "Doc, do whatever tests you need—just clear my Lisa fast!"
"I don't need your permission