Eleanor sat back in her recliner, pulled up the footrest and picked up the novel. She was all caught up with her work and needed to pass the time before her guest arrived. Although the medical field was an amazing place, there were a few moments sprinkled in that made you feel some type of way. When that happened, running away to clear your head felt like the best thing to do. But you can't run away, meaning alternatives must be sought. Alcoholic binges, gambling and nights of debauchery were some of the more common but considerably destructive coping mechanisms. Others opted for healthier strategies such as exercising, meditation, art and reading. Reading was Eleanor's go-to choice for relief. It was easy for her to be lost in the pages of a good fictional book, her mind spirited away from the chaos. The doorbell rang twenty minutes later, prompting Eleanor to set her book down once more.

"Thanks for coming Liam. I'm so glad you could make it."

"You did say it was an emergency. I swear if it's about Debbie again, I'll be pissed," said Liam, hanging his jacket on the coat rack.

"It was a onetime thing. Well, I did call you a few times after that but this is a real non-Debbie related emergency," said Eleanor, studying him. "What crawled up your bum?"

"It's been a rough day at the office and you know what that's like. Do you have anything to drink?"

"Do you want juice or-"

"I'd prefer something with a little more kick."

Eleanor handed Liam a can of Bavarian-style Lieberweisser and sat down next to him, cradling a glass of orange in her hands. She met Liam Gallagher during her undergraduate studies at the University of Johnston. Their friendship only began to take shape in the third year of her study. She went on to study anaesthesia while Liam elected to study paediatric cardiology. When a spot in the anaesthesia department opened up two years ago, he urged her to apply. Although his presence at Ridgeville Memorial was one of the factors that influenced her decision, the stature of the hospital and the opportunity it presented to further her career proved too much to resist.

"You wanna talk about it?" asked Eleanor, her gaze fixed on her glass.

"Not really. At least not right now. Anyway, what did you wanna talk about?" replied Liam, taking a gulp of his beer.

Eleanor took a few minutes to explain the discussion she had with the hospital administrator. Liam listened intently, reserving his comments for the end.

"Her words were pretty vague and could be interpreted in any number of ways. In my humble opinion, I suggest you turn it down."

"Fair enough but how often will an opportunity like this present itself? Think of all the doors it could open," said Eleanor, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I have been at RMH for close to five years now and I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary but then again, I'm not part of the inner circle. Helping my patients in the best way possible is all I care about. I have no political ambitions," said Liam, staring off into space.

"I have political ambition, that much is true but you know better than anyone that I put all patients first. That's why I have to do this. If there's any chance that some shady shit is going on, I gotta put a stop to it."

"In that case, I can't think of a better person for the job," said Liam, raising his half empty can for a toast. Eleanor raised her glass in agreement.

"So... How is Myra?" asked Eleanor, taking a long sip of her orange juice.

"She has been busy all week reviewing police reports but aside from that, she's great," said Liam sullenly.

Eleanor eyed him with a cheeky grin on her face. "You could have simply said that you miss her."

"I did not imply anything of the sort," replied Liam, his face slowly turning red.

"Liam, it's the year 2020. Men are allowed to express their emotions," said Eleanor, nudging him with her elbow.

"I know but it's a new relationship and I don't want to screw this up by being clingy," admitted Liam, averting his gaze from Eleanor's.

"Liam, you're a great guy. I know it, you know it and she knows it. All you need to do is reflect on your past relationships. See why each of them did not work out and learn from your mistakes."

"It's amazing that you always know what to say however it's easier said than done."

"I never said it would be easy."