At the medical center, in the X-ray room...
The "dutiful daughter" totally lost it. Her outburst was so over-the-top, it rivaled the eccentricity of Prince Ning from Flirting Scholar—nobody saw it coming!
"Of course, sweetheart," the bald guy lying there said, his face a mix of guilt and doting affection.
"Ha! Keep spoiling her, then!" the curvy woman snapped, shooting her ex-husband a look of disdain. Then she turned to the gleeful daughter. "You're old enough to get that your parents have needs too—and yeah, we mess up sometimes!"
"Mess up?" the daughter fired back, not letting her mom off the hook. "To me, this looks more like you being a total homewrecker!"
"Hey! I'm your mother! You can't talk to me like that!" the curvy woman barked, fuming.
If this were Sheldon's mom, Mary, that line would've had Sheldon bowing his head and muttering, "Yes, ma'am!" in a heartbeat. But nope—this was a real "dutiful daughter" in action.
"Some role model you are!" the daughter shot back, digging in for her new car, rent, and spending money. "Look at you, hooking up with your ex, cheating on your husband—OMG! I wonder if your husband would call this just a 'mistake' if he saw this?"
"…"
The curvy woman went silent. Not because she was out of words, but because she caught the hidden threat in her daughter's tone. Her ex was single, no baggage there. But she had a happy family—her beloved husband, Tom. Risking all that just to bicker with her daughter? Not a smart move.
She sold real estate for a living—flexible enough to bend unless she was up against a rival who knew her game and could outmaneuver her.
"And you, Dad!" The daughter, riding high from shutting down her powerhouse mom, turned her sights on her father. "What are you even doing? I thought you finally had a life! Last time you went out with what's-her-name, I didn't even bug you for that LV bag I wanted—just to support you! And this is how you repay me?"
"I'm sorry, honey," the bald guy said, practically shrinking with shame.
"'Sorry' doesn't cut it!" she pressed. "If I'd known you'd pull this, I wouldn't have skipped that LV bag…"
"I'll buy it for you," he said quickly. Hearing "LV bag" twice, he knew she'd upped the ante. Caught in this mess, all he could do was open his wallet.
Adam caught the sly smirk flickering across the daughter's face. Smooth move, he thought.
"Okay, folks, X-ray's done," Adam announced, holding up the fresh scan. He pointed at two entangled rings on the image. "Just as I suspected—your IUD slipped, snagged your husband's piercing, and got lodged in your vaginal wall."
"A piercing?" the daughter gasped, gaping at her fifty-something dad.
"It's complicated, sweetie," the bald guy mumbled, looking away, mortified.
"This is all your fault!" the daughter roared, rounding on her mom. "Dad wouldn't have risked something this crazy if he wasn't trying to impress you! Happy now?"
Adam and the team exchanged glances—they could all see how fake her outrage was.
"So, what do you want this time?" the curvy woman asked with a cold laugh.
"…"
The daughter faltered. This was what she hated most about her mom. Her dad? He'd play along willingly, even knowing her game. But her mom always fought back.
"It's not about what I want!" the daughter insisted, ignoring the weird looks from everyone. "You owe Dad some compensation! How about this—upgrade my new car with heated seats. It's getting cold, and when I drive Dad around, he'll be comfy."
"…"
Adam and the others silently marveled. This girl's shamelessness was next-level. Even Raj from The Big Bang Theory—the king of humblebrags—would tip his hat. His dad got him a BMW, sure, but heated seats? Pay for it yourself, kid! Stingy old man—push him hard enough, and Raj would've shelled out.
"Enough!" the curvy woman snapped, sitting up straight in a huff.
"Ow!" the bald guy yelped.
"Hold still!" Adam said, dropping the gossip to step in. He steadied the woman. "We're about to unhook you two—don't move, got it?"
Both nodded.
"Christina, watch the screen and help me adjust the angle," Adam directed. "Liz, Meredith—each of you hold one of Mr. Morse's legs. Wait for my signal."
"Ma'am, I'll lift and rotate you—stay calm, okay?" he added.
Christina moved to the computer, studying the tangled rings on the screen, mentally mapping them to real life, ready to guide Adam like he was backing out of a tight parking spot.
Liz and Meredith each grabbed a leg.
"Liz, lift his leg to 20 degrees," Adam said, running the simulation in his head.
"20 degrees? Does it have to be exact?" Liz asked, struggling with the bald guy's leg.
"Ow!"
"Ow!"
Both the man and woman cried out in pain.
"Just keep it steady—stop when I say," Adam instructed, calculating the angle precisely. "Good—stop! Hold it there."
He reached out, cradling the curvy woman's body, and began rotating her counterclockwise, slow and steady.
On the screen, Christina watched the rings start to separate. "Almost there," she said.
"I've got it," Adam replied—his mental 3D model was sharper than the computer's.
"OMG, Sonya!"
"OMG, Adam—no, not now!"
The big movements were too much for the couple to handle. The curvy woman, who'd been married to this guy for 19 years and secretly sparring with him for 5 more, snapped at him, terrified of an even worse scene unfolding in front of everyone.
Her daughter was right there, after all. Understanding was one thing—watching it live was a whole other nightmare.
But that outburst? It tipped Liz and the others over the edge—they cracked up.
"Pfft!"
"What are you doing?!" the daughter shouted, finally showing some real filial piety. "My parents are in pain, and you're laughing?"
"Sorry, sorry—we're not laughing at that!" Liz said, pointing at Adam, who was still rotating the woman. "It's just… we didn't expect Mr. Morse to be an 'Adam' too. And, uh, your parents aren't exactly in pain…"
"…"
Adam's mouth twitched. "Dr. Stevenson, hold still and zip it!"
"Yes, sir!" Liz chirped, snapping to attention.