Disclaimer 1: If only they were mine, alas, they belong to Mr Wolf.
Disclaimer 2: I'm doing my best with the medical stuff, please don't take my interpretation as best or only way to treat NHL. While I'm trying to make it as close as I can, some of it is done for the sake of the story. Also, there may be misinformation but that is intentional and will be revealed throughout the story. I've Googled all medical information and consulted reputatable sites, so, having said all that... here it is...
Dedicated to my beautiful state of Victoria, devastated by the horror of February 7th, the souls lost and the tragic destruction.
AN: I've had a bad week with more time off work and orders not to use the computer, therefore, I haven't been able to reply to reviews or emails- my apologies. I'm hoping to be back online from early next week and will respond then. Meanwhile, this chapter was sitting in my document manager and I didn't figure the five minutes it would take me to upload it would cause too much damage.
The desperation to know what had actually transpired between her mother and Olivia was eating at Maureen as she lay on her bed. Slowly, her bedroom door creaked opened and she was about to get some of the answers.
"Mo, are you asleep?" Dickie asked quietly, peeking into the room.
"No, kiddo, come on in," she replied, sitting up. "What's up?"
"I don't know," he began. "But there's something wrong with Lizzie."
"Wrong like how?" Maureen asked, swinging her legs over the side.
"I thought it was about dad but she kept saying it was nothing, and for me to get lost … then when I pushed her on it she just cried harder," he explained, his eyes filling with tears at his twin's pain. "She usually tells me when she's upset but not this time. I thought maybe it was that time – you know a girly thing and you might be able help her."
Standing and hugging Dickie, Maureen kissed his head before walking him back to his room. "I'll sort things out, Dick, you go back to bed."
Rapping quietly on the door, Maureen let herself into Kathleen's room, glad Kathleen was spending the night at a friend's place. There was enough drama happening in the house without her adding to it.
"Lizzie, honey?" she called, closing the door behind her. Any response was lost in sobs. "Hey, Liz, what's wrong?" she asked, climbing into bed with her sister and holding her tightly.
It was a long time before Lizzie had her emotions under control and could actually speak.
"What is it, Liz?" Maureen asked gently, wiping her sister's face.
"Mom is such a bitch," Lizzie whispered, and Maureen nodded.
"What happened?" she prompted as Lizzie snuggled into her.
"She made Liv go away," Lizzie explained. "She doesn't know I know but I heard what she said to Liv and it was horrible, Mo. Really, really horrible. I wouldn't be surprised if we never see her again."
Reaching over, Maureen turned on the lamp and grabbed the tissues.
"Now, tell me what happened?" she asked, handing her a Kleenex.
Taking a deep breath, Lizzie tried to relate the story as she'd heard it from the hallway on her way to the bathroom.
"Mom basically called Liv a slut and said that dad only had pity sex with her and then she said Liv was pathetic and dad was only with her because the department paid him." She sobbed once more.
Needing a little more information to put the entire story together, Maureen waited and by the time Liz got to the part where Olivia had left, she was also in tears.
"What are we going to do, Mo?" she pleaded. "I love Liv and don't want to lose her but more importantly dad needs her…and she won't be back here and …"
"Shh, Liz," Maureen soothed, kissing Lizzie's head. "It'll be alright, I promise I will fix it."
"You mean it?" asked Dickie from the doorway. He had known this was more than a girl thing and needed to hear the details for himself.
"Come in here," Maureen said, patting the bed beside her.
When Dickie was settled, Maureen took his hand.
"Look, you guys," Maureen said gently. "I know this is all so hard but it will work out fine. Right now, Liv's upset and she's at Casey's but Casey said she's okay. Now, you two don't say anything and I'll sort it all out, okay?"
"Okay," they said and nodded.
"Mo, thank you," Lizzie whispered, hugging her.
"Sleep, kiddo," she whispered back. "You too," she said, turning Dickie around to the door.
"I'll sleep in here," Dickie said, pointing Kathleen's bed. He didn't want Lizzie to be alone, and he didn't want to be alone either.
Thursday came and went quickly as Olivia tried to get through the day and Maureen was just as busy making plans of her own. Elliot's treatment went okay but he was confused about Olivia and why she would leave him when she'd promised she'd spend the night. He tried to speak to her but all his calls went to voicemail, he called Maureen and knew there was something going on that he was missing.
"Look, dad," she said, taking a deep breath. "Liv's really busy at the moment and she had to go into work really early … you know the Lamberti case … anyway, she said she was going to try to call you today."
"Mo, I need to see her …" he said, with a quiet desperation.
"I know, dad," she sighed.
"And I don't want to stay at the house, I want to go back home," he continued.
"I know, dad," she repeated. "My boss is coming right now, but I'll fix things, dad, I promise."
Within minutes, Maureen had her plan, not quite the one she had anticipated but a plan nonetheless. Packing up the last of her personal belongings she headed out of the office, knowing she was doing the right thing.
With Kathy working Friday morning, Maureen sat with her dad through his treatment.
"Now," she said, as she closed the door behind Connie. "Let's get you out if here."
"Bed, again?" he sighed, trying to stand up from the armchair.
"Not quite, dad," Maureen said, grabbing his arm and steadying him. "I'm taking you home."
"Home, really?" he said, grinning tiredly. "What did your mom say?"
"Don't worry about mom," she said with half a smile. "Let me deal with her."
Just over an hour later, Elliot was sound asleep in Olivia's bed and he had never felt more at home in his life.
Meanwhile, Olivia and Fin had their own dramas unfolding as the team closed in around Alfonse Lamberti. While not involved in the search for him themselves, the fact he had been tracked down and was now surrounded in a house on Long Island, changed things and they were headed out to him.
Two blocks from their destination, all hell broke loose when Lamberti decided he had no future and detonated the explosive devices he had scattered through the house and strapped to himself. In the resulting blast, several of the cops already onsite were injured, some critically and the surrounding houses had their windows blown out.
Realising it was going to be a long day, and night, she grabbed the opportunity to call Elliot and reassure him. Not able to waste time, Olivia called the house and was glad when she realised the answering machine would pick up and she wouldn't have to speak to Kathy. Unfortunately, just as she went to speak, Kathy picked up.
"Kathy, it's Olivia. There's been a development in the Lamberti case and there was an explosion, Fin and I are fine – we weren't even there. But it will be all over the news and I don't want Elliot to worry."
"I'll pass on the message, Olivia," she replied before hanging up, knowing she wouldn't.
"Mom," Kathleen said, startling her. "Who was that?"
"Someone for Dickie," she replied, still incredibly pissed that Maureen had taken her father back to Olivia's without so much as a word.
While Olivia and Fin rummaged through the debris trying to secure the scene and make sure all officers were accounted for, Elliot stumbled from the bedroom, surprising Maureen who was curled up reading on the sofa.
"What's wrong, dad?" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet, taking in his pale face and unsteadiness.
"Liv … Liv…" he called, hanging onto the wall.
"Olivia's at work, dad, she …" Maureen began to explain but he shook his head vigorously.
"Explosion … Lamberti Case…" he stated, grabbing the remote. Flipping to CNN, they watched as the report came up as 'breaking news'. And that news wasn't good; a female officer, working out of the 16th, had succumbed to injuries sustained in the blast. Her male partner's condition had been downgraded from critical but stable to critical and unstable.
"Dad, you don't know it's them," Maureen said, helping her father into the armchair. "It could be anyone."
"The bastard already killed two and injured one from SVU – what are the chances they're someone else?" he choked.
Grabbing the phone, Maureen called Olivia's cell repeatedly but it just went to voicemail and she left messages each time. She tried Fin's but the result was the same. Their phones had been abandoned in the car so as not to set off any unexploded devices on the scene. She called the precinct but Don was out at the scene and no one could confirm or deny the media reports.
"This is fucking shit," he yelled as Maureen replaced the receiver. "You'd think someone could fucking tell me something!"
"We'll hear soon, I'm sure," she said, trying to soothe her father.
"Sure … she could be lying dead somewhere and they'll get around to telling us soon," he said, getting up and reaching for his keys.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, jumping up and standing in his way.
"To find Liv," he said, trying to side step her.
"No way!" Maureen exclaimed. "You are not allowed to go anywhere – you just had your treatment, dad."
"Fuck the treatment and any rules that go with it!" he growled. "I don't care what Connie says."
"Do you care what Liv says, dad?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "Don't you think she'll be incredibly pissed if you turn up like this when she's at work?"
It was enough to deflate Elliot's bravado.
"God, Mo… I just need to know," he said, scrubbing his hand across his face.
"I know, I know," she soothed, hugging him.
"I can't lose her … I can't beat this without her," he whispered into her hair.
"You're not going to lose her," she replied. "But you will be in her bad books if you don't go back to bed –is that what you want?"
"No, of course not," he replied, struggling to keep upright now the adrenalin was waning.
"You go lay down and I'll keep trying to get Liv and I'll wake you the minute I know, okay?" she said, steering him towards the door.
"Promise?" he asked, knowing he couldn't fight the fatigue anymore and hating himself for it.
"I promise."
Hours later, with nothing else they could do at the scene and with her clothes covered in the residue from the explosion and the aftermath, Olivia asked Fin to drive by her place so she could change. Exhausted by the hours spent in the rubble, Olivia didn't have the energy to think of anyone else and leant her head against the window. But as she did her thoughts turned to Elliot – at least he knew she was fine and she hoped he was too, after the last treatment in this cycle.
"Going out to Queens tonight to see Elliot?" Fin asked breaking into the silence.
"Yeah, after we finish up. Wanna come?" she asked, needing to see Elliot but not wanting to face Kathy on her own.
"Sure," he grinned, pulling up outside her apartment.
"Help yourself to a drink," she instructed Fin as she went to put the key in the lock. "I won't be long." It surprised them both when the door opened for them.
"Maureen!" she exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Oh god, Liv, are you okay? I've been so worried," she gushed hugging her tightly.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she reassured her. "How long have you been here?"
"Since about ten thirty," she said, moving to let them both into the apartment. "As soon as Connie finished I packed dad up and brought him here - it's where he wanted to be and … well, I know what mom said to you the other night, Liv, and I'm so sorry."
"Not your fault," she sighed, hugging her again. Then it struck her, if they had been there from ten thirty, then Kathy would have known that when she spoke to her at one. And if Maureen had been worried then…
"Did your mom call you here this afternoon?" she asked slowly.
"No," Maureen shook her head. "Why?"
"I left a message at the house to say we were fine … she should have passed it on," Olivia said, her dislike for the woman escalating dramatically.
"No, she didn't," Maureen reiterated.
"Does that mean your dad…" she began.
Maureen nodded slowly. "He thought that woman was you and I tried and tried to get hold of you but …"
Before Maureen could continue, Elliot staggered out of the bedroom looking ill and totally confused.
Don't forget to review! I have a magic figure in mind to reach before I update again - Let's see how long it takes to get there!
The last chapter of the first instalment of Death of a Child is up.