Medical Center
Little Megan had bounced between multiple families, unknowingly teetering on the edge of death time and again. Finally, just before an accidental demise, she found parents who didn't care about "her flaw" and were willing to love her wholeheartedly.
In that sense, she's way luckier than most orphans out there. 😊
Operating Room
"Is this from a baseball bat? Seriously?"
John Carter followed Adam into the room, buzzing with excitement. He stood off to the side, awkwardly glancing around, staring at the severe wound on Megan's abdomen. He couldn't believe someone could be cruel enough to hit such a pretty, adorable little girl with a baseball bat.
"Who would be that heartless?"
"Kids can be wild and don't know how to hold back—it's pretty normal. That's why they need discipline," Adam said casually while operating. "But this time, Megan asked them to hit her."
"What, because she thinks she has superpowers?" Carter said, dumbfounded.
"Nope!" Adam explained. "She wanted to save the other girls—the ones those brats were bullying. She wanted to be a superhero, protecting the weak. So she bravely stepped up and told them, 'Let that girl go. If you're gonna hit someone, hit me. I'm not afraid.'"
"What a sweet kid," a nurse said, gazing at Megan—now under anesthesia and looking like a sleeping angel—with eyes full of affection.
Pretty, cute, and so brave and righteous.
Goodness, she's something else!
If this were an Eastern drama, she'd have a halo of divine light shooting out of her head, blessed with a body tough as steel despite her young age. Give her half a chance, and she'd soar like a dragon! 🐉
"Those boys are just too naughty," another nurse said, her heart aching. "How could they hit such a cute little girl so hard? I hope they never get girlfriends!"
Adam's lips curled into a smirk.
Those brats are definitely the Doctor Doom type—straight-up, iron-clad jerks through and through. If someone recorded this and it followed them around, they might actually end up single for life. 😂
25 punches!
A full swing with a baseball bat!
So brutal!
Wonder if they shouted some cheesy, over-the-top lines while swinging that bat, like, "I'll never need a girlfriend anyway!"
"So what's next for her?" Carter asked. "Surgery can fix the internal and external damage, but this painless condition—there's no real treatment for that, right?"
"Exactly," Adam nodded. "It's all about self-protection. Everyone wishes they didn't feel physical pain, but if you really can't, it's the start of a whole lot of emotional pain."
Without pain as a warning signal, it's way too easy to get hurt. And often, those injuries are permanent.
Then the mental suffering just never stops. 😔
The surgery was straightforward and went perfectly. Adam didn't let Carter stitch her up; instead, he meticulously sewed every wound himself—her abdomen, arms, legs, and even the old scars she'd carried for who-knows-how-long.
What kid doesn't care about looking good?
Little girls, little boys—they're all the same. Their pursuit of beauty is even more obvious than adults'.
In his past life, Adam often heard relatives and friends talk about kids: "Wow, kids these days are something else. They're so young, but they already know who's pretty and who's not. They spot a beautiful teacher and swarm her!"
Emmm.
A lot of elementary teachers are fresh-out-of-college women—young, gorgeous, and a little dolled up. Kids have zero resistance and all want to get close to them. Same goes for pretty classmates or desk buddies.
It's gotten to the point where some moms get jealous and start asking their sons the ultimate trap question: "Who's prettier, me or so-and-so?"
At first, the boys—being honest little goofs—would blurt out, "My classmate, my desk buddy, or my teacher!" Then, after Mom flipped out once, they learned fast. From then on, whenever she asked, the standard answer became: "Mom, you're the prettiest!" 😂
Megan's wounds were huge and ugly. She'd even stapled them shut with a stapler three times, making them look worse.
Did she not care about beauty?
No way!
She just cared about surviving more.
But now, she's lucky enough to have found parents who genuinely love her. From here on out, she can be like any other girl—free to care about looking pretty and primping herself up.
Adam wasn't about to let her start life at a disadvantage.
Surgery Complete
"Dr. Duncan?"
Megan's adoptive parents, who'd been waiting outside, rushed over with hopeful eyes.
"Don't worry, the surgery went great," Adam said with a smile.
"Thank God!"
Her parents hugged each other, overcome with relief.
"Thank you, Dr. Duncan!"
After thanking God, they turned their gratitude to Adam.
Emmm.
Always coming in second place after God. If this were Dr. House next door, he might've snarked something about God not existing, but Adam didn't mind.
Lots of people don't really mean they're thanking God—it's just a reflex. Besides, as someone who'd crossed worlds, Adam couldn't exactly rule out the possibility of a higher power.
The latest novels are first released on 69 Book Bar!
This is someone else's turf, after all. He's not some hotheaded, rebellious Adam yelling, "No gods above me!" He's not trying to ascend dimensions or break free either—just keeping a little reverence, that's all.
"Megan's injuries are fine now," Adam said. "But her condition—congenital insensitivity to pain—needs extra care. She'll have to focus on protecting herself, so please keep a close eye on her."
"We will," her parents nodded earnestly.
Adam could see the sincerity in their eyes, and it warmed his heart.
After seeing so much ugliness in the world, stumbling across a flash of true kindness and beauty like this was genuinely touching. 🥰
"I know this might be a bit forward, but I'd like to suggest something…" Adam said carefully.
"Dr. Duncan, go ahead. We trust you," her parents replied.
So Adam shared his idea.
In short: he wanted to introduce Megan to a friend—Sheldon!
If Megan could pick up even a tenth of Sheldon's cautious, play-it-safe vibe, her condition's nasty side effects wouldn't stand a chance of ruining her life.
Seriously!
Sheldon's the guy who dodges a sneeze like it's the plague, then sanitizes everything and checks his temperature obsessively. He logs his bathroom habits in a lifelong series of "first base" notebooks. He wears gloves to shake hands with family and scrubs with sanitizer ASAP.
To avoid getting sick, he once hid in his room and sent a clunky robot with a screen showing his face to work at the university instead.
Picture him in a Flash costume, walking with Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Superman—DC's Justice League, all six of them. Then they spot some guys stealing a car. Without a word, Flash Sheldon turns and bolts.
Who's got cowardice that smooth and natural?
Well, okay—Leonard's Green Lantern, Howard's Batman, and Raj's Aquaman are just as bad. They're all Sheldon's rare buddies, after all.
Even Penny—once tough and bold—hung out with Sheldon long enough that, in her Wonder Woman gear, she took off running with him.
And Zack, the musclehead who barely knew them, rocked a Superman suit, glanced at the "S" on his chest, thought it over, and still followed Sheldon's lead.
That's Sheldon's influence for you!
Megan Wakes Up
After going over what she'd need to watch out for, Adam smiled. "Megan, I'm gonna introduce you to a friend. Think of him as Professor X from the X-Men. You should learn from him, okay? If you pick up his skills, you won't have to worry about your condition anymore, and your parents can relax too."
Her parents nodded eagerly. Adam had sold them on it.
"Okay," Megan said, always considerate. "But will he want to be my friend?"
"You both love comics and superheroes," Adam said with a grin. "And you're both my friends. Chat about comics over the phone or through letters—I'm sure you'll hit it off."
Would Sheldon befriend a little girl?
Pfft! Adam wasn't worried one bit.
In the future, if Leonard hadn't dragged him away from staring at a camera, he'd have naturally bonded with a little girl already.
Ten, twenty years from now, he'd still be a kid at heart anyway!
(End of Chapter)