Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
"Ms Cabot is out of surgery." The Doctor reveals, "She has cuts and bruises all over her torso and limbs, several of which required stiches. She has three broken ribs, her left wrist was broken along with her nose, all of which have been treated; her arm will be in a cast for at least six weeks." The Doctor explains, and even though they all want to Olivia, Barba, Fin and Munch know better than to intupt, "Ms Cabot also suffered a stab wound to the abdomen and some internal bleeding, and because of that we had to perform a partial splenectomy." The doctor reveals, "When she arrived what we were most worried about was the injury to her head. The trauma caused a brain haemorrhage and we were forced to perform a craniotomy to relieve the pressure."
"Is Lexie alive?" Barba asks, it being clear that he is fearing the worse.
"Ms Cabot is alive and being moved to ICU. She is in critical, but stable condition." The doctor explains.
"Did the haemorrhage cause any brain damage?" Olivia asks.
"We can't be sure until she wakes up, which will be at some point in the next twenty four to seventy two hours, but as we were able to relieve the pressure very quickly I don't believe so." The doctor explains, "Everything is favourable to Ms Cabot making a fall recovery."
"Thank you, Doctor." Baba says, still being worried but incredibly relived at the same time.
"I can take you through to see her now if you would like." The doctor says, "Usually only three visitors at a time is allowed, but I can make an expectation."
"Thank you." Olivia says, gratefully, "Doctor, Alex is under protective custody until the person who hurt her is apprehended and so there will be two offices outside her room at all time and no one is allowed in unless they are on a pre-approved list; which I would like to work with you to create." Olivia inform the doctor.
"Of course." The Doctor says, "I have to ask; is Ms Cabot an NYPD officer?" The Doctor asks curious as it seems like it to her.
"She's a former ADA, which makes her one of us and we don't take well to one of our own being hurt." Fin says.
"Of course, I understand. Would you like to go back now?" The Doctor asks.
"In a minute. I have to tell her daughter first." Barba says.
"Of course. I'll be at the nurse station when you're ready." The Doctor says and she walks over to the station while Barba walks over to his mother and Ella.
"Ella's not even two, how does Barba explains something like this to her?" Munch asks.
"He can't. He's just got to try." Olivia says as she watches Barba kneel down in front of Ella, "I want Torres found and I want him found now." Olivia says angrily to Fin and Munch.
"I'll get back to the others. We're not going to give up on this Liv, and we're not going to give up on her." Fin says comforting.
"I'll join you. Now that my bosses are involved I can formally help." Munch says.
"Fine with me. Let me know if something changes." Fin says, Olivia nods and Fin and Munch leave.
As Fin and Munch leave Barba, who is now holding Ella, and Lucia walk over to Olivia and after she and Barba exchange nods they walk over to the doctor.
"We're ready to go back now." Barba says.
"Of course follow me." The Doctor says and she leaves Olivia, Barba and Lucia to Alex's room, pausing when they reach the door.
"Doc?" Olivia asks.
"I should warn you Ms Cabot still has a breathing tube down her throat, we're hoping to remove it in the next twelve hours." The Doctor explains, "It could be distressing to see."
"Thank you for warning us." Olivia says.
"Of course." The Doctor says before leaving them.
"Maybe I shouldn't take Ella in." Barba says, clearly confused about what to do, not sure how Ella will react to seeing her mother with a tube down her throat and different tubes and wires connected to her.
"Mommy?" Ella asks, causing Olivia and Barba to exchange a look, it being clear that Barba is looking to Olivia for help.
"Yeah Ella we're going to see your Mommy." Olivia says, moving so that she's looking right at Ella, "You're Mommy is hurt and she might not look like Mommy right now, but she is." Olivia says, "It might be scary and that's okay, but if it's too scary just tell your Tío Rafi, Abuelita, or me and you can leave." Olivia says, using the Spanish names as that's what Ella, Lucia and Barba have been using, "You don't have to stay if it's too scary. Okay?" Olivia ask the toddler.
"Okay." Ella responds and Barba mouths 'thank you' to Olivia.
After a minutes pause Barba, Olivia and Lucia force themselves to push the door open and enter. Even though they were expecting it, seeing Alex on the bed with a tube down her throat, tubes and wires coming of her, bandages on various parts of her body and a cast on her arm, isn't easy.
"Mommy." Ella says, sounding upset.
"Yeah, like Olivia said Mommy is hurt right now." Barba says, "But she's still, Mommy."
"Better?" Ella asks as Olivia walks over and touches Alex's hand that's not in cast.
"I hope so." Barba says, "Do you want to leave?" Barba asks Ella.
"No."
"Okay. Tell me if you want to." Barba tells the toddler as he walks over and sits on one of the chairs right next to Alex. Olivia sits on her other side and Lucia sits next to Barba and Ella.
After leaving Donnelly's office Casey and Liz head straight to McCoy's office where he is a meeting that they can't interrupt, no matter how important it is, so Casey and Liz sit and wait, neither being too happy about that.
After about forty five minutes McCoy finally finishes the meeting and walks out and as soon as he sees Liz and Casey he knows that whatever the reason for them being there isn't a good one
"What's happened?" McCoy asks, not even bothering with pleasantries.
"We need to talk, privately." Liz tells him.
"Of course. My office." McCoy says and the three lawyers head inside the office, "Now, what happened?" McCoy asks once the door is closed and the three of them are inside McCoy's office.
"Alex Cabot was beaten and raped in her apartment." Liz explains, "Last we heard she was still in surgery. Sargent Benson, ADA Barba and John Munch are at the hospital with Alex's sixteen month old daughter who witnessed the entire attack."
"Who did this?" McCoy asks after a few seconds after getting over his shock.
"Felix Torres." Casey answers, "Alex was dating him but she ran from Philadelphia, with Barba's help, eighteen months ago because he was abusive." She explains, "The SVU squad are at his last known address with an arrest warrant."
"And you're sure that it's him?" McCoy asks, wanting to make sure.
"Alex had a hidden security camera in the apartment. The entire attack was caught on tape." Casey explains.
"Show me." McCoy requests and Liz walks over to the computer where she inserts the thumb drive, "Have you seen this yet?" McCoy asks.
"No." Both Liz and Casey say as the three of them crowed around the computer screen. Once they can all see the screen McCoy presses play and they all watch the attack in horror.
Even though Fin and the others explained the attack to her and she passed on what they told her to Liz Casey is still completely horrified by the attack and so are Liz and McCoy.
"What do we know about the attacker?" McCoy asks, a few minutes after the video stops.
"Felix Torres. Private military contractor with friends in high places. On that thumb drive Barba has a whole file on everything he's done to Alex." Liz explains.
"What is the story with Barba and Alex?" Casey asks, not being able to help her curiosity, "I know they know each other, but how?" She ask as she has known for years that they are friends but she doesn't know how they became friends.
"They went to college and Law School together, have been close friends ever since." Liz explains, going with the simple explanation.
"Which means he can't be anywhere near this case." McCoy says, as he knew that Barba and Alex were friends, but he wasn't aware just how close they are.
"He won't be." Liz says, being sure that until he knows that Alex is okay Barba won't leave her.
"Good. You said that the detectives are executing a search warrant?"
"Yes."
"Then while they are doing that we are going to go through all the evidence and work out just what we can charge this guy with." McCoy says, knowing that he will find a way to change him with everything he can.
"Then we're going to need coffee." Casey says, "I'll go get some." She says before leaving.
"Jack?" Liz asks about a minute later when he hasn't looked away from the computer screen.
"I was going to start to try and contact Alex next week." McCoy reveals.
"Why?"
"In a couple of months there'll be a job vacancy, and she's the only person that I want to take it." McCoy reveals, looking pained about what happened to Alex as even though he isn't as close to Alex as Liz he does consider her to be a friend and he has the upmost professional respect for her, due in part to everything she has sacrificed for the job.
"She's too still." Olivia mutters about half an hour after she sat down next to Alex.
"Liv?" Barba asks, having heard what she said.
"She's too still." Olivia requests, "Alex is never still when she sleeps." Olivia says, knowing that because she has watched Alex sleep quite a few times, "She moves, she tosses and turns. She's never still. It's not right." Olivia says before getting up and leaving, needing some air.
As Barba watches Olivia go he goes to get up to follow her.
"Give her some time." Lucia tells her son.
"Mami?"
"Give her some time." Lucia repeats.
After about ten minutes Barba does leave Alex's room to go find Olivia. He doesn't have to search long before he finds her sitting in the waiting area.
"She used to talk in her sleep to." Barba says as he sits down next to Olivia.
"What?" Olivia asks, looking at him in confusion.
"Lexie used to talk in her sleep; and it wasn't quiet, she was loud. Like her courtroom voice loud." Barba explains, as even when Alex was asleep in a different bedroom with her door closed he could still hear her talking when they lived together.
"I didn't know that." Olivia says, wondering how she could have never known that after all the nights that she and Alex spent together.
"I'm not surprised. In Law School Lexie did a sleep study and she stopped talking in her sleep regularly, though her insomnia got worse." Barba explains, "There was a month in Law School where she would recite the constitution in her sleep, I could hear her from my room, it got annoying pretty quickly." Barba explains and despite herself Olivia finds herself smiling, "When Lexie is stressed she still talks in her sleep on occasion." Barba reveals, "And in the last fifteen years when I've heard her she's always mentioned your name in her sleep at least once." Barba says and Olivia isn't sure how to feel about that, "Lexie loves you Liv, I'm sure she always will." Barba says, as it is the one thing he can think to say that might help Olivia, though he isn't sure as he knows nothing could help him right now, "And that's one of the biggest reasons why I think she didn't call. She didn't want to hurt you by having you watch her be a victim." Barba says, and Olivia knows that he is probably right about that, "and I know for sure that that's why she didn't talk to you when she arrived back from WITSEC."
"How do you know?" Olivia asks before she can stop herself as for the last three years, even though she has wanted to, she hasn't asked Barba why Alex didn't call when she got back as she was afraid of the answer.
"Because I was there." Barba says, as the Marshals wouldn't let Alex return home without bringing one person from her old life to her to help ease the transition and she chose him, "When Lexie got back she wasn't herself, it's why she got engaged to someone she wouldn't have looked twice at before the shooting." Barba says as he knew that Robert wasn't right for Alex and even though she didn't want to see it she knew that too, "In three years Lexie had six different identities."
"That many?" Olivia asks surprised as Alex didn't talk about her time in witness protection so Olivia doesn't know a lot about what Alex went through.
"Yeah. She had about two identities a year and with every single one she said goodbye to another part of herself, she had to it was the only way she could get through it." Barba admits, "When Lexie got back, she was lost; and wasn't even sure who she was or whether she could be herself again." Barba admits, remembering how useless he felt back then as he saw how much Alex was struggling and there was nothing he could do to help "And she did call you once."
"No, she didn't." Olivia says as she would have remembered that.
"She did. I arrived back at the apartment, about a week after she came home, to find Lexie staring at the phone and a bottle of scotch. She would stare for a while then do a shot, then stare. Eventually she did pick up the phone and call you; your number was out of service." He explains.
"That must have been when I was undercover with the feds." Olivia says as that would make sense considering the timeline.
"That's what she discovered." Barba says, "I don't know all her reasons why she didn't call this time, or why she wouldn't let me, just most of them, but I do know without a doubt that at least part of it was because she didn't want to hurt you."
"I know." Olivia says, though it doesn't make it any easier or make it hurt any less, and honestly she would have preferred it if Alex had called, even if it hurt, "She's still too still."
"Yeah, she is." Barba confirms as even though he knows that Alex is never still when sleeping, so it is wrong that she is so still lying in that bed.
After spending some time trying to find ways to find Torres Liz, McCoy and Casey relocated to the Precinct where they were joined by Carisi, Rollins and Amaro. Together the three lawyers and three officers have been doing what they can to try and find Torres.
"Fin, how's Alex?" Rollins asks when, half an hour after they got to the precinct, Fin and Munch walk in.
"She's out of surgery." Fin says.
"And?" Liz asks, being worried about what Fin and Munch are going to say.
"Broken ribs, broken nose, and broken wrist. Cuts and brises, some of which required stiches. Internal bleeding that required a partial splenectomy and a brain haemorrhage." Munch explains.
"What are the doctors saying about her chances?" McCoy asks, forcing himself to do so.
"Alex is in ICU. She's in a critical but stable condition." Fin explains, "The doctor thinks that because of how quickly they were able to get to her that the she'll have no brain damage, but they won't know until Alex wakes up which they think will be within seventy two hours." He explains and even though it is clear that everyone is worried, it is also clear that they are relieved too.
"And Alex's daughter, is she okay?" Amaro asks.
"The doctor gave her a clean bill of health." Munch says, "She's confused about her Mom, but Barba and his mother are doing what they can to help."
"At least she won't remember this." Carisi says, wanting to look on the bright side.
"Just because she won't remember doesn't mean that it won't affect her." Liz points out, "We all know that."
"Huang's on his way, maybe, with Barba's permission, he can talk to Ella." Fin suggests, realising that Liz is right.
"That can't hurt." Rollins says approvingly.
"Have either of you called Cragen?" Casey asks Fin and Munch.
"Captain Cragen is retired." McCoy says.
"So" Casey says, "Alex is like a daughter to him." Casey says, knowing that for a fact as it was one of the reasons why she had an inferiority complex for months after she started working for SVU, "He would want to, and deserves to, hear it from us rather than the news or anyone else." Casey says as no matter how hard they try to make sure that it's not news about Alex's attack will reach the media eventually.
"I'll make the call." Munch says before heading to Olivia's office, as he does they all hear Fin's cell phone ring.
"It's the contractor Torres works for." Fin asks as he sees the caller Id, "Tutuola." He answers then pauses, "I can be there in twenty minutes. Thank you, goodbye." Fin says before hanging up, "That was the head of the private military contractor that Torres works for. He said that he is more than happy to talk to us about Torres tell us everything he knows." Fin says, it being clear that he is surprised by that.
"That's…." Amaro starts to say.
"Unprecedented." McCoy finishes, and everyone else has to agree as because of the friends they know Torres has everyone was expecting that they would get no answers about Torres, they were expecting to be stonewalled. "Casey go with him to interview the person." McCoy instructs.
"Yes Sir." Casey says and she and Fin leave.
After spending about ten minutes out in the waiting room Olivia and Barba returned to Alex's hospital room where they sat down in silence. Ever since they got back about half an hour earlier the only sounds has been Ella playing with the crayons and paper that one of the nurses gave her, and the sounds of the equipment that is monitoring Alex.
As he watches his best friend Barba once more finds himself drifting back down memory lane.
Six weeks earlier (April 8th 2014)
After he left work Barba took the long way, having only stopped to get dinner, to Alex's apartment. Arriving at the door Barba unlocks the four different locks with different keys and let himself in, having been less than happy about the news that he had to break to Alex.
"Lexie?" Barba calls as he entered, having closed and locked the door behind him, while he loosened his tie.
"I'll be right out." Alex called as Barba took the food over to the table.
For the next few minutes Barba unpacked the food he brought for dinner while he waited for Alex to come out, which she did after a few minutes holding Ella.
"Tío." Ella said happily when she sees him.
"Hey, Pequeña." Barba said with a smile.
"How's Liv? How's Noah?" Alex asked as soon as she saw Barba, it was clear that she was worried as Barba had been keeping her informed about everything that has been going on since she returned to the city, something which she was thankful for.
"I talked to Liv before I left the office; Noah's better. He should be home soon." Barba explained, "And Liv will be okay when he is."
"Good, that's good." Alex said, being glad about that, "And the verdict?"
"Only guilty on the second degree charge." Barba explained, having looked disappointed.
"Nice job. Anti-vaxxer cases are hard to prosecute so you can't take it too hard." Alex said as she went and grabbed plates, still holding Ella as she did.
"You would know." Barba said, "And thanks." Barba said before he stopped what he was doing so that he could talk to Alex, "Lexie, there's something I need to tell you."
Having Recognized Barba's tone Alex paused mid grab before she slowly lowered the plates down and put them on the counter.
"Okay."
"I saw Torres." Barba revealed, having walked over to Alex before he spoke as he can never be sure how she will react to that.
"Where?" Alex asked, fear in her voice.
"A few blocks away." Barba said, "I don't know if he followed me again, or if he was just in the neighbourhood…"
"Or whether he found me." Alex said.
"He might have." Barba confirmed.
"Guess it's time to move again." Alex said as she looked around, "I was just starting to get used to this place." She admitted.
"You don't have to do this, Lexie." Barba told her.
"You know I do, Rafi." Alex said, "It's the only way to be safe."
"It's not the only way." Barba said, having done so for the hundredth time, "You can go to the police Lexie, and you can report it. You can't keep living like this."
"What choice do I have?" Alex asked, "I said no, Rafi. I ran away, I told him to stop, and he hates that, he's never heard that." Alex said, having not realised at the time how unstable Torres is, it was only in the last few months that it became clear to her and she had realised how lucky she was to have left when she did, "The only thing he can be charged with in this jurisdiction is the stalking and harassment, maybe threatening…."
"And then you can file charges in Philadelphia. We have the evidence, he can go away, Lexie."
"For how long?" Alex asked, "He won't get remand, not on this. On our best day neither of us could get that so what chance does an ADA with little SVU experience have?" Alex asked and Barba had to admit that she had a point.
"None." Barba admitted, "But Lexie if you report we can get an order of Protection…."
"Which will tell him exactly where I am, that's what he's waiting for." Alex said, knowing that, "He knows that with his connections, and because he is charming and charismatic, he could beat any charges, probably even stop anything from going to trial." Alex admitted, "And the only thing that reporting will do is him finding out exactly where I am and thanks to his training he could get past any protection detail, it wouldn't even slow him down. We charge and I'll be dead within a day, and who knows what will happen to, Ella." Alex said having done so as she that's something she had become sure of in the previous few months.
"Lex….." Barba started to say.
"You know I'm right, Rafi." Alex told Barba, "You've seen, you know, how obsessed he is with me, with hurting me, and as much as I hate it he's Ella's biological father; even if he's not on her birth certificate. He has rights that he could fight for; and I can't let that happen." Alex said as because Torres's name isn't on the birth certificate and because he hasn't filed anything with the court she isn't breaking any law by constantly moving and keeping Ella away, but she also wouldn't put it past Torres to play that card if he gets the chance.
"Lexie you know that thanks to Langan's advice and help I have more legal rights to Ella than him right now, and if something happens to you I promise that I will look after Ella. I will fight for her, do everything in my power to protect her, I promise you that." Barba said, having completely meant his words, "You can't keep living like this, Lexie, because you're not really living. You're moving every few weeks, barley leaving home, talking and seeing no one but Mami and Me unless you have to, you're barley sleeping and you're terrified all the time." Barba said, taking having taken another step towards Alex having been sure that what he did wasn't threatening but supportive, "You can't keep doing this, Lexie. It's not fair to you, or Ella. You stood up to Torres by leaving, you need to do it again and tell SVU what he did, what he's doing. It's the only way to truly live again." Barba told his best friend. As much as he wanted to tell Olivia he knew that he couldn't, that it had to be Alex because otherwise he would be putting her in danger and likely forcing her into running again and he wouldn't do that.
"I don't know what else to do and I can't tell Olivia everything that has happened, not when I know what it will do to her." Alex said, having gotten upset, "Moving, and hiding, and staying away from people is the only way I know to stay alive." Alex said, as that was something that her time in WITSEC taught her, "We won't win this one, Rafi, he will and he will kill me, in the most painful way possible, if he gets the chance." Alex said it having been clear that she is terrified, "I've got to move again, Rafi, I have to."
"I know." Rafael as he didn't think he had much of a chance of convincing Alex but he still had to try, "I'll get the bags." He said as Alex kept bags of important things, full of things that Alex won't leave behind, in case she ever had to leave in a hurry, packed.
"Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me." Barba said before giving Alex a hug, which she tensed at, before relaxing. As he hugged his best friend Barba was already working on what his argument would be the next time he and Alex talked about going to the police.
"She knew." Barba mutters to himself.
"What?" Olivia asks, having heard him.
"Nothing." Barba responds quickly, and before Olivia can ask anymore her phone rings.
"Benson." Olivia answers, "Yes, Sir. Yes, I know, Sir. No Sir. I am sir. But….Yes sir. I understand. Goodbye sir." Olivia says before hanging up.
"Problem?" Barba asks once Olivia hangs up.
"That was Dodds. I've been ordered to the precinct." Olivia explains, looking far from happy, "I'll have my cell, call if anything changes." Olivia requests.
"I will." Barba promises, "As long as you do the same."
"I will." Olivia says, "The protective detail is right outside, they won't leave and I'll be back as soon as I can." Olivia says, planning on going to see Noah and picking up a few things for Barba and Ella on her way back, "Bye Bye Ella." Olivia says as she stands up.
"Bye." Ella responds looking up from what she is doing.
"Mrs Barba."
"Lucia, please."
"Lucia." Olivia says as she walks over to Alex. Once she is standing right next to Alex she bends down and she places a gentle kiss on Alex's forehead. "I'll be right back." Olivia says before leaving, knowing that she would much rather stay with Alex than go and face the brass.