New Amsterdam's Max Goodwin X OC.

Max.

I didn't know what was happening. The hospital was full and busy yet my bed was away from it all. My room was warm but the window was right by me as the night sky lit up my surroundings and brought all of my thoughts to nothing. Alec was the last thing on my mind as I feared who the doctor would be that would examine me. I told Frome that I didn't care for the gender of the person but I just wanted to get out of there. Health care was expensive and I hadn't even been working for a month.

"Hello. I will be your doctor today." Max walked in after Frome shoved him in and winked at me. Little did he know that Max may not have been the best of people to do it. We were close but he might not deal with it too well. If he ever looked at my name or just looked up. He was different though. He wore a hat and looked sickly. I wasn't about to die and suddenly I didn't feel too bad for myself.

"Venus. I have a colleague with that name. She isn't in right now. Anyway, I am just going to check you over. I hear that you haven't had the best few months but from what Iggy tells me, things are about to change for you." He kicked the door shut and then covered up the small window. The door was locked from the inside so I could leave but as he turned back around he still didn't seem to realise it was me.
"Could I ask you to strip down to a level you feel is comfortable? I appreciate that I am a man and if you change your mind and want a woman Dr Bloom has said that she would switch with me. Iggy said you may feel more comfortable if it was me though and I don't argue with him." I smiled as he spoke and then watched as he drew a curtain up as a second level of defence. I stood and stripped right down to just my underwear. I had bruises on my hips and breast but I had a feeling that he wouldn't want to see that and I wanted to keep something.

Max eventually walked around the curtain and got to the end of the bed, he looked down at the chart still and read the paragraph that had been left for him to read. Frome had written it and the police had left a few notes of my confession. Something had to click, surely.
"Are you ready?" I didn't know how to respond with his cool and distant manner but I thought on it and just grunted an agreement.
"If you could just tie your hair back that would be great. I have a hairband here." As he handed it to me I was sure to avoid his touch and then I pulled the curly red hair into a bun and stood there. My bra was lacy as were my pants so I may as well have just taken them off. The black lace just fitted with the whole colour scheme to be fair. My discarded clothes folded on the bed.

Gloves were then pulled out of the box and I watched as he walked up to me. The board was then finally put down and he pulled the gloves on, still reading the notes that were on the bed. That was when I realised why he was acting so odd with me. It was a long paragraph that practically covered the whole page but I could see that his eyes were at the bottom of it and when he threw the clipboard onto the side just beyond the curtain I knew that he had to see me almost instantly.

"Okay, Venus..." He had seen me and instantly my eyes filled with tears. His eyes raked over my body and he took in the marks. Blood had been spilt and marks left. I hoped no-one would be permanent on me but any of them could have been.

"Hey Goodwin." He let go of the edge of the glove and let his arms wrap around me. He was soft and felt like nothing Alec ever could have been. It was nice to see him again. Most of my dreams had become plagued with him and his body. Perhaps not in a way that a girl in a loving relationship should have.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He pulled back and then ran his gloved hands over my body that had seen much better days.

"I didn't even realise what he was doing until you text me. I just thought that he loved me and when I felt scared, I thought that it was because I loved him. I know that I was an idiot and I'm so sorry." He put a finger up to my lip and then I stopped. Normally Alec would have hit me so I did flinch but Max was quick to pull away when he realised what he had done.

"It's fine. I should check you over. The police said that there was a concerning mark on your cleavage or sternum. Do you mind?" I nodded and then took it off. I also knew that if he didn't know me he wouldn't have pushed for me to take it off.

"Lace doesn't exactly hide me does it?" He nodded and we spoke as he checked me over and before long he had finished. With that he filled in the sheet while I got dressed and his hands were so soft on me. I did love it.

"Right. I am off in, well, now. Do you want me to take you home? You can stay here or I could stay with you if you like." I had just pulled down my hair and the curls bounced around.

"Goodwin, I know that I wasn't nice to you before and we were a little on ice but do you mind, could you, um, will you sleep in my bed tonight? My sheets are clean as of this morning and I guess, I can't feel too scared if you are there. Right?" He nodded and then kissed the top of my head. He was barely gone for a second when Bloom and Sharpe passed and both of them seemed to be having a heated discussion. Just before I could stop myself though I walked out of the room and called after them.

"Waters?" They looked and smiled but quickly they dropped the joy and quick step. My marks could be seen as the makeup had to be washed off. My skin was bare to them, well, unless it was covered by the clothes.

"What happened?" Bloom asked and walked up to me. They had been amazing people but I hadn't been there for either of them until that moment. I had to make a choice and I chose to help them as soon as it was possible.

"Alec wasn't my biggest fan. Anyway, I haven't seen you two in a hot month. I want to know what is going on. Frome mentioned a boy Sharpe but it was a conversation filler so I know nothing and Bloom, he said that you were a little on edge. Can I help you? I would like to." Their smiles grew as they greeted me in a hug and then let me go. I was under their set views.

"Alec? He must have been a total idiot. I guess you are the girl that shook the police up. They all left here like they had watched some documentary on Jack the Ripper. No wonder. You look pretty shook up as well." I smiled but Goodwin showed himself just past the corner and he took my hand. We had so much to talk about.

"Must be off. My company is here. See you later. Or when Goodwin lets me back." They smiled but then watched as I walked away. It was exciting to be with Goodwin again. I could talk to him and both of us had so much in common. Not only that but I hadn't been thinking about Goodwin's Nutella at all and that was wrong.

"I drove." I mumbled as we got to the carpark and he followed behind me. The car was newish and one that he hadn't seen before but that didn't matter as he climbed in happily. His face was kind but tired and I had a feeling that we would both need a lot of sleep to be fresh in the morning. I also knew that with him there I would sleep like a baby.