Testing
Olivia stared across the room at Elliot's daughter, not quite sure how to respond. When he called last night to say that Maureen wanted her to take her for the required testing, her first reaction was elation that Maureen was willing to go through with being the donor. She'd scoffed at Elliot's concerns that Maureen had ulterior motives but to appease him had promised that she wouldn't, under any circumstance, reveal any details of how August was conceived.
Of all of the Stabler children, Olivia felt as though she knew Maureen the least. She'd heard plenty of stories from Elliot in the early years of their partnership when he and Kathy were struggling with her rebellious teenage years, but by the time she really to know the family, Maureen was already out of the house. Of the two older girls, Kathleen was the one she was closest to, but Maureen was nothing like her sister.
Now it appeared that Elliot was right. The girl had been making needling remarks since Olivia had picked her up that morning to drive her to the hospital.
"Excuse me?" Olivia asked, pretending she hadn't heard the most recent question in an effort to buy more time.
"How exactly did my father donate sperm so you could get pregnant?" Maureen repeated from where she sat perched on the end of the exam table. There was a glint of amusement in her blue eyes, as if she was enjoying making Olivia squirm.
Olivia held her gaze and said in the coolest tone she could manage: "Oh, you know…I handcuffed him to a cot in the crib and Fin and Munch helped me get a sample."
Maureen burst out laughing, a sound that reminded her so much of Elliot that Olivia almost shivered. "Good one, Olivia." She said dryly when she stopped laughing. "No, really, how did it happen? Turkey baster? "
"Does it matter?" Olivia asked, fixing the young woman with the stare she used to break recalcitrant perps.
"Does it matter?" Maureen scoffed. "We've all wondered for years about you and Dad, it would be nice to know if our new "sister" is your love child."
Olivia sighed and shook her head: This old crap again! If I had a nickel for every time I've been accused of having an affair with Elliot…
"I've never met a man as devoted to his family as your father." She said, slowly and calmly. "There has never been any kind of romantic relationship between us. He loves your mother. The rest is none of your business. Biologically, August is your sister. That's all you need to know."
They were engaged in an exchange of angry glares when a nurse knocked at the door and entered the room, wheeling a machine behind her.
"I'm sorry for the delay," she said. "The EKG machine was in use. Let me get you hooked up and get this last test done and then you'll be out of here."
Maureen had already had blood drawn and a physical by the doctor and insisted that Olivia remain present for all of it. It was almost as if she wanted Olivia to see how much she had to go through so she'd appreciate her contribution. Right now, the only think Olivia could appreciate was a break from this girl and the tension.
"I'll be waiting outside," she said, standing up and moving to the door before Maureen could protest. Outside, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, taking deep, calming breaths. She would not lose her temper with the only person who could save her daughter.
"Everything okay, Olivia?"
She opened her eyes to see Dr. Simon standing in front of her looking concerned.
"Oh hi …yes, I'm fine." She pasted what she hoped was a convincing smile on her face. "Just taking a breather." She nodded toward the exam room. "Maureen is having an EKG. "
"Good," Simon said. "I was just checking to see how her tests were going. When she's finished, I'll review the procedures with her and have her sign the consent forms."
"When do you want to admit August?" Olivia asked, feeling both hope and dread at the prospect.
"I'll know more after I talk to Ms. Stabler," the doctor promised, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Olivia nodded and watched as he walked away back down the hall, the tails of his white coat flapping behind his imposing figure. He was a tall man, but carried himself lightly as if the job he did was not one that had the potential to break his heart several times a day. His calm demeanor inspired confidence; she was very glad he was the man in charge of her daughter's care.
Not surprisingly, Maureen wanted Olivia to sit in on the session with Dr. Simon. By then, Olivia had regained her composure by reminding herself, again, of how difficult this situation was for Elliot's children. Not only was Maureen dealing with finding out about a sibling she never knew existed; she was faced with have to help the very person she resented.
"Sure," said Olivia, giving her a warm smile. "His office is down the hall, let's go find him."
Simon sat them down at a table and reviewed, in exhaustive detail, what would be involved in donating bone marrow. He showed them a video. Olivia winced at some of the pictures and descriptions of procedures, but Maureen never flinched. It was obvious that once the girl made up her mind to do something there would be no back pedaling or second thoughts.
Maureen would be admitted to the hospital and put under general anesthesia while they extracted the marrow from four different spots on her pelvic bones. Barring complications, she'd go home the next morning and would be able to return to normal activities as soon as she felt up to it, usually only a day or two. She might feel some pain in her lower back for a week or two after the procedure but given her age and excellent state of health, Dr. Simon predicted it would be even shorter. There was no lasting impact of donating marrow; her body would replenish what was taken in six weeks.
Olivia was a bit resentful when she thought how different the process would be for August. Maureen, who was old enough to understand what was happening, would have only a small amount of discomfort and a short hospital stay. There was no way to explain to a toddler that the horrible things being done to her were to make her feel better in the long run. She sighed, and Maureen gave her a sharp look, as if reading her mind. Olivia realized it was a good thing that the donor's experience was relatively painless—otherwise, who would ever donate?
"Do you have any questions?" Dr. Simon asked Maureen at the end of his prepared speech. "I know I've thrown a lot at you at once."
Maureen shook her head. "Only one—when can we do it? The sooner the better for Augusts' sake, right?"
Simon nodded. "August will have to go through more preparation than you will, I'm afraid. She'll have to be admitted and given a round of chemo to kill off her diseased marrow. That will take a week to ten days."
"Perfect timing," said Maureen, with a determined tilt of her chin. "School is on break in exactly one week. Let's do it."
Olivia talked to Dr. Simon alone after the forms were signed.
"We can admit August Monday morning ," he told her. "Ms. Stabler seems like a remarkable young woman and an excellent candidate to be a donor. We were very fortunate that to have found such a good match."
"Where can I take you now?" Olivia asked when they exited the hospital. "Back to your apartment? Do you have classes?"
"I'd like to see August." Maureen announced. Olivia looked at her in surprise.
"Why?" she asked gently.
"I haven't seen her since I found out that she's my sister." Her blue eyes, so much like Elliot's, were steady as they looked at Olivia. There was no more anger or resentment; she seemed to have left that behind when she signed the papers in the hospital. "I'd just like to see her," she added in a low voice, as if she didn't want to admit her vulnerability. "If I'm going to give her part of my body, I'd like to get to know her a little better."
The two women stared at each other for a long moment. Olivia could see that Maureen wasn't going to back down, and really, what was the harm?
"Then I guess you should come back to the apartment with me for lunch," she said lightly. "She'll be thrilled to have company; she's bored to death with staying home all of the time."
Maureen spent the afternoon at the apartment, playing with August and talking to Mariclair. She had the same easy style with August that all of the Stabler children had with Eli—a good-natured patience and enthusiasm. Olivia could see that there were benefits to having children spaced so far apart.
August had only met Maureen on a few occasions but took to her immediately, climbing into her lap with a book and her stuffed dog. Maureen took the dog from her hand to examine it and then looked at Olivia. "Eli had one just like this when he was little."
Olivia nodded. "He gave it to August when she was a baby. She won't sleep without it."
"He called him "Goggy"."
"So does she." Olivia smiled.
Maureen looked down at the little girl in her lap and Olivia wondered if she was searching for a family resemblance. With the two of the so close together, there were some subtle similarities but she didn't think they'd be apparent to a casual observer. Maureen took the stuffed dog and wiggled it in front of Augusts' face, making him talk in a gruff voice.
"What's for lunch, little girl? I'm hungry!"
August giggled and snuggled in closer to her.
Elliot called in a panic when he couldn't get through to Maureen on her cell phone.
"Did everything go okay at the hospital?" he asked. "Where is she?"
Olivia took the phone into the bedroom and closed the door. Mariclair, Maureen and August were at the dining room table, attempting to play a game of Candyland.
"She's here at the apartment," she told Elliot. "She asked to come back and see August." She filled Elliot in on the events of the day, including his daughter's probing and indelicate questions.
"What did you tell her?" Elliot asked. She could hear the concern in his voice.
"That the details were none of her business. She's been fine since we left the hospital though; she dropped the entire attitude once she signed the consent papers."
"That's how's she been ever since we told them," he sighed. "Biting my head off one minute and fine the next."
"I'm sure it's a lot to deal with," Olivia commented. She opened the door a crack and looked at the trio at the table. Maureen was helping August count out the number of squares she could move. "She's really good with kids, Elliot. August adores her."
"Is this what you want, Olivia? For August to have a relationship with all of them? Kathy and I have no idea how we should handle it at this point. Lizzie keeps asking about August too. I don't think she's willing to let it drop."
"I don't know if we have a choice, El." She watched as Mariclair took her turn, counting the numbers out in Portuguese as August and Maureen repeated the words after her. "Um, dois, tres, quatro…" "They seem to have decided for us."