Thank you to PushTheButton, mekaky, for reviews/alerts/favourites. I hope this next chapter pleases as much.
Mercy General Hospital, Manhattan, New York
Wednesday, June 11th 2008
2.15 am
As Olivia, Cragen and Melissa walked into the hospital Olivia worried about what she was about to see. They slowly made their way to the paediatric ICU. Olivia rang the button at the door knowing that the place would be very secure.
"Hello?" A voice came through the speaker.
"I'm here to see Michael Daniels." Olivia replied to the thin air.
"I see there are three of you, only two allowed around a bed per time." The voice replied.
Olivia glanced at Cragen and he nodded, he knew exactly what she was going to do and she was seeking his permission. She took her badge and pointed it at the camera.
"I'm Detective Benson and I'm with Captain Donald Cragen, a very generous benefactor to the Cancer research facility here at Mercy General now I suggest ..." Olivia didn't need to finish her sentence as there was a loud buzz that meant the door had been unlocked.
She scooped Melissa into her arms and they made their way to the front desk.
"Hi, Detective, you're looking for Michael Daniels is that right?" The nurse asked a smile pasted onto her face knowing that she'd been threatened with the withdrawal of a generous benefactor.
"That's right, I'm his Mother." Olivia replied.
"Right, I'll just get the doctor so he can update you." She explained and Olivia watched as the young nurse rushed off.
As Olivia waited for the doctor a hundred million things was going through her mind. She'd never been in this situation before but she thought the nurse would have taken her to Michael and have the doctor speak to her then. Olivia saw the nurse at the end of the corridor, she was with the doctor and they both had a look on their faces that Olivia knew, she'd had the same look on her face so many times before.
"No." She hadn't meant to say the words out loud but her body began to tremble violently.
Cragen reacted by taking Melissa out of her arms.
"Ms Benson?" The doctor asked.
All she could do was nod, her mouth was dry.
"Come this way." He said pointing to an office.
Olivia followed him through and Cragen and Melissa were close behind.
"Ms Benson." He started as Olivia sat down in front of the desk. She couldn't have held her body up if she hadn't sat. "Michael developed a severe chest infection last night, we did try to contact you but your phone must have been off..."
Olivia nodded, she'd forgotten to charge it.
"... Michael is on life support but he's weak and there's very little fight left in him. We'd put him on antibiotics but this morning we realised it had turned into full blown pneumonia. I'm sorry to have to tell you but the chances of Michael coming through this are very slim." The doctor ended.
Olivia nodded again. Her eyes were fixed on the floor. She was shaking but no tears filled her eyes. She was just numb.
"I need ... I need..." She gasped for air as she stood up.
"Take all the time you need." The doctor replied.
Olivia grabbed the door and rushed out of the office, her mind had stopped working and her legs were moving without her say so. She found herself in her car and as she sat in the driver's seat she picked up the phone she'd placed to charge on the drive over. It went on and she called the speed dial she had for Cole.
"Hello?"
Olivia couldn't speak.
"Olivia?"
Nothing.
"Baby are you there?"
"I'm here." She croaked.
"Where are you?"
"Hospital..."
"I'll be right there."
The phone went dead and Olivia allowed it to slip from her hands. The tears fell down her face and she sobbed uncontrollably. Her head fell onto the steering wheel, she had no energy to hold her head up.
She didn't know how long she'd been sat there when there was a knock on her window. She lifted her head and saw Cole. As the door opened she practically fell into his arms and began sobbing once more. She didn't notice Elliot standing beside him.
"He's ... He's ..."
"I know baby there I've got you." Cole whispered his own tears drifting down his face.
"I can't ..."
"I know baby." He replied.
They stood crying together for a good ten minutes before they made their way back to the ward. Cragen was sat in a plastic seat holding a sleeping Melissa.
"She cried herself to sleep." Cragen explained to Olivia.
Olivia nodded.
"I need to see Michael." She whispered as the nurse came up to her.
"Right this way, you'll have to scrub up." The nurse explained.
Olivia just nodded and silently followed the nurse to the scrubbing area. She washed her hands and slipped on the coat, hat and mask before following the nurse into the room.
He looked so small. She slowly made her way to his side, the machines all around him were the only noise to be heard as she took his hand in her own.
"Can he hear me?" Olivia asked the nurse.
"No one knows but people believe they can." The nurse explained.
Olivia turned back to Michael as Cole's arm slipped around her waist.
"Hey baby. Mommy's here." She whispered as she leant over the bed stroking his blonde hair. "I want you to fight baby, really fight so you can come back to us."
Cole felt the tears prickle his eyes. This was the woman he wanted to be his wife and the boy he called son. Two massive loves in his life looking both vulnerable and innocent.
"I love you baby." Olivia whispered as she kissed his cheek.
She couldn't stay there anymore. She rushed from Cole's arms and back into the scrubbing are. She ripped the scrubs from her as Cole landed beside her.
"I can't do this." She whispered as he pulled her into his arms.
"You can, with me, we'll do this together." He whispered.
One Police Plaza Day Care
Wednesday, June 11th 2008
9.04 am
Olivia and Cole sat back and clutched each other's hands as they watched Melissa play. They wanted to focus on her, just for a moment and try and forget everything that was going through their minds.
"Jeffries." Cole's voice made her jump. "No problem Cap we'll be there soon. Bye."
"You have to go into work?" Olivia asked her expression shocked and dumbfounded.
"No, Cragen and Jeffries want to see us in his office." Jeffries explained.
"I'll go and tell Melissa that we'll pick her up after." Olivia sighed.
Slowly she made her way over to the little girl playing with some toddlers.
"Melly." Olivia whispered making her daughter give her all her attention. "Mommy and Daddy need to go and see Grandpa Don, are you ok to stay here and play and us pick you up later?" Olivia asked.
Melissa nodded.
"Ok baby I'll see you later. Mommy loves you." She kissed and hugged Melissa and watched as she rushed off to play.
As she walked to Cole he pulled her into his arms.
"We're going to get through this." He whispered.
Manhattan Missing Persons, Manhattan, New York
Wednesday, June 11th 2008
9.45 am
Olivia and Cole held each other's hand as they walked to the office. Cole knocked lightly and waited for the gruff 'come in!' before entering.
"Ah Benson, Jeffries, sit down." Jenkins pointed to the two seats empty seats, the third housed Captain Cragen.
Olivia sat in the middle and without even thinking she took Cragen's hand in to her own as the other held firmly onto Cole. She didn't know what this was going to be about but she needed to feel the two men close to her.
"Right then we need to organise some time off for the two of you." Jenkins explained.
"No! I said no time of Cap!" Olivia exclaimed her head snapping to Cragen.
"The circumstances have changed Olivia..."
"No! No time off. We just need to somehow work around each other a little, so at least one of us can be with Michael." Olivia explained.
"Liv ..." Cragen began.
"No! He isn't dead yet and I am not turning that machine off no matter what!" Olivia yelled knowing what Cragen was going to say.
"Olivia please!" Cole whispered pleadingly.
"No Cole, that's my son and I'm not going to be the one to kill him, he's going to fight this infection and he's going to live!" Olivia choked.
"There's a chance he won't fight Olivia, we have to consider ..."
"Nothing Cole, I'm not considering anything. Until the doctors say otherwise I'm not going to even think about flicking that switch." Olivia made herself clear and everyone in the room decided to drop the subject.
"Ok well for now you can keep your shifts the way they are, we can be flexible though so don't worry about that." Jenkins continued.
"Ok." Olivia replied in a whisper, she was too defeated to fight anymore.
"Now Olivia, I've called Casey and CPS and they're putting a rush on the adoption. The hearing is tomorrow." Cragen said giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"What? Why? Is this because he's dying?" Olivia asked.
"The reason that he may not survive is one reason but as you said it, he's your son and should anything happen to him you need to be the adopted parent to be allowed to turn the machine off. Otherwise it's in CPS' hands and I know you don't want that." Cragen explained.
"Ok." Olivia replied.
"You need to be in court first thing tomorrow morning and then they should be your children by lunch time, they don't need to hear anyone speak as the written statements have proven to be enough." He added.
Olivia just nodded, she was in too much shock to say anything.
"Now both of you take the rest of today and tomorrow off and then we'll return to work on Wednesday." Jenkins smiled gently and the two got up and left without another word.
Ok so very short chapter and the next one skips forwards a week.
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