dical Center.
Hospital Room.
"Adam, how's my mom?" Ted asked anxiously.
"Mrs. Mosby has stress-induced cardiomyopathy..." Adam explained the situation. "There's no real cure, just precautions. She needs to be careful, especially on this day each year. No extre emotions—no big highs or lows. Soone should always be with her, or better yet, she should check into the hospital in advance to stay safe."
In the hospital, ergency intervention was always available.
A stopped heart? No big deal.
They could bring her back in minutes.
"I'm so sorry, Mom."
Ted imdiately blad himself. "Today's my birthday, but it's also your day of suffering. The pain and joy of that day still haunt you, and it's all my fault."
Adam glanced at him.
Tsk, tsk!
Hardcore logic, right there.
Though, technically, he wasn't wrong.
Damn it, Ted!
"No pain, only joy."
Ted's mom gave an awkward smile.
His dad, however, seed to understand sothing. His faint smile was a bit cold, but he didn't seem to care.
So, they were just putting on a united front.
They must have been distant for a long ti, only keeping up appearances for Ted's sake, avoiding unpleasant topics so he wouldn't be hurt.
Adam couldn't help but imagine 3D models of Ted and his dad, standing side by side. Zooming in, he studied their facial similarities carefully.
Hmm...
The neighbor, Old Wang, might have been wild, but Ted's dad? Clearly the superior competitor.
Adam's mind suddenly conjured up a classic mythological scene—
King Ted speeding away, while his father shouted behind him: "Fellow friend, please stay!"
And then...
"Better you than ."
Morally questionable?
Maybe.
But Adam found it hilarious, spacing out for a good while before snapping back to reality.
After giving Ted's parents a few more instructions, Adam left the room.
As expected, Ted followed him out.
"Adam, thanks a lot."
"Don't ntion it." Adam smiled. "We're friends, after all."
"Speaking of which..."
Ted extended his arm, pretending to be casual. "Today's my birthday. Marshall and Lily are throwing
a party tonight. You should co!"
"Sorry."
Adam shook his head apologetically. "I really don't have ti..."
Then he told him about Alice Grey.
A foolproof excuse.
No one could argue with that.
Not even Ted.
Of course, if it were Marshall and Lily, Adam would probably squeeze in the ti.
After all, ti is like a sponge—you can always squeeze out a little more.
But just like the core group in Friends revolved around Chandler and Monica, Adam had his own division for How I t Your Mother. For him, the core was Marshall and Lily.
Leonard once said: "The top doctors co in two types: those who are completely detached, like Alice Grey and Gregory House, and those who are in the process of becoming that way, like Richard Webber and Preston Burke."
Doctors who care about every patient? Either they never improve their skills, or they eventually have an emotional breakdown. Reaching the top requires a certain level of detachnt.
Adam had only been interning for three months, yet he'd already witnessed so much joy and sorrow.
And the road ahead? A never-ending cycle of it.
redith and George liked to visit the NICU to watch newborns—it helped them cope.
Even for soone as capable as Adam, if he wanted to reach the top, he needed to find a way to manage his growing emotional burden.
Would he rather spend his limited free ti enjoying the warmth of Marshall and Lily's relationship, or indulging in Joey, Ted, and Barney's chaotic nonsense?
Before starting his dical career, he would have chosen the latter.
But now, that option was gone.
"I see..." Ted rubbed his hands, looking conflicted.
"Don't worry."
Adam knew exactly what he was thinking but wasn't about to give in. He smirked. "I may not be there, but you'll still get a gift. I've got sothing just for you."
"Is it what I think it is?!"
Ted looked excited.
"Nope."
Adam shook his head.
"Co on!"
Ted pleaded. "Adam, it's my birthday! Just give
her phone number!"
"Nope."
Adam chuckled. "This year's gift is sothing I just got today. It's perfect for you, and since it's your birthday, it's ant to be. If you want the number as a gift, I can give it to you next year."
"..."
Ted's face darkened.
Next year?!
That's a whole year away!
And the number? Only 5 months and 17 days left!
You think I'm an idiot?
In reality, Ted had never waited the full six months they originally agreed on. He'd started pestering Adam almost imdiately, even dragging Marshall and Lily into it.
But Adam never budged.
At this stage, Ted wasn't the mature Ted Mosby yet—he was still just Ted the Player.
A great girl like Teresa? No way was Adam letting Ted ruin her.
"What kind of gift is so special?" Ted asked suspiciously.
"You want to see it now?"
Adam raised an eyebrow, then rembered that opening gifts imdiately was common here, so he didn't mind.
In so cultures, no wrapping was even needed—you could tell what it was just by looking.
"Can I?"
Ted was still fixated on Teresa's number, hoping he could guilt-trip Adam into giving in.
"Sure."
Adam grinned. "Actually, it'll have even more impact if you see it here."
He led Ted to his birthday present.
"What... is this?!"
Ted was dumbfounded.
Adam flicked the CT scan, making a clicking sound.
"This is your gift—sothing unique. Sothing unforgettable."
That's right.
Adam had gifted Ted Mr. Linden's CT scan.
With an arm around Ted's stunned shoulders, he pointed at the bullet lodged in the scan and vividly recounted the story of Mr. and Mrs. Linden.
"Ted, any thoughts?"
"..."
Ted was speechless.
"No doubt about it—Mr. and Mrs. Linden were truly in love," Adam said with a grin. "But love and hate go hand in hand. He cheated, she shot him in the head. Do you think she was a sharpshooter? Maybe she didn't actually an to kill him—just scare him a little?"
Ted swallowed hard, still speechless.
"You've t a lot of great won over the years," Adam teased. "You loved them, and they loved you. Only one of them ever studied Krav Maga."
He clapped Ted on the shoulder. "You're lucky."
Ted shuddered and blurted out, "I hate guns!"
"Heh."
Adam smirked.
Funny, considering Robin was a total gun enthusiast.
Maybe, deep down, Ted was afraid of becoming Mr. Linden.
Who knows?
But in the end, in their original tiline, he and Robin ended up together.
Hopefully, it was a happy ending.
Adam's mind drifted to an image of Robin in full S.H.I.E.L.D. gear, rifle in hand, looking fierce.
Wait, why did I say "again"...?
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