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 was finding it hard to stay silent. Elliot's painful groans were heartbreaking. Sweat was beading on his face as he fought to keep his arm straight in the doctor's grip.
"Come on, Elliot," Dr. Stevenson urged. "You're doing great. Keep going….you can do it."
He let out a frustrated growl. Olivia could see the determination on his face through the signs of strain, and it brought hope into her heart.
"You can do it, Elliot," she encouraged anxiously. "That's it…come on, you got it!" Her eyes had grown wide with anticipation. He whimpered quietly, trying not to give in to the horrible pain.
Both Olivia and the doctor had their eyes glued to Elliot's outstretched hand. After what seemed like an eternity….his index finger wiggled.
"Yes!" Olivia cried, unable to control her excitement.
The doctor immediately lowered his arm, and Elliot collapsed against the wall, breathing hard. Good God, he thought. He felt like he had just run a 5K. His heart was racing and he couldn't catch his breath.
"Great job!" the doctor said brightly. He also wore a huge smile. "That was excellent! It'll get easier now. Just you wait….you'll be using those arms again before you know it."
Get real, Elliot thought darkly. It took me two weeks just to raise my damn finger!
He hated this. It was humiliating, having to learn how to use his arms again like some two-year old. The strain on his body was horrendous. Just the simple act of moving one finger had him so exhausted that he felt like a puddle of goo. It was depressing, really.
He bitterly realized that he couldn't even remember the last time that he had done something as simple as twisting off a soda bottle cap. My hands were tied up for a week straight…my arms were slashed…now I can't even flex my fingers.
Olivia watched as a dark look crossed her partner's face and his eyebrows furrowed. She knew he was angry at his situation, and wanted more than anything to raise his spirits. But she didn't know how. She just didn't know how.
"Alright, let's make it an early day," Dr. Stevenson said. "You've earned it. Great job, Detective." He clapped Elliot lightly on the shoulder.
Elliot gave him a weak smile, but all he could think about was how he couldn't feel the doctor's hand.
Olivia stepped out of the room while the doctor talked to Elliot about his next appointment, and he felt the surge of panic that had become a familiar feeling. He tried not to show it, forcing himself to concentrate on the doctor's words and keep his breathing steady.
He was relieved when she came back a minute later. She had a glint in her eyes that he recognized-it meant she was up to something.
Once they were back in her car, Olivia reached into her purse before starting the ignition. Elliot had his eyes shut wearily, but he could hear the sound of paper rustling and it perked his attention.
She set a small paper bag on his lap, and he couldn't stop the laugh that came out as he looked at the two oatmeal raisin cookies.
John slowed his car to a stop on the shoulder of Interstate 6. He turned the ignition off and sat still, inhaling deeply. Cragen wouldn't be happy if he found out about his little trek back here, but it was the only thing he could think to do. He felt so damn helpless, and he hated the feeling.
He stepped out and locked the car behind him. For a moment, he just stood motionless, his eyes taking in the vast woods before him. How many times had he driven down this lonely interstate in the course of his career? It would never be the same again….ever. Just the sight of the woods, any woods, made him sick to his stomach now.
Forcing himself to take a breath, John squared his shoulders and took a step forward.
Elliot was asleep before Olivia even started the ignition. She let the car idle so that it could warm up a little, and turned to face him. He was curled up as much as space would allow and had his face turned out toward her, his expression one of exhaustion. He looked so vulnerable right now that it brought tears to her eyes.
Olivia sighed quietly and reached out, gently tracing her fingers over his hairline. She could hardly recognize her partner anymore. Gone was the energetic, charismatic man she knew and loved; a remote, quiet stranger had taken his place. Each day, the gulf between the two personalities widened.
Her cell phone rang, making her jump. She reached for it and turned away from him. "Benson," she answered quietly.
"Hey, Olivia." She was surprised to hear Fin's voice.
"Fin. Hi."
Fin sighed as he tapped the desk in front of him nervously. Why did he feel so apprehensive? This was Olivia Benson, his friend. She would understand his feelings…right?
Olivia listened to him breathe on the other end for a minute. "You alright?" she finally asked, confused.
"Yeah….yeah," he stammered. "Um….look, I know that you're probably still mad at us and everything…but I just-"
Shit! Olivia had completely forgotten about the other two. She had apologized to the captain without even thinking of them. Her face flushed with shame. "No, Fin," she cut in quickly. "God, I am so sorry…I'm not mad. Everything's ok."
He was stunned momentarily. "Really?" he couldn't help but ask. He had been bracing himself for her wrath.
She chuckled at his tone. "Really," she confirmed. "I'm sorry that I haven't gotten up with you guys. It's just been…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say about the situation. Luckily, he understood and saved her.
"Don't worry about it," he said, relieved. He paused a minute. "So….how is he?"
She unconsciously chewed her lip. "Well...about how you'd expect right now, Fin. Not very well."
He grimaced. "Oh," he said awkwardly. His heart started to pound, and he cursed his own nervousness. Why couldn't he just ask her?
He was silent so long that she wondered if he'd hung up. "Fin?" she prompted.
"Yeah," he said quickly. He sighed. "Liv…I'm just going to say it. Would it be alright if…" She heard him take a breath. "Could I come see Elliot? I've been really worried about him…please, can I just see him?"
The meekness in his voice surprised her, and she felt a surge of guilt. She hadn't given much thought to how much the others had been affected by all of this. "Of course you can," she answered quickly. "I'm sure he'd be happy to see you."
He let out a huge breath, and she couldn't help but laugh softly. "We're actually on our way back from the hospital," she said. "I'll give you a call when we get home, ok?"
A smile graced his rugged face. "Great," he said. "Thanks, Olivia."
He could hear somebody saying his name. Elliot's heart quickened suddenly and his breath caught when he heard the raspy voice that he was terrifyingly familiar. "Elliot…" the man rasped. "Elliot…."
Olivia watched his facial features change from relaxed to panic in a matter of seconds. She quickly cupped his face. "Elliot," she called once more. "Wake up."
His eyes flew open, and his breathing slowed when he realized that it had been Olivia saying his name all along. She let go of his face and looked at him worriedly. "You alright?" she asked.
He looked around quickly and saw that they were parked in front of her apartment building. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he answered groggily, "Yeah, yeah…fine."
She looked at him in disbelief, but didn't say anything else.
The sound of his footsteps was amplified as John walked slowly through the sewer pipe, involuntarily shuddering at the creepiness of the place. He finally spotted the opening in the ground that he was looking for. Stooping, he checked to make sure the rope ladder was at the bottom before jumping down.
He landed with a splash and felt cold wetness seeping through the ankles of his jeans. Ignoring it, he took out his flashlight and switched it on. His hands trembled. This room had the same effect on him the last time he had been there as well. Just knowing that he was standing in the very same place that Elliot had been tortured sent chills up his spine.
Nothing had changed. The blood was still on the ground. The torn leather straps still hung from the wall. His mind conjured up the image of Elliot there, bound and screaming, and he started to shake. Damn it, Munch…focus! He reached into the small bag that he had on his shoulder and pulled out a camera. He forced himself to become disengaged from his emotions as he set the flash and pointed it at the ground.
The sound of dripping water around him was the only noise in the room as John continued snapping, careful not to miss anything. He wanted to help Elliot so badly….but he just didn't know what to do. Taking pictures of the horrible evidence seemed so trivial right now…but it had to be done, and he wanted it done as soon as possible so that they could prosecute the bastard as soon as he was caught.
"Captain?"
The radio squawked loudly, and Don reached for it as he watched Olivia and Elliot walk into her building. "Go ahead."
The officer on the other end sounded frantic. "Sir, there's a problem. There's a window smashed in one of the apartment's directly across from Benson's."
His heart thumped wildly. "Where are you?" he asked urgently.
"The north side, near the back parking lot," the officer answered. "We just got here."
"Get all units into the building right now," he said, throwing open the door. He tossed the radio and took off for the entrance in a panic.
Elliot gave a huge, tired sigh as he leaned against the wall and waited for Olivia to unlock the apartment door. She smiled and opened it, gesturing him inside first before following him in.
The door to the hall closet was slightly ajar, but not open wide enough to be noticeable. The man peered through the crack when he heard the door open, and his heart began racing in anticipation. He watched the two of them step inside, and she closed the door behind her. Forcing himself to be patient, he clenched his fights tightly to keep himself from bursting out right then. He had to time it perfectly or the plan would fail.
Finally, they went into the living room. Carefully easing out, he tiptoed over to the front door, quietly unlocking it.
"Here, let me have your coat," Olivia said. He was about to sink into the couch, and she knew that he would most likely be going to sleep in a minute. The physical strain of the session last time had made him so weak that he had slept for four hours after getting back. She reached for him and tugged his coat off of his shoulders before he could collapse.
Taking her own coat off, she walked back towards the hall closet. The sight of the front door standing open startled her and made her blood freeze.
"Elliot!" she yelled immediately, turning back to run into the living room. Before she even knew what was happening, a figure was leaping out from behind the open door. She had no time to react as the man grabbed her and shoved her hard outside.
Olivia hit the wall across the hall hard, momentarily stunned. She leapt up quickly and saw the door closing from inside. She flew against the door and pressed her weight against it, frantically trying to stop it from closing. "Elliot!" she yelled out, praying he could hear her.
The man was stronger. She fought for all she was worth against the heavy wood, but her feet slid out from under her as it slammed shut. "No, no!" she screamed, hearing the locks being put in place from inside. Olivia clawed frantically at the knob, but it wouldn't budge. She banged on it desperately, feeling like she was going to pass out.
"Oh, God….oh, God!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. She had to get help now. Turning, she took off for the stairwell. She took the stairs three at a time toward the ground floor, praying that the captain was still outside.
