A/N: Well here is chapter 2 of C.R. I'm glad that some of you are enjoying this. I'm sorry that some people don't like it but hey the beauty of it is you don't have to like it. I'm just using this as a way to shut up the muse, it's a testy muse I'll tell you. It'll just keep at you until you write and then if you do that it has more ideas and… well you know "give a mouse a cookie." Enough rambling bug and on with the story:
Lifelines Crowded Rooms2
/less than an hour later/
Olivia sat in a plastic chair.
There is no color on her face.
Her shirt has blood all over it.
The expression on her face is unreadable.
A doctor comes in the waiting room.
She looks up expectantly.
Another family gets up.
She is now alone in the room.
She can feel stillness all around her.
Yet her heart beats fast almost as if it will bust out of her chest.
/Stabler's house/
Kathy had just come home from a shift at the hospital. She had switched shifts with her friend because of a family emergency. Kathy was happy to do it, but working the night shift after months of the day really put her in a funk. The kids had gotten themselves off to school just after Elliot had left after getting them up. They lucked out having good kids. She mused on her luck of family situation. She was happy that Elliot had started opening up more. Just as she sat down with a bite to eat before going to bed the phone rang.
Hoping after all her internal praising of her children it wasn't the school asking where they were she answered.
"Hello."
"Kathy?"
"Hi Don, Elliot should be at work. I know he was going in early, I just got back from work."
"Kathy, I… Munch is on the way to pick you up. He will be there in just a second."
"Oh God, No." Kathy sat heavily in the kitchen table chair.
"Kathy, stay calm, right now you need to stay calm. Yes there has been an accident at work. I'm going to stay on the phone with you till John gets there."
"Okay. Okay. My kids what about my kids."
"I can have Fin go get the girls at school. Do you want the twins taken out?"
"Yes, no, I don't know. I… Don what happened."
"I'll have the twins taken out I'll have Fin get them out after the girls."
"Don what happened? Is he gone?" She choked out.
Kathy heard the siren of John Munch's car outside. The lights from the car casting a revolving white glow onto everything in the house.
"John's here. I'm hanging up now." She hung up the phone before he could answer her question.
She ran out of the house with her purse, meeting John half way up the walk. He met her eye and they both hopped into the car and he took off back toward the hospital where her husband lay.
/the dorms/
Kathleen was doing homework at her desk. She had just gotten back from her first class and had about 3 hours to kill. Emily was gone for the whole day so this gave Kat some uninterrupted time to get work done. No sooner had she opened her notebook was there frantic knocking at her door. She sighed as she got up, so much for this idea. As she swung the door open she was shocked at the site.
Maureen stood framed in the doorway. Her face was white and her hands were shaking.
"Oh my God Maureen what happened are you okay, come on in." Kat stepped back into the room.
"No, we have to go now." Maureen rushed out once she was able to focus on her sister.
"What's going on?" Kat asked suddenly scared to death by her sister's behavior.
"We have to go get the twins. Fin is waiting in the car. I said I would come in and get you."
"What's going on Maur?" Kat asked again tears in her voice as she rushed out of the room leaving no indication of where she was, just automatically grabbing her cellphone, a reflex nothing more.
"It's Dad." Was the simple line she got from her sister.
The two sisters ran out of the dorm and hopped into the car as Fin dashed away from the college and toward the Twin's Jr. High School to get them, lights and siren blaring.
Reaching the school after what seemed like days it was decided that all three of them would go in to get the twins.
Fin put the police placard in the window and put the car in the fire lane right outside the main office.
"I need the Stabler children." Fin said to the secretary.
"Reason." The women behind the counter asked standing up to address the distraught trio.
"I'm their sister, so is she." Kat explained vaguely.
"I'm sorry honey I need more than that to get your brother and sister out of class."
The woman said with a hint of sincerity and a hint of annoyance.
"I'm Detective Odafin Tutuola. I work with their father and their mother would like to have all the children with her. Their father is in the hospital." Fin explained as he showed the woman his badge and ID.
The woman nodded as she typed on her computer. For a moment and nodded before walking over to the white phone and punching in some numbers talked quietly.
"Elizabeth and Richard Stabler need to be excused for the day, just tell them to bring their books to the office with them. Their sisters are here to pick them up."
Returning to the counter, she addressed the three of them.
"They are on their way down. Detective Tutuola, girls I hope everything is okay with Detective Stabler."
The three of them nodded as she grabbed the book to sign out the kids.
"Maureen or you Detective have to sign them out. You have to be over 21 and on the list of people allowed. That would be all family members and a Detective Olivia Benson, Captain Donald Cragen, Detective John Munch, or you sir."
"I'll do it." Maureen listed her brother and sister's names in the log and scrawled her signature onto the appropriate place.
Lizzie and Dickie came into the office seconds later and looked at the three of them. A silent conversation flashed among the 4 siblings and they all ran out to the car Fin on their heals and they all piled into the car.
/Back at the hospital, in the mean time/
The door opened to the waiting room.
Olivia looked up expecting the worst.
Kathy walked in looking around at the empty room.
Her eyes landed on Olivia.
Olivia stood.
The two women looked at each other before they embraced.
They sat down together.
Each silent.
No words could be spoken at the moment.
Tears threatened, but they had to be strong, at least on the outside.
John Munch watched from the doorway. Their behavior puzzled him, he expected tears and yelling. Nothing. Silence. He entered and sat in the uninviting plastic chairs and took up waiting.
"How is he." Kathy spoke after a few minutes passed and she felt as though she could at least make a little sound with out completely loosing her composure.
"I don't know. I know he is in surgery, they rushed him up here as soon as we hit the ER. God Kathy I'm so sorry. I should have protected him, God you guys have kids." Olivia let the tears slid down her face, in fast rivers.
Kathy didn't trust her voice anymore. She just placed a hand on Olivia's knee.
The door opened up again about a half-hour later. The four Stabler children came pouring into the room. Olivia moved over a seat to let them be around their mother. The seat was cold. Yet it was welcoming. The Stabler family was gathered all around. Olivia felt out of place for the first time since meeting them. She quietly got up and exited the room, feeling suffocated, panicked.
When she let the door shut behind her she walked down the hall and around the corner to a dead end hallway, out of sight of everyone. She leaned against the wall and slid to the floor as she let the sobs that had been building up rack her body. Seeing the kids put her over the edge.
Meanwhile the doctor came into the waiting room. Kathy stood up, and motioned for the kids to stay with Detective Munch while she talked to the doctor.
"Mrs. Stabler?"
"Yes."
"I'm Dr. Hobart. I performed the emergency surgery on your husband." He shook her hand.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"He lost a lot of blood. The bullet did luckily miss the major artery of his shoulder. Unfortunately he was shot more than once. We removed as much of the bullets as we could. There is one that we could not remove from his leg but it will not affect him once he is able to get into physical therapy, which he will have to do for his shoulder anyway. His biggest life long problem is only expected to be issues with airport security."
Kathy was nodding trying to soak it all in. The nurse in her was alert and trying to be working. The wife in her was distraught, and hysterical. The woman in her was exhausted from being up since 12 last night when she went to work.
The doctor continued. "He will make a full recovery, but he will need a lot of time and support. He will be out for quite a while. He is recovering from the surgery and the loss of blood. I will allow one family member at a time in with him once he is moved to recovery. I'll send a nurse down when he is moved. I'll be back to check on all of you in a couple hours. If you have any questions ask the nurse and she will page me."
Kathy nodded. At this point there wasn't a whole lot she could do. She returned to the waiting room to relay the news to the kids and let Munch know what was going on so he could tell the rest of the squad.
/Meanwhile At the squad room/
Captain Donald Cragen was pacing in his office. The day was not supposed to go like this. He had gotten the call 3 and a half hours ago. He had an officer down. Who? Elliot. No. Call Kathy. Send for the kids. Now he paced. Munch was to call as soon as he heard any news. Cragen had signed Olivia out for the day. He had no idea her state of mind, he did know this, it wasn't going to be good.
He tried to contact Alex but she was out sick and was having trouble contacting her. As soon as Huang got here about the case he was headed over to get her. He continued pacing. Fin came strolling into the bullpen. After dropping the kids off at the hospital he had gone to help process the scene, he would be the lead detective on this case.
The original case they were working involved the rape of a middle-aged woman. Things have taken a turn for the worse.
"Cap."
"Yeah Fin." Cragen paused in his pacing to hear what his detective had found.
"The apartment where the shots came from belonged to Carlos Dallas. He is a member of a Gang. Olivia and Elliot where knocking on his neighbors door to ask him questions about the incident last week at the apartment building. The neighbor, a Mr. O'Brian had been out of town on Friday and they were trying again, as another neighbor, who was bringing in the mail said he was out of town on business all week and would be back on Monday morning. When Olivia yelled police the shooter, in the next apartment over freaked and started shooting. Resulted in shooting Elliot three times. Once in the shoulder, once in the leg and once in the vest, which he lucky was wearing."
"So what does this guy have to do with our case?"
"The out of town neighbor, hasn't returned yet as far as we can tell and the shooter is long gone. I'm sure he is with his brothers so they can hide him good. I have officers canvassing the neighborhood again to see if we can ID the shooter. We have an all out to get this guy, all the boys are after him." Fin rubbed his hands over his face.
"So we still got nothing on our suspect? Now Elliot is shot?"
Fin nodded, "Any word on how he is?"
"Negative."
"Okay guys what's up?" Huang asked as he strutted into the room. He paused as he noticed the look on the two men's faces.
Cragen and Fin filled Huang in on what was going on, so he could start thinking about what and who they were dealing with and if he thought the two crimes were connected.
/Alex in the mean time/
Alex woke up from her morning nap she was feeling much better. Olivia had put the phone on quiet so she could sleep and her cell phone was in her purse, so there was no interruptions from the DA's office. She stretched and hopped in the shower. After getting dressed in comfortable clothes she settled onto the couch with some files and started going through them, working at a leisurely pace.
A knock as the door jarred her from her thoughts. She wandered to the door and peaked through the spy hole. Cragen stood there with a worried expression on his face. Her heart jumped up into her throat and then landed in her stomach. She opened the door quickly.
"What happened?" she asked simply and scared. "Is Olivia okay."
"Physically… It's Elliot. He was shot this morning. Everyone is at the hospital."
Alex nodded, feeling slightly better knowing that at least Olivia was alive. She felt horrible for the Stablers. Olivia must be a wreck, if Alex felt this bad.
Alex grabbed her coat, key and shimmied into her shoes that were all by the door and followed Cragen down to the car.
/Hospital/
Olivia had only been sitting on the floor for 20 minutes when a hand was placed on her shoulder. It felt like weeks. She looked up to see who had invaded her solitude.
Alex looked down at Olivia, who had lost all composure, sitting on the floor of the hospital in the hallway nook.
Olivia sank further down into herself. Alex eased onto the floor beside her and gathered her in her arms. Olivia leaned into Alex, her face buried into the crook of her neck, making it damp with her tears. Alex tried to comfort, but she herself was lost with grief, for Elliot, his family and Olivia.
"I really screwed up Alex." Olivia finally spoke.
"No, sh baby you didn't do anything wrong." Alex rubbed Olivia's back, she spoke the truth, Cragen had filled her in on the way over as to what had happened.
/back in the waiting room/
Munch hugged Kathy after she filled him in. He gave a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder as she turned to her children who were huddled together waiting. After glancing at the family once more he made his way out into the hallway as Cragen came down the way and Alex veered out of sight. She must have found Olivia, he hoped she was all right.
Munch filled his boss in on the situation of Elliot. The two of them sat on a padded bench that lined the wall. Giving Elliot's family the privacy they needed. Doctors and nurses traveled past performing their daily duties. The SVU captain and detetive watched helplessly, this is something they were not good at.
/With Fin/
Fin, with Huang along for the ride, returned to the scene of the crime to re question the immediate neighbors. As they stepped of onto the floor there was a blonde haired man standing at the police line, a worried look on his face and a wheeling case at his side.
"Can I help you sir?" Fin asked as he flashed his badge.
"Yes, I'm Dr. Garret O'Brian. I live in that apartment over there." Indicating the door that Olivia had knocked on hours ago.
"There was an officer shot this morning while canvassing the neighborhood. Why don't you come down to the station and we'll have a chat."
O'Brian came willingly. Once back at the station the three of them sat in an interrigation room.
"There was a rape in your building last Thursday night. The victim said that the attacker knew her yet she did not know his name. The description she gave us, was he lived in the building on a lower floor than hers, and had blonde hair, tall. Not a very good description. We have spent Friday and today looking for clues as to who did this."
"I haven't been home all week. I just got back right before you saw me."
"That's okay Mr. O'Brian. We just want to ask you questions about your neighbors. We will also need an alibi confirmation."
"Okay." Mr. O'Brian opened his suitcase and pulled an invitation to a conference from the front pocket. Fin took it, nodded and left the room to confirm that he did attend.
Huang was left with the man. He just sat silently and watched O'Brian sit bouncing his leg.
Fin appeared a few minutes later. "Your alibi checks out. Now about your neighbors. Do you know the man that lives right next door to you."
"I could get killed for answering any questions about him." Genuine fear flashed across his face as he spoke.
"Nothing will happen to you. We'll put you into protective custody," Huang interjected.
"He shot a cop?" Fin and Huang nodded, "alright this is what I know…"
/With Olivia/
Olivia remained in Alex's embrace. She had lost all her energy sometime ago. She just sat and tried to make things make sense in her mind.
Cragen had gone in search of the two women to fill them in. He had seen Alex make a detour on their way down the hall so he retraced their steps and found the two of them on the floor.
Alex looked up at Cragen when she heard the soft foot falls stop beside her. Cragen motioned to Olivia and pointed up. Alex nodded. The two of them helped Olivia up and directed her slowly to the bench were Munch was still waiting.
Munch's cell phone suddenly rang and he walked quickly out of the hospital as he talked.
Cragen watched as Munch signaled that he would call soon and rushed down to the car. Olivia was settled on the bench, she rested her elbows on knees and her head in her hands. A position of defeat. Cragen grabbed a chair and pulled it up so he sat in front of her. Alex sat beside her with a hand placed lightly on her back.
Olivia felt sick to her stomach, yet having eaten nothing that day, she didn't have a lot to worry about.
"Olivia, we talked to the doctor a little while ago."
Olivia tried to nod with out moving her head from its resting place.
"He said that Elliot is going to be okay. He just needs our support from us and his family as he goes through the recovery process. There was a bullet that could not be removed from his leg, but it will be okay. The bullet that hit his shoulder did not hit the main artery. The one that hit is vest just left some dark bruising. He's going to be fine." Physically, he thought.
"I'm so sorry Cap." Olivia finally said when she didn't think she would loose anything that might be in her stomach.
"Olivia, listen to me. It's not your fault, things like his happen. God you weren't wearing a vest, if it had been you…" Cragen stopped not wanting to finish that sentence with Alex sitting right there. All of them however knew the rest of the statement.
Alex rubbed Olivia's back lightly, trying to calm both of their anxieties.
"Kathy is in with him now. The kids are in the waiting room, why don't we go in so they aren't alone."
Olivia looked up then. The kids shouldn't be alone right now.
After a few minutes of Olivia gathering her composure as best as she could at her drained state the three of them started for the door of the private waiting room.
As Olivia walked in, she heard Cragen's phone go off behind her and his mumbled talking, she paused. He whispered something to Alex then left. Olivia turned around to look at Alex.
"They have a lead" was all she said.
"Good." Was the simple reply before they entered the waiting room where the Stabler children sat, wide eyed and alone.
There was a collective release of breath as Alex and Olivia sat down with the kids.
They knew what was going on, they were all old enough. It was a little harder for the twins but Kat and Maureen understood too well.
/Kathy/
Kathy sat by the bed. The nurse was in and out, checking on the other recovery patients that were fresh out of the OR. Once he showed signs of waking up from the anesthesia they would move him up to ICU.
He looked so small and old alone in the bed. The covers were up to his chest. A breathing mask was on him. Heart and oxygen monitors bleeped in intervals. IV's hung dripping into his arm medication and nutrients. The nurse came around again and smiled at Kathy. She took down Elliot's vitals and noted them in his chart.
"We're going to move him up to ICU as soon as transport comes back down. The anesthesia has worn off, now he is just sleeping now. With his blood loss he will be out for a while."
"Thank you," Kathy said. Her tears were falling silently as she gazed on her husband lying there.
Just as the nurse was leaving two young men came into the room.
"Elliot Stabler is the guy were moving." The one young man said.
"Mrs. Stabler?" The other young man asked.
"Yes?" Kathy sniffled.
"I'm Dr. Hays. I'm a first year resident I'll be going up to ICU with your husband."
Kathy just nodded. Everything was a daze. She just wanted to be in the strong arms of her husband, him telling her that everything was going to be okay.
The doctor and the orderly prepared Elliot for transport then they were off. A nurse came up and said something about informing her once he was settled.
Kathy numbly walked back to the waiting room to check on her children. Olivia, Alex, Dickie, Lizzie, Kat, and Maureen all looked up when the door opened revealing Kathy. The kids got up and rushed to their mother in a group hug like huddle. Kathy kissed each kid's forehead.
Olivia placed her head on Alex's shoulder. Alex placed her hand in Olivia's hair in a soothing way. Olivia was still beating herself up, Alex knew that she would for a while.
Dickie and Lizzie were falling asleep in the chairs and where clinging to their mother.
"Kath, do you want us to do anything for you." Alex asked, seeing the exhaustion on everyone's faces.
"I don't know Alex. I just want to go back to this morning and start over."
Alex nodded.
"I need to get these two to bed and I need a change of clothes." Kathy said bringing the twins to her chest as she spoke. She was still wearing the scrubs from work last night.
"Why don't I get someone to take you home, we all got driven here."
"Our car is here." Olivia spoke up. "I had to drive over, they wouldn't let me ride with him." She added softly. She handed the keys to Alex.
"I'll drive you and the twins back if you want. Then bring you back here when your ready." Alex offered.
Kath nodded and the twins and her followed Alex out of the hospital and into the detectives car. Alex removed the police placard and put the car into gear, pointing it toward Queens.
Olivia stayed with the older girls. They sat there in silence. Their thoughts too many to sort. A ringing cell phone startled them. Kat sat up straight and fished in her hooded sweatshirt pulling out the offending sound. She answered.
"Hello?" Kat asked absentmindedly not bothering to look at the number.
"Kat where are you honey. Your stuff is all over the place, are you okay." Emily asked fast, like she does when she is nervous.
Kat sat silent for a second before bursting into tears.
"Kat? What's wrong." Emily asked scared now tears of her own threatening.
"It's okay, you can tell me."
Kat started crying harder. Maureen and Olivia got up quick. Olivia gathered Kat in her arms while Maureen took the phone.
"Hello?" she asked unsure of who was there.
"Who is this?" Emily asked concerned.
"Maureen, Kat's sister."
"Oh, this is Emily. Is Kat okay?"
"We're at the hospital. Our um dad was hurt at work earlier today."
"Oh my god is he going to be okay."
"Yeah but he has a lot of ways to come."
"Is there anything I can do?" Emily asked concerned.
"Can you get Kat's work for her, we won't be able to make it in tomorrow."
"Absolutely, call if you need anything, anything at all."
"Thanks Em."
"Can I say something to Kat before you hang up."
"Sure." Maureen put the phone back in Kat's hands.
"Hi," Kat said slightly composed.
"I love you Kat. I'm here if you need me."
"I love you too, thank you." Kat whispered.
"I'll take care of stuff here for you."
"Thank you."
Kathleen shut the phone. Olivia pulled Kat close for a hug and drew Maureen around to join the embrace.
The doctor came in then.
"Mrs. Staber?" he asked the room.
Olivia stood, leaving the two girls.
"Mrs. Stabler went home with her younger children she will return later. I'm Elliot's partner Detective Benson."
"Detective I really need to speak to family."
"I'm his daughter," Maureen said behind Olivia as she stood up.
"Ms. Stabler, your father has been moved to the ICU, I can have two Adults at a time during visiting hours."
Maureen nodded.
"Why don't you go visit your Dad, Maur, Kat, visiting hours are still on for another hour." Olivia said, "I'll wait here for when your mom gets back."
"I'm not ready yet." Kat said in a small voice.
"I'll go," Maureen headed out of the room, the doctor pointing her toward a nurse who took her up to the ICU.
Olivia sat back down next to Kat. Kat curled up on the chair with her head in Olivia's lap. Olivia let her hands stroke the young girl's head.
"It'll be alright Kat. He's a fighter, the doctor said he would be okay."
/ICU/
Maureen sat with her Father. She curled up in a chair. The nurse went by on rounds to empty the unit from visiting hours. She found Maureen asleep in the chair. She smiled at the young woman. She grabbed a blanket and covered up the young woman then checked her Father's vitals.
A/N: Do they get the guy? What's Kat thinking? How is Kathy really doing? Is Olivia as okay as she seems at that last moment? And on a silly note how will Maureen feel when she wakes up? (ouch) and most importantly how is Elliot doing?
Another thing, just curious, how do you like how I do the /location; time; and or people/ thing. I don't want to change it but I'm just wondering how people like that.
Thanks to all you reviewers, you guys rock.