The Way You Look Tonight

Part 1: A Year of Terrible Incidences

Sitting in his office, minding his own business, Max tries so hard to focus on the speech he is supposed to be writing for the Yearly Fundraising Gala. Karen Brantley has consistently stressed to him that she would appreciate his professional and appropriate medical influence at this Gala, since it is her first time hosting as the new Chairman of the New Amsterdam Board. A year ago, he would have told her to stuff it when she demoted Helen Sharpe from her Chair of Oncology and Hematology- while also taking her status as Medical deputy. However, recently her prude and pretentious ways have slowly died when she began to take notice that - no matter what the board decides- Max Goodwin has his own agenda and she is merely a fly on the wall for most of it. This was all taken into account when Helen lost her damn mind at work and no one was safe in her wake. It was even hard for Max to sooth the fiery strongwilled woman. After a few weeks of being at odds with his dear friend, both-Max mostly- conceded and withdrew his statements. Brantley bore witness to the dumpster fire that was Max and Helen's first real, messy and frustrating fight. Her thoughts had been scrambled after she seen that. From what she knew, Max and Helen have been close since the beginning and they are never far from each other's hip. They were not one to quarrel and if it did happen- no one ever knew it had- and if sides were to be drawn in the hospital, you could prognosticate that they were both on the same side. Yet, that one fight seemed to push both over the edge. Only Karen Brantley witnessed it and it still bothers her deeply, but Max nor Helen would ever know that.

Turning his pencil over and over in his hand, Max can't seem to understand what he's actually supposed to be doing. He knows he needs to promote the hospital and all it stands for, but he doesn't feel it's necessary when the results are plain as day. New Amsterdam is constantly being praised in the New York Post and Medical Journals world wide- so why should he blabber on and on about the Dam, when it's pointless? He is biased though. He will always favor the Dam, because the changes he's made only proves that changing the system isn't as hard as everyone makes it.

"You alive in here?" Jolting his eyes towards the door, Max finds Helen leaning up against the door frame, arms crossed in front of her chest and a small smile playing on her big pouty crimson painted lips. His eyes glance at her name tag, where there is no smile on her face and the label "Physician" sits on a field of blue. "Haven't seen you all day."

"What time is it?" He hasn't looked at anything but his pencil and paper all afternoon. No pages or texts, no phone calls, or intercom searches for him.

"9:30. You missed the whole day." She slowly walks into the room. Her gait is light and her heels silenced from the blue industrial carpet that has slowly faded in certain areas from excessive pacing.

"Shoot. It's that late already? But I just sat down. I just got in." His eyes glaze over and Helen can tell he's tired and stressed. Walking towards him, she rounds his desk and stands behind his chair. "What are you doing?"

"You look stressed." Her hands slowly lay on top of his shoulders and she slowly bears down and massages him with tiny, but firm hands. Pressing her smooth brown thumbs to the base of his neck, she circles his skin around his spine and keeps a steady pace, working his tension slowly out of his muscles. He didn't realize he was this tight in his body. How could she know? "You work too much, Max. You need a day or two off."

"I'm fine." He groans out of delight. His palms press into the arms of his black leather chair and his head droops forward. "It's just a speech."

"I'm not talking about the speech. I'm talking about in general. You never slow down or take time for yourself. You're running yourself ragged and it's not healthy." She stops massaging his neck when she feels the tension is gone. Going around she sits on the edge of his desk and looks at him squarely. She sees how healthy he is now compared to when she treated his cancer and right after Georgia died. He seems better, stable, and ready to move forward. "You need to let me help."