Medical Center

Emergency Room

Nightfall

"…He swallowed it as soon as he got it."

A young woman brought her five- or six-year-old son to the ER, saying that as soon as he got hold of a key, he put it in his mouth and swallowed it.

"We need to take an X-ray first."

Adam reassured her, "Don't worry, in most cases, it will pass through his system naturally when he has a bowel movement."

"I know."

The young woman held her forehead, looking distressed. "I just don't understand why he did it."

"We can ask him."

Adam turned to the little boy. "Jimmy, why did you do that?"

"Because…"

Little Jimmy had just started to answer, still trying to find the right words, when his impatient mother cut him off.

"See? He's completely irrational."

"Mrs. Edmonds, let Jimmy speak at his own pace."

Adam reminded her, "With children, we need to be more patient."

"That's easy for you to say."

The woman retorted, "Try being a single mom yourself! I have to work and take care of him. How could you possibly understand how hard it is?"

"Jimmy, why did you do that?"

Ignoring the woman's complaints, Adam kept his focus on the boy.

Arguing with a woman was best avoided. Arguing with a female patient was foolish. Arguing with a single mother who brought her child to the hospital? That was the height of stupidity.

"I saw it on TV."

Jimmy tilted his head.

"Saw what?"

Adam's instincts kicked in.

"They put things in their mouths… all the way in."

Jimmy's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What were you watching?! Who let you watch that?!"

The woman instantly erupted, "I'm firing Nancy the moment we get home!"

"Take it easy."

Adam calmed her down and turned back to Jimmy. "What you saw wasn't real. They didn't actually put those things in their mouths and swallow them—it was just an illusion. You shouldn't try to copy them, okay?"

Jimmy's eyes darted around, clearly not convinced.

"Mrs. Edmonds, you'll need to educate him properly when you get home."

Adam resisted the urge to perform a magic trick on the spot and instead took a more measured approach. "He shouldn't be watching those kinds of shows, and you should also make sure no one performs magic tricks in front of him. At this age, kids don't have strong judgment skills, but they are very good at imitating.

"There was a case before where an older brother performed a 'coin from the ear' trick for his baby sibling. The baby then developed a habit of stuffing anything he could get his hands on into his nose. He had to come to the hospital repeatedly. It's a very dangerous behavior."

"Are you saying Jimmy might do the same?"

The woman immediately became anxious.

"That was a baby. Jimmy is old enough to understand if you educate him properly. The key is paying close attention to him."

Adam quickly explained.

The woman still looked overwhelmed.

Adam understood.

Raising mischievous children had always been a major challenge. Most parents lacked the necessary skills and patience. In her case, being a single mother with limited time made it even harder.

It was a common issue, and Adam could only sympathize.

After taking Jimmy for an abdominal X-ray, they found exactly what they expected—a key-shaped object in his stomach. Adam advised the woman to monitor Jimmy's bowel movements and then moved on to his next patient.

A teenage girl was sitting on a hospital bed, holding her stomach, looking dazed.

"Lower left abdominal pain?"

Adam asked while examining her. Looking at her young face, he sighed internally.

The girl avoided his gaze, blushing slightly, and nodded.

"You're pregnant."

Adam delivered the bombshell.

"I'm not pregnant."

The girl shook her head immediately.

"Even if there was no penetration, even if he told you, 'I'll just rub it, I won't go in,' you can still get pregnant."

Adam reminded her.

"I'm not pregnant."

The girl shook her head again.

"Miss Murphy."

Adam noticed the flicker in her eyes when he repeated that common excuse men use. Clearly, she had heard something similar before. He pressed on, his tone firmer: "If you are pregnant, it could be an ectopic pregnancy. If left untreated, it could become life-threatening. Do you understand?"

"I'm not pregnant."

The girl repeated like a broken record.

Snap!

Adam closed the medical chart, took a deep breath, and asked in a serious tone, "Can you tell me the last time you got your period?"

"I don't remember."

She shook her head.

"Just give me an estimate."

Adam continued.

The girl hesitated but finally answered, "Easter."

"So it's been several months."

Adam looked at her intently. "Now do you understand why I suspect you might be pregnant?"

The girl fell silent.

"So you have been sexually active?"

Adam asked again.

"Yes."

This time, the girl answered truthfully.

"I'm ordering an ultrasound for you."

Adam warned, "If it confirms an ectopic pregnancy, you will need immediate surgery."

This time, the girl didn't refuse.

Adam shook his head internally.

Hospitals were full of patients from all walks of life, with bizarre and shocking stories.

Many of these stories challenged common sense. As an ordinary person, one might be tempted to criticize.

But as a doctor, he had to remain professional and treat everything as routine.

Allowing personal emotions to interfere could easily lead to complaints—or even lawsuits.

Healing people was a noble calling, but the first rule was to protect oneself.

As the saying goes: Being an honest official requires more cunning than being a corrupt one!

The more tricks you know to protect yourself, the more good you can do.

Adam firmly believed this.

Ring!

Adam's phone rang.

"Adam, can you book the Grand Plaza Hotel for a wedding reception on August 12th?"

Leonard's voice came from the other end.

"I'll try. Shouldn't be a problem."

Adam immediately guessed it was about Rachel's wedding. As a friend in more ways than one, no matter how tight the schedule or difficult the task, he would do his best.

And as a billionaire, if he really wanted to make it happen, he probably could.

"Who's getting married?"

Adam still played along and asked.

"Rachel is getting married!"

Leonard sounded excited. "She's pregnant—I'm going to be a grandfather!"

"Congratulations."

Adam immediately offered his best wishes.

Among the Green family's three daughters, Rachel was the eldest, already past thirty, and still unmarried. The second daughter, Amy, and the youngest, Jill, weren't even close.

Leonard was nearly sixty. If he didn't long for a grandchild, it would go against human nature.

Hollywood and American TV often portrayed characters who cared only about love and friendships while ignoring family. But that was because those shows were targeted at younger audiences, shaping their narratives accordingly.

Americans were still human, and family and lineage were just as important to them.

Leonard was clearly one of those people. After his initial anger over Rachel's pregnancy, all that remained was joy—he couldn't wait to give her the best of everything.

Truly, no parent in the world is without love for their child.