Pathway to Happiness

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own them but I wish I did. Doesn't wishing count for anything anymore?

A/N: I hope you all are still interested even though I've been out of the game for a while. Enjoy.

The last thing she remembered before blacking out was Elliot's voice, telling her that it would be alright and his strong arms holding her down, protecting her as best he could. His face close to her own as they huddled on the floor boards of the car, then screaming and the sounds of metal against metal, a sharp pain in her head, one last thought of Elliot, then blackness.

In blackness she swam, black terrifying loneliness. She was afraid, truly afraid, very few times in her life had she been truly afraid.

'Elliot, Elliot!' was the only thing she could think. If he wasn't alright then her whole world had just dissolved.

Elliot held her close as the car collided with a line of trash cans on the curb. He too was struck unconscious by the sudden jerk as the car finally came to a stop. He swam in his own see of darkness the only thing on his mind was Olivia. If she wasn't alright then what ever had remained of his world would be ripped from him.

This is how the paramedics found them. Unconscious, lying in each other's tight embrace as though if they were to lose each other now, they would be losing life itself.

Captain Cragen was sitting at his desk when he got the call.

"Cragen," he answered as if this were any other call, unaware that this would be the second call that day that would wrench his heart from his chest and stomp it into fine mush.

All of three minutes later a visibly shaken Cragen was running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

"Munch!" he commanded in a far louder tone than necessary "I have to go!" and Cragen was gone.

Fin looked at his partner "What do you think that's about?"

Munch got up from his seat and grabbed his coat "I don't know but I'm gonna go find out."

"Wait for me!" Fin called as he followed Munch out of the precinct.

On his way to the hospital Cragen was too preoccupied to notice that he was being taled by two of his own detectives. If he had noticed he probably would have pulled over and walked right up to their car and screamed at them till he was blue in the face about how this was none of their business. But he didn't notice them so he didn't. But considering what they were all about to get themselves caught up in, it might have been better if he had.

Cragen reached the hospital and leaped out of the car. He rushed into the ER and found the doctor he was looking for.

"Dr. Taylor," Cragen said, out of breath "How are they."

Dr. Taylor led Cragen through the crush of the waiting room crowd and into an exam room where they could talk privately but before he could close the door, Munch and Fin ambushed them.

"What the hell!" Cragen exclaimed.

Dr. Taylor put his finger to his lips and just hurried all three men into the small room "There's no time," he whispered harshly as he closed the door.

"What's going on?" Fin asked, taking a seat on the paper covered exam table.

"There was a prison break this morning," Cragen began, jumping right into the explanation. At that moment he wanted to get the explanations out of the way, anything that would let him get to Olivia and Elliot faster "Only a few minutes after the escape was discovered, Kathy Stabler was murdered."

Munch and Fin both gasped "Does Elliot know?" Munch asked his voice full of concern for his friend.

Cragen nodded "He knows," he paused and looked down at his shoes "but that's about all he knows. Before I could even mention the jail break he and Olivia were off to see his kids."

"What about his kids?" Fin asked.

"They're all with Kathy's parents," Cragen answered "Maureen and Kathleen are helping with the funeral arrangements and the twins are taking some personal time, courtesy of their grandparents."

"Who escaped?" Munch asked.

"Carl James, Eric Strand and Joseph Patrick," Cragen answered somberly.

Shock and horror registered on Munch and Fin's faces simultaneously. All three men were convicted killers, all three had been put away by Olivia and Elliot, all three had a grudge and all three had made inappropriate attempts at physical contact with Olivia in the interrogation room.

"This is bad," Munch said quietly.

"No kidding," Fin added "Where are Elliot and Olivia?" he asked and then he remembered that they were in a hospital. Fear took over "What happened to them! Are they alright!"

"That's where I come in," said Dr. Taylor, stepping forward.

"Dr. Taylor here," Cragen indicated the man "Is in charge of them for the time being."

"What happened?" Munch asked, growing frantic.

"I just need to start by telling you that they'll be fine," Dr. Taylor informed them all "They got away with only a minor concussion a piece. Detective Stabler also has a gash on the side of his head but it will heal and it appears as though there will be no permanent damage."

The whole room relaxed a little.

"When can we see them?" Cragen asked. He needed to see for himself that they were alright.

"Follow me," Dr. Taylor instructed as he led the three men out of the room and through the hospital.

Olivia blinked her eyes. Harsh light invaded the darkness that she had been floating in and forced her back into the waking world. Her head hurt like hell.

Then she remembered 'Oh God, Elliot' she tried to sit up but found herself a bit woozy. She turned her head on her pillow and finally saw him. He was in a bed on the other side of the room. At first Olivia was afraid because at first glance she could see no signs of life. But once her eyes were aloud to focus, she could see the unmistakable rise and fall of his chest, Olivia aloud her pounding heart to relax as she let her eyes drift closed again.

When Dr. Taylor, Captain Cragen, Munch and Fin entered the room her eyes were still closed. She was unwilling to open them even to let anyone know that she was awake. So the four men assumed that she was still unconscious.

"Why is Elliot the only one with a cut?" Cragen asked the doctor.

"The paramedics said that he was shielding her with his body," Dr. Taylor answered "That protected her from flying glass and such but unfortunately it wasn't enough to protect her from the impact of the crash."

When Olivia heard the doctor's answer she couldn't help feeling more guilty. The words from her dream came back to haunt her 'He took the bullets that were meant for you' of course Elliot hadn't been shot, she knew that from what the doctor and Cragen had said but still, it had been a shooting, bullets, the first of which had come right through the windshield of the car that she had been traveling in.

"Where are the detectives in charge of the investigation into the shooting?" Cragen asked as he moved from standing next to Elliot's bed to stand next to Olivia's.

"Shooting?" Munch asked finding it hard to speak "You didn't say anything about a shooting."

Cragen paused as he stared down at Olivia lying in the hospital bed. When he finally spoke his voice was weak "There was," his answer was even weaker.

"The detectives investigating the shooting are talking to Dr. Martin out by the nurses station," Dr. Taylor answered.

Cragen nodded "Munch, Fin," he began in a tone that was far from authoritative "Go see what you can find out about it."

Munch and Fin nodded and turned to leave.

"Captain," Fin began "You'll let us know if there's any change," he gestured to the two hospital beds.

Cragen nodded and the two men left.

Cragen turned to Dr. Taylor once they had left "Were there any other victims of the shooting?"

Dr. Taylor's face became sorrowful "Three," he answered "Two DOA's and one we lost in surgery."

Olivia's guilt grew to the point of almost consuming her.

"How old were they?" Cragen asked his voice full of compassion.

"All kids," Dr. Taylor answered "Little three year old girl," he began to choke up "her two year old brother and," his resolve completely crumbled "A four month old boy, shot dead right in his baby carriage."

Olivia couldn't hold in her sorrow anymore. Tears flowed from her closed eyes and pooled on her pillow.

It was at this point that the two men realized that she was awake.

TBC

And the angst grows. Please review.