Medical Center. Resident Locker Room.
Ever since they'd leveled up to full-fledged residents, Adam and the crew had scored a new digs—a small room that felt less like a locker maze and more like a chill lounge.
The lockers hugged the walls now, leaving space for a sofa, fridge, TV—the works.
"Adam, did you really give George and the others those study group tapes as bedtime stories?" Meredith asked, still wrapping her head around it.
"Yup," Adam grinned. "They begged for it. Couldn't exactly snuff out their thirst for knowledge, right?"
"George? Thirsty for knowledge?" Cristina snorted, not buying it for a second.
"Well, he took the tapes, didn't he?" Adam chuckled. "That's gotta count as enthusiasm."
"Here's the kicker," Cristina said, rolling her eyes. "On my way over, your little minions—Shorty and the gang—thanked me, then Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 cornered me, fishing for 'secret tips.' They can't even crawl yet, and they're dreaming of flying!"
"Don't be like that," Adam nudged. "When you started, didn't you wanna dive straight into cardiothoracic surgery and never leave? If they're eager, give 'em a shot."
"I don't have time to babysit them," Cristina huffed, flopping onto the sofa. She kicked her legs up on the coffee table, grabbed the latest medical journal, and flipped through it. "The tapes are there. If they're serious, they can bug George for copies. What, they think they can boss me around now?"
"You don't need to copy anything again," Adam said with a helpless smile. "I only asked you to do it last time because you're the one who suggested recording the study sessions—and you were basically running the show. That's why I had you organize and dupe them."
"Then what's the problem?" Cristina shrugged.
"Your attitude's the problem," Adam warned. "You're not the intern trailing Bailey anymore. This is a teaching hospital, and you're a resident now—a mentor.
If you treat your 1-2-3-4 squad like this, and some attending who's had enough sees it, you think they won't throw that same vibe back at you? You've still gotta learn from them too!"
Cristina's magazine-flipping paused, but she doubled down. "My skills are flawless."
"Not quite," Adam shook his head. "You're damn good, no question, but you're not at a level where an attending can't nitpick. And they don't even need to critique your skills—just call out your teaching attitude and boot you from their OR. Good luck arguing that one."
"But they're so dumb!" Cristina groaned.
"Nobody who makes it as an intern is dumb," Adam countered. "They want to learn—teach them patiently, give them a chance. If you don't, you're the one who'll pay for it, and you'll look like the idiot."
"I hate them!" Cristina snapped, losing it.
"Bailey hated you too, back in the day," Adam said with a grin. "Imagine if she'd flat-out refused to give you a shot. How'd you feel then? Would you be sprawled here, smugly trashing your nameless interns? Teaching hospitals, mentorship—it's a big deal!"
"Yeah," Meredith chimed in. "Cristina, you've gotta ease up on the interns. Don't be so cold—give them a chance."
"Hold up, Cristina, haven't you heard?" Adam added. "The gossip mill's already calling you the new 'Nazi.' But unlike Bailey's pro-level 'Nazi' rep, yours is straight-up old-school evil—no fancy spin."
"What?!" Cristina chucked the journal aside, her eyes narrowing. "Who said that?"
She'd take being "Bailey 2.0" any day—she respected her deep down. But this? Oh, she was pissed.
"You know how gossip works better than anyone," Adam laughed. "Your attitude toward your interns? Everyone's watching, and they've got their own scales.
Bailey was tough on us, sure, said she hated us—but she didn't number us or strip us of our names, right? Little things like that add up, and people notice.
Word is, yesterday you dragged them around and jumped in to answer basic questions they're supposed to handle. What's your deal? Trying to flex how smart you are?
Nope. To an attending, that's just you breaking the rules. Ask Burke—your boyfriend—if you don't believe me. See what he thinks.
If even he calls you out, you can bet everyone else already has. First shift, fine—call it hazing the newbies. But keep it up, and the attendings will mirror your attitude right back at you. Then you're screwed."
Cristina had no comeback. Adam had her cornered.
"Hey, morning, everyone!"
Right then, Chief Resident Callie burst in, all smiles—especially at Adam, where her grin practically bloomed.
"What's up with that?"
The latest chapter's only on 69 Book Bar!
Cristina clocked Adam's words and tucked them away, but she wasn't about to admit it. As they stepped out of the locker room, she switched gears. "Adam, did you 'water her garden' last night or what?"
"Cristina!" Meredith yelped.
"What? Am I wrong?" Cristina threw her hands up. "If Adam didn't perk her up, why's she glowing like that? Don't tell me she still doesn't know George got sent to help Bailey at the free clinic! She should be mad at Adam, not grinning like this!"
"…"
Meredith blinked, then turned to Adam, curious now too.
"Cut it out," Adam groaned. "You know that's impossible. You both know my rules—especially you, Meredith. You should know better."
"…What's that supposed to mean?" Meredith's face darkened.
"Haha!" Cristina cracked up.
As Meredith's bestie, she knew all about Meredith's failed attempts to hook up with Adam—and his firm rejections.
"I think I've got it figured out," Adam said, steering the convo away to save Meredith's pride. "It's probably George. Callie's into his sweet-guy vibe, sure, but think about her personality.
She's practically married to this hospital—numero uno at the medical center. A senior resident, pulling this grind for years.
A rich girl like her, living this hardcore life? Her drive for medicine matches ours, no question. With Bailey and Sydney as the big contenders, she still stepped up, competed head-on, and snagged Chief Resident as the dark horse.
Someone like that—would she really fall for a slacker with no ambition?"
"Yeah, why does she?" Cristina wondered, genuinely stumped.
"They're in the honeymoon phase—blinded by the spark," Adam explained with a smirk. "George's looks, his warm personality—it's her dream guy checklist. She's overlooking his lack of drive for now.
But give it time—she'll get fed up eventually. Now that George is stepping up—even if he's being dragged into it—she's over the moon."
"But that means he's got no time for her," Meredith pointed out.
"Heh." Adam and Cristina both laughed.
"Romance? That crap can't even fill your stomach, let alone stack up to chasing medicine," Cristina scoffed. "With George's chubby build, a quick five minutes does the trick. Then they can geek out over medicine together—progress as a team. That's the real high!
Those study tapes of Adam's? Even attendings would kill to collect them. If Adam weren't giving them away for free, I'd make anyone who wanted 'em owe me big favors.
Callie's getting them for nothing—she hit the jackpot. Of course she's thrilled!"
Meredith: "…"
(End of Chapter)