Attempting to hide a yawn, Eva climbed into the back seat of the same car Jason had brought her in. He glanced over his shoulder to her.

"Back to your place?"

"Ye- actually, no, I should probably speak to the Don before going home. I'm assuming he'd like to be updated on things like this. If you'll take me there, I'll find my own way home."

She sat back in the seat as Jason pulled away. Patching up Mr. Chocco had been simple enough, though diagnosing him had proven a bit more of a challenge. Sure, nothing was so urgent that it couldn't wait for morning, but Eva needed to be able to tell Alex that she'd seen him in the last few days. As the car wound through the dark city streets, Eva's mind wandered back to the first time she met Billy Mastrosimone. More specifically, the moments she spoke with him before finding out he was one of their honored men. The moments where he was simply a very good looking man with a bullet wound and a broken heart. The moments before Eva realized what she had to do. 

The ride to the apartment building was short, and the braking of the vehicle drew her away from her thoughts. Jason opened the car door for her.

"I'll walk you up so his guards know it's alright. They may not know you yet- better safe than sorry, right?"

Eva nodded, taking her bag over her shoulder, and followed the guard into the building. Several guards were posted outside of one particular door. Jason spoke.

"Evenin' fellas. This is Dr. Hadley, boss brought her on for house calls. She needs to see him."

One of the guards stepped inside, presumably to ask Billy if she could be seen. Her heart beat hard with nerves, for several reasons. Clearing her throat quietly, she stood straight and waited for her cue.

Billy was just washing his dishes when Oscar came into the kitchen and cleared his throat. Billy looked over his shoulder, he wasn't expecting anyone tonight.

"What's up bud? You know you can just take a beer out of the icebox if you want one, you don't gotta ask."

Oscar shook his head.

"No sir, it's uh. There's a doctor here to see you. Doctor Hadley?"

Billy shut off the water and dried his hands.

"A lady doctor?"

Oscar nodded his head once.

"Ok, send her in, and don't worry about her, you don't need to follow her in. Do me a favor though? Make sure the guys out there are relaxing a bit. You guys are always so tense."

He pulled out a couple of glasses as Oscar walked back down the hall and poured some water for the doc.

Oscar came back out to the front door.

"The boss will see you."

He looked up to Jason who gave him a nod, so he would know the woman had no weapons on her. He stepped to the side and let her in.

Eva nodded her thanks to the rather intimidating looking men at the door, then stepped over the threshold into the apartment. Her flats made contact with smooth, marble flooring. She paused to look at her surroundings. The apartment was spacious and quite luxurious- especially compared to her own. The accommodations took her aback slightly; perhaps she'd been expecting something more like a "bachelor pad." 

Further inside, she found the Don of Corktown drying his hands on a dish towel beside a rack of freshly washed dishes. Another surprise. She shook off what must have been a brief, puzzled expression, and cleared her throat softly.

"Mr. Ma- ah, sorry, Don Mastrosimone- I hope I'm not bothering you. I've just come from a call; though you probably know. Ms. Integra asked me to see your man, Chocco. It seems he had a rather strange episode where he sustained an injury. I thought I should report back to you as to how it all came out."

She felt just about as nervous as she must have looked; standing practically at attention with her bag clenched tightly against her. She was wearing black tailored slacks and a soft blue blouse and a black cardigan sweater; the nicest ensemble she could throw together in the five minutes she'd been given to get ready. 

Billy turned and smiled.

"Honestly? I had no idea. But that's no worry, you took care of him right?"

He watched as the doctor gave one slow nod. 

"Then I think he'll be just fine. You thirsty doc? Hungry? I poured you some water, but if you want something stronger I got that too. Have a seat."

He pulled out the chair for the doctor and then opened up the icebox.

"I don't have much in the way of food. Got some cold cuts, a little bit of left over pasta from earlier, I can heat that up for you with some homemade sauce. It's my Nonna's recipe but I'm not as good a cook as she was."

He turned back and looked to the doctor for some kind of indication of what she wanted.

Bemused, Eva sat slowly in the chair offered her. By all accounts, the relaxed jeans and black t-shirt with bare feet, this was indeed the same man she'd seen at the hospital, and the same man that she knew to be a powerful Don in Detroit. But outside of the guards, where were the house keepers, butlers, and flunkies? Isn't that how they operated? This man rummaging through the icebox was as casual, humble, and polite as she'd ever seen. Not even close to the greedy, monstrous, under-handed pigs that Alex Katsopoulous had described to her. 

"Water is fine, thank you. No need to trouble yourself for me."

She took the glass and raised it to her lips, until that moment not realizing just how parched she was. After a quick sip, she continued.

"Mr. Chocco sustained an abrasion to his hand, seems to have been unintentionally self-inflicted by a shard of glass. It was a clean cut, no fragments needed to be removed, and a few stitches were placed. That appeared to be the only physical injury."

With a brief, sideways glance, she continued.

"He's...different, sir. I'm sure you've noticed, as he seems to exhibit extreme psychosis. In the hour I spent with him, I would venture a guess that it's a delusional disorder, but I'd like to see him more regularly to see if there are other ways I can help."

Billy shrugged and got up from the icebox when she told him not to bother. He took a seat across from the doc and sighed when she mentioned Chocco.

"Yeah, I know he's got some problems, but family is family ya know? I couldn't help at all myself, but I also couldn't see the guy out on the street. So I tried to give him some things to do, you know little stuff. He's been doing a good job at the stuff I ask for. If you think you can help him out doc, you can see him as much as you want."

He leaned over and opened the drawer near the hallway and pulled out an envelope. He peeled ten bills out and slid them over to the doctor before replacing the envelope back in the drawer.

"I promised you a grand for every house call, in cash. I didn't mean just for me, you know that right?"

He took a sip of his own water and then continued.

"You sure there's nothin' I can get ya doc? It's kinda late I don't want you up all hours fixin up my guys and thinkin' I don't appreciate it."

Looking down at the cash in front of her, it was the first time she felt the annoying twinge in the pit of her stomach. The nagging little voice that begged her to stop all of this right now and tell him what was happening. He was a Don; he could help, right? One of a whole network of powerful men that could make anything happen, right? Why couldn't he fix this? But, then again, why would he? And even if he would, it would cost more than she'd ever make.  She gave a small smile and took the cash, tucking it into her bag.

"Thank you. I did assume that you meant I would be on call for all of your...associates? I'm sorry, I don't really know the terms. This lifestyle is rather new to me."

She took another drink of water, mostly to fill the awkward silence that she felt she left with her stumbling words. After putting her glass down again, she looked back to her host and employer.

"You...aren't exactly what I imagined in a man of your position. The newspapers paint a whole different picture of the Italian...organizations. You seem far more grounded than those I read about. I hope you don't mind my saying so. It's not at all a bad thing. In fact, it's a little comforting."

Billy laughed.

"You mean I don't got on the big fancy suit and I don't have a whole staff of people cleaning the place and waiting on me hand and foot huh?"

He nodded, and then took her glass to fill it back up again.

"Yeah, I never really liked all the fancy stuff. Honestly, I would be in a much smaller place, except that I bought this place a while back and my sisters tend to come hang out and stay with me a lot so I can't give it up."

He shrugged and set the now full glass of water down in front of her.

"Oh, yeah by the way, you can call em associates, or family, or whatever you want. To me, Chocco is Chocco, Jason is Jason, Integra is Integra, you are Doc. Just cause I'm supposed to be important doesn't mean nobody else is, or even that they are only important cause of me. Doc, if people only knew you as one of my associates, what does that mean for you? You're real smart, you went to school for a long time learnin' how to fix people up. You gotta be your own kinda special, not special cause of me."

He took a sip of his own water then and looked out the window. It looked like it was going to start raining tonight.

"So, you're goin' back home now I guess? You need a ride, it looks like it's gonna rain pretty awful out there. I can get one of the guys to bring you home, or if you want to just hang out here till it stops, you can do that too. I even got a record player and radio in the living room. You're welcome to use em if you want."

Billy got up to show her the way, but hesitated before he made his way to the door. He didn't want to force her into staying if she didn't want to. most people didn't want to. That's why that spare room had basically just become Integra's at this point.

Something he said hung in her consciousness for a moment. Sisters. Eva's brain pried itself away from the Greeks when she recalled the night they met; the night his sister died. Out of sheer curiosity, Eva had done some research the day after that. She found the file and learned quite a bit. Her name was Mackenzie Carter; no known blood relations. The accident had been gruesome, far too horrible a way for a young girl to go. Eva had seen many accidents and many victims, but this one brought a tear to her eye going over the chart. She didn't even know the girl, but she'd seen the devastation in the Don's face, and that was enough. Eva the Empath- as her father would call her sometimes. 

Before letting her mind wander further down that sad street, she picked up on the last of his words to her. Her eyes brightened slightly.

"You have a radio?  May I see it?"

A distant roll of thunder sounded, only very lightly, but it seemed as good an idea as any to wait and see what happened. Glancing out the window, she saw a blue sedan parked nearly a block away. Ilya would just have to wait.

Billy smiled.

"Of course you can!"

He made his way into the living room and then opened the cabinet in the corner.

"This, is my radio set."

He gestured to a Crosley Skyscraper model that was now peeking out from inside the cabinet he had opened. He backed away to give Eva room to go and use the thing. He had used it all the time, but he knew it was a luxury for many, and a fantasy for some.

"Go ahead, she's all yours."

He said quietly as he made his way over to the liquor cabinet and opened it.

"What is your drink of choice? You can't listen to the radio without something to whet your whistle now."

Stepping up to the radio, everything around her seemed to vanish. Her mind's eye projected scenes of her family's home in London. Somewhat absently, she answered him as she reached out and brushed her hand along the smooth, polished wood of the radio casing.

"Brandy...if you have it."

"Brandy is a fine first drink for a young lady! Come, Evelyn- you're old enough now. Maggie, turn on the radio, won't you?"

Phillip Hadley motioned for her to join him beside the bar cart in the living room as he removed the crystal stopper from a square decanter. He lifted it and poured a light, amber liquid into a brandy glass and handed it to Eva.

"There we are. Happy birthday, my girl!"

The radio clicked on, and after a moment of static, the evening radio music hour sent the sounds of Benny Goodman into the room. Eva felt a smile creep onto her face as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the memory. Music had always been her escape. She had excelled in her piano lessons as a girl, simply because she just loved making music more than most. 

The sharp sounds of energetic horns seemed to flush away all of her concerns. For the moment, she allowed herself to be lost in the song and swayed gently side to side.

Billy watched and listened as the radio crackled to life. It was very rare for him to have the time to listen anymore, so having company made it all the better. He poured two glasses, one of brandy, the other whiskey and he walked them over to his friend.

"Eva?"

He said softly and quietly so as not to disturb her too much with his voice. He knew that sometimes he got lost in the music. He knew how nice it was in that little place where nothing else could touch you. For as big a man as he was, sometimes it was nice to feel hidden and away, but not alone. Never alone.

"Eva, I've got you your brandy. I'll just set it on the table here and you can get it whenever you'd like."

Billy set the glass down and then took a seat in his favorite chair. He sipped the whiskey and then leaned back and closed his eyes letting the music flow over him like water over so many rocks in a stream. He could picture it in his head. The higher notes of the horns were lighter colors, and the lower notes of the drums were darker. All folding and swimming outward together, fighting their way through the air, tumbling, somehow together washing over him at the same time.

Billy liked picturing music that way.

When the song ended, Eva turned around with a much more relaxed smile on her face. She found Don Mastrosimone seated in a comfortable looking chair, a glass of his own in his hand and resting on the arm. While the announcer introduced the next song, Eva sheepishly realized she'd spaced out. Spotting her glass on the coffee table near the couch, she finally put down her bag and sat down with the glass while Ella Fitzgerald began "It's Only A Paper Moon."

"I'm sorry. It's just the radio- it reminds me of my parents. Every night when I was a girl, we would finish dinner and listen to the radio together until it was my bedtime. Father used to look over his notes or read the paper, and Mother was always reading some kind of journal."

She chuckled and lifted the glass.

"We were quite boring, I suppose; but really, it was lovely. I imagine they still do the same thing, only instead of me sitting on the floor they've got Jenson at their feet."

The brandy was of high quality, she could tell simply by the wafting scent that reached her nose before the drink reached her lips. With the first taste, she felt her entire being relax, as if every muscle and joint had just given a great sigh. 

"Thank you, by the way. This is wonderful."

Outside, the thunder rattled a bit louder, and the sound of heavy raindrops could be heard popping against the window.

Billy nodded.

"I didn't want to assume based on your accent, but I thought you might be one of the fancy folk. You and Integra can talk about that all you want. Me as a kid? Worlds away. On any given night I was sneaking out of the house cause I didn't want to get beat for eating too much food again. Mom was not the best when it came to this stuff..."

He held his glass aloft and sipped it again.

"...and dad? Dad had left for Chicago when I was maybe about 10 or 11? So it was either stay and get beat and burned with cigarettes, or leave and go stand outside a friend's door making sure people don't bother him for a little extra cash and a lesson or two."

Billy opened his eyes then and turned to look at Eva.

"I picked the second one. Not that I don't like fancy things. Sometimes I do. I like a good drink, and I like to ride in cars. I don't like suits so much, but I like the one I got. And I like the right kind of fancy people. The ones like you, who like fancy, but who also like me. You're my kinda fancy doc."

He raised his glass in a toasting manner toward her.

Eva lifted her glass as well, nodding. It wasn't unusual for people to open up to her- that came with the M.D. and the lab coat. It was somewhat unusual in social settings, but she was beginning to expect the unexpected from this Mr. Mastrosimone. After another sip of brandy, she placed the glass on the table and sat back on the couch, allowing herself to relax just a bit more.

"You've come through quite a lot, Don Mastrosimone. It's commendable. I've seen too many young men in similar situations go in the opposite direction."

Grinning a little, she added.

"But, I'm glad I'm your kind of fancy. It's nice to hear that without the phrases 'snotty,' or 'uppity Brit' that I usually get."

The skin of her cheeks blushed just a bit, so she quickly spoke to try and hide it.

"My family may be well to do, but we're certainly not snotty about it."

The brandy was warm in her throat, and the warmth spread easily through the rest of her. Rain pelted plenty hard now. For a moment, Eva thought of how cross Ilya must be down the street waiting in his car. Let him wait. She picked up the glass and finished the last bit.

"If I may be so bold, how is it that you came to be so powerful in the...organization of yours, Don Mastrosimone?"

Billy laughed at the question.

"Honestly? I have no idea, but my guess is hard work. Right place at the right time perhaps?"

He sipped his whiskey again.

"I really would have been fine with not climbing this high, sometimes I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing and I can't protect anyone."

He hung his head then.

"Of course, then I wake up and try my best anyway cause if I don't, somebody is going to die. Just like you, every day doc. If you're not on your best at any time of the day, somebody dies."

He got out of his chair then and moved next to her on the couch.

"Not many people know what that's like. And I'm not saying I even know what it's like for you, but at least you understand the responsibility."

He put his hand out and patted her knee then.

"I think you're a good one though doc, so never worry too much about it. And if you ever need to talk. I'm here for ya."

He smiled a sad smile at her. A knowing smile. Then he finished his whiskey and placed the empty glass on the coffee table before leaning back on the couch and closing his eyes again to let the music do it's dance.

"Not many people know what that's like...." Eva nodded as he spoke, almost wanting to hug him for being able to make that connection. It really was a burden at times. One wrong move, one slip, a tiny nick in the wrong place could be the difference between a tonsillectomy and a tracheotomy. She watched as he sat beside her, smiling a bit more.

"You're exactly right. It's not easy wielding the power of life over death. There are days it makes us feel superhuman, and that tends to give us a lot of guilt when we don't hit the bar we set for ourselves."

She was about to say something else, then she felt his hand on her knee. Her mouth went dry before she could open her mouth, and her stomach did a flip-flop. 

"And if you ever need to talk, I'm here for ya."

Eva internally scolded herself and she gave a possibly silly grin.

"The same for you, Don Mastrosimone. I know that we have only known each other for a short time, but that we have such things in common...well, sometimes it takes only an understanding soul to help work through things."

This time, the radio was playing "Moon River," a favorite of Eva's. She sat beside him, empty glass resting in the palm of her hand on her lap. If this had been any normal circumstances; if she'd actually just been any old doctor that happened to be hired by a mobster, she might be willing to admit that she was attracted to him. As he sat there, so relaxed with his eyes closed, she realized what a danger she was to him. She was supposed to be the one that saves people, not doom them. Eva looked down at the glass, her eyes falling a bit.

Billy's eyes slowly opened as the rain pattering against the window began to drown out the sound of the radio in the room with them

"It's sounding like it's really getting bad out there. Are you sure you want to go home soon? Or would you rather stay here? You can sleep in the guest room. I have a private bathroom off of my own bedroom, so you don't have to worry about privacy or anything like that. My sister uses that room sometimes, so it's already a woman's room and you should be comfortable there."

Billy got up and flipped off the radio.

"Of course, if you're not comfortable doing that, you're welcome to take one of my men and the car to get home safe. I would never let you leave in this without making sure you could get home safe."

He gently took both his and her glasses into the kitchen to wash them.

Shit, Ilya. Eva practically jumped up off the couch.

"No, thank you. I'll be alright. No need to send any of your guys out in this mess. I'm sure there's a cab close by.  I should be going, though. Early day at work tomorrow."

Not so much- but he didn't need to know that. She gathered her coat and her duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Thank you, Don Mastrosimone- for the drink, and the conversation. It was nice to talk with someone about something other than surgical equipment and body parts."

On the way to the door, took a deep breath while her back was turned to him. She didn't want to do this. He didn't deserve this. She couldn't say for the rest of them, but Billy Mastrosimone...he didn't deserve this.

Billy followed Eva to the door and made sure to open it for her.

"Hey doc. It's Billy. No more of this Don crap huh? You're my friend. I'll even call you Eva, no more doc."

He smiled and then nodded toward the open door.

"I won't keep you, but Jason brought you here, so he's gonna make sure you get home safe. He's gotta make his way back to my sister anyway so you might as well take the advantage of having a friend."