CHAPTER FOUR
Doctor's OrdersOlivia surveyed their surroundings. She was standing in a large, lavishly decorated suite. Well, Pine Hills knew all about comfort, she thought, eyeing the plush couch and matching chairs. Although no expense had been spared, there was no television, radio or telephone. No means to keep contact with the outside world, she noted.
"The bathroom is bigger than Dickie's bedroom," Elliot announced moodily, emerging from the bathroom. He was still annoyed from his fight with Kathy before he left the house this morning. Even though they had dropped the matter a few nights ago, Kathy couldn't help questioning him on where he would sleep, where he would change, and oh yes, did he have to kiss her!.
"Hey, you ok?" Elliot had been quiet on the ride up, dismissing Olivia's attempts at tightening up their story.
"A lot on my mind," he answered. "Just trying to stay in character."
"Great," she muttered. A moody Stabler was anything but fun and she found herself not really looking forward to the days ahead.
Before they had left for the camp, Elliot and Olivia had listened in on Fin and Munch's findings after they had the daunting task of interviewing all of the couples who had attended the four day retreat.
"Nada, zip, bunkus," Munch said. He bunched up his paper and shot it expertly into the trash can. "Not one couple has any complaints about their time at Pine Hills. Each couple credits the counselors for saving their marriages."
"Nothing but smiley, happy people," agreed Fin.
Cragen digested this. "Are we barking up the wrong tree here people?"
Olivia pushed herself off of the desk and walked up to Cragen. "Captain, both of these women were killed during the times they were supposed to be at that camp with their husbands," Olivia said intensely. "There has to be a connection. Elliot and I need to get a feel for the place. If we don't find anything within the first two days, then pull us out."
Cragen stared at Olivia. He trusted her instincts. "Okay," he said. "Feel it out and report back."
That was earlier this morning. Elliot and Olivia had already gone through the black tie formal orientation with the rest of the campers. Dr. Reed Hanson and Camp Leader Drew Farrow introduced themselves and read off the rules of the camp. Campers were not allowed to socialize with each other outside of meal periods or scheduled social gatherings. Details of their sessions were to be kept private at all times, no exceptions. Each couple had to undergo a joint entrance interview so that the counselors could decide the best course of treatment for each couple's needs.
"Our entrance interview is first thing in the morning," Olivia said, reaching down to pull off her heels. "We should get some sleep."
"Yeah," Elliot paused when he noticed the bed. Shit, he can't sleep in the same bed with Olivia, his wife would have a coronary, he thought.
"Which side of the bed do you prefer?" he asked her, slowly pulling off his dinner jacket.
"Shouldn't you already know that Sean?" She said, eyeing him mischievously. Oh my, this man had a chest on him like no other she thought. And those abs… Olivia felt the beginnings of heat collecting in her privates and she staunchly clamped down on the feeling.
He chuckled in spite of himself. "That's right my dear Aundrea, take the left side." Oh the hell with Kathy, he had a job to do.
He slid between the cool sheets and closed his eyes while Olivia went into the bathroom to change. He opened his eyes when she stepped out and his sight went straight to her perky breasts outlined by the tank top she was wearing. That plus some comfy pajama bottoms made for pretty vanilla sleeping but Elliot could not help but think she still managed to look like a sex kitten.
Olivia had given herself a mental dressing down for the slip earlier. She was ready. She marched over to the left side, jumped into bed and hit the light.
"Night Elliot."
XXXXXXXX
"He always shuts me out," Olivia said tearfully. "I try to talk to him, but he never wants to hear it. How I am I suppose to know what's hurting him if he won't talk to me?"
"And she's too damn emotional," Elliot snapped. "I wish I could join hands with everyone and sing a round of Kumbayah, but I can't. I just can't. I wasn't raised that way."
"Sean, Aundrea," Dr. Hanson cooed, trying to calm the couple down. Olivia couldn't help thinking he looked just like Santa Claus… except in a $3,000 suit. "Communication is the first step to every successful union. Let's take this one step at a time okay?
Sean, Aundrea claims that you close off when she wants to talk to you. If you are hurting or upset, how do you think you can convey that to her if you won't speak to her about it? By ignoring her, you're saying that you don't care about her feelings and her wants."
Elliot rolled his eyes. "Apparently I do because I'm here aren't I? But that's how it is with her, she's so controlling it drives me insane. It has to be this way, it has to be that way…"
"In contrast, Aundrea, Sean feels that you are way too emotional," Hanson said, cutting him off. "You're overbearing and controlling. In order for him to feel comfortable talking to you, you have to take a step back."
Olivia sighed and crossed her arms, indignant.
Hanson consulted his notes. "Very well," he announced. "I think the necessary course of action here is to hold separate sessions with each of you for the remainder of the retreat."
Olivia and Elliot threw each other a confused look. "Doctor…" Olivia started, flabbergasted. "If our main problem is our method of communication, then please tell me how separate counseling sessions are going to help?"
Hanson smiled benignly. "Aundrea, we need to work on each delivery which requires us to break you down to your learned form of communication. In the end we will come together and see if we were successful. Doctor's orders. Session ended."
Olivia and Elliot quietly exited the doctor's office. Stepping out of earshot, Elliot turned to face Olivia. "Does that make any sense to you?"
"Utter bullshit," Olivia agreed. "Did you notice that no matter who he was speaking to, he always directed his attention towards you? I felt like I was being excluded for some reason."
Elliot nodded in deep thought. "I wonder how many of the other couples were ordered to have separate counseling sessions?"
Olivia picked up his line of reasoning. "And were Tina and Gloria apart of that group?"
"Points to ponder…" Elliot sang. "We need to get a look at their master files."