Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: SVU. It belongs to a genius named Dick Wolf. No profit is being made from this story.
Olivia couldn't hold back her horrified gasp, and clapped a hand over her mouth to silence it.
"That will certainly be a last resort," the doctor hastened to say. "We're going to continue to monitor his condition and run tests over the course of the next few days. Hopefully it will only be temporary."
"Can we see him?" Munch repeated the question Fin had asked in impatience.
"He's still under from the anesthesia we administered during surgery, so he won't even know you're there," Dr. Adams said. "But I don't see the harm. Just be quiet."
They nodded, and he pointed them toward the Intensive Care wing. "I have other patients to see," he said. "But don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions."
Don stepped up to the man and offered him a hearty handshake. "Thank you so much, Doctor Adams," he said sincerely. "You have no idea how grateful we are to you."
The man smiled, because he did have an idea. "No need to thank me," he said, smiling. "But you're welcome." He nodded to them and walked away.
The four of them turned a corner, and were unnerved by the change in activity they encountered. The Intensive Care wing was extremely quiet, the atmosphere seeming almost fragile. Cragen stopped by the nurses' station to get Elliot's room number, and they went toward it.
Stopping outside of room 213, Cragen took a deep breath as he clutched the door handle. Suddenly, he wasn't at all sure he was ready to see what was awaiting them. The detectives looked at him in confusion when he didn't immediately open the door. The look on their captain's face mirrored what they were all thinking.
"Captain," Munch said softly.
He startled, and quickly shook off his thoughts as he gently pushed the door open. They filed inside.
Elliot was sprawled in the bed, looking almost unconscious. He was sleeping so heavily that his head drooped limply to the side of the pillow as he breathed loud, exhausted breaths. A blanket wrapped his entire body from his toes to his neck, and the four found themselves selfishly thankful that they couldn't see his wounds.
They all stood staring at him in silent shock until Olivia moved away. She walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at her best friend with tears in her eyes. She sighed softly to stop herself from breaking down and gently stroked the side of his face with her fingers.
The other three snapped out of it then, and went to join her. Cragen's face was twisted in sadness as he softly spoke. "We're with you, Elliot. Come back to us." He swallowed hard.
A knock was heard at that moment, and Munch went to open the door. A nurse stepped inside. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "But visiting hours are going to be over in about five minutes."
Don walked over to the nurse. "I know it's not usually standard procedure," he asked. "But would it be alright if I stayed here tonight?"
The blonde woman looked at the group standing in the room, and at the man in the bed. She had heard bits and pieces of this man's story from the other nurses on staff, and was sympathetic. "It's not standard procedure," she agreed softly. "But I'm his call nurse tonight, and I won't tell." She offered him a smile, which he softly returned.
"Could I stay as well?" Olivia asked, desperately. The nurse bit her lip. One stowaway could be overlooked, but two…. "I'm afraid not, miss," she said. "It would inevitably attract more attention, and I'm already bending the rules."
"That's alright, ma'am," Cragen cut in. "Thank you very much for letting me stay. We'll just be a minute." His tone had a certain authority, and she found herself leaving the room quietly.
"Please, Captain…" Olivia looked over at her partner again. "Please, I need to be with him." The others were realizing just how shaken up she had been by Elliot's disappearance. She was on the verge of tears.
"Olivia," he said gently. He stood in front of her and lightly gripped her shoulders. "I understand you want to be near him. We're all exhausted. Go home, get some sleep, and I promise I'll call you as soon as he wakes up."
She bit her lip, shaking her head. Fin moved up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Liv," he said. "He's going to be asleep all night anyway. Come with us. We all need some sleep."
Munch nodded in agreement, and she sighed in defeat.
"Get some rest, you guys," Cragen said. "We don't need to get sick on top of all this."
"Good night, Captain," Munch said, as the three of them opened the door.
"Hey." Cragen's voice stopped them as they were leaving. They turned back. He looked at them, his eyes suspiciously bright. "You all did a hell of a job," he said gruffly. "You should be proud of yourselves. I know I am."
They looked at him, but none could speak. Munch nodded again, speaking for them all, and smiled as they shut the door behind them.
A yell startled Cragen awake in the early morning, and he shot up from the cot on the floor, hand automatically moving for his gun. He stopped as he got his bearings and remembered where he was, and jumped up quickly. He went to the bedside and switched on the overhead light.
Elliot was sitting up with a terrified expression on his face. His chest heaved with sobs as tears dripped down his cheeks. "What's the matter?" Don asked urgently, hand reaching for the nurse call button. "What's the matter, Elliot?" His heart hammered in his chest.
He didn't speak. His face crumbled as he sobbed loudly, dropping his head. Cragen recognized the look of fear on his face and dropped the call button. He leaned over and supported himself against the side of the bed as he took Elliot into a warm hug.
"It's alright," he said softly, catching his breath from the initial panic he felt. He felt Elliot collapse against him and try to grab hold, but his arms wouldn't cooperate. Don gripped him securely and tried his best to comfort him. "It's alright, Elliot. I'm with you. Everything's alright."
Elliot gulped in breaths as he started to shake. "Ca-captain?" he whispered fearfully.
"Yeah, buddy," Cragen whispered. He patted his back tenderly. "It's me. I'm with you."
Elliot gulped again and let out a shaky breath, lowering his head down and burying it against Don's shirt. He closed his eyes and tried to catch his breath. Cragen gently smoothed the back of his neck, rocking him gently. "You're safe," he said softly. He could see that Elliot was struggling to remain awake. "Go back to sleep, Elliot. I've got you."
He dropped off the instant Cragen said those words, going limp in his embrace. He didn't have the heart to move him, so Don gently moved so that he could sit on the bed and held his detective in his arms as he slept. He reached up carefully and turned out the light again, breathing a quiet sigh.
He had been waiting for this to happen. Rescuing him had put his detectives at ease, but Cragen knew from experience that Elliot was far from ok. He knew that he was going to have to prepare his team for the coming storm. Elliot's wounds hadn't even begun to surface yet.
