Medical Center. Elevator Entrance.
"It's not your fault…"
Mark Sloan reached out to pat Dr. Shepherd on the shoulder, but Shepherd dodged it without a word, brushing past him and leaving Mark's hand hanging awkwardly in the air.
"Dr. Sloan?"
Liz approached at that moment, calling out to him.
"What?" Mark frowned.
Being brushed off by his best friend wasn't exactly putting him in a good mood.
"Jack's lion syndrome reconstruction…" Liz reminded him gently.
"Oh." Mark paused, then nodded. "Got it. You go prep everything. I'll get the family's consent and perform the surgery so Jack can look his best at the funeral."
"No, that's not it," Liz said with a wry smile. "Dr. Duncan already got Jack's parents' approval and did the reconstruction."
"What?!" Mark's expression darkened. "That's ridiculous! Where are they?"
"In the morgue."
Liz led Mark that way, adding as they walked, "Dr. Duncan actually did a solid job. We're just waiting for your final approval before notifying the family to come see him."
"Plastic surgery isn't that simple…" Mark muttered, his face cold as he stepped into the morgue.
Then he saw Adam smiling at him. Just as Mark was about to chew him out, his peripheral vision caught Jack lying on the table—and the words stuck in his throat.
Jack looked exactly like the sketch Adam had drawn earlier. The stitching was so flawless it gave Mark chills—seriously, next-level stuff!
That fleeting unease he'd felt when he first saw Adam's sketch, the one he didn't want to admit, now hit him full force. This kid is terrifyingly good. Is he really just an intern? For the first time, Mark understood how others must've felt watching him back in the day.
"Dr. Sloan, any pointers?" Adam said with a polite smile. "This is my first time doing reconstructive surgery. Sure, it's easier on someone who's passed, but I'm sure there's room for improvement. You're the expert here—teach us! Let's make sure Jack looks perfect for his parents, to give them some peace."
"…"
Liz and Cristina exchanged a look, their lips twitching. This was the first time they'd seen Adam come on so strong.
But watching Mark Sloan, the East Coast plastic surgery legend, turn red and speechless? Oh, they couldn't help but imagine themselves in Adam's intern shoes—and it felt good. "That's so satisfying! Way to go!" they thought. 😏👏
"It's… decent," Mark finally said, swallowing a string of curses and forcing himself to play the mentor.
He wasn't about to let some intern show him up. He was Mark freaking Sloan, top-tier East Coast surgeon! So he started nitpicking—except, on this case, Adam had every theory and technique locked down. Mark couldn't trip him up no matter how hard he tried. His face just got darker and darker.
"Dr. Sloan, anything else to add?" Adam asked, still smiling. "If not, we'll go get Jack's parents."
"That's it," Mark snapped, storming off.
He couldn't find a single flaw. Staying any longer would just be humiliating himself.
"Adam Duncan, I'll remember you," Mark said, pausing at the door to shoot Adam a long, hard look.
"Dr. Sloan, you've taught me a pretty memorable lesson today too," Adam replied with a grin.
Once Mark was gone—
"OMG!" Liz burst out. "Adam, you actually outdid a top-tier surgeon—and in plastic surgery of all things! That's insane!" 😱
"It's just one case," Adam said, waving it off modestly. "If we're talking all of plastic surgery, I wouldn't stand a chance against him. I've still got a lot to learn."
"Come on!" Liz groaned. "I know that, but—wait, you've seriously thought about taking him on in the whole field?"
"Gotta have dreams, right?" Adam chuckled. "What if it happens one day? Besides, it doesn't seem that hard, does it?"
Liz stared at him. That smug little smile—suddenly she got what people mean by a "Versailles grin." So annoying yet so impressive!
"Adam, something's off with you," Cristina said, crossing her arms and studying him calmly.
"How so?" Adam turned to her.
"You're usually pretty humble," Cristina pointed out. "Even when Dr. Bailey rags on you, you just take it. But this time, you went straight for an attending—and a famous one! That's not like you."
"I'd love to stay humble," Adam said, throwing his hands up. "But he didn't give me a chance! Bailey's tough but fair—she doesn't make it personal. This guy? I felt like he was targeting me. And honestly? I just don't like him."
"Pfft!" Cristina smirked. "Didn't peg you for the emotional type."
"I get it now!" Liz snapped her fingers. "Opposites repel! You and Sloan are both players, so you clash—like you did with Alex back in the day."
"Totally!" Cristina's eyes lit up. "People hate seeing their own flaws in others. Adam's a flirt, Mark's a flirt—except Mark's worse, hitting on his best friend's wife. Adam, are you scared you'll turn into him someday?"
"No way I'd stoop that low," Adam said, shaking his head with a laugh. "Trust me, I've had plenty of chances to let my hormones win, but I've never crossed that line. I know what's okay and what's not—better than you two do.
Scared I'll become him? Ha! Never crossed my mind. All that self-destructive nonsense, that 'sick mentality' excuse—it's as ridiculous as blaming a crime on being drunk. If you're that drunk, you can't even function, let alone commit a crime.
And if you're truly self-destructive, why not just ruin yourself quietly? Why drag your friend's life down while you're having a blast? It's all excuses.
I didn't want to make it about character—I'd have been happy to keep it professional, learn a few tricks from him. But he made it personal and went back on his word.
Anyway, I'm not planning to be a plastic surgeon, and he's not sticking around here. Once he's gone, it's over. No point in holding onto this little grudge, right?"
"…"
Liz and Cristina were speechless. You're saying you don't care, but you're still ranting about it? Not petty, huh?
"Alright, let's go get Jack's parents," Adam said, dropping the subject.
"He looks… handsome. Peaceful…" Jack's mom said tearfully, running her hand over his restored face, no longer marred by deformity.
Jack's dad pulled his wife close, thanking the trio over and over. "Thank you, thank you!"
"You're welcome," Adam said with a warm smile.
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