Medical Center. Adam's Office.
"Jenny, you know that's just public data, right?"
Adam frowned as he reminded her, "In private, tons of patients get infected and don't even know how it happened."
"I'll be careful!"
Jenny's face went pale as she stressed it again.
"This isn't something you can just 'be careful' about and control," Adam sighed. "You work in the ER. When you're dealing with sharp wounds, sure, you might get someone to step in for you once. But every single time? There'll come a moment when no one's around to cover for you.
And let's be real—ER trauma cases? People come in with glass stuck in their wounds all the time. Not to mention suturing patients with a needle and thread in your hand. Or giving injections with those sharp needle tips.
If you accidentally nick yourself with glass, a suture needle, or an injection tip and a drop of your blood lands in a patient's wound… you're putting their health on the line!" 😬
"I'll be extra careful!"
Jenny's face grew even whiter, but she stuck to her same old line.
"Dr. Duncan!"
Seeing Adam's furrowed brows and unrelenting stance, Jenny's eyes filled with a pleading look. "I'll be careful, I swear. Please don't let this get out.
You don't know how much I've suffered.
My ex-husband gave me this disease, and it killed my love life and my marriage. Now all I've got left is my career. I worked so hard to become a PA—I'm good at this, I can make a difference. I have worth!"
Her voice broke as she choked up.
PA—Physician Assistant.
In the world of American TV dramas, becoming a doctor takes forever and costs a fortune. Plus, to keep doctors as this rare, high-paid elite group, their numbers are tightly controlled from the start. That leaves the medical system short on staff, and it's super easy for a crisis to overwhelm it.
So, the Physician Assistant role was born to fill the gap.
A doctor's MD is like Sheldon's PhD—top-tier. Meanwhile, a PA is more like Howard's master's degree—still solid, but not quite the same. After undergrad, you study for two years, pass the PA exam, get your certificate, and renew it every six years. Easy peasy.
But since it's not the full-on clinical doctor track, PAs are like half-doctors. They can only diagnose and treat under a doctor's supervision, and they stick to simpler cases.
Pay's decent—not doctor-level, but way better than a nurse. Using PAs to replace some doctors? Classic old-school capitalist cost-cutting. 💸
Jenny? She's a damn good PA.
"You do have worth," Adam said gently. "In other roles, if you're willing, you could still shine. Why risk patients' health over this?"
"What, like sending emails and filing paperwork?"
Tears welled up in Jenny's eyes. "I fought so hard for this, and now I'm supposed to just do that?
In the time I've got left—however long that is—you think I'd be okay with that? No way! I've met people like that at clinics.
One guy was a surgeon. He told me something I'll never forget: 'Don't trust anyone, especially management.' When he tested positive, he told the surgical director himself.
Next thing he knew? Reassigned to geriatrics. All he did was take blood pressure. Then they wouldn't even let him do that. They kept demoting him—stuck him on night shifts in pathology.
Six months of that silent discrimination and pressure, and he couldn't take it anymore. He quit—just like management wanted.
Yeah, sure, discrimination laws mean the hospital can't fire me outright. But they've got a million ways to make me quit on my own.
So please, please don't let this get out. I'll be careful…"
"I won't argue—that stuff happens," Adam said, shaking his head. "But you can't put innocent patients at risk just for your career and sense of worth."
"As long as you don't say anything, no one will know!"
Jenny begged, "I'm not the first case like this. I've heard plenty of hospitals have people in my shoes. As long as it doesn't blow up, they pretend it's not happening.
Firing or pushing us out? That could mean a discrimination lawsuit. Spilling the beans? That could mean a flood of patient lawsuits.
Acting like nothing's wrong is the safest play for them…"
"Sure, for you guys. But what about those innocent patients?"
Adam's eyes narrowed. "Your career, your 'survival value'—it's all about you. You're fine letting patients take all the risk?
If that's who you are—someone who's forgotten the whole 'heal and save lives' thing—then what kind of healthcare worker are you? What career or worth is even left to chase?" 😠
"…I'll be careful!"
Jenny hung her head, repeating her lifeline again.
"You can't be careful!"
Adam's tone was flat. "Your body isn't under your control forever. You're fine now, but as time goes on, you'll face issues.
First up? Dementia. That's the first sign when AIDS fully kicks in.
If that hits while you're treating a patient, you know what could happen?"
"…There's no official case of a doctor with AIDS causing a patient's death because of dementia," Jenny mumbled, still looking down.
Adam sighed, disappointed. "Look, we can figure out your next steps together—something that respects your worth and keeps patients safe. But you can't stay in the ER trauma room anymore.
Stop saying you'll be careful!
And don't tell me how other hospitals handle it. I'm here, I see this, and I'm not letting someone gamble with innocent patients' lives right in front of me—for their own sake.
Think about it! So many of the people you treat are kids—innocent, clueless kids. When you're stitching up their scrapes from playing too hard, how can you stomach putting them at risk like that?" 😔
"I'll be careful…"
Jenny clung to her same old excuse, but seeing Adam wasn't budging, her face twisted in conflict.
"You can't do this! It's my privacy. You've got no right to spread it. If you do, I'll sue you for discrimination!"
"I won't spread your privacy," Adam said, giving her a long look. "But like you said, the hospital can reassign you.
I'm just a resident, not management. If they want to move me, I can't stop them either.
Sue me?
If you really want to take it there, go ahead! You've got your goals and your stubbornness.
Funny thing is, I've got mine too!
If it ends up in court, facing a jury? You, innocently infected with AIDS—yeah, you'd get sympathy. We all agree on that.
But what about the patients and kids you're putting at risk? Who do you think the jury's gonna side with—you or them?
Most importantly—who's more innocent?"
Jenny broke down completely, tears streaming as she covered her mouth and bolted out of the office.
(End of Chapter)