DISCLAIMER: The copyrighted characters of any TV program, movie, or published work of fiction are the property of their owners/creators. In this case, Law and Order SVU and Dick Wolfe. No copyright infringement is intended and nothing is being made. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Feedback is greatly appreciated (good or bad). Single quotes indicate thoughts. The subject is sensitive and I will stick to the medical facts as best I can.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
OUT OF NEW YORK
Chapter 21: The weak are not alone...
He watched the dust dance in the sunlight. the little particles dove and swirled without help from him. Effortless.
'So easy. If only it was that effortless. If only.' His tears long since dried. All shed before the impact was fully felt by Olivia. 'How could it be?' Olivia lied still in her bed. Medically induced coma. 'Better for her to heal.' He recalled the doctors telling him.
'What about when she wakes up.?'
All so surreal.
"Who knew breathing could be so...mesmerizing." Liz Donnelly said. Her hand touching the shoulder of the woman she knows only as a daughter now.
"All of this is so terrifying." Abbie allowed her emotions to escape. "To survive the drug cartel and then have this happen. Humanity is full of creatures."
"How is the investigation going?" Liz inquired adjusting herself in the green naugahyde chair. Her bed for the foreseeable future. Abbie began to speak in official protest.
"Don't" Liz scolded. "We have lost and have our own lives on hold because of this..this unspeakable act. Remember, I taught you how to speak without talking."
Abbie carefully reviewed the information she had kept hidden in her brain's files. There were things she could say without saying. Liz has known her for a long time, was her boss for awhile. She'll figure it out.
"The soldier that drove Olivia to the building, turns out he had nothing to do with the crime. He was just there by short straw. He will receive a fully military funeral."
"The rest."
"The one from the alley, Notred, a pawn. He met Petra Listdoc at the last summit in Chili."
"Love is strange."
"Petra. Stone in Greek. Cold person. Not her first."
"Do we know where she is?" Liz places a cold wet cloth on Alex's lips. Most of the water drained down the sides. She then took a salve and gently rubbed it on Alex's lips. "Don't want her lips to dry out." She says without looking at Abbie.
Abbie takes a closer look at her mentor. Her usually perfect hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Dark circles framed her pain filled eyes. Her skin was pale. She looked as fragile as she was emotionally.
"Excuse me."
Abbey turned. Blonde hair, brown hair, smells like lilacs. "PA Ashcord. Nice to see you again." The blush on Abbie's face was hard to disguise.
"Likewise." Ashcord said moving past her. She stopped at Alex's bedside and began looking at the bedside chart. She compared what she had in the official chart with the bedside fluids chart. Her eyes scanned to the fluid bags attached to the IV pole. Three bags in all. One saline, one feeding tube bag and the last medication. Drip rates. Check. Bag levels. Saline a third full. Feeding bag half full. Meds a third. She reviewed the drip rates again and marked an estimated time for the bags to be replaced in the chart.
"Everything going well?" Liz asked.
"Yes. Her fluid intake and..." Ashcord bent to look at the urine bag that hung from the side of the bed. No longer the dark murky yellow. Good. "Her output is promising."
"When will she wake up?" Abbie wanted to be a least in a part of the conversation.
"As we have told you before, when we see that the infection is irraticated and her fluids are balanced, we will then wake her." Ashcord said curtly. Abbie looked at her sadly. Ashcord broke eye contact. She placed her pen in her pocket, the bed chart back in place. "I'll have the nurse visit in an hour. You should go and get some rest Ms. Donnelly."
"I am fine." Liz said. Ready to ask Abbie a lot of questions once the PA left. "When will the doctor be in?" 'Let's see if there is anymore heat between the two.' Liz asked herself.
"The doctor will be in to check the wounds when the nurse comes. Actually, there will be a small army with him, so it will get crowded in here. That might be the best time to take a break." She glanced at Abbie. It was not warm.
"Think I'll stay." Liz said. "I'll just shower and have my oldest her run out and get us some decent food." Liz looked at Abbie. "No offense on the cafeteria."
"Not my department. Besides I bring mine. Don't really have the time." Ashcord turned and walked towards the door. " I will see you then in a few hours." She did not look at Abbie when she passed her in the doorway.
"Well, hate to ask what that was about." Liz said relieved that there was something more fun to talk about besides the case.
"Well, then don't." Abbie said. Her head turned towards the hallway now. She was watching the PA at the nurse's desk just down the hall. "i'll be right back." Without waiting for an answer, she was out the door and headed towards the PA.
"Tracy." Abbie said a few steps from the nurse's desk. Ashcord did not acknowledge her. "Tracy, please. Can we have a moment?"
"We did." Tracy said in a hushed voice. Hoping that Abbie would just leave her alone.
"Please, just walk with me while I get lunch for Liz." Abbie was shocked at hearing herself plead. "Just let me explain."
Tracy placed the chart back into the filer and turned from the nurses desk. As she passed Abbie, "I have patients. And not the kind needed to date you." Abbie stood for just a second to gather her words. She took a few long strides and reached the blonde before she entered the next patient's room.
"Three dates. Three great dates all ending the next morning. One lousy run in with an ex and this." Abbie put her best pain look. 'It works in court.'
"I have to finish with my rounds." Tracy said pushing open the door and entering the room. Abbie stood and watched the door closed. The cheerful greetings on the other side. 'Man, she's a good actress.'
She lowered her head and headed for the elevator.
"How'z she do'n?" Cregan said quietly. His two best locked in a grim state.
"No change." Elliott didn't take his eyes from his partner. "no change, no change, no change." Tears were filling their previous path down his cheeks.
Cregan reached out and touched Elliott's shoulder. "Son, breathe. She knows your here. She just needs the time to heal. The doctors know what they are doing."
"Yes, but will she hang on?"
"Olivia is strength. She's not ready to stop living. She just needs time." Cregan looked out the window. Rain hit the window and slowly streamed down the glass. A mirror of his insides. He only cried once before. Many years have past, but the feeling of loss was filling his heart again.
"When was the last time you were home?"
"Kathy came here last weekend. Dicky stayed. He's at the hotel finishing his term paper." Elliott was reminded of a conversation he had with Olivia.
"You'd make a great mother. A kid would be lucky to have you."
"Tell that to the foster care people. They turned me down." Olivia didn't have to look at Elliott to know he would have a puzzled look.
"Plenty of single women adopt children."
"I am never home. My job is not exactly inviting of children."
"She has no one. I have this family and she has no one. She deserves better." Elliott stood and brushed past the captain.
"She has us."
"A bunch of cops who at the end of the day go home to their real families. Sure we celebrate victories together, we have or are suppose to have each other's backs, we spend hours in our cars, at the precinct, but we all go home to someone. She goes home to nothing. Not even a pet." He wiped the tears with the back of his hand.
"And Alex. What do you think Alex will mean to her?"
"If she lives. Who knows. With her vanity and emotional shut downs. Who knows what she will be like when she wakes up. If she does."
"Then we will make sure that we are here to support both of them."
"I won't watch Alex tear her apart again." Elliott turned. His anger was not hidden in his tone nor on his face.
"Something tells me that is not possible anymore." Cregan looked down on the lifeless body. His heart broke.