At the Medical Center
Adam tagged along with Meredith to check on Mrs. Grey in her hospital room. After a thorough examination, Adam suggested starting with some standard treatments to see how things go. Mrs. Grey didn't mind at all—she'd already done her homework to bond with her two daughters' half-sister and knew exactly who Adam was. Naturally, Adam stepped in to handle the routine treatments himself.
But the results? Not so great. Even a legit massage didn't do the trick.
"You do it," Meredith said.
"No, you do it," Adam shot back.
"I can't," she replied.
"You sure I can?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
In the end—despite it being awkward as heck—the "miracle hiccup-stopping massage" made it onto the treatment plan. But neither Adam nor Meredith wanted to step up. They kept pushing it onto each other like a hot potato. 😅
Meredith had her reasons. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but Mrs. Grey was technically her stepmom. Doing that kind of treatment on someone she had such a complicated, distant relationship with? Way too embarrassing. She couldn't muster the "ignore everything and be professional" vibe.
Adam, on the other hand, could do it. For one, he was a pro. For two, his brain was strong enough to lock away any memories he didn't want to revisit. Still, he wasn't thrilled about it. No way did he want those awkward moments popping back into his head at random times. Plus, Mrs. Grey and Mr. Grey probably wouldn't be cool with him treating her either.
So, in the end, the task landed on Cristina—who rolled her eyes so hard they nearly fell out. 😂 She was the perfect pick: talented, Meredith's bestie, and a female doctor. Adam dragged Cristina into the surgical research room and, under her and Meredith's weirded-out stares, gave a super professional demo of the treatment details.
"Don't ask!" he said, cutting off their curious looks after the demo. "If you're wondering, it's just because I'm a genius!" 😎
Uh, yeah, that's about it!
Before clocking out, Cristina performed the treatment. The initial results? Surprisingly effective! But whether it'd last was still up in the air. Adam told Mrs. Grey to swing by again tomorrow for a follow-up.
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At Duncan Apartments
"Uncle Adam!" Tatiana lit up the second she saw him.
"I heard you've been having nightmares?" Adam said with a grin after giving Heather a quick kiss. He turned to Tatiana. "Want me to mess with Sheldon a little to cheer you up?"
"No way!" Tatiana shouted instantly. "You can't bully Sheldon—he doesn't mean any harm!"
Thanks to Sheldon's giant-baby vibes, both Tatiana and Megan genuinely saw the guy—who was over a decade older than them—as their buddy. No way would they let anyone pick on their pal, not even their favorite Uncle Adam.
"Alright, fine," Adam chuckled. "For our little princess, I'll leave Sheldon alone. But if he's ever mean to you, you've gotta tell me, okay?"
"Okay!" Tatiana nodded eagerly. Though her expression made it pretty clear she wouldn't snitch even if something did happen. 😏
"Little princess, what are you so scared of?" Adam shifted to the real topic.
"I don't know," Tatiana admitted shyly. "I just can't stop having nightmares."
"Is it because Sheldon freaked you out with that 'turning into a butterfly' thing?" Adam asked with a smile. "Look, that's just Sheldon's personal issue—it's got nothing to do with actually becoming a butterfly. He's scared of everything. Deep down, he knows his way of dealing with people makes it easy for everyone, even his sister Missy, to give him a hard time.
"Haven't you noticed? The butterfly Sheldon imagines himself as doesn't even fly. It just lies there, totally still, screaming in fear. That's because in real life, he's terrible at anything physical. Back in high school, he loved going to school to point out every teacher's mistakes—except in PE. To skip even the simplest activities, he lied for the first time to get a sick note. If his mom didn't force him outside, he'd stay cooped up forever. Even then, he'd just push the swing by the door once and call it 'exercise' before heading back in.
"He's so lazy that even as a butterfly, he'd be a total slacker—one that doesn't even flap its wings. Of course a butterfly that can't fly would be in danger! But you? You're different. You're sweet, kind, and well-behaved—nothing like Sheldon. If you turned into a butterfly, you'd be a happy one! Flapping your wings, soaring free—what's more fun than that? There's no need to be afraid. Fly high and fast, and no fear can catch up to you!" 😊
Tatiana giggled. "Uncle Adam, would I really be a happy butterfly?"
"You bet!" Adam nodded. "And not just any butterfly either. The story Sheldon told you? It's not the full version. The 'Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly' tale is full of mythical vibes. The butterfly you'd become could fly freely, unbound by anything. It could visit countless worlds, live lives most people can't even imagine!
"Tonight, if you want to—and if you believe it—you don't have to be like Sheldon, too lazy to deal with the 'dumb Earthlings' he complains about. You could become anyone, experience an amazing, unique life. It's something others can only dream of—so why be scared?"
"Really?" Tatiana's eyes sparkled. "I can actually do that?"
"You sure can!" Adam grinned. "Your dreams are yours to control. Let go of the fear, believe in yourself, and whether it's real life or a dream, you'll be a happy butterfly. Trust me."
"I do, Uncle Adam!" Tatiana nodded hard, her eyes free of fear and brimming with excitement. She'd made up her mind: if she dreamed of being a butterfly tonight, she'd push past the fear, flap her wings like Adam said, and be a joyful butterfly soaring high.
"Remember, having extraordinary power and ability isn't a curse," Adam added as his final note. "The bigger your heart, the bigger your world. The farther your dreams, the farther you'll go. People can conquer anything."
In the West, thanks to monotheistic beliefs, people often see superhuman powers as a curse or a devil's trap—unlike in the East. You see it all over superhero comics: Spider-Man and the Hulk's miserable lives, or the X-Men, a superior race, struggling so hard they nearly go extinct. Someone gains godlike power, only to fall and become a demon. Why? Because God's the only one, supreme and untouchable—no one can be Him, let alone surpass Him. So if it's not God giving those powers, who else could it be? The devil, obviously.
Now, flip that to the East—none of that baggage there!
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(Chapter End)