Author's Note: Grab a box of tissues, this chapter will probably make you cry.

Further Down The Road

(Chapter Ten: Beginning Or The End)

Olivia opened her eyes and raised her head as she felt the baby kick hard into her ribs. She groaned a little and looked at her watch. She must have fallen asleep.

She shifter her eyes to look at the drizzling rain down the outside of the hospital room window.

"It is a miserable looking day," she said holding one hand against her belly and peering through the blinds. She looked over her shoulder as if expecting Elliot to answer. But he just laid there like he always did.

She exhaled and walked over to him and took a seat in the chair once more as she slipped her hand into his and squeezed. "You look good though. You could use a shave," she said slipping her fingertips around his chin and feeling the prickly little hairs that stuck out over the area.

It had now been almost four months since he was rushed into the emergency room with three bullet wounds. They had done the surgery to remove the bullet that had been left inside him. But they were never able to get him to regain consciousness.

For the last four months he had laid here in this bed. With his wife faithfully by his side. Breathing with the help of machines. But Olivia refused to give up on him. She refused to let him go.

Maureen kept the girls at night at the apartment and got Hannah off to school and Abby to nursery school. She attended her classes during the day, then picked up the girls and would bring them to the hospital each night to see Olivia. Sometimes on the weekends, Maureen would stay with the Elliot and Olivia would spend the evening with the girls.

Olivia hadn't however taken them in to see Elliot. Kathy had insisted she should allow Hannah to see him, just in case. But Olivia didn't want her daughter to remember her father this way.

The last time Elliot had seen the girls was New Years Eve when he had taken them all out for ice cream before they dropped the kids off at Kathy's. They were laughing and joking, a big happy family. That was how she wanted her kids to remember him.

Hannah asked about him all of the time and didn't seem to understand why she couldn't see him. But she always colored him pictures at school and wrote him little letters and made cards that were hung up all over his room. Olivia kept pictures of all of the kids around him all of the time. That way if he did wake up, he would see his family was thinking about him.

Her days were spent watching him breathe and sleep. Leaning over the side of his bed to rest her head against his shoulder. He wasn't here, but he wasn't gone either. She could still feel him around her.

That night Olivia sat by his bed talking to Hannah on the phone before Maureen put the girls into bed.

"Mom?"

"Yes, baby."

"Can I say good night to daddy?"

"Okay," Olivia said with a smile. This had become a tradition with them. Every night Hannah had to call and tell her father good night or she wouldn't go to sleep. Olivia held the phone up to Elliot's ear. "He's listening, Hannah." She waited a few seconds and put the phone back to her ear.

"Can you give him a kiss from me and Abby and tell him we miss him and love him and come home soon."

"I'll tell him. Good night sweetheart. I love you. Give Abby a kiss for me."

"I will mommy. Good night. Love you."

The next afternoon Maureen's classes were canceled so she came to sit with Olivia in her father's hospital room.

"Any change?"

"No."

Maureen exhaled loudly and sat in a chair next to Olivia. "Mom called me, she wanted me to talk to you. Actually what she said was talk some sense into you."

Olivia took a deep breath and looked over at Maureen.

"She wants me to sign the papers," Olivia said staring ahead watching Elliot's chest as the machine breathed for him.

"She says he is already gone, Liv. And she wants to turn the machines off and let him rest in peace."

"What do you think?" Olivia asked looking at the girl with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know." Maureen shook her head.

"I am sorry, that this is causing you guys so much pain. But I can't do it, Maureen. That machine is keeping him alive. And I can't just sign a paper and tell them it is okay to let him die. I don't feel like this is his time."

"But what is he never wakes up? It has been four months, Olivia. What if…" she sniffled, "what if mom is right?"

"When that doctor can come in here and tell me that there is no way he will ever wake up, then I will sign those papers. Not until. I am sorry I am upsetting your mother so much. I am not doing this to hurt anyone. I love your father."

"I know you do. And he loves you. You are the love of his life. Liv. He told me that."

"He did?"

"Yes. He said he loved mom. But you were the love of his life."

Olivia smiled. "He has always been such a romantic. He is the love of my life, too. And I know he would never give up on me. If it were me laying here and it was up to him….do you think he would sign those papers?"

Olivia looked at Maureen.

"No. I know he wouldn't. He would help you live as long as you could."

"That is why I can't give up on him."

Olivia leaned over and placed her forehead against Elliot's arm and closed her eyes. Maureen now sat on the other side of the bed holding Elliot's hand.

"Maureen?"

"Yeah, Liv?"

"Can you do me a favor and push that call button for the nurse?"

"Sure," Maureen said pushing the button. "Does he need a new IV?"

"No. I'm in labor."

"Labor?"

"Yes. I was having light contractions this morning and I thought they had gone away. But my water just broke."

"You're gonna have the baby?"

"It appears so."

"Right now?"

Olivia breathed through a strong contraction. And nodded her head.

"Yes, now."

"But you are not due yet!"

"I don't think that matters at this point."

The nurse stepped in and called for a doctor and they rushed Olivia to the delivery room. Kathleen sat in with her father while Maureen went in to be with Olivia.