Chapter 14 - Novak
Lyrics by Good Charlotte - Hold On
This world, this world is cold
But you don't, you don't have to go
You're feeling sad
You're feeling lonely
This pain you cannot bear
Hold on if you feel like letting go
Hold on it gets better than you know
You're days, you say they're way too long
And your nights, you can't sleep at all, hold on
And you're not sure what you're waiting for
But you don't want to no more
Hold on if you feel like letting go
Hold on it gets better than you know
Don't stop looking, you're one step closer
Don't stop searching, it's not over
Hold on…
Novak
"Olivia?" As I made my way down the hallway, my heels were clicking against the tile. I ducked into a room, searching for Olivia. I still couldn't find her. Not to say that I'd want to found if I was in her situation.
It had taken me a good five minutes for my normal breathing to return once John had dropped that bombshell on me. While I was on the verge of hyperventilating, he'd told me everything that had happened so far in the case. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the idea of charging Elliot with rape.
I tried to force the idea out of my head again as I stood in front of a woman's restroom. There wasn't anything I could do until DNA came back anyway.
I slowly pushed the door open, but that didn't prevent it from creaking on its hinges. "Olivia?" To my thankful surprise, the detective was standing in front of a sink, her hands clutching the rim, propping her up. She lifted her head up and looked at me through the mirror. She had a black eye and small cuts that were almost invisible covered her face. I didn't say anything, but everything I wanted to must have been written all over my face.
"John sent you." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Yeah," I nodded. "He just wanted to make sure you were okay." I stepped into the white tiled room and let the door swing shut behind me.
She chewed at her lower lip as she turned around to face me. "I didn't mean to blow up at him like that." I saw a pang of guilt face across her eyes as she spoke.
"It's John," I pointed out to her. "He's probably quite used to it by now."
She smiled, seeing the truth in what I said. "Good point."
I remained silent, unsure what to say or do next. "So how are you doing?" I knew it was a stupid question the moment it left my mouth, but I was too late to stop myself.
"Not great." She gave a half-hearted shrug and a defeated expression. Though I thought that she'd respond by snapping me off, I could tell that she was too exhausted to start anything again.
"You look like you could use some sleep," I observed out loud.
"That obvious, huh?"
I looked at my watch; it was almost one. Suddenly an offer formed in my head. "You know, I have a guest bedroom. My apartment's not much, but you could stay with me as long as you needed."
Olivia paused, and I could see the wheels turning in her head. I knew she wanted to be polite and decline, saying she couldn't impose, and I assumed that she wanted to accept my offer just as much.
"Believe me, it's no trouble at all. I could even drive you over there now if you want. I can take a lunch break." As I watched her expressions change with everything I said, I wondered if maybe I had sounded desperate or something that would cause her to change her mind.
Her shoulders sighed as she crossed her arms. "Are you sure I won't be in the way?"
"Please, I'm barely there myself. Did you drive here?"
She shook her head. "My car's at John's. I drove it there after…" Her voice trailed off and she didn't finish her statement.
"Wanna stop by and get it?"
"Sure."
--XXX---
"This is my humble abode," I said as I spread my arms out to the side and walked to the center of my living room in a dramatic fashion. I dropped my briefcase on a table and slid my coat off my shoulders.
"Beautiful," she responded unenthusiastically.
"Okay, so it's not that great," I conceded jokingly. "But it's better than a cardboard box on the side of the road."
"I'm sorry," she apologized with no emotion.
"It's fine," I assured her, hanging my coat on the coat rack by the front door. "I think I have some pajamas that'd fit you if you want." I started walking into my bedroom and heard Olivia follow me.
"I'd love," she remarked.
After shuffling through my dresser, I finally found the pajamas. "Here." I smiled and handed them to her. "I'll give you the tour. This is my bedroom," I pointed out the obvious as we walked out. "Here's the bathroom," I flicked a switch on and bathed the small bathroom in a pale light. I pointed out a few things to her. "Towels in there," the cupboards under the sink, " and shampoo, conditioner there," the medicine cabinet next to the mirror.
I looked at Olivia, half of my body still leaning in the doorway. "You can take a shower whenever, but be warned, the hot water goes out quickly."
Flipping the switch back off, I pulled my head out of the way and closed the door.
"And here's the guest bedroom." I led Olivia into a small room adorned with a twin bed, a small dresser, a nightstand, and a lamp in the corner. I caught a glance of the alarm clock on the nightstand and give an inaudible gasp. It'd been almost two hours since I had run into John. "I gotta go." Slipping out of the room and past Olivia, I yanked my coat off of the hanger, almost ripping it in the process. "Bye!" I called over my shoulder as I ran out of the apartment.
Not even halfway down the hall, I realized that I'd left my briefcase on the coffee table. Cursing my forgetfulness, I did a one-eighty.
It took me mere seconds to make my way back into my apartment. Once my leather briefcase was clutched in my hand, I heard a noise coming from the bathroom. I saw the light illuminating from the crack under the door, and I knew Olivia must be in there. The noise was soft, making it difficult to identify at first. My concern outweighing all else, I crept closer until I finally realized what it was. The sound was Olivia's quiet sobs.
"Hey?" My knuckles carefully rapped against the door as I whispered. "Are you all right?"
The sobs instantly subsided at the sound of my voice. "I'm fine." I could still hear the tears on her voice, and I knew her words weren't to assure me. They were a plea to be left alone.
"Okay." Respecting her wishes, I brought my hand down from the door and continued back to the office.
