Chapter 12: Welcome Home!
It had now been about a week since the triplets were home. Olivia was very anxious to go home. She would be taking Madison home today. Marissa would go home Monday and they still were not sure when little Brady would be coming home. The good news was that he gained a couple ounces this week. They had informed her that he had some lung defect. However, that would not affect him too much. He would probably have asthmas. That was about it.
Elliot walked into Olivia's hospital room as she was packing her suitcase about ready to go.
"So are you ready to go?" he asked her.
"Yeah, I think I am," said Olivia.
"So have you planned on what you are going to do with them when you come back to work?" Elliot asked her.
"Gosh! Marissa and Brady aren't even coming home yet and you're worrying about what I'm going to do with them when I go back to work? Are you insane!" snapped Olivia.
"Gee, I was just asking," said Elliot.
"Elliot, I will worry about that when the time comes, right now I just want to make sure all three get home safely," said Olivia.
"Good point," said Elliot. "So do you want me to stay with you tonight and help you with Maddi?"
"If that's all you plan on doing, sure," Olivia said.
"Yeah…that's all I was planning on…wait you weren't thinking…," Elliot said.
"No I wasn't thinking that, I just wanted to make sure you weren't thinking that," Olivia said. Elliot was laughing. "What on earth are you laughing at?"
"Nothing, you're pretty funny when your hormones are out of whack," Elliot said.
"Shut-up," Olivia said.
"Okay, so are you ready? Are they bringing the baby in?" asked Elliot.
"Yeah, the doctor just went to get her," said Olivia.
Just right after that Dr. Matthews walked in with Maddi in her arms. "Well, here you go," she said handing Maddi over to Olivia. "Would you like to go out in the wheel chair?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure," said Olivia.
When they arrived home Olivia put sleeping Maddi in the nursery that Elliot had helped her create. It was adorable. However, it had been made for two little girls. At the time they hadn't been planning on triplets or a boy. It had been painted pick with red hearts on the walls. There were two cribs in there. The room was fairly tiny. Olivia hadn't quite figured out where they were going to put Brady. There was barely enough room in that room for two cribs. Perhaps she was going to have to end up moving out of this tiny apartment. There was absolutely no way that she was going to be able to live here with three kids in a two bedroom apartment. When they became teenagers there was no way that Maddi and Rissy would want to share their room with their brother. It seemed like the only logical thing to do was to move. Apparently, that was the same thing Elliot was thinking.
"Yeah, how are you planning on fitting another crib in this room?" Elliot asked her.
"I don't think I'll be able to, I think I'm going to have to move," Olivia said.
"Where are you planning on moving to?" Elliot asked. "I'm hoping you're not moving far away!"
Olivia smiled. "I'm not sure, I guess I can put a crib in my room until I can find a big enough room with at least three bedrooms in it," she said.
"Yeah, just don't move away…I don't know what I—I mean we would do without you," said Elliot.
"By 'we' who do you mean?" Olivia asked.
"Oh…you know the entire unit," said Elliot.
"Hmmm," Olivia said.
"What are you thinking?" Elliot asked.
"Oh…nothing," said Olivia.
"Yeah, sure, nothing usually means something," said Elliot.
"Well, it's none of your business!" laughed Olivia.
"Your business is my business," said Elliot.
"Since when?" asked Olivia.
"Never mind, you'll tell me eventually," said Elliot. "So do you want to go shopping for another crib?"
"No," said Olivia.
"Why not?" asked Elliot.
"I want to make sure Brady's really coming home," Olivia said almost in tears.
"Don't worry, Liv, I'm sure Brady's coming home—the doctors said he'd be fine," said Elliot.
"Yeah, that doesn't mean anything, who knows what 'fine' really means," said Olivia in tears.
"Olivia, don't worry about it, he's going to be okay," comforted Elliot.
"Tell me a day you don't worry about your kids," Olivia said.
"Okay—never, but don't stress over it Olivia," said Elliot.
As promised, Marissa came home on Monday. She was up to six pounds now. The doctors were all amazed on how much she had grown. They all were determined that she was going to become a fighter.
As for Brayden, he was doing a little better. He had gained a full pound. However, he was still on oxygen. He still had to gain two pounds and be breathing on his own before he could come home. The doctors still maintained that he would come out okay. Olivia was still worried to death about the little guy.
The first night Marissa was home was very challenging. Whenever Marissa would wake up crying she'd end up waking of Madison. Or if Madison would wake up crying she'd end up waking up Marissa. Unfortunately, Elliot had been sent out on special assignment. Therefore, he could not be there to help her. Olivia sort of thought Cragen had caught on to how Elliot and her relationship was going. That's why he was probably sent away.
Still, Olivia wasn't sure how she was going to get through this. How will she be able to handle this all if…no when…Brady comes home? She constantly had to keep thinking positively that Brady would be coming home no matter what. She did not need to think negative thoughts. The more negative thoughts she thought the more she began to think that Brady would really not come home and she would be depressed the rest of her life because she had lost a child. She prayed every single night that little Brady would come home soon. She knew deep in her heart Brayden Elliot would come home one of these days. She just knew it.
A/N: There will be one more chapter to this. Will Brayden come home or not? Stay tuned!