On the phone...
The two of them chatted and eventually got flirtatious again, experiencing a unique and thrilling feeling.
But Heather had a flight to catch.
Adam reluctantly hung up the phone.
"Wow."
He let out a long breath, then went to the bathroom to take a cold shower.
Afterward, he grabbed an anatomy videotape and started watching it.
It took a while before he could fully suppress the intense energy surging through his body.
Just as he was getting absorbed in the video, the phone rang again.
"Adam, are you at your apartment?"
On the other end of the line, Chandler's voice sounded anxious.
"Yeah, what's up?"
Adam quickly responded.
"Joey's in the hospital. Can you drive us there?"
Chandler explained.
"Sure, let's meet downstairs."
Adam agreed without hesitation, grabbed his car keys, and headed downstairs.
When he arrived, Chandler was already waiting by his car.
"Let's go."
Adam signaled for Chandler to get in. As he started the car, he asked, "Which hospital is Joey at?"
"Mount Sinai West, just nearby."
Chandler tapped his forehead.
"Got it."
As a student at Columbia University's medical school, Adam planned to build his career in New York's medical field. Being well-prepared, he was naturally familiar with the city's hospitals and expertly drove toward Mount Sinai West.
It was one of the well-known community hospitals in the area.
"What happened to Joey?"
On the way, Adam finally had a chance to ask.
"You won't believe it," Chandler sighed. "He overate."
"Pfft!"
Adam burst out laughing. "What? Overate? Joey Tribbiani overate?"
"You heard me right."
Chandler threw up his hands. "That was my exact reaction when I heard it, too."
"Did he join another eating contest?"
Adam joked.
Joey had a massive appetite and loved food.
His life revolved around two things: eating and... other pleasures, both equally important to him.
But eating a lot was expensive, and his income couldn't support his voracious habits.
So, he loved entering eating competitions and visiting places like Tony's Diner nearby, where finishing a one-kilogram steak meant eating for free.
"I don't know."
Chandler shrugged. "I just got the call saying he overate and ended up in the hospital. I couldn't believe it. For a moment, I thought it was April Fools' Day."
Joey's appetite was legendary.
If it was food, he'd eat it—and keep eating it.
Chandler and the others hadn't truly witnessed Joey's full potential, but Adam vividly remembered Joey once devoured an entire Thanksgiving turkey and still had room for pizza afterward.
To put it in perspective, there was a dinner once where everyone ordered food but had to leave suddenly, leaving Joey alone. He finished six full meals, including appetizers, entrees, desserts, and even a huge cake. He was sweating like crazy but still cleaned every plate.
If this were the future, Joey could easily become a viral competitive eater online. With his good looks and bottomless stomach, he'd be an internet sensation.
No editing tricks or fake chewing—Joey's talent was 100% real.
Who would've thought someone like him could end up in the hospital from overeating?
"Honestly, that's pretty normal," Adam laughed. "Otherwise, I'd really want to open up Joey's stomach and see if there's a portal in there. Where does all that food go? And he never gains weight!"
"It must all burn off... somehow," Chandler said, smirking. "There were nights when he was, uh, pretty busy. Don't ask how I know."
"I know," Adam chuckled. "That's why I moved out and got my own place—less chance of interrupting a roommate."
"..."
Chandler suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore.
"Work out more, and you could do it too."
Adam encouraged him.
"Yeah, right."
Chandler scoffed. "If running could make that happen, sneakers would be sold out everywhere, and no one would need those little blue pills."
They continued chatting until they reached the hospital.
Inside the ER...
Joey lay on the hospital bed, looking pale.
Adam quickly found out that Joey had acute gastric distension from overeating and had just gotten his stomach pumped.
"Chandler, Adam... I almost died," Joey said, his eyes brimming with tears.
"That's what you get for stuffing yourself like that," Chandler scolded. "Scared now, huh?"
"Ugh..."
Joey looked pitiful, pretending to cry. "I'm like this, and you're still yelling at me?"
"Okay, okay."
Chandler sighed and held Joey's hand. "It's alright. You're okay now."
"Aww, how sweet," a nurse said as she walked in, smiling. "Don't worry. Your boyfriend will be fine."
"No, we're not—"
Chandler tried to pull his hand away, but Joey clung on tightly, making it impossible to break free.
"No need to explain," the nurse grinned. "I support you two."
"Thanks."
Adam couldn't resist and chimed in, "These two are just a little shy about it. Even though I'm not part of that, all of us friends fully support them."
"Good luck!"
The nurse gave them a thumbs-up before leaving the room.
"Oh, come on!"
Chandler shot Adam a furious look.
"Joey, how did you end up overeating? Another eating contest?"
Adam asked, still laughing.
"Yeah..."
Joey looked defeated. "I thought I could eat a lot, but this time, I met someone even better. I tried to keep up, kept stuffing food in... then my stomach started hurting, and I felt nauseous. It was so painful."
"You're actually lucky," Adam said. "If your stomach had ruptured or you'd had severe internal bleeding, you would've needed surgery. In extreme cases, people can go into shock, and if they don't get treatment quickly, the fatality rate is as high as 60%. So yeah, Joey, you really did almost die."
"What?!"
Joey went pale with shock. "I was just exaggerating! Are you saying I could've actually died... just from eating?"
"Yep," Adam nodded seriously. "People do die from overeating every year. You really need to control your binge eating, and definitely stay away from those eating competitions—they can be deadly."
"Oh, no..."
Joey moaned in despair.
To him, food was just as important as his other favorite activity. Imagine suddenly being told you couldn't indulge in your favorite pleasure anymore—that's exactly how Joey felt.
Luckily, Joey's stomach seemed to have some kind of mysterious protagonist power. After getting his stomach pumped and resting for a while, he recovered quickly. With Adam and Chandler's help, he was discharged.
Adam drove while Joey leaned against Chandler in the back seat. As they passed a burger joint...
"Chandler."
"What?"
"I'm kinda hungry again."
"..."
(End of Chapter)