Medical Center.
Owen's Room.
"Dr. Duncan, mind if I do an exclusive interview?"
The White Widow had just left, and now here came the Black Widow.
"You'd need the patient's consent for that," Adam said with a grin.
"I don't want an interview," Owen shot back, his face cold.
"Aw, that's a shame," Sandra said, glancing at Adam. Unlike some relentless reporters, she didn't push Owen. If the patient wasn't game, fine—Adam was still fair game. She couldn't hound a patient, but she could definitely hound him! 😏
"Let's go, let Owen rest," Adam said, leading Sandra out of the room.
Shorty stayed behind to keep watch. George, after over a day of stress and fear, couldn't wait to bolt and unwind.
"Who was that blonde bombshell just now?" Sandra asked, her mind drifting to the stunning woman she'd passed earlier—the one who'd flashed her a smile. If she wasn't mistaken, that powerhouse blonde had come straight out of Owen's room.
"Just a kid!" Adam brushed it off.
One's probably a British agent, the other's a chaos magnet who thrives on big scoops—both total troublemakers. Adam wasn't about to let those two cross paths.
"Pfft!" George, trailing behind, couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Something funny, doc? Care to share?" Sandra zeroed in on George.
"Nah, nothing," George started, but one look at Adam's warning glare shut him up fast. "Just a personal thing. Sorry, Dr. Duncan—if you don't need me, I'm outta here."
"Yep," Adam nodded.
George hightailed it out of there. He had a feeling if he'd cracked the joke—"Adam's the expert on whether she's a kid or not!"—Adam might've smirked, but George wouldn't be laughing for a long, long time. 😅
"Something's up!" Sandra's eyes narrowed playfully. "You and that blonde—there's a vibe, huh?"
"Two vibes!" Adam checked that no one was around, then pinned her against the wall in a classic kabedon, looking down at her. "What, you got a problem with that?"
"Can't I?" Sandra fluttered her lashes, all flirty and teasing.
"Come over tonight. I'll show you something good," Adam said, feeling a spark.
"Psh! What 'good' could you have?" Sandra giggled.
"Trust me, it's legit," Adam said, stepping back as he heard footsteps, nodding toward the sound.
Sandra caught on, quickly fixing her clothes and slipping back into professional-reporter mode.
"Spill it, then," she pressed.
"You're out chasing stories—sometimes it gets dicey," Adam explained. "Starting tonight, I'm gonna train you up, teach you some killer moves so you can hold your own out there."
"Killer moves? Ha!" Sandra side-eyed him. "Describe 'em!"
"Death Scissor Kick…" Adam laid out the move the White Widow had pulled earlier—also a signature of Sandra's multiverse counterpart, Black Widow.
"Psh! That sounds shady as hell!" Sandra hadn't trained in it, but her imagination ran wild, picturing the whole sequence. She instantly clocked the sketchiness. "You want me to practice it straight or reverse it?"
"Huh?" Adam blinked, caught off guard.
Shady? Sure, he'd own that—especially since the idea came from the White Widow's stunt earlier. But straight or reverse?
Sandra shot him a flirty glare, and it clicked. He'd gotten carried away, and she was sharp enough to call it. Total natural—teachable as hell! 😎
"Up to you," Adam said with a sly smile.
Sandra laughed, tossed a few playful jabs his way, then got shooed off by Adam.
It wasn't until she stepped outside the medical center, hit by a cold breeze, that it hit her. She'd come to dig for a scoop, planning to pester Adam for inside dirt. How'd she end up walking away empty-handed, all flustered?
"Damn it!" Sandra smacked her forehead. "Get it together, girl!"
After a moment of hesitation, she left.
Next time, she'd keep her head on straight—no letting his charm throw her off! 💪
---
Just when Adam thought the whole mess with bald Deck and kiddo Heidi was done, someone else showed up that afternoon.
"William, what's up?"
Adam eyed the short, handsome William sneaking up to him, looking all hesitant. They'd been classmates at Columbia Med, but they'd never been tight. Was this about Alice getting out?
"Adam, uh…" William wrestled with it before spitting it out. "That blonde from this morning—who was she?"
"…"
Adam froze, then gave William a weird look.
In his memory, William was the poster boy for "too smooth"—always channeling 007 vibes. And what's 007 without the Bond girls? Naturally, William's slick face came with a revolving door of spy-like ladies. Heidi Shaw, with that standout aura, catching his eye? Not shocking.
"She's not your average woman. You sure you're still into the dominant type?" Adam asked, his tone odd.
"…"
William winced, a pang hitting him.
Memories of those Vegas nights flooded back—him playing dead on the floor, cold tears sliding down his face… then getting dragged by some rich lady to beg for meds next door, only to run smack into Adam, who'd flexed on him hard. Thinking about it still stung.
But that blonde's vibe? So his type.
"I'm into it," William gritted out.
"Maybe sleep on it," Adam suggested. "The game's changed out there. It used to be steel wool; now it's vibranium steel wool. Trust me, Heidi's a full-on vibranium Valkyrie. You can't handle her."
"I'm good!" William threw caution to the wind, laying it all out. "I like that kind!"
"Respect!" Adam threw up a thumbs-up.
"So… can I get her number?" William asked.
"Sorry, no dice," Adam shook his head.
"Why not?" William blinked.
"Forget your thing with Alice—that's a mess already," Adam said, dead serious. "As your classmate and colleague, I can't just watch you commit a crime. Heidi's not legal yet, man. You're pushing thirty—what're you thinking? This ain't Romeo and Juliet!"
"No way!" William gaped. "She's not grown?"
"Believe me, she's just a kid!" Adam laughed. "Vibes can lie, but the years don't!"
Uh… her brother's only 17, dude! 😅
William stumbled off, looking like he'd lost his soul.
What the hell? Why were all the women he fell for out of reach?
(Chapter End)