Cregan looked at the clock on is his office wall. It was well after ten in
the morning and two of his detectives were missing in action. He would have
excused it if they left late the day before but they didn't, this was just
laziness at its highest level.
He stepped out of the office and was just about to tell Munch to call them when they came strolling in. He didn't need to say anything; he just gave them the look and went back into his office.
Olivia let out the breath she was holding. She was more than thankful that he didn't ask them why they were so late but she knew it wouldn't go pass John and Fin.
" Well, well, well the happy couple finally decided to grace us with their presence," Munch said looking at Fin to help him with his interrogation.
Olivia and Elliot said nothing. They just went to their seats and began to go through paper work.
" So tell me Elliot," Fin started. " Why are you two so late?"
Elliot looked at him but said nothing. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of trying to justify their actions. The truth was that he and Olivia simply over slept. They fell asleep together on the couch and found it difficult to get up.
In fact Olivia was awake hours ago but she couldn't bring herself to move. She had woken up to find herself wrapped in the arms of her partner. The first thing that ran trough her head was that she was doing something wrong but then she remembered she wasn't. If that were to happen five months ago she wouldn't be able to live with herself but at that moment she was happy to see Elliot sleeping. She closed her eyes and gave him a little more time.
Olivia was more than happy when the phone rang. She picked it up immediately. She listened for a moment and then hung up the phone.
The look on her face said a thousand words. " What's wrong," Elliot, Fin and Munch asked in unison.
She opened the hands and pretended to see something interesting in them. " That was Clayton's nurse. Apparently, Clayton was murdered, with cyanide." She stayed there for a moment looking at her hand but she could feel they were all staring at her. She couldn't take it. She got up and started to make her way to the crib. She could feel her head spinning and she felt like she was about to fall but she kept walking. She pushed the door open and took a seat on the first bed she saw. She was trying to fight the tears but she seemed to have no control over them. She closed her eyes and the tears fell down her face.
There was a slight knock on the door. She wiped her tears away and began to pull herself together. " Come in," she said softly.
Elliot entered the room and took a seat next to her on the bed. " Are you okay?" he asked.
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. She didn't even know why he was asking if he knew that wasn't. " Well it's not everyday you find out you're responsible for an innocent man's death."
He slipped his hand in hers and looked at her. " Don't you for one moment think that you are responsible for this?"
" Aren't I?"
Elliot brought her face to level with his. He looked at straight in the eye. " I know you're trying to find a reason for why this is happening but you're not that reason."
She took a deep breath and decided that he was right. He had to be. " Okay," she said softly. He kept his eyes on her. Staring, piercing trough her soul. Usally she would be afraid to have someone reading her this way but not now, something was comforting about his, so much so that they found themselves moving closer to complete the connection. His lips brushed against hers slightly. He looked at her again, as if asking permission to continue. She gave him Clarence with one look. They didn't hear someone coming their way.The door opened and they jumped apart. It was Cragen who had a somewhat startled expression on his face but he still managed to say what he had to say anyway. "Elliot, I need to see you in my office now."
They looked at each other and got up slowly. They didn't know if they should be embarrass or not. They walked out and closed the door behind them.
Elliot made his way into Cregan's office and Olivia went to her desk to wait on him.
Elliot closed the door behind him and took a seat. Cregan looked at him for a while then took a seat opposite him.
" Are you going to tell me what's this is about," Elliot asked.
He took a deep breath. " I want to know exactly how close you two are to catching this guy."
" No closer than we were yesterday," he answered honestly. " But now with what happened to Clayton, maybe we could go to the hospital and see if anyone knows anything."
" Yes you go do that, in the mean time I'll let John and Fin go through the archives. This guy didn't come out of thin air.
Elliot looked him. " What about Olivia?"
" She's going on vacation."
Elliot knew it would be the best thing for her but he knew Olivia. She wouldn't want to hear a note of that song. " I don't think that's a good idea."
" I appreciate your opinion but I'm the senior here Elliot."
He nodded. " I know that and I also know you think that you are doing this in the best interest of Olivia but she'll go ballistic. You know she wouldn't be able to sit back and do nothing. She hates to feel useless."
Cregan thought about it. He really wasn't in the position to know what was best for Olivia considering what he walked in on. " Okay if you think she should be in on this I will hold you responsible for anything that happens to her."
" I'm not going to let anything happen to her," Elliot said standing.
" Elliot," he called before he left the room.
He turned around.
" You and Olivia should make an effort to come in on time. It doesn't look good on the reports when you two are constantly late."
Elliot nodded and left the office in a hurry; appreciative of the fact that he didn't ask him about his relationship with Olivia because at the moment he was sure he wouldn't be able to answer him.
**** She knew that she told Elliot that she wouldn't feel responsible for Clayton's dead but it was hard to keep that state of mind after seeing the room. There on the counter was a small bottle of cyanide. He wanted her to know that he did it, he wanted her to feel guilty and she was. She picked it up with her gloved hand and bagged it.
Elliot could tell she was trying to remain professional but he knew it would be difficult. She knew this person. He immediately felt guilty for convincing Cregan to put her through it. Then he remembered why he did it; she wouldn't have it any other way. She looked like she had a thousand thoughts running through her head.
Olivia bit her bottom lip. She had a theory. She waved Elliot over. " I'm thinking he was familiar with the person?"
" What makes you think that?"
" I was talking to his nurse and she said that he called him by a name. She didn't see the person, she was in bathroom preparing his bath."
" This person wants revenge on you, why seek out Clayton, you've hardly had any contact with him."
She got it. " Or maybe it's someone we both know. Some one from High School." She grabbed Elliot's wrist. She got it. "Michael Hays, that's why he looked so familiar?"
" Who is Michael Hays?"
It was all making sense now. " The guy in sketch."
" And he's from your high school?"
She nodded.
" Why would he want to hurt you and Clayton?"
" Michael was sort of the school bully. He was beating Clayton down in the cafeteria and no one did anything. I had to do something."
" So you helped Clayton and he's angry because."
" I sort of told the guidance counselor about it. You see no one would ever stand up to him but I wasn't afraid of him, if he was hurting people I couldn't stand by and do nothing."
"Then you did the right thing."
" God the guidance counselor ended up in the hospital?" " What did he do to him?"
" It was a woman. He just lased out at her. He was one crazy bastard."
" Now that we have an ID on him what's next?"
***
John entered the squad room with a printed copy of Michael Hays' file. " According to this the school recommended him to facility for disturbed youths, called "St. Stephen's Home for Youths."
" When did he leave that facility?"
" When he was eighteen but he was transferred to St. Stephen home for Adults."
" When did he get out of there?"
John looked at he file and almost wanted laugh. " You're not going to believe this, he got out three weeks ago. Guess who paid all his medical bills."
She didn't know the answer.
" Our old friend Clayton."
" What," was all she could say.
***
The shirk looked at them and with a grin on his face. " You understand that those records are sealed, we at St Stephen have a strict confidentiality policy."
" What's your policy on Law suites from the state for obstruction of justice," Elliot asked dryly.
" What am I obstructing? What has Michael done."
" One count of attempted murder and murder in the first degree. So he's a pretty dangerous guy, so why don't you tell us what you know."
Mr. Black the shirk sunk in his seat. " But I examined him, he was fine, he finally started to stop putting the blame on himself for the condition of his life."
Elliot looked at the idiot before him. " You made him blame someone else." " Well yes," Mr. Black said like it was obvious. " it's my job to make my patients feel like it wasn't their fault, to let them think that life dealt them a bad hand."
" Can you tell us who he placed this blame on? "
He knew this all to well; he heard the name a million times in the later sessions with him. " Some girl called Olivia he kept taking about."
Elliot wanted to punch this guy. " You let a dangerous guy develop a grudge against a woman."
" You don't understand," He pleaded. " He was healed, he even called up one of his old rivals and made his peace with him. He wanted to attend his wedding but he couldn't. He said he would visit him the hospital."
" And now he's dead," Olivia shouted and walked out the office. She now understood why Clayton paid his medical bills. He was so naive he couldn't tell the difference between a bunny and fox. Clayton led him right to her. Michael probably told him he wanted to make peace with her too.
Elliot looked at miserable man in front of him. "Where does he live now?"
He guy was stomped. "I'm sorry; I'm not responsible for patients after they leave the facility.
NOTE: Okay, now it's time to do your part. Review.
He stepped out of the office and was just about to tell Munch to call them when they came strolling in. He didn't need to say anything; he just gave them the look and went back into his office.
Olivia let out the breath she was holding. She was more than thankful that he didn't ask them why they were so late but she knew it wouldn't go pass John and Fin.
" Well, well, well the happy couple finally decided to grace us with their presence," Munch said looking at Fin to help him with his interrogation.
Olivia and Elliot said nothing. They just went to their seats and began to go through paper work.
" So tell me Elliot," Fin started. " Why are you two so late?"
Elliot looked at him but said nothing. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of trying to justify their actions. The truth was that he and Olivia simply over slept. They fell asleep together on the couch and found it difficult to get up.
In fact Olivia was awake hours ago but she couldn't bring herself to move. She had woken up to find herself wrapped in the arms of her partner. The first thing that ran trough her head was that she was doing something wrong but then she remembered she wasn't. If that were to happen five months ago she wouldn't be able to live with herself but at that moment she was happy to see Elliot sleeping. She closed her eyes and gave him a little more time.
Olivia was more than happy when the phone rang. She picked it up immediately. She listened for a moment and then hung up the phone.
The look on her face said a thousand words. " What's wrong," Elliot, Fin and Munch asked in unison.
She opened the hands and pretended to see something interesting in them. " That was Clayton's nurse. Apparently, Clayton was murdered, with cyanide." She stayed there for a moment looking at her hand but she could feel they were all staring at her. She couldn't take it. She got up and started to make her way to the crib. She could feel her head spinning and she felt like she was about to fall but she kept walking. She pushed the door open and took a seat on the first bed she saw. She was trying to fight the tears but she seemed to have no control over them. She closed her eyes and the tears fell down her face.
There was a slight knock on the door. She wiped her tears away and began to pull herself together. " Come in," she said softly.
Elliot entered the room and took a seat next to her on the bed. " Are you okay?" he asked.
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. She didn't even know why he was asking if he knew that wasn't. " Well it's not everyday you find out you're responsible for an innocent man's death."
He slipped his hand in hers and looked at her. " Don't you for one moment think that you are responsible for this?"
" Aren't I?"
Elliot brought her face to level with his. He looked at straight in the eye. " I know you're trying to find a reason for why this is happening but you're not that reason."
She took a deep breath and decided that he was right. He had to be. " Okay," she said softly. He kept his eyes on her. Staring, piercing trough her soul. Usally she would be afraid to have someone reading her this way but not now, something was comforting about his, so much so that they found themselves moving closer to complete the connection. His lips brushed against hers slightly. He looked at her again, as if asking permission to continue. She gave him Clarence with one look. They didn't hear someone coming their way.The door opened and they jumped apart. It was Cragen who had a somewhat startled expression on his face but he still managed to say what he had to say anyway. "Elliot, I need to see you in my office now."
They looked at each other and got up slowly. They didn't know if they should be embarrass or not. They walked out and closed the door behind them.
Elliot made his way into Cregan's office and Olivia went to her desk to wait on him.
Elliot closed the door behind him and took a seat. Cregan looked at him for a while then took a seat opposite him.
" Are you going to tell me what's this is about," Elliot asked.
He took a deep breath. " I want to know exactly how close you two are to catching this guy."
" No closer than we were yesterday," he answered honestly. " But now with what happened to Clayton, maybe we could go to the hospital and see if anyone knows anything."
" Yes you go do that, in the mean time I'll let John and Fin go through the archives. This guy didn't come out of thin air.
Elliot looked him. " What about Olivia?"
" She's going on vacation."
Elliot knew it would be the best thing for her but he knew Olivia. She wouldn't want to hear a note of that song. " I don't think that's a good idea."
" I appreciate your opinion but I'm the senior here Elliot."
He nodded. " I know that and I also know you think that you are doing this in the best interest of Olivia but she'll go ballistic. You know she wouldn't be able to sit back and do nothing. She hates to feel useless."
Cregan thought about it. He really wasn't in the position to know what was best for Olivia considering what he walked in on. " Okay if you think she should be in on this I will hold you responsible for anything that happens to her."
" I'm not going to let anything happen to her," Elliot said standing.
" Elliot," he called before he left the room.
He turned around.
" You and Olivia should make an effort to come in on time. It doesn't look good on the reports when you two are constantly late."
Elliot nodded and left the office in a hurry; appreciative of the fact that he didn't ask him about his relationship with Olivia because at the moment he was sure he wouldn't be able to answer him.
**** She knew that she told Elliot that she wouldn't feel responsible for Clayton's dead but it was hard to keep that state of mind after seeing the room. There on the counter was a small bottle of cyanide. He wanted her to know that he did it, he wanted her to feel guilty and she was. She picked it up with her gloved hand and bagged it.
Elliot could tell she was trying to remain professional but he knew it would be difficult. She knew this person. He immediately felt guilty for convincing Cregan to put her through it. Then he remembered why he did it; she wouldn't have it any other way. She looked like she had a thousand thoughts running through her head.
Olivia bit her bottom lip. She had a theory. She waved Elliot over. " I'm thinking he was familiar with the person?"
" What makes you think that?"
" I was talking to his nurse and she said that he called him by a name. She didn't see the person, she was in bathroom preparing his bath."
" This person wants revenge on you, why seek out Clayton, you've hardly had any contact with him."
She got it. " Or maybe it's someone we both know. Some one from High School." She grabbed Elliot's wrist. She got it. "Michael Hays, that's why he looked so familiar?"
" Who is Michael Hays?"
It was all making sense now. " The guy in sketch."
" And he's from your high school?"
She nodded.
" Why would he want to hurt you and Clayton?"
" Michael was sort of the school bully. He was beating Clayton down in the cafeteria and no one did anything. I had to do something."
" So you helped Clayton and he's angry because."
" I sort of told the guidance counselor about it. You see no one would ever stand up to him but I wasn't afraid of him, if he was hurting people I couldn't stand by and do nothing."
"Then you did the right thing."
" God the guidance counselor ended up in the hospital?" " What did he do to him?"
" It was a woman. He just lased out at her. He was one crazy bastard."
" Now that we have an ID on him what's next?"
***
John entered the squad room with a printed copy of Michael Hays' file. " According to this the school recommended him to facility for disturbed youths, called "St. Stephen's Home for Youths."
" When did he leave that facility?"
" When he was eighteen but he was transferred to St. Stephen home for Adults."
" When did he get out of there?"
John looked at he file and almost wanted laugh. " You're not going to believe this, he got out three weeks ago. Guess who paid all his medical bills."
She didn't know the answer.
" Our old friend Clayton."
" What," was all she could say.
***
The shirk looked at them and with a grin on his face. " You understand that those records are sealed, we at St Stephen have a strict confidentiality policy."
" What's your policy on Law suites from the state for obstruction of justice," Elliot asked dryly.
" What am I obstructing? What has Michael done."
" One count of attempted murder and murder in the first degree. So he's a pretty dangerous guy, so why don't you tell us what you know."
Mr. Black the shirk sunk in his seat. " But I examined him, he was fine, he finally started to stop putting the blame on himself for the condition of his life."
Elliot looked at the idiot before him. " You made him blame someone else." " Well yes," Mr. Black said like it was obvious. " it's my job to make my patients feel like it wasn't their fault, to let them think that life dealt them a bad hand."
" Can you tell us who he placed this blame on? "
He knew this all to well; he heard the name a million times in the later sessions with him. " Some girl called Olivia he kept taking about."
Elliot wanted to punch this guy. " You let a dangerous guy develop a grudge against a woman."
" You don't understand," He pleaded. " He was healed, he even called up one of his old rivals and made his peace with him. He wanted to attend his wedding but he couldn't. He said he would visit him the hospital."
" And now he's dead," Olivia shouted and walked out the office. She now understood why Clayton paid his medical bills. He was so naive he couldn't tell the difference between a bunny and fox. Clayton led him right to her. Michael probably told him he wanted to make peace with her too.
Elliot looked at miserable man in front of him. "Where does he live now?"
He guy was stomped. "I'm sorry; I'm not responsible for patients after they leave the facility.
NOTE: Okay, now it's time to do your part. Review.