Chapter 4 - Cragen

Is everybody going crazy?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something
Something is wrong
Is everybody going crazy?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong…

Cragen

"I would never… You know that, right?"

Honestly, I have no idea what I know anymore.

I looked from Elliot's bloody pulp of a face to the floor. I felt as if I was physically being pulled apart right down the middle with Olivia on one side of me and Elliot on the other. I knew that Elliot would never rape anyone, much less Olivia. Right? But I also knew that Olivia would never accuse anyone of rape unless it was the gospel truth. Right?

In the few seconds of silence that we stood there, I could only come up with one possible explanation. One of the two of my best detectives was lying to me.

"Detective Munch?" The door behind me opened and a petite, brunette woman in a lab coat stepped out.

"He's out. I'm Captain Donald Cragen, of SVU." I introduced myself and shook her hand. "What is it?"

"We've finished with the rape kit. She's ready to talk to someone."

I glanced over at Elliot. Already he was forming two black eyes, a swollen lip, and he was holding the napkin over his nose, indicating that he probably had a broken nose.

"Are you okay to drive?"

He nodded, slightly wincing as he did so.

I sighed and glanced around, as if the answer to everything would just jump at me. Normally, had it been anyone else, I'd have him or her brought down to the station. Taking into consideration the fact that I didn't have any detectives that weren't involved in this though, I had to make a tough decision.

"I think it'd be best for everyone if you went home," I spoke in the hardest voice I could muster up at the moment. "And for your own good, stay there." I heard the hollowness in my voice.

"Yeah." He nodded again and judging by the look in his eyes, I wondered if he'd even heard me. As he stumbled off, I tried to shove him out of my thoughts, turning my focus towards Olivia.

"Liv?" I poked my head into Olivia's room. She was sitting on the side of her bed dressed in hospital scrubs. "Are you okay?"

Olivia turned her head to look to me. Her lip was busted and starting to swell, her left eye was swollen as well and turning purple. There were also minor cuts and bruises scattered along her face and arms. She'd obviously put up one hell of a fight. Her face was red and soaked in tears.

She shook her head, venturing a feeble smile right before she burst into tears. I quickly hurried over and sat next to her on the bed, putting my arm around her shoulders. Olivia leaned into my chest, sobbing.

"Shh…" I ran my hand over her hair, trying to soothe her. "It's all right Liv."

"No, it's not!" She rammed her fist into my chest. She was so exhausted though that I barely felt it. "How could he, Don?" She cried into my chest. "How could Elliot do this?"

I blinked repeatedly, attempting to keep the tears from falling that were threatening to.

"Liv, can you tell me what happened?" I hated myself for pushing her like this, but I had to know what happened and I had to hear it from her, not John.

Olivia turned her head so that she could talk without being muffled by my shirt, but also so that she was still leaning against me.

"I was in my apartment sleeping when a noise woke me up, like a door opening. I just sat there, thinking it was nothing. Then I saw a shadow in the doorway of my room. I reached out to get my gun, but it wasn't there. I had left it in the living room." I felt the inside of my chest breaking as I clearly heard the shame in her voice. I could already tell that she blamed herself. "Before I could do anything, he came next to my bed. I yelled and he jumped on me. He grabbed my wrists and held me down." A sob cut off the next thing she was going to say. "I tried to fight him, Don, I tried! But I couldn't! He held me down! He was stronger than me!"

My voice started cracking as I console her. "I know Liv. I know you tried. There wasn't anything you could have done, it's okay." I ran my hand over her head in a caring fashion. "That's good for now, honey."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, causing Olivia to jump.

"Who is it?" I called out.

"John! Can I come in?"

I turned my gaze from the door to the back of Olivia's head. She was still curled up in my lap. "Can John come in?" She softly nodded. "Yeah," I informed the door.

The white-painted door gingerly opened, revealing a tousled Munch. His clothes were wrinkled, his tie undone, and his collar flipped up. I sensed the exhaustion in his eyes. Fin was right behind him, but he didn't look like he was going to follow Munch.

"Liv? Baby? You all right?" Munch delicately put his hand on her shoulder.

Just as he was doing so, Olivia turned and leaned against him, turning her back to me.

Munch held her like a daughter, rocking her in his arms and whispering soothing things in her ear to help her calm down.

I decided that now would be the best time to talk to Fin and try to figure something out. All the detectives in SVU were like my own kids. I felt like the protector of all of them, set on punishing anything that hurt them. But what was I to do now? Maybe Fin can help me sort things out.