Medical Center. Rooftop. After a Heart-Pounding Moment.
The medical staff, who'd been held back by security to watch the chaos from a distance, rushed forward. They lifted Carlton—whose leg was now sporting a fresh fracture—onto a stretcher.
Yup, you heard that right.
The security guard had gotten there even before Adam and the crew. But did he bother with Carlton, who was sprawled out with his arms wide open like Rose from Titanic? Nope. The guy just stood way off in the distance, keeping order and making sure no one else got close.
Emmm… that's his job, I guess.
Risking his life to save someone? Yeah, not in the job description.
"Ever seen The Invincible East?" Adam couldn't help but ask as they wheeled Carlton away.
"You've seen it too?" Carlton's face lit up, the pain in his leg momentarily forgotten.
Adam's lips twitched into a half-smile, but he didn't reply.
Of course.
This was the golden age of Hong Kong cinema. Big-shot producers back then were all about shipping their films overseas—especially to rake in those sweet American dollars. Martial arts flicks might not have hit the West as hard as kung fu did, but they weren't totally ignored either. With all that high-flying qinggong action, just slap a "magic" label on it, and you're good to go!
For someone like Carlton—already on the fringes of mainstream society—a niche Hong Kong martial arts romance flick about people like him? It was perfect. Beyond just relating to the identity stuff, The Invincible East had it all: beauty, strength, romance, tragic betrayal, and that gut-punch of making the betrayer regret it forever. No wonder it hit Carlton and his crowd right in the feels.
Adam even had a sneaking suspicion: anyone in Carlton's circle who'd seen the movie probably daydreamed about mastering the Sunflower Manual themselves.
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"Dr. Duncan, I'm so sorry," John Carter said, shuffling over guiltily once the crowd had cleared.
"Do you know what you did wrong?" Adam asked, eyeing him.
"I shouldn't have been so unprofessional. I pushed her too far," Carter muttered, head down.
"Good that you get it," Adam nodded. "As doctors, our job is to heal and save lives. Nothing else is our business."
"Yes, Dr. Duncan," Carter replied, still looking pretty down in the dumps.
Honestly, who could blame him? No one's cracking jokes after a mess like that.
"Look, it's not all on you," Adam offered after a beat, trying to lighten the mood. "He was in here before, after a car crash. Thinking back, he probably rammed into it himself. And this? It's not about him being a man or a woman—it's about whether he's even human."
Jumping impulsively without knowing the full story? Sure, that's forgivable. But after Adam had warned him it was putting others at risk, he still left it "up to God" and leaped? That's not something a decent person does!
"Anyway, I just checked your work," Adam said, clapping Carter on the shoulder. "The alignment's spot-on, the spacing is perfect, and your stitching? Flawless. All that practice with pig's trotters clearly paid off."
Carter's face brightened instantly, a grin tugging at his lips despite himself.
"So, what do you do with the trotters after you're done stitching?" Adam asked, genuinely curious.
"Cook 'em and eat 'em," Carter said with a laugh. "If there's too much, I give some away."
"Cooking them straight up is such a waste," Adam said with a sly grin. "Braised pig's trotters? Now that's the way to go."
With that, he headed downstairs, leaving Carter beaming. He still had to check if that rogue high heel had hit anyone.
Nurses' Station.
"What?!" Adam's jaw dropped when he heard the high heel did hit someone—and that someone was Barney, who'd been this close to getting discharged. A pang of guilt hit him.
Without his butterfly effect flapping around, Barney's main-character luck would've kept him untouchable—waltzing through life unscathed, poison charms and all. After finally recovering from a broken bone and making it to the hospital doors, ready to leave, he gets clocked by a freaking high heel from the sky? Adam's storm had straight-up flipped Barney's hero vibes upside down.
"Is he okay?" Adam asked, worried.
There'd been that other guy once, someone like Barney, taken out by a random boot from above. And then… well, that was it for him.
The hospital building wasn't that tall, but a high heel? If that sharp stiletto heel stabbed someone's head, it could absolutely be lights out.
"He's fine," the nurse assured him quickly. "It just grazed his head with the flat part. Knocked him out for a bit, but he's awake now."
"I'll go check on him," Adam said, relieved. He nodded at the nurse and hurried off toward Barney's VIP room.
"Who ambushed me?!"
"Jerk!"
"I'm not letting this slide!"
"Ow—ouch!"
The second Adam stepped into the VIP room, Barney's shouts—and yelps of pain—filled the air.
"George, I'll take it from here," Adam said, nodding at the doctor already checking Barney.
George gave a quick nod and left.
"Barney, you should be thanking your lucky stars," Adam said, stepping up to examine him with a grin. "If I hadn't pulled him back in time, you'd have a whole person landing on your head, not just a shoe."
"You again!" Barney completely ignored the part where Adam saved his life, jabbing a finger at him. "I knew it! Every time you're involved, I'm the one who ends up screwed!"
After losing a few bets to Adam, Barney had developed a bit of a mental block about him.
"Sorry, Barney's brain took a hit," a Black guy standing by the bed said, apologizing on Barney's behalf. "Thanks for saving him. I'm James, Barney's brother. You must be Adam, right?"
"No worries, Barney and I are buddies," Adam said with a smile, giving James a nod and sizing him up for a sec.
"I know what you're thinking," Barney cut in, catching Adam's glance. "Barney's white, James is Black—how could we be brothers, right?"
"I wasn't thinking that," Adam said, smirking.
"Oh, come on!" Barney pointed back and forth between himself and James. "We're practically identical, okay? How could we not be brothers?"
"Yep, we're brothers for sure," James chimed in. "Come on, bro, high five!"
"High fives are back in style?" Barney lit up.
"Of course," James said, mimicking Barney's signature tie-straightening move and tone. "I declared it this morning."
Total 'I'm the king of cool' energy.
"Nice!" Barney grinned, slapping James' hand.
"See?" Barney pointed between them again. "You're telling me we're not brothers?"
Adam just chuckled. Yeah, right.
Sure, they grew up together, picked up the same quirks—totally normal. But a purebred white guy and a purebred Black guy calling themselves blood brothers? That's pushing the limits of genetics! Even half-siblings wouldn't come out this white and this Black.
Still, whatever—live your truth, guys!
"Is Barney okay?" James asked, switching gears.
"Yeah, he's lucky. Probably just a mild concussion," Adam said after a thorough check, smiling. "But to be safe, let's get an MRI and keep him here for observation."
"No way!" Barney barked. "I'm done with this place. I'm outta here! New York can't survive without Barney Stinson!"