Note: Here's chapter two. Don't be fooled by the fluff crumbs...
Disclaimer: We don't own SVU or the song All of the Stars.
Elliot stayed by her side for hours, only eating when a nurse brought him a small tray from the cafeteria downstairs. He had a book to read and he texted with his kids, as well as with Fin and Cragen, even though he didn't have much to report. She was stable and sedated, and it was the best he could hope for at the moment.
The evening after her surgery, the nurses slowly decreased her sedation to see how she would handle it. She seemed comfortable and showed no signs of distress, pleasing her nurses.
Elliot had just settled in for the evening when Olivia finally stirred. He had turned on some legal drama and was half heartedly listening when he felt Olivia's fingers tighten around his.
"Liv?" Immediately alert, Elliot gripped her hand and leaned closer to the bed.
At first she didn't look any different and he wondered if he had imagined the movement. Then she squeezed again as her brow furrowed.
He reached out with his other hand and touched her cheek. "Open your eyes..."
She let out a soft moan. "Mm... Elliot...?"
"I'm here." He heaved a sigh of relief and didn't ease his grip on her hand. "I'm right here."
Her long eyelashes fluttered and when he saw her eyes, they were glassy and unfocused. "Elliot..."
"There you are." He smiled shakily.
Her brow furrowed in confusion but she didn't let his hand go. "What... You're here..."
"Of course I'm here."
"But..." Her eyes watered a bit. "Why..."
Elliot's brow furrowed in concern. "I told you I wasn't leaving you alone."
She blinked slowly, huffing in confusion. "You've been gone...ten years..."
Elliot's stomach dropped at her words. "I've been back for two months. What do you remember?"
Two months... tears of frustration prickled her eyes and her heart rate sped up. "I...I don't know..."
"Shh, settle down... it's okay. Everything's gonna be okay." He smoothed his hand over her hair.
A nurse hurried into the room. "Mr. Stabler? Is everything alright?"
"She just woke up, and she's disoriented."
"That's quite normal. She's on several medications and she's lost a lot of blood." The nurse came to the bed and pulled out a pen light. "Hello, Olivia. It's good to see your eyes."
Olivia managed a weak smile but flinched when the penlight was waved in her eyes.
"That's great," the nurse enthused as she put the penlight away and made a few notes.
Elliot relaxed, but he still held Olivia's hand tightly. "So everything's looking normal?"
"Everything looks great," she assured him with a smile. "But don't expect her to stay awake for long. Remember, she's experienced a trauma and her body needs to heal."
He nodded, twining his fingers through Olivia's. "Alright..."
"And if you notice anything is wrong, such as she doesn't recognize you or she becomes very agitated, come find me."
"Okay. I'll keep an eye out."
"Great." She adjusted Olivia's morphine before leaving them alone again.
Elliot returned his attention to Olivia and gave her hand another squeeze. "Try to get some rest. You might feel more alert later."
She stared back at him, her expression a mixture of confusion and… joy? She returned the squeeze as fiercely as she could.
"There you go…"
She fought it, but soon her eyes started to close. "Elliot..."
"I'll be here with you," he assured her. "I'm not going anywhere."
She murmured something too soft for him to hear, then she slipped back into a healing sleep.
Over the following handful of days, they went through the same pattern. Olivia would awake for a short while, oftentimes confused, and drink a little water before falling asleep again. Elliot was worried, but her doctors and nurses were all confident and pleased with her progress.
One morning, just before lunch, Elliot had to take a call from Maureen. He stepped into the hall just outside of her doorway to answer Maureen's call.
As he spoke with his daughter, Olivia began to stir restlessly. "Elliot...?"
From the hallway, he didn't hear her soft voice. A few moments later, Olivia called out again, this time louder. Elliot said goodbye to Maureen and rushed into the room. "Liv?"
She blinked tiredly and waited until he moved into her line of vision. "What...what happened..."
Elliot hesitated, sitting down next to her bed. "You were shot. You've been in the hospital a few days, but you're going to heal."
Suddenly she froze, her breathing quickening as she remembered the gun, the two shots. "Elliot, are you okay?" she demanded, her voice still weak.
"I'm fine," he promised. "I didn't get hurt."
Sighing in relief, she sank into the pillows again. "Are you sure..."
"I'm sure. I'm okay." He gave her hand a squeeze.
Nodding, she squeezed his hand back. To his relief she didn't fall asleep right away. Instead she squinted at him. "You look like hell."
"Gee, thanks." He chuckled and shook his head. After a moment his smile faded. "You had me worried."
"I'm fine..." she didn't pull her hand out of his. "Is Noah okay?"
Elliot nodded. "Fin's been making sure he has someone looking after him."
"Thank you." Her eyes were tired but warm.
He squeezed her hand again. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm fine," she murmured, returning the squeeze.
"Alright. I'm staying here with you."
She searched his eyes tiredly. "Go take a shower and eat something first," she insisted, her eyelids growing heavy.
Elliot didn't budge from his seat. "Are you sure? I don't want to leave you here alone."
"Not long," she murmured sleepily. "I'll be okay..."
Finally he gave in, nodding reluctantly. "Okay. I won't be gone long."
She chuckled wearily. "Check on Noah, too?"
"I will."
"Thanks..." Her breathing was quickly becoming deep and even.
As promised, Elliot stayed until she fell asleep. Only then did he quietly leave the room.
Elliot left the hospital long enough to get a shower and dinner. Afterwards, he checked in on Noah, as he'd promised Olivia he would do. Noah was staying with Carisi and Elliot went to the address Olivia had given him before she fell asleep.
Carisi eagerly let Elliot in. "Hey, man. How's she doing?"
"A little better. She was awake longer today."
"That's great. Hey, No, come say hi to Elliot!"
Noah came bounding away from the kitchen table. "Hi!"
Elliot smiled softly. He'd met Noah a handful of times, but never for more than a couple of minutes. "Hey, Noah."
Noah looked at Carisi, then back to Elliot. "Is my mom okay?"
"Well..." Elliot knelt in front of him. "She's still going to be in the hospital for a while, but she's getting better every day. She asked about you."
His eyes widened. "She did? I really miss her..."
"Yep," Elliot confirmed with a nod. "She's really tired, but she was feeling better today. The doctors will know more in a few days about when she can come home."
"Cool." The little boy looked relieved. "I like staying with Uncle Sonny and Uncle Fin, but I miss my house!"
"Yeah? I think she does, too."
Carisi patted Noah's shoulder. "Hey, kiddo, why don't you go get that picture you drew for your mom, huh?"
Noah lit up and ran to the table, grabbing a piece of paper. "Can you give this to my mom, Elliot?"
"Of course. She's gonna love that." Elliot took the picture from him.
"Thanks!" He went back to the table and Carisi looked Elliot over.
"Tell her Noah is fine. He's gonna be with me, Fin or Amanda."
Elliot nodded. "I'll make sure she knows."
"Great."
They chatted a little more before Elliot left, anxious to get back to Olivia. He drove back to the hospital and made his way upstairs, quietly slipping into the room. He sat in the chair next to her bed.
"Liv?" he whispered.
To his pleasant surprise, she stirred and opened her eyes. "Elliot..."
"Hey," he greeted. "How do you feel?"
"Mm... tired and sore," she replied honestly.
"Do you want me to get the nurse?"
"No, she just gave me something to take the edge off." She rested her head on her arm and held her free hand out to him.
Elliot gladly took her hand into his. With his other hand he handed her the picture from Noah. "I checked on Noah. He sent you this."
She let his hand go and took the picture, smiling shakily. "How was he?"
"He's a little worried, but he's okay."
"Good." She let Elliot place the picture nearby before he took her hand again. "You know you don't have to stay..."
"I'm staying," he insisted without a second thought.
She smiled and relaxed into the pillows. "I remember the dance..."
"You do?" He smiled.
"Yeah. I...I remember how it felt."
"How was that?"
"I didn't want it to end." Her voice was soft and unsure.
"Neither did I," he admitted quietly.
Her eyes filled with relief and she visibly relaxed. "I'm still angry with you," she reminded him, but there was no heat in her words.
"I know." He nodded softly and smoothed her hair back.
"Good." She smiled and leaned into his hand.
Elliot continued to stroke her cheek. His expression gave way to something more serious, something sadder. "You scared me, you know."
Her grip on his hand tightened. "Sorry... I saw the gun and I...I only had a second to react."
"Yeah..." he nodded, swallowing hard. "I can't lose you, Liv." As he said that, his voice wavered just a little. He clenched his jaw, reminding himself that she was safe, that he hadn't lost her.
"I felt the same way when I shoved you out of the way," she replied, letting her fingers thread through his.
He sighed, his eyes meeting hers. "When you lost consciousness in the ambulance, I... I didn't know what to think. I was terrified that you were going to die."
She chuckled softly. "With you back in my life? Not a chance..."
He let out a quiet laugh and managed a small smile. "Yeah..."
She squeezed his hand again. "If I fall asleep again..."
"It's okay."
Reassured, she let her eyes close. "Make sure you're taking care of yourself, okay...?"
"I am. You focus on getting yourself out of here." He rubbed the back of her hand, the touch slow and gentle.
She smiled sleepily and nodded, her breathing growing slow and even. "Deal..."
"Good." He leaned back in his seat, keeping a firm grip on her hand.
An hour after she fell asleep, her nurse stepped into the room to check on her condition. "Hi, Mr. Stabler."
"She's doing better. She's been more coherent every time."
"That's exactly what we want to see. And her heart rate looks good. Dr. Chetzky wants to take her down for another scan in the morning, to ensure no fragments were missed."
Elliot nodded, relieved. "Good."
She nodded and patted his shoulder. "Let me know if she needs anything."
"I will."
The nurse nodded and left, and Elliot focused on Olivia's sleeping face.
She was going to be okay, and he could breathe.
That night, after Elliot had fallen asleep by her bed, Olivia awoke with a start. She was sweating and uncomfortable, and her heart was racing. She lifted her head a bit, searching for her water. When she didn't see it, she reluctantly called out to Elliot. "Elliot..."
He stirred, stifling a yawn as he woke. "Are you okay?"
"I feel..." She groaned softly and closed her eyes. "Need some water..."
"Alright." There was a cup and pitcher on the sink and he filled it up, handing it to her. When a tremor went through her hand, he held it steady as she sipped the water. His brow furrowed in concern when he noticed her pale appearance. "I'll call your nurse."
"I'm okay," she insisted, but her eyes were glassy. She winced when he touched the back of his hand to her forehead. "Elliot..."
He frowned at the heat he felt against his hand. "You're burning up." He reached out, pressing the button to buzz a nurse.
"I'm okay." She weakly pushed herself up a bit, panting softly. "Really, I'm fine."
He stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Easy... you just had surgery."
"I know..." Her face suddenly went white. "Why... why can't I move my legs?"
"What do you..." Elliot stopped, his stomach twisting as he remembered her surgeon mentioning the possibility of spinal cord damage even if they thought everything was clear. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Just wait for the nurse."
One of the nurses rushed into the room. "Is everything alright, Mr. Stabler?"
"Something's wrong. She's running a fever and she can't move her legs."
The nurse winced but quickly sprung into action. "Don't worry, Olivia. We're going to take care of you."
Elliot tightened his grip on Olivia's hand. "You'll be okay..."
Olivia anxiously looked back at him as the nurse started to look her over. "Elliot..."
"I'm here. I'm not leaving you." Elliot glanced toward the nurse and tried not to let his worry show when the nurse looked under the back of Olivia's gown and he could see a glimpse of a rash forming around the surgical site. He returned his focus to Olivia and tried to keep her calm.
Olivia clung to him, her breathing soft and rapid.
He stroked her hair with his other hand. "Shh..."
"I'm going to have her surgeon paged. I think she has an infection. There may be a fragment still inside her. We should be able to get it under control if we work now."
Elliot frowned sharply and tightened his grip on her hand. "But she'll be alright," he finished, his voice almost pleading.
"We'll know more once we get her scans done."
Olivia tucked Elliot's hand against her cheek and closed her eyes.
He stayed by her side until her surgeon arrived to take her down for her scans. Reluctantly he released her hand and smoothed his hand over her forehead. "I'll be right here waiting, okay?"
She was even hotter to his touch and she nodded weakly. "Okay..."
She had to be okay.
*hides under rock* Reviews are appreciated!