It took Olivia several moments to realize that the pounding she heard wasn't her head. It could have been: she felt as though a metal spike had been hammered through her skull from temple to temple. Her face was buried in the sofa cushions, eyes squeezed shut against the pain. A stifled sob escaped her lips. All she wanted was quiet, rest, and her migraine pills, but the external pounding continued.
Olivia heaved herself into a sitting position and looked at the mess of case files spread out on the end table in front of her. She must have fallen asleep while working. The world around her spun for a moment and she shut her eyes again, pressing her fingers into her forehead, trying to massage away the pain. Olivia opened her eyes, and the world seemed clearer and her mind less foggy. There was another burst of rapping on her door, and this time Olivia could hear muffled words. Was someone saying her name?
She stumbled to her feet and made her way somewhat unsteadily toward the door. Without her usual caution, Olivia ignored the peephole, didn't grab her gun, and swung her apartment door open. The light from the hallway lanced into her brain, sending waves of pain shooting through her. Framed in the doorway was a man in an Army uniform. Olivia could just make out his name and rank: Sergeant Ramsey. Behind him stood herself. Or, rather, her alternate self. Liv was wearing her usual outfit: green cargo pants and a black leather jacket.
While Olivia braced herself against the wall next to the door, the sergeant spoke. "Agent Dunham, sorry to wake you. We tried calling you ahead of time, but you didn't answer."
Olivia realized that she must look a mess. Her grey Northwestern tee was creased and sweaty, she was wearing sweatpants, and her hair was probably wildly disheveled. Self-consciously, she pressed her hand to her head and tried to smooth her hair back. Her skull was still pounding, and she didn't think the lightning she was seeing was actually there.
Olivia cleared her throat, but her voice still came out raspy. "No, that's, um, that's fine." Her tongue stumbled over the words. She drew her shoulders up from their slump and forced herself to look straight at him confidently. "I was just sleeping, must not have heard my phone ring. What's up?" She glanced from him to her alternate, then quickly back to him.
Ramsey started to speak, but Liv interrupted, saying, "I was hoping to stay here tonight, if that's alright with you. I don't feel like being babysat in a hotel room." Not waiting for an answer, Liv brushed past both the sergeant and Olivia, tossing her backpack onto the floor as she stepped into Olivia's apartment. "Hey, you okay? You don't look too good."
Liv was studying Olivia's face, a slight smile tugging at her lips. Olivia was in too much pain to care what her alternate was thinking at the moment. Ignoring Liv, she turned to Ramsey and said, "Thank you, sergeant, that's fine. You can tell your commanding officer that I've got it from here." For a brief moment, Olivia wondered why, exactly, Liv was here. Another surge of pain wiped that thought out as she closed the door behind her.
After latching the door, Olivia turned around slowly, trying to organize her thoughts. Suddenly, light flooded the apartment and Olivia snapped her eyes shut and let out a soft cry. Instinctively, she brought her hand to her forehead, trying to shield her eyes and attack the pain simultaneously.
"Hey, hey!" Liv rushed to her side as Olivia bent over, clutching her head. "What's wrong? Hey, look at me, Olivia, what is it?"
Despite the haze that clouded her mind, Olivia recognized that this was probably the first time that her alternate had called her by their shared name. Liv's hands braced Olivia, pressing against her back and abdomen. Olivia could feel her alternate's individual fingers as her stomach muscles clenched and unclenched spasmodically.
Liv's support allowed Olivia to straighten up. Together, they walked to the couch, where Olivia promptly sank into the cushions. Above her, Liv's hands waved nervously until they eventually settled on her hips.
"What can I do? Can I get you something? Tea, or, uh, some Tylenol?"
"I have…there's medicine in my, in the bathroom cabinet. Topiramax. It's for migraines." Her alter was the move before she finished speaking. "And hit the lights, too."
In a matter of seconds, Liv was back. The lights were off and she had the pills in her hand.
"Here, let me get you some water."
Olivia nodded and popped the pills into her mouth, holding them behind her teeth while she waited for the water. Her mouth was remarkably dry. She noticed that Liv made sure to keep the cupboards from banging. A few moments later, Liv returned to the sofa and crouched down next to Olivia, proffering the cup of water. Gratefully, Olivia swallowed down the pills.
"Thank you," she murmured and leaned back. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. Her eyelids were heavy, and the pain in her forehead was slowly fading away.
"Better?" Liv asked.
"Yeah, much, thank you." Olivia was beginning to slip away. The couch was very comfortable.
"Sure, no problem. Here, why don't we go to your room? You'll be more comfortable there." Liv helped her to her feet and led her to the bedroom. "Can I get you anything else?"
Olivia settled onto her bed and said, "No, I'm fine. Thank you."
Liv shifted from foot to foot uneasily. "Alright. I'll just be right outside, so if you need anything..."
"Make yourse—, uh, feel free to use the kitchen and bathroom," Olivia said softly before fading into sleep.
"Sure." Liv backed out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her.
...
Once Liv was safely out Olivia's room, she collapsed against the wall and let out a sigh of relief. It had been odd, very odd, to see Olivia so out of sorts. Aside from the time they first met, Liv hadn't ever seen her alternate in clothing other than a pantsuit and a button up blouse. She was always so stiff, so distant, so put together. She kept her emotions carefully hidden behind a cold visage. And yet, tonight, she was vulnerable and in pain. It was incredibly disconcerting.
For the first time, Liv wondered how hard Olivia had to work to keep so rigid and in control of her emotions. It must cost her a lot. Liv knew a lot about Olivia's life, knew how shitty it had been. Her childhood had been ruined by the cortexiphan trials and her abusive stepfather. As a teenager, she had lost her mother, and as an adult, she'd lost two partners, one of whom she loved. She'd been kidnapped by Liv's universe, injected with memories that didn't belong to her, and had returned to a life that had been hijacked by Liv herself. Liv knew all these things, but hadn't ever thought about how they affected her alternate. Suddenly, Liv felt very guilty.
Liv spent the next couple of hours looking at the case files Olivia had left scattered by the couch. At 5:30 a.m., she quit and went to check on Olivia. She cracked the door open and peered inside. Grey light filtered through the curtains and onto Olivia's face, which had regained some color. Her forehead was no longer creased, her mouth no longer pursed in pain. Sleeping, Olivia had a childlike quality to her, and Liv fought the urge to kneel by her bedside and stroke her hair. Quietly, she shut the door and went to take a shower.