The Next Day. Medical Center. Ward.
"Heard last night was pretty intense?"
Dr. Burke strolled in, glancing at the updated chart from the night before.
"Yeah," Danny said with a weak smile. "Good thing I picked the right guy. Thanks to Dr. Duncan pulling me through a few times, I'm still here instead of chilling in heaven. I mean, I'm sure heaven's great and all, but I'm not exactly dying to check it out just yet!"
"Nice work, Dr. Duncan," Burke said, nodding approvingly at Adam's rescue notes.
If any other intern had been on duty, Burke would've been yanked out of bed by a frantic call. Only someone like Adam had the chops to handle it solo first, then decide if the boss needed to know. Having an assistant this solid? Burke had to admit—it felt pretty darn good. Well, most of the time. That one surgery where he got stuck playing second fiddle to Adam? Not so fun.
"Things still don't look great," Adam said. "Danny's got acute pulmonary edema. I switched him to congestive heart failure meds and hooked him up to a BiPAP machine. He's stable for now, but he needs a new heart—and fast."
"A new heart, huh?" Danny murmured weakly. "Been waiting a year and a half already. Kept missing out by this much. How long do I have this time?"
"Not long, and we can't bank on miracles," Adam replied. "I'd recommend a left ventricular assist device—LVAD. It's a battery-powered gadget that helps your heart pump. Could buy you a couple extra years."
"Yep," Burke nodded. "Dr. Duncan's spot on. We can't just sit around hoping for a rare win. No clue when that heart's showing up, so we need to stretch your timeline."
Organ transplants? All about connections and luck. Connections—well, obvious stuff. Take Dr. House next door: he snags organs meant for others all the time. Why? His fangirl dean pulls strings for him, and his insane track record gives her the clout to do it.
Danny, though? No such luck. Sure, he's probably loaded—maybe a multimillionaire—but not billionaire-level loaded. If he were, he wouldn't still be waiting after 18 months. Real big shots either pay up or call in favors to get a heart ASAP. No sitting around twiddling thumbs 'til death!
Adam, as his attending, could pull some strings too. But nah—not worth it. A tiny +0.01 boost to lifespan? He gets that saving random ER folks. No need to jump through hoops, waste time, energy, and cash for Danny. Plus, it's shady and illegal. Danny's just a regular patient—not family or anyone special enough for that kind of effort.
So, it's down to luck. And luck? That's a numbers game—you need time to stack the odds.
"Battery-powered?" Danny quipped with a faint grin. "I knew it—you guys are turning me into a robot! Step one of your evil hospital takeover plan, right?"
"Heh," Burke chuckled along.
"Nah," Adam grinned back. "Think positive! Picture this: you're kinda like Tony Stark—Iron Man. Battery keeping the heart going? Same deal. It's just a plot twist in your story. Could make life even more epic!
And you've got an edge over him—no fighting bad guys or sweating through some dramatic transformation to ditch the battery. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, you wake up to good news: new heart, fresh start! All you need now is to buy yourself that extra time."
"Man, you're good at this," Danny laughed. "No clue who this Iron Man dude is, but I get it. Thanks, Dr. Duncan. So, sticking this battery thing in me—turning me into a robot—it's all smooth sailing, no risks?"
Real-life Iron Man movies weren't out yet, and in Marvel comics, Tony was still a B-lister—not exactly a household name. Still, Danny caught the vibe.
"There's some risk," Burke stepped in. "It can mess with your platelets, increase bleeding. If you go for the LVAD, you're stuck here 'til you get a transplant—gotta stay close for emergencies."
"Any other options?" Danny asked with a wry smile.
"Nope," Adam shook his head. "Everything's a trade-off. Nothing's perfect. Right now, staying alive's the priority. And trust me, hanging out in the hospital isn't as boring as it sounds.
Us interns practically live here—so much that they had to make rules to kick us out sometimes! Point is, you've gotta find your thing. Use this time to dive into something you're into. Get lost in it, and the days fly by.
Look at Hawking—Parkinson's, wheelchair-bound, no hope of recovery, talking through a synthesizer. Didn't stop him from exploring the cosmos and inspiring tons of people. Sickness can trap your body, not your mind.
You've even got a shot at getting better! Maybe by the time you hit your goal, that new heart shows up—double win! Isn't that worth looking forward to?"
"Me, compare to Hawking?" Danny smirked, self-deprecating. Then he looked at Adam. "But you're right, Dr. Duncan. A double-win future? That's worth betting on. Before I decide, though—can I see Liz?"
"Why?" Adam cut in before Burke could respond.
"'Cause seeing her gives me hope—something to fight for…" Danny faltered, caught off guard.
"I wouldn't," Adam said, shaking his head. "You're gonna push through this just for a crush? That's not enough! This surgery? Could be a day, a year, two years before hope shows up.
You really think a spark from one meeting's gonna carry you through that long? Love—especially the love-at-first-sight kind—is just hormones doing their thing. But your body? It's not exactly in the game right now.
Leaning on that for motivation? Over time, it'll hurt more than it helps. A strong guy stuck in a weak body, all look-no-touch? That's torture.
So, whatever you pick to keep you going while you wait, skip the hormone trap. Aim higher—something mental, spiritual. That's how you stay chill through the grind.
Trust me, you've got this. Stay single long enough, and those hormones dull out anyway. Plenty of folks go their whole lives solo and thrive—science backs it up! We believe in science, right?"
Danny: "…"
Burke: "…"
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