Close Calls

Summary: See ch1

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Great reviews, keep them up!

Talks between a Father and his Children

When the doctor finally emerged from Elliot's room, the whole squad gathered around him.

"So? What's the final prognosis?" Cragen asked.

"It seems that Detective Stabler will make a full recovery." He smiled, causing a sigh of relief to arise from the group. "Now, he'll need to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. I want him on a desk for at least a month to ensure all his chest wounds heal completely. And he'll need to be released into someone's care for a few days." The doctor added.

"When will that be?" Olivia questioned.

"I'd say that, as long as his vitals stay strong, we'll be able to release him tomorrow afternoon." The doctor informed them.

"Thank you Jordan." Kathy smiled.

"Just doing my job." Jordan smiled back. "If you guys want to see him, you can go in now, but Elliot still needs his rest, so I'm going to have to ask you to make it short.." He added before leaving to tend to his other patients.

The group filed back into Elliot's hospital room. He was now sitting up in bed, and had most of the wires removed from him.

"You're lookin a lot better Stabler." Fin smiled when he entered the room.

"Yeah, the whole pasty white look really wasn't goin for you." Casey joked. It felt good to be able to laugh at a situation that merely hours ago was making everyone who cared about Elliot sick.

"Sorry I worried everyone." Elliot apologized.

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn't tell that guy to shoot you." Kathy smiled.

"How is he anyway? As I remember, I think I shot him back." Elliot asked.

"He's healing up in the criminal ward at Belleview. You gave him a pretty nasty wound to the stomach, but he survived." Cragen answered.

"And Anne?" Elliot asked.

"She'll need some heavy duty counseling, but they're optimistic." Olivia told him.

"I'm just glad we were able to get to her." Elliot smiled. "Just wish we could have gotten to her a little sooner." He added.

"She's just happy to be alive." Huang told him. "She had lost all hope of ever being rescued."

Elliot let it sink in for a moment before turning the conversation to a more personal topic. "What about the kids? Did you tell them what happened?"

"Yeah, I did." Kathy answered nodding her head. "They were pretty shaken up about it. But they're okay now, and can't wait to come tomorrow to see their father." She smiled.

"Why tomorrow?" Elliot asked. "What about tonight? And what do you mean by 'pretty shaken up'"?

"They're coming tomorrow because you still need your rest, and it would take them over an hour to get down here; and by shaken up I mean scared that they were gonna lose their father." Kathy answered honestly.

"Can I at least call them?" Elliot asked.

"I think they'd like that a lot." Kathy smiled. She knew that if her children couldn't come here and see their father; the next best thing for them would be to hear him over the phone.

"I'll call them once everyone leaves." Elliot smiled. "So, I miss anything else while I was out?" He asked.

"Well, Munch got married and divorced again!" Fin answered.

"What!" Elliot exclaimed, shocked.

"Yeah, what!" Munch added.

"Nah, just kiddin." Fin laughed.

Elliot just shook his head but joined in on the laughter. It was nice to hear that sound coming from a room that has thus far only been filled with grief, fear, and somberness.

There was a sudden knock on the door. Jordan, the doctor, stuck his head into the room. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid I need to break this little party up. Detective Stabler really does need to rest tonight."

"Alright. Looks like this is last call." Cragen smiled. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Night." Elliot smiled as everyone left the room.

He was upset that he hadn't had more time to talk to Olivia before everyone else came in. She had told him that she couldn't live without him, and he wanted to know what that meant exactly. Was it possible that she felt the same way about him as he felt about her?

He was forced to put the thought out of his mind for the moment because he wanted to call his children and let them know that he was alright.

Elliot picked up his bedside phone and dialed his old home number.

"Hello." Maureen said into the phone.

Elliot couldn't speak for a moment. As soon as he heard her voice he remembered that a few days ago, he thought he would never hear his children's voices again. He cherished this moment.

"Hello." She repeated more indignant. She hated these games.

"Maureen?" Elliot asked, even though he knew that it was her. "Maureen, its Dad." He smiled.

"Daddy!" She squealed, overjoyed to hear her father on the other line. "Daddy, how are you feeling, are you okay?" She asked.

"It's Dad? Gimmie the phone Maur, I wanna talk to him!" He could hear his youngest daughter yelling in the background. Their want to see how he was doing made his heart swell.

Maureen just ignored the pleas of her little sister. "So, you feeling better?" She asked again.

"Yeah. I'm doing good. The doctors said that I'll probably be able to go home tomorrow." He smiled.

"Hey, just in time for our weekend!" His oldest child noted. "I mean, that is if you feel up to having all of us."

"Of course I'll be up to it." He smiled. Even if he wasn't, seeing them always seemed to make him feel one hundred times better. "I'm just not so sure where we'll be staying." He said, referring to the fact that the doctor said he would need to be released into someone's care for a few days after being released.

"Well, whatever." Maureen noted. "I'm just glad that you're okay." She smiled

"Yeah. Me too." Elliot beamed into the phone. "Now, I hear you sister in the background, why don't you pass the phone on, and I'll see you guys tomorrow." He instructed.

"Okay. Love you Daddy." Maureen said, and then gave the phone to Elizabeth.

Lizzie gladly accepted the phone, and immediately began chewing her father's ear off. "Daddy! Are you okay? Mommy says that you're better, but I wasn't sure if I believed her. I mean, she wouldn't tell us if you weren't. When did you wake up? Does anything hurt?" She began before Elliot finally cut her off.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, baby. Slow down." He smiled. "I'm fine. I have a bandage on my chest, and I'm gonna have to take it easy for the next month or so, but I'm gonna be just fine. I promise." He assured her.

"Good, cause I was worried. I thought that…" She began.

"Well don't. You should know better than anyone that it's gonna take a lot more than a puny little bullet to get rid of your old man." He smiled. "Now, are any of your other siblings there? I want to talk to them before the doctors try to make me sleep again."

"Yeah, I'll go get Kathleen. I love you Daddy/" Elizabeth answered.

"Love you too sweetheart." Elliot told her.

After a brief silence Elliot heard the voice of his middle child. "Hi, Daddy?" She greeted into the phone.

"Hey Kathleen." Elliot smiled.

"Oh my God, are you okay? We saw you last night, and you looked so weak." She informed him. "We were all so worried about you. Especially Olivia. You have to talk to her Dad; she blames herself for what happened." She said, filling him in.

"I know she does. I already talked to her, and I plan on talking to her more tonight." He told her. "I'm feeling much better, but how about you guys? Mom tells me I put you four through a lot. I'm so sorry about that. Tell the others for me." He apologized for all the agony he had caused his family.

"Daddy, you didn't do anything wrong." Kathleen assured him. "And we're all good here. I mean, it was a rough couple of days, but we all kinda helped each other," She smiled.

"Good, glad to hear it. Is your brother around? I just want to say good night to him before he falls asleep." Elliot asked. "I love you."

"I'll get him; and I love you too Dad." She said before going off to find her brother,

"Dickie! Dad's on the phone!" He heard her call through the house.

He heard the trampling of Dickie's footsteps in the background and then his voice. "Dad, Dad, is that you?" He asked, sounding shocked.

"Yeah Bud, it's me. How are you doing?" Elliot asked, concerned for his son. Kathy had said that he seemed to be taking Elliot's injuries the worst of all his children.

"I'm okay. I was scared though Dad. Why did you have to do that?" He asked.

Elliot was silent for a moment. He had thought that taking that bullet for Olivia had been the only choice; the right thing to do. He knew that it was the right choice for him, but had it been the right choice for his children.

"Dad? You still there?" Dickie asked when his father didn't answer.

Elliot snapped back to the conversation and answered, "I had to do it son. If I hadn't Olivia would have died. I'm her partner; I couldn't just let that happen. I hope you can understand that."

Dickie thought about it for a moment. "Would she really have died?" Dickie asked.

"Yeah. She would have." Elliot answered directly.

"Okay. Then I guess… I guess I understand. But try not to do it again okay?" He almost begged.

"I will buddy. I promise." Elliot answered into the phone, knowing full well that it might be a promise he would have to break at some point in his life. While he loved his children more than anything in this world, and he would do anything for them, and put them before anyone, he couldn't see himself sacrificing someone else's life for his own just because it would be hard on them if they lost him. If it was one of their lives against someone else's then there would be no contest, but his own, he wasn't so sure about.

"Hey, Dad." Dickie said suddenly.

"Yeah son?" Elliot answered

"Uh, do they still have the bullet?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, I think they do. Why?" Elliot asked.

"Well, uh, do you… do you think I could have it?" He asked. "You know, as a good luck charm. So that I can show everyone that my dad really is faster than a speeding bullet!" He smiled.

Elliot couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't realized just how much he meant to his children until that moment. Had his son really just compared him to super man? The thought made a tear run down his cheek.

"Sure Dickie. You can have it. I'll make sure to tell the doctors to save it." He smiled.

"Thanks Dad. Love you." He smiled.

"Love you too. Good Night." He smiled. "I'll see everyone tomorrow." With that the two hung up their phones, and Elliot was again left alone in his hospital room.

TBC.. just a little short chapter, but i felt i had to get his kids in there somewhere