A/N: Sorry about the delay! Thanks for all of your reviews. By the way, I've already mapped out what's going to happen by the end, so the countdown begins...4 more chaps to go! Oh, and review when you get the chance. Always appreciated ;)
CH 12
Release
"Detective, can you hear me?!" the paramedic asked as he put a breathing mask over Elliot's mouth. Elliot could faintly hear the man's voice as he fell more close to death with each passing second. Elliot barely opened his eyes, just enough to see the bright lights on the roof. "You are going to the hospital, sir. Do you know what happened to you?" Elliot didn't respond, still staring at the lights above him. "Sir, you've been shot in the chest, and we're bringing you to the hospital.
"Olivia..." Elliot murmured.
"Olivia...is that his wife?" the paramedic asked one of the drivers.
"I don't know. There was another woman detective there though. Could have been her." The driver answered. "We're here!"
The doctors were outside already, hoping to get Elliot into the hospital before news reporters started to accumulate.
"Ok, we got a gunshot penetration to the chest. Anybody on the way?" asked the doctor.
"Colleagues. We think his wife, but we're not sure."
"Alright..." replied the doctor rolling Elliot on the stretcher into an exam room. "I need 100mL's of morphine and an x ray." the doctor ordered.
"What are you going to do?" asked a med student.
"Crack his chest open and save his life." The doctor replied. "We gotta get this bullet out of his chest. Pronto"
Meanwhile Olivia, Munch, Fin, and Cragen arrived at the ER. Olivia alone and the other three together, only minutes after Olivia. Distraught, Olivia walked around in circles until she saw the other three come through the sliding doors.
"Oh, thank God!" she began sighing with relief as Munch embraced her. A tear ran down her cheek and she wiped it as Cragen approached her condescendingly.
"What the hell happened?" Cragen began somberly.
"It was all so fast...I can't...remember." Olivia covered her forehead with her right hand.
"Olivia, the media is going to be all over our asses! What happened?!"
"Who gives a shit about the media, captain?...Just back off, she went through hell. Give her a sec, alright?" Munch intervened. Cragen just stared at him and let Olivia tell her story. Shaken, Olivia wiped her eyes with a Kleenex
Fin handed to her.
"Thanks, Fin..." she began wiping the tears. "We were sitting in the car and he was trying to tell me something..." The tears became more frequent now as she began to recount the ordeal. "Then gunshots just appeared from nowhere and I saw Elliot grab his chest. That's when I took out my gun and started to fire. Elliot slid down the seat, gasping for air and I just told him to hold on. It was so fast."
"And where were you two?" Cragen asked turning to Munch and Fin.
"Down the street. We radioed them when we saw the suspect emerge from the house. That's when the gunshots went off. "Fin explained.
"And you and Elliot didn't hear their warning?" Cragen asked.
"No..." Olivia sniffled.
"Well, you're both lucky to be alive. I have to go back to the station and hold a press conference with the police chief. Munch, Fin; come with me. Olivia...go home." Cragen ordered.
"No, Captain, I'm going to stay with him." Olivia argued.
"Keep in touch." Cragen replied. Munch walked over to Olivia and rubbed her back.
"Hang in there." Munch stated. Olivia smiled and wiped a single tear from her eye. Olivia hated to be in the hospital by herself, but when she saw the doctor emerge from the trauma room, Olivia's heart skipped a beat.
"How is he?" she asked nervously.
"Well...let's just say it's too early to tell." The doctor replied.
"It's not looking good, is it?" Olivia asked lowering her eyes.
"No, no! I'm sorry; I didn't mean to give you that impression. We expect him to make a full recovery. He's still asleep from the drugs, but he'll be awake soon."
"What about the wounds?"
"Well, the bullet penetrated through the left side of the chest near the breast bone. He barely missed many vital arteries and if it penetrated a centimeter more to the right, he would have been killed."
"That's um...frightening." Olivia responded. "Can I go in to see him?"
"Sure, but try not to disturb him, he's going to be hurting for a while."
"Thanks..." Olivia replied with a smile and a doctor instructed her where to go. Olivia gathered her belongings and headed towards Elliot's room. What seemed like days had only been a few hours. Before entering Elliot's room, the nurse reminded Olivia that only family members were allowed in for the time being.
"Are you his wife?" she asked.
"Yes....I am." Olivia lied and smiled falsely at the nurse. Walking into his room, she sat on a nearby chair and monitored the way Elliot was sleeping. Her stomach turned seeing him hooked up to all those machines. She tenderly grabbed his hand and laid her head on the bed by his side. She smiled and softly whispered "You're going to make it, big guy."
Meanwhile, Kathy was at home unpacking everything they had in their suitcases. "Well, I can't see how any man could live ten days in France with two pairs of jeans, three pairs of underwear, three tee shirts, and ten pairs of socks. Your father's crazy!" she laughed talking to the unborn baby while caressing her belly. A pain suddenly shot through her body, "Oh my God. What the hell was that?" she asked herself. She ignored the pain and continued to unpack, and after a while turned on the TV finding it too quiet in the house. It was noon, and the news was on. Kathy ignored the news woman who she found repulsive until she heard the newsflash come across the TV.
"Today around 8 AM, a Manhattan detective was shot by an armed suspect. Elliot Stabler, a five year detective with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, was shot once in the chest while his partner helplessly radioed for back up. Although the condition of the detective is unknown, we do know that he is in Beth Israel Medical Center in the city being treated for his wounds....." the reporter continued to release information but Kathy zoned out and gaped at the report. Almost falling down with shock, Kathy grabbed a jacket and decided to go down to the city. As she locked the front door and headed to the car, Munch called her house to let her know what happened. Finding she wasn't there, he left a message on the machine.
"Kathy...this is John Munch, I work with your husband Elliot. We have some bad news; if you can call us at the precinct that would be great. Thanks...bye"
Kathy drove for twenty minutes and ran into the ER. She looked around and ran to a nurse. "Excuse me, excuse me! I'm looking for Elliot Stabler." Kathy stated gasping for air.
"Yes, ma'am, but someone is already into see him."
"I thought only family members were allowed in?"
"Yes, his wife is in there."
"I'm his wife." Kathy replied emphasizing her position.
"I'm sorry ma'am, must have been a mistake. Just sign this sheet here, and go straight down, make the first right."
"Thank you..." Kathy replied heading down to the room. She entered and smiled to see Elliot eating his lunch. "Oh my God!" she ran over to him and kissed him. "You gave me a heart attack. No one called me!"
"I'm sorry, how did you find out?" Elliot asked grabbing her hand; his voice was gone hoarse.
"The news! Some reporter had the full details in all....so how are you?"
"In pain..." Elliot laughed. "And how are you two?"
"Well, I felt this odd pain this morning but other than that the baby's fine. I'm ok I guess... Listen to this; the receptionist said that 'your wife' was already in here. Gosh, bunch of idiot's working here, huh?"
"Really?" Elliot asked concerned, although he knew who the receptionist was talking about. Before Kathy could answer, a flush came from the bathroom and Olivia walked out. Elliot murmured "Oh, no..." when Olivia emerged.
"Hi....Kathy." she nervously stated looking at them both.
"You're kidding right?" Kathy asked Elliot in an upset tone realizing that Elliot knew about the receptionist's comment. "Oh my God, Elliot! I can't believe she said...I can't believe you lied...This is bullshit!" she yelled. She rose from her seat and grabbed her jacket.
"Kathy, please!" Elliot pleaded. She turned around and Elliot noticed a tear run down her cheek. She then stormed for the door. "Kath, stop!" By the time Kathy took a step out the door, she hunched over, dropping her stuff and grabbing her belly.
"What's wrong?" Olivia rushed over to her.
"I...I think that....I'm bleeding..."
