Afternoon.
The medical center seemed to be enveloped in an air of restlessness.
"Great, 14 cases. Which kind? Hmm, just get a mix of everything."
Dressed in a white coat, Liz was making a phone call in the hallway, securing the most important thing for tonight's doctor's party: alcohol!
"Make sure it's from a local brewery, and don't forget to bring some nuts."
Alex suddenly appeared behind Liz, speaking casually.
"I'm ordering office supplies."
No one liked Alex, including Liz.
That's why this doctor's party had grown from just a few people to dozens, and now even over a hundred—including interns, nurses, and even their boss, Dr. Bailey. Yet, Liz still had no intention of inviting Alex.
Having a boss at a party like this was never ideal because it meant people wouldn't be able to fully enjoy themselves.
But when word spread throughout the hospital and the boss asked, "Am I invited?"
Could anyone actually say no?
Liz and George certainly didn't have the guts to.
"Oh, of course," Liz responded.
Alex simply dropped a casual remark and walked away—nothing like his usual shameless self.
He wasn't stupid.
Not long ago, he had posted Liz's candid photos all over the hospital, only for Liz to retaliate mercilessly. After that, Liz was no longer the joke—he was.
So, he had wisely started keeping a low profile.
No more ambiguous smirks, no more provoking people—he had even adopted a brooding and mysterious persona.
And how effective was it?
Well, just look at Liz.
"Local brewery, with some nuts," Liz quickly confirmed over the phone.
Her initial extreme anger had faded like dust in the wind.
---
### Emergency Room.
"Dr. Duncan, will you be at the party tonight?"
"Hmm, we'll see. If there aren't any patients, I'll stop by."
"Awesome!"
"I'm going too."
"Count me in."
At the nurses' station, the nurses were chatting excitedly.
Interns were overworked, but nurses weren't any better. The stress was overwhelming, and outside of work, their social opportunities were quite limited.
Hospitals were profit-driven. To maximize efficiency, they often hired just one nurse to do the work of two, keeping them constantly on their feet.
And when unexpected emergencies happened, hospitals operated at extreme intensity. Nurses had to push themselves to the limit just to keep up.
But that kind of struggle was the type that made them want to quit after just one experience.
With such a workload, maintaining a normal love life was tough.
Male nurses were rare, and female doctors were also relatively uncommon.
This imbalance, combined with the long hours working together, led to frequent workplace romances and countless friendships—especially in the world of medical dramas.
Adam had walked in on these situations more than once.
He had also received plenty of flirtatious hints from attractive nurses, but he had always politely declined.
Apparently, they hadn't given up.
Now, they seemed to believe that their past failures weren't due to a lack of charm, but rather a lack of a crucial tool: alcohol!
As the saying goes: Alcohol is the matchmaker of desire!
And no one understood that better than Westerners.
---
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The emergency alert sounded at the nurses' station.
"Okay, Mary, bring the emergency cart!"
The head nurse gave orders while informing Adam, "Dr. Duncan, we've received a distress call."
The emergency cart had a defibrillator and other lifesaving equipment.
"Notify Dr. Lewis."
Following standard procedure, Adam reported the situation and quickly followed the nurses toward the patient's room where the alarm had been triggered.
When they arrived and pushed open the door, they were instantly dumbfounded.
Dr. Doug Ross was leaning against the sink, shirtless. One hand was bracing the counter, the other pressing against the wall—right on the emergency alarm button, completely unaware of what he had done.
Hearing the door open, he turned his head, revealing a face twisted in embarrassment.
"Uh… hi."
"Hi."
Faced with this awkward situation, Adam played it cool and casually greeted Dr. Ross before shutting the door behind him—completely ignoring the pink-clad figure hiding on the floor in an attempt to disappear.
The head nurse didn't react much, but young Nurse Mary, dressed in pink scrubs, turned bright red.
"The party is tonight, isn't it? Can't they wait?"
The head nurse shook her head. "So impatient. Young people these days!"
---
### Patient Wing.
"Hey, we heard about the party tonight. Can we join?"
The hospitalized patients were starting to tease.
"Sorry, we're not the organizers," Adam replied with a smile. "Besides, you all need rest. No getting out of bed."
Hospitals in the U.S. prioritized bed turnover for profit.
If you weren't seriously ill, you wouldn't even get admitted.
And once you were admitted? The costs were so high that no sane person would want to stay long-term.
Patients wanting to attend a party? Yeah, right.
"Doctors actually have a social life? Who knew?"
"Yeah! When I close my eyes at night, they're here. When I wake up in the morning, they're still here. I thought they lived in the hospital like superheroes."
"Bet you can't wait to get off shift and start partying!"
"Don't drink too much—I've got surgery tomorrow!"
The patients kept cracking jokes, getting more and more animated.
Adam chuckled.
Doctors always looked down at patients—literally.
Patients were lying in bed, doctors were standing. That positioning reflected their relationship.
Patients had to look up at the people diagnosing their fate, putting them at a psychological disadvantage.
Nobody liked feeling powerless.
Now, seeing the doctors in a more casual, human light, it was no surprise that the patients were enjoying themselves.
---
### 7:00 PM.
A group of doctors and nurses, now dressed in casual clothes, gathered and headed to Meredith's apartment.
Adam was a little late, finishing up a patient's discharge paperwork until 8:00 PM. Finally, he drove over with Bianca.
"Looks like they're having fun."
Even before entering, he could hear the lively music blasting from inside.
When he stepped in, the place was already packed.
The most eye-catching sight? A table where one man and two women were downing drinks while dancing.
On the left was Meredith, on the right was Cristina, and in the middle—George.
An absolute mess of tangled limbs and drunken movement.
"Dr. Duncan!"
"Dr. Duncan!"
"Dr. Duncan!"
Adam's arrival instantly drew the attention of a group of women, all eagerly greeting him.
Unlike the sterile white coats and pink scrubs of the hospital, they were now dressed in stylish outfits, each trying to outshine the others.
---