Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine…
A/N: Thanks so much for all the great reviews! Kinda left off here sooner than I had planned, but I had to get this posted sooner than I had wanted. Anybody need a dog? Because I'm pretty sure mine's a goner since she chewed up yet another charger to my computer. In other words, after this I have no idea when they'll be another post. SORRY!
Elliot hadn't given any details, and at the time she was thankful because it meant she didn't have to concentrate on the words, only on getting into her vehicle as quickly as possible. But now as she sped through the streets of New York, she wished she knew exactly what was wrong with Olivia. Too many different scenarios were running through her mind, and she could only hope that they were all wrong.
After nearly running a red light, she felt a soft pressure on her knee, exactly where Olivia's hand would be had she been in the car with her. Alex caught the scent of Olivia's perfume. There was an out of place sense of comfort with the feeling of having Olivia near mixed with the fear. But just as suddenly as she had felt Olivia's presence, it was gone. "I'm coming Sweetheart. Just please hold on."
As she arrived at the hospital, Alex noticed a few reporters standing outside. Of course there are reporters, Alex thought. 'The Angel of SVU' has been injured.
She tried to compose herself before exiting the vehicle. There would be questions as to why 'the ADA Darling' was at the hospital, even if it were one of 'her' detectives injured.
She and Olivia didn't try to hide their relationship in any way, but being acknowledged by the entire general public was not exactly a welcomed idea.
She was bombarded as the first reporter saw her approach.
"What do you know of Detective Benson's injuries?"
"Do you know what happened tonight, Ms. Cabot?"
"What case were they working to have Detective Benson in such danger?"
"Why is the ADA of SVU coming to the hospital to wait for word of one of the detectives?"
She paused, knowing she needed to make some sort of statement. "SVU has numerous cases running at any point in time, and I do not know which they were working tonight. I have no details as to what happened to have Detective Benson injured, nor do I know the extent of her injuries. I am here to await the news with the other detectives so that we can all support each other at this time. SVU is a very close knit group and that includes their ADA. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check on one of my detectives." They were all her detectives in the sense of work, but Olivia was hers in every sense of the word, and she needed to get inside.
The composure held into the hospital and until she was seen to the waiting room where the other detectives were. But as soon as she saw the looks on everyone's face, she couldn't hold the tears back any longer.
Munch sat glasses in hand, rubbing his eyes as if trying to will tears away. Fin sat slouched in a chair, head thrown back resting against the wall, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling. Elliot was bent over in a chair, head in his hands, body shaking in silent sobs. Captain Cragen had an arm around his shoulder, eyes sad and defeated.
The sight of Elliot and Cragen were her complete undoing, and the sob that escaped announced her arrival.
Elliot immediately walked to her and wrapped her in his arms, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry Alex. We…I didn't…I couldn't…"
She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest, inhaling the rusty smell of her lover's blood that soaked his shirt. "Tell me," she said through sobs.
He pulled back and led her to a chair, placing her between himself and the captain. Each grabbed one of her hands and gently squeezed it.
"We went to question Elderson," Elliot began. "He had already grabbed another girl. We had no idea Alex. I mean, how could the guy be that stupid when he knew we were already looking at him?
"He ran into the back as soon as he opened the door. We followed and he had a gun on her. I called for back-up while Olivia tried to talk to him. She just kept talking to him.
"She was so calm Alex. He had a gun pushed against this seven year old little girl's head, and Liv just kept talking to him. She had this look in her eye, like she somehow knew that something bad was going to happen, but she just kept talking to him, a look of complete calm on her face. You would have been proud." He looked at her with a small smile, tears dipping into the creases.
He looked back down at their hands as he continued. "I don't know how long she talked to him. It felt like forever. I could hear people coming into the apartment and stepped back to tell them the situation and not to approach yet. She didn't even acknowledge them, just kept talking.
"It drug on forever, and he wouldn't talk to a negotiator. Said he'd only talk to Liv. She talked him into exchanging, herself for the little girl." Alex gasped. She felt each of her hands being squeezed by both men.
"The girl ran out. Olivia was still talking to him and was moving to set her gun down. And then I don't…I don't know what happened. It felt like we were finally getting control of the situation.
"I knew she could handle it. I knew she had a plan. I knew she would be okay. And then he shot her. Twice."
Elliot broke down into sobs, barely able to speak. "I'm so sorry Alex. I should've known. I should've…"
"One in the shoulder. One in the abdomen," Cragen told her in a flat voice after Elliot couldn't continue. "There was substantial blood loss. They lost her just as they were loading her on the stretcher, and she was out for a long time. Then once again when they got here and were on the way to surgery, but they got her back quick that time.
They told us we needed to prepare ourselves. They said there was too much blood loss. That they'd do everything they could, but…just to be prepared." He turned to look at her, looking completely lost.
"No," Alex said strongly. "She'll make it. She's too strong to go down like this. I won't be prepared for anything else," she ended with a sob.
