Titled:
Hiders and Liars
Pt. 2: Liars
Original Publish Date: September 3, 2005
Disclaimer: I do not own SVU or any of the characters from SVU. They belong exclusively to Dick Wolf and NBC. I do however hold the rights to any original characters that may be present.
Warnings: None.
Author's Notes: Sorry this took so long. I hope to have more time in the next few weeks to write lots. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and especially mousie962. You are awesome!
Complete
XXXXXXXXXX
Two Months Later
"Hey, Captain, sorry I'm late."
Cragen looked up from the file on his desk and frowned at me. The phone
rang, but he ignored it. "Come on in, Olivia."
He studied my uneven movements as I collapsed into the chair across
from him. My head fell into my hand and I repressed a groan. I felt
awful. For the past week or so the nastiest flu bug had gotten a hold
of me. Most of mornings where spent huddled on the floor of my
bathroom.
"Olivia."
I looked at my captain through my fingers. I knew my eyes were
bloodshot and my skin was pasty and white. My hair hadn't been brushed
through in two days. I could barely even grip the brush, much less
garner the strength to fight every tangle and curl and knot.
"You look like you could use a drink," Cragen said, reaching into the
drawer of his desk. I moaned again and instinctively bent over, holding
my stomach with one arm and my mouth with the other. I could taste the
bile rising to the back of my throat. It took all my control not to
stumble to his waste basket and gag. I had nothing left in my stomach
to throw up. That was the worst. After I had something in me, throwing
up wasn't too bad, because there was something to throw up, but when
running on an empty stomach-that's when it really hurt. Your body
trying to heave food out of you that you didn't have in you-it was the
dry heaves for hours that killed me.
I managed to weakly shake my head in hopes that Cragen didn't pour the
shot. Even the sight of food made me sick. This flu was killing me and
had been for the past two weeks. I could have sworn that I going to
die, especially at three in the morning with my head over a toilet.
Over the weekend it was so bad that Elliot had to come and spend
Saturday night and Sunday morning with me. At one in the morning and
with his siren on, it didn't take him long at all to get to me. That
was absolute hell. Those ten hours. God, it makes me sick just thinking
about it.
I looked up and grinned through my hand at the captain. Cragen only
shook his head at me. "I'm okay, Captain. I'll be fine," I reassured
him. "It's been two weeks. How much longer can this go on?"
He leaned forward over his desk and made sure I was looking him in the
eye. "You have three days to make this better or you're going on forced
leave. Understand?"
I nodded. He was serious, deadly serious. "Perfectly," I whispered.
"Good." Cragen nodded once and motioned for me to leave. I stood,
shaky, and reached for the door, my back slightly hunched for comfort.
"Oh, and Olivia." I turned back to Cragen, wincing as I moved too
quickly. "If this doesn't clear up soon, very soon, I will drive you to
the hospital myself."
I bit my lip. He sounded exactly as Elliot did, except Cragen didn't
know the extent of the bug I had. If he did I would be in an ambulance
immediately, no questions asked.
Without responding I closed the door and left. I pitifully grinned at a
few of the passing uniforms and detectives, shrugging off those who
tried to talk to me. I purposefully avoided the coffee and morning
pastries section and barely made it to my desk before my legs fell out
from under me. How long can I keep this up? I asked myself, laying my
head down in my folded arms on the table top, trying to stop the
spinning world around me.
I could hear Munch walk up to me, but I didn't bother raising my head
for him. I could smell his coffee and knew if I saw it, I would be
sick. After a few seconds of standing over me, he gave up and walked
back to his own desk.
I heard a few other people milling around me, some talking, some
shuffling papers, some rushing to one place or another-the noise
overwhelmed me and my head throbbed. Tears pooled in my eyes at the
pain. It wasn't fair, why was I so sick when no one else got it. Even
Elliot was perfectly fine and we were always together. Damn it all.
XXX
"Liv, wake up babe, you've been sleeping." I jerked awake at Elliot's
voice and swore at my stupidity. Without even acknowledging him I
glanced at my watch. 10:15. I slept for an hour. On my desk. Where
everyone could see. Damn.
"Here, eat this." Elliot gave me a sandwich. Bread, turkey, lettuce.
That was it and it looked so unappetizing
"Elliot," I moaned.
"No, Liv, you have to eat."
I grimaced and gingerly took a bit. My stomach roared at the thought of
food. I dryly bit off a small part and forced it down my throat. Elliot
handed me a water bottle, which I took gratefully. With every small
bite it took two or three gulps of water, but eventually I ate the
sandwich and finished the water. After my stomach settled, I really did
feel better, but I knew that the food wouldn't stay in me for long.
When I was able to talk again, I leaned back in my chair and looked
across at Elliot. "Do you think the Captain saw me sleeping like that?"
"Yeah, he did."
I just about fell off my chair. "He saw me?"
Elliot grinned. "He ordered everyone to leave you alone and let me run
off and grab something for you to eat. He's giving ten dollars to the
first person who can figure out what you have."
I glanced toward the door. "He's not angry?"
"Oh, he was livid, until I reminded him that you haven't slept in
days."
I frowned. "This is stupid. I shouldn't be so worried about this. I'll
get better eventually. What case are we on?"
"Liv," Elliot started, but with a glare from me, he sighed. "The
Carlson boy."
I nodded and grabbed the file out of his hand. I was going to show the
captain that I could do this. I had to.
XXXXX
Two Days Later
"Hey Olivia."
I looked up to see Casey walking across the precinct, a pile of papers
in one hand and cup holder with two cups of coffee in the other. I
could smell the espresso and grimaced, fearing that I would be sick,
but today was a good day. I had actually eaten last night and this
morning and I was feeling good.
I gave a slight wave, but I knew I was in trouble. Casey only pulled
out the good coffee when I've done something stupid. Or when she needed
someone to talk to. I sighed and pushed out my chair. I was in trouble.
"Hey," she said again, standing beside my desk. "Let's go up to the
roof. We should talk."
I mutely nodded and grabbed my jacket. Being only late September, and
after a particularly hot summer, it was still warm enough to spend
extended time outside. In another couple of weeks, we'd be forced to go
to the crib or into an interrogation room. That always puts an
interesting twist on the conversation.
We silently took the elevator up to the last floor and walked the
flight of stairs that lead to the rooftop. A small flock of birds
scattered when I opened the door and I wished I could fly away with
them. I didn't know what's worse, when Casey tells me I've done
something that the DA isn't going to like when I know I've done it, or
when I haven't.
"Here, do you want some?" she asked, holding out the tray with the
espresso cups in it. I almost took one, but my stomach was unsettled. I
went two weeks without solid food; coffee was not going to do me any
good. I might have been feeling okay now, but in a few minutes I could
be sick again-reality was not very happy for me right now.
"No, thanks Case," I answered, waving off the coffee as I leaned
against the edge of the railing.
Casey glared at me and set the coffee down on the ground. One tipped
over on the uneven ground, but she ignored it. Oh, she was pissed. I
tried to narrow my eyes to prepare for the inevitable, but I was tired,
all my energy was fighting the flu I had. I sighed in defeat and
frowned. "What do you need me to do Casey?"
Casey snorted. "What do I need you to do? I need you to stop
intimidating suspects."
"We always intimidate suspects. It's part of our job," I retorted,
crossing my arms.
I saw the frustration and anger pass through Casey. I've known her long
enough to understand how to deal with her when she was this livid.
Making her even angrier typically wasn't the answer.
Casey's lips tightened and her jaw clenched. I could practically hear
her teeth grind together. She paced toward the opposite side of the
roof and spun around. Calmly she walked back toward me, her heels
clicking with every step. She stopped right in front of me.
"Olivia, I'm only going to ask you to do this once." She reached into
her coat pocket and pulled out an home pregnancy test.
I felt my body want to collapse from under me. I reached out and
gripped the railing, in an attempt not to fall to the ground. "You
think I'm pregnant?" I whispered, barely able to form a coherent
sentence.
Casey nodded and held out the box. "I've had more than one pregnant
sister in law and you show all the symptoms. Sleeplessness, over
emotional, vomiting-Olivia I don't care who the father is, you never
need to tell me, but I'm asking you to take the test."
"You're that sure?"
"Positive," she answered. Casey grinned, "If I'm wrong I'll treat you
to lunch some day."
I weakly grabbed the test from her. "What will happen if I am
pregnant?"
Casey put one arm around my shoulders. "I'll help you through it.
Remember I've done this before."
I tried to laugh, but all I could do is keep from crying. Tears pooled
in my eyes and I brushed them away. I knew it. My future had been set.
I recognized the symptoms now that Casey had laid them out for me. I
was pregnant. I was carrying his child. Elliot. I was carrying his
child and I couldn't tell anyone else.
"Casey," I said, looking up at her. "If I really am pregnant, I . . . I
don't know who the father is."
"Oh, Olivia," she answered, pulling me closer. "Well get through it. I
promise you. We'll get through it."
I don't know if it was from my over active hormones or my overwhelming
terror at what was happening to me and to my life. I was going to make
it. I had to make it.
Mechanically, I pulled myself away from Casey and slid down the wall,
holding my knees to my chest. Casey left after a short while; I'm not
sure how long she stayed there beside me. She also left the pregnancy
test, but I didn't have to take it to know. I was pregnant. And I had
lied to my friend-one of my closes friends. The lie was out and there
was nothing I could do to stop it.
