He used to walk the halls of St. John's often, usually with his partner by his side, on their way to or from a victim. It's been three years since he's been here and while a lot has changed, a lot has stayed the same, except now Olivia isn't walking by his side she's laying in a hospital bed and he expects he'll be leaving here after being shunned from her room and life.
It'd be fitting payback for what he did to her, and he already knows he won't blame her for the decision but still he makes his way to the 6th floor and to her room. He stands in the doorway, Oliva's head turned away from him staring out onto a gray NYC sky while she's surrounded by people.
He watches a man with brown hair try to run his fingers through her hair and she flinches away with a soft, "Don't…don't touch my hair, Brian."
"Livvy…" And he must get another look because he quickly rephases, "Liv…" There must've been another look because he sighs and says "Olivia, please just talk to me," she gives the tiniest shake of her head. He sighs again and runs his hand over his face and he moves to stand finally looking up and staring back into Elliot's hardened, he hasn't seen the face of Brian Cassidy in 15 years, and Elliot finds he hasn't really missed it.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Cassidy says as everyone's head whips around so hard that Elliot is positive there was a breeze, but Olivia's head whipped so hard he actually saw the brief registration of pain grace her face and wide, terrified eyes.
Olivia nearly leaps from the bed, before he can move and before anyone can stop her, and if her body experiences any pain at the sudden and quick motions, it doesn't register her IV pole rolls behind her as she leaps into his arms, his arms wrap around her waist his right hand softly petting her hair while they both bury their faces into the other's neck.
"Liv," Her shoulders begin to shake and he feels the wet tears against his neck as she tights her grip with her good hand on the back of his gray zip-up hoodie.
"You came, you really came for me," she sobs into his neck.
He breathes in her scent as he gently combs his fingers through her hair and he feels her lean further into the palm of his hand, "Couldn't let you go through this alone."
"She wouldn't have been alone, she has me!" Cassidy blurts out harshly, and Olivia's body tenses against Elliot's body and he gently sets her feet back on the ground. Her face is against his chest and his arms move from around her waist to being wrapped around her back, securely pressing her against his chest as her good arm tightens around his waist.
He stares daggers into Cassidy's face but it's Fin who speaks up, "I think these two deserve some privacy," he stares into Elliot's eyes as he says "How 'bout it Cap? I think Elliot could fend off Goliath if he needed to protect Liv."
Cragen nodded and stood up the first to move to the door, "Everybody out now," standing off to the side and he shuffled Olivia just slightly to the left to provide them better access to the door.
Fin softly clapped his back before walking out the door, the blonde woman smiled softly at him, and a man with dark brown nodded approvingly before he left. Elliot and Cragen stared at Cassidy who still hadn't moved from position by the window, he huffed as he stomped to the door before he stopped to glance between Elliot's face and the back of Olivia's head and mumbled, "Un-fucking believable."
Cragen shoved him out and the door closed softly behind them, and then it was just him and his partner, "Let's get you back in bed."
Ch. 2:
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he pulled the IV pole with his other hand, he helped her back in bed covering her with the blankets once more. Olivia moved gingerly closer to the window and patted the small empty space beside her looking up at him with hopeful but terrified eyes.
He leaned back against the pillows on top of her blankets and then opened his arms to her, her head placed directly over his beating chest as her bad arm rested on his stomach and his arms wrapped around her, his intertwined hands resting on her hip. She breathed him in as tears slowly fell from her eyes and onto his hoodie but he didn't say anything, "I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry I left you there alone."
"You're here now and that's all that really matters to me, you came when I didn't think I'd have anyone to lean on or trust completely. I needed you more than anyone else and you came for me," Olivia sniffles and Elliot reaches over onto the end table and grabs a box of tissues and handing her one and resting the box against his crossed legs.
"Want to talk about it?" Olivia's head shakes softly against his chest and he tries again, "Want to watch some garbage TV?" Olivia nods.
Elliot flips through the channels until he lands on some marathon of Marriage Bootcamp: Family Edition and they watch three episodes, and somewhere near the end of the second episode Olivia's tears dry on her cheeks. In the middle of the third episode, Olivia lets out a small chuckle and Elliot's arms tighten around her gently as she laughs, and it's the most wonderful sound Elliot has heard in a long time.
It's an hour later before a nurse steps into the room with a gentle smile, "Detective Benson you can order dinner anytime from now until 8 PM, there's a menu on your nightstand and dial number 632 to connect directly to the kitchen." She leaves after she checks Olivia's vitals.
They sit in silence again and Elliot already knows the answer to his next question before he asks it but Oliva's body has gone slightly rigid again and he thinks she's bracing herself for the question, "You hungry yet?"
"No," she whispers.
He nods even though she can't see him, "'kay whenever you are, let me know." Olivia nods and then he's turning up the volume again as the show returns from commercial and the conversation is forgotten for another hour.
As the credits were rolling through, Elliot asks again and Olivia shakes her head again, "I'll order something to eat too and we can share our dinners."
"Yours isn't free though, you're gonna spend almost ten dollars on hospital food just so I can split your meal with you?" Olivia says with an air of disbelief.
Elliot laughs, "I think I can afford ten bucks, Liv. You may have to spot me though for a soda," Olivia lets out a soft laugh and buries her face in his chest before she finally agrees.
They order chicken tenders for her with fries and he orders a patty melt with fries, Elliot orders a Dr. Pepper with his and Olivia lets herself be talked down from coffee to Dr. Pepper. The same dark brown-haired guy opens the door 20 minutes later and Olivia only smiles softly at him, her head not moving from it's place on Elliot's chest.
"I'm gonna head out unless there's anything else you need, Liv?"
Olivia shakes her head but Elliot speaks, "Everyone else leave?"
The guy nods, "Yeah I offered to come up here before I headed out too," He steps inside so the door can close behind him, "It was nice to meet you Detective, I've heard about you for so long half-expected to find you to be something more than human."
"Elliot and trust me, I'm plenty human made more than my share of mistakes too," He looks down at Olivia's head and moves his right hand from her hip up to her head and gently let's his fingers tangle his fingers lightly scratching her scalp, Olivia's eyes flutter close at the feeling. There's some bandages against the bottom of her scalp where he can only assume Lewis pulled so hard pulled her hair hard enough to result in blood. "Especially with Liv, but I can only pray that it isn't too late to fix it," Elliot says softly finally moving his eyes from Olivia's head to the other man's eyes.
The man smiles and shakes his head, "I don't think it is, not even close I think I know my partner well enough to know how she feels about you. I should go though visiting hours are over, and since you're here Captain figured you'd stay overnight?"
"Yeah there's no way I'm leaving her again not after son of a bitch, can you do something for me though first?" The other man nods and Elliot gestures his head towards the hallway, "Is there someplace you could get her a cup of chamomile tea? Extra hot though, so there's a chance it's still warm without needing a microwave."
When the man returns it's to Olivia sitting up in bed and both munching on their dinner's and Elliot's head is leaning close to her his mouth near her ear as he says something that makes Olivia laugh, a real laugh so loud she raises the back of her good hand against her mouth to attempt to diminish the sound. Olivia is still laughing softly as he comes to stand by the bed placing the large cup of tea on the nightstand and she leans forward to look at it, "Jeez could it get any bigger Nick?"
Nick shrugs, "I figured you could always throw it away if you didn't finish it, but Elliot's the only one staying with you tonight and I want you both to have everything you need."
Elliot smiles and reaches out to shake his hand, "Thanks, Nick."
Her new partner grins back at him as though he realizes he's done well and he bids them both a goodnight and then it's just the two of them again.
They eat in silence for a couple of minutes and Elliot is just thinking about how nice it is when Olivia asks softly, "So what will Kathy think about you staying here with me?"
"She offered to stop at my apartment and get me clothes," Elliot looks into her eyes, "We divorced a year and a half ago, we'd moved from husband and wife to friends sleeping in the same bed. We share custody of Eli but the twins are in college; Kathleen's a social worker now Liv, credits you with inspiring her, she's dating a guy who seems like a good guy he's in marketing; and Maureen is pregnant with baby number 3 and living out on Long Island with her engineer husband."
"You're still friends with her though?" Olivia asks a little incredulously and Elliot nods popping a fry into her mouth.
"They all want to come see you whenever you're up for it…if you're up for it," Elliot says and Olivia almost chokes on her sip of Dr. Pepper. Family was never her thing having barely grown up with one, so the thought that Elliot's family of all people wanted to come and see her was appalling. She nods anyway though because she wants to see them and maybe it'd be good for her, something to make her smile a little.
Ch. 3:
They finish eating Elliot finishes off three of Olivia's chicken tenders and Oliva takes three bites of Elliot's patty melt and five fries from their shared box, Elliot doesn't say anything just asks if it was good and she nods. She scootches back down in the bed and settles her head on Elliot's chest directly over his heart.
The sun is still up at 6 PM but Elliot watches as Olivia grows more and more anxious as the suddenly there is more fluorescent light rather than daylight filling the room, and he finds himself talking more telling stories of his kids and grandkids. Stories of their glory days as partners, finally confesses when he realized he loved her, he first realized it could be love when she jokingly offered to hit him over the head with the building during the case with the death of the student at St. Raymond's College. He knew it was love thought when he realized Richard White was the first perp who identified her as trophy in a sick game of cat and mouse.
She barely responds, sometimes laughs, more often snorts softly, but mostly just lays on his chest and listens. The sun is setting an hour later and the TV is still on but only to provide the notion of more light and sound rather than actual usefulness, they stopped paying attention to it when Oliva's anxiety began after dinner focusing on Elliot's voice more and more.
Olivia pushes herself up with her good arm and says softly, "Bathroom," Elliot stands so she can push off the blankets and then helps her with the IV pole before he turns to leave, kissing Olivia's bandaged forehead once as he promises he'll be right outside the door and then closes the door behind him.
Olivia comes out ten minutes later and Elliot acts like it's perfectly normal and then says he's going to go as well. Elliot helps Olivia sit her bruised and battered body in the chair facing her bed, that Cragen had been sitting in hours ago and makes a point to only half close the door as he continues to remember the times she saved him from himself. After Olivia is back in bed and he's once again settled on top of the sheets he continues with the times Olivia came to his rescue, her head firmly settled on his chest her right ear directly over his heart as he holds her.
Except now when he finishes one story, Olivia always whispers, "Another one." He's proud that they were partners for 12 years because he has too many stories to choose from, and he goes through them in his brain like he would a file cabinet in the precinct, but it seems the more he talks the more Olivia's breathing slows and the tension leaves her shoulders.
The night nurse a girl with long blonde hair pulled straight back into a ponytail is the third person to interrupt them and she watches them in bed as she hands Olivia a cup of meds and Olivia looks at them skeptically, "What are these for?"
"The oval one is for your pain its hydrocodone and then the two small round tablets are for sleeping," The nurse explains.
Olivia takes out the two sleeping pills from the little cup and holds them out to her, "I don't need or want these."
The nurse looks like she's about to respond, about to explain why in fact Olivia does need those and why her doctor thinks so, but Elliot holds up a hand to stop any remark and the nurse takes a couple steps back. Olivia glances back at Elliot and she's sitting up now cross-legged, despite how uncomfortable it looks and her eyes are wide and terrified again, "El I don't need the sleeping pills they're just going to make it…"
"They're going to make it so that you can sleep and I know why you don't want to take them, but Liv I'll be here and the first sign of trouble I'm going to help you wake up if you have nightmares," Elliot assures her and the nurse is staring at her clipboard pretending not to listen.
"When not if and you promise me, El?" Olivia's face is open, innocent, and terrified like that of the young, abused, and neglect children he used to interview for the job, she stares into his eyes so hard it feels like she's drilling a hole directly into his soul with a jack-hammer.
Elliot nods, "I won't let you drown Liv, not again."
Olivia stares at him and when he places his hand on her knee rubbing her knee through the blankets with his thumb softly tips the cup back and swallows the pills chasing them with some water. Tears well in her eyes and Elliot loops an arm around her shoulder as he slowly guides her until she's cradled against his side, keeps both arms wrapped around her securely as her bad one lays against his stomach and she sobs into his side.
The nurse finishes checking her vitals and Elliot looks up at her and says softly, "Can you warm this tea for us and some extra blankets please?"
The nurse nods taking the large tea from the nightstand, "I could bring in an extra cot for you to sleep on, may be more comfortable for both of you?"
Before he can respond he feels Olivia's right hand grasp his hoodie as she sobs and he can make out the muffled words between sobs and hiccups, "No!" and "You promised me, El!"
"Just the blankets and the tea, please?" The nurse nods.
Elliot leans down to kiss her head, "I'm not moving, Liv." The nurse returns with blankets and the warmed tea, and when she leaves Elliot squeezes her gently and kisses her head again, "I'm going to go fix the blankets, do you want to drink some tea?"
Olivia nods softly and Elliot helps her sit up in the bed, her face is tear-stained, red, and blotchy but they don't mention it as Elliot spreads out the extra set of sheets and blankets settles them over Olivia as she sips the tea quietly. When Elliot's done he unties his gym shoes and toes them off placing them against the wall under the TV and then he climbs back into bed under the new set of blankets as Olivia sips the tea next to him, "You still a blanket hog? Don't think I don't remember watching movies with you, you'd end up being cocooned and I'd be freezing my ass off with damn air on 68 ," he says playfully and Oliva rests her head against his bicep.
Olivia snorts and smiles, "Hey I don't remember you complaining too much when I'd fall asleep against you," and Elliot just laughs admitting that he definitely did enjoy those times.
Olivia yawns and wraps her good arm around Elliot's as he pulls up the blankets around her further, and she feels her eyes grow heavy as he slips the cup of tea from her fingers and places it on the nightstand beside him.
She fights to stay awake but it's a losing battle, "Promise me you won't turn off the lights, El."
A statement so there's no room for error, no room for exceptions, and Elliot nods says softly, "I promise Liv, the lights stay on."
She falls asleep against her arm and it isn't half-hour later when the nurse comes in to check on her she goes to flip the switch, "The lights stay on."
"Sir that isn't standard practice, the maintenance lights will stay on but a good night's sleep can't exist with these fluorescent lights on," the nurse says as she flips the switch off.
Elliot's face hardens and he says again, "The lights stay on, if she has anything close to a 'good night's sleep' as you put it'd be a miracle, so leave the lights on." The nurse nods and flips the switch before opening and closing the door softly behind her.
Elliot leans back into the pillows and he's dozing off before he realizes it, the stress and the worry of the day finally melting away, but he's awoken not an hour later by a sob and a soft, "No don't please."
"Liv…" He tights his arms around her to keep from shaking her, she's been in a sweatshirt all-day, he hasn't seen where the bruises are but he knows they exists and he doesn't want to hurt her further, doesn't want to traumatize her. He kisses her head as he gently rubs her back, repeating her name over and over into her ear until he hears her gasp and murmurs his name, as her body tenses ready to fight all over again if it isn't him, "Yeah Liv it's just me."
A sob escapes her mouth again she buries her face further into Elliot's hoodie, and Elliot tightens his hold on her his hands gently massaging her scalp again and the other hand running up and down her back over her sweatshirt. The room is silent other than her sobs and it's an hour before either utters a word.
Ch. 4:
"The lights are still on," Olivia mumbles against him with a tone of disbelief.
"A promise is a promise, Liv."
Olivia lifts her head to rest it against his chest and sighs, "I'm sorry I woke you, El."
Elliot shakes his head like the lack of sleep doesn't matter to him, "Do you want to try and sleep?"
"Tell me more stories? The ones where…ya know?"
"I know," Elliot talks non-stop for an hour before Olivia dozes off again and he continues talking for another hour before he allows himself to doze off.
Elliot doesn't wake until 8:30 in the morning and Olivia is still fast asleep her body hasn't seemingly moved all-night and for that he's grateful. The lights in the room are still on and he smiles softly, promise made and a promise kept, he pulls out his phone while he waits for her to wake.
It's another hour before she begins to stir and mumbles a question about the time and Olivia lifts her head to grin at him when she realizes she slept through the night and Elliot grins back at her, "You're gonna be alright, Liv. You're stronger than you realize and even if you don't wanna give yourself the credit, I want to give you the credit because I know it." Olivia's cheeks redden at the compliment and she buries her head back into his chest as she grins, using the words like a warm blanket that can keep her warm in any storm.
They order breakfast, Elliot shells out six more bucks just so they can eat together, and when she only nibbles on half a pancake, piece of bacon, and barely touches the biscuits and gravy that Elliot had passed onto her plate, Elliot doesn't say anything just eats the rest of it while they drink coffee.
Cassidy strutted in at noon and Elliot watched his demeanor change from cocky to aggressive when he saw Olivia wrapped in his arms, "This what you two used to do on stake-outs? No wonder your wife hated Olivia."
Olivia's body tense in his arms and her eyes shoot downward at the implication and the insult, but Elliot's jaw clenches unafraid, "My ex-wife and nothing ever happened between us but I have a feeling you knew that and you're just trying to hurt her, which is pathetic considering what she's been through."
Cassidy eyes roll, "I came to have lunch with my girlfriend…alone, so you can leave now."
"Ever think about asking Olivia what she wanted?"
Cassidy's eyes roll again as he opens his mouth but Olivia cuts him off, patting lifting her head slowly off Elliot's chest, "It's okay El, give us a half hour?"
Elliot stands easily and walks over in his socked feet for his gym shoes and ties them as he tells her, "I'll be right outside if you need anything-"
"-I know, El." He nods and begins walking towards the door when she says softly, "El…"
He stands next to her bed, waiting for her to speak but she keeps glancing at Cassidy until he huffs and moves across the room so he can't hear, "What is it, Liv?"
Her eyes are cast downward and he watches her mouth open and close twice before she pulls her bottom lip worryingly between her teeth, her eyes flick nervously up to his eyes and then back down before she mumbles, "Can I have your, your…um hoodie?"
"Never be embarrassed about asking for that," He grins at her and kisses the one part of her forehead that isn't bandaged or bruised before he unzips the hoodie and gives it to her. She curls into the jacket as she whispers a small thank you and then he leaves, giving her sometime with her boyfriend, even if he is a dick.
She moves into the middle of the bed so there's no possibility of him trying to get in with her, it's probably rude considering how he found her and Elliot but a twelve-year partnership means something to her…means a lot to her so yeah it's different even with her boyfriend. "I'm not really hungry, Bri but you can order some food and maybe I can pick on a couple fries or chips?"
Cassidy scoffs and pulls out a bag from inside his jacket, "Come on Liv I'm not looking to spend money on hospital food, I stopped and got a Sub already ate the chips though sorry."
Olivia forces a chuckle and a 'of course you did' before her voice can crack and she turns to look out the window, eyes blinking wildly as she tries to stop the tears, telling herself it's a stupid thing to cry over. Meanwhile, he talks about his latest drug bust and how he's on track for a promotion before the year is over, and some of the guys are talking about going down to the Caribbean for Christmas. Then as an after-thought he asks if she'd mind if they weren't together for Christmas and she shakes her head, he lands a kiss on her bruised temple, but her only register of pain is a soft gasp and shooting pain in her head.
Elliot watches through the window while he sits against he opposite wall, he's almost gotten up about ten times already cause she's back to looking out the window, so something must be wrong but he wants to respect her and her request even if he does hate the guy.
"Hey whatchya doin' out here?" Elliot turns his head to Nick, still watching her room out of the corner of his eye.
Elliot waves his hand in a 'what do you think?' motion to her room and Nick sighs as he sits down beside him, "Ah so he's back."
"He's back came in all arrogant, but Liv is forcing him to sit in the chair so I'm sure that's gotta be driving him insane," they laugh softly at the other man's expense.
"Daddy!" A little 3-foot, brown-haired blur runs towards him from the elevator and he kneels on the ground to catch him, wrapping him in a tight hug as he scoops him up into his arms, "Where's Aunt Livvy? Mommy said I could say hi!"
"I said you could see her, we don't know if she's too hurt to see little 5 yr. old boys," Kathy says as she walks towards them and smiles sympathetically at Elliot, "Hey."
"Thanks for bringing some of my stuff, Kath," He gives her a one-armed hug and points to the man who was sitting beside him, "This is Nick, Liv's new partner; and this is Kathy, my ex-wife."
Nick shakes her hand as Elliot walks over to the window with Eli and knocks softly, Olivia's head jerks to look at the unexpected noise her eyes terrified until she sees Eli and excitedly waves back.
She says something to Cassidy and motions to the door and his face looks visibly annoyed as he stands, wiping his hands on his jeans as he opens the door, "Olivia wants him to come in."
Elliot carries him in and Nick and Kathy follow, Olivia holds her good arm out to Eli pulling him in for a one-armed hug once Elliot sits him beside her, "I missed you Aunt Livvy, where'd you go? You missed TWO birthday parties!"
"That was my fault, not Aunt Livvy's but maybe one day soon we can make them up if you and Aunt Livvy want."
Eli claps excitedly snuggling into her side, "I want to! I want to! Do you want to too, Aunt Livvy?!"
Olivia nods, not trusting her voice but she can't help herself from burying her noise in his hair smelling the sweet smell of Johnson & Johnson shampoo.
Kathy places Elliot's bag on the dresser underneath the flatscreen TV and walks forward to grab her son, "Alright, Eli I think it's time to go and let Aunt-"
"-WOAH! You have a cast! Can I color it?!" Eli looks up at her excitedly as Elliot and Kathy glance at each other in amusement.
Kathy tries again but Elliot holds up a hand, "Maybe if Liv wants…we can give them a bit of time together?"
"Really?" Olivia's voice is a mere whisper and her eyes are wet with unshed tears as she glances between Elliot and Kathy's eyes.
Kathy bends to look into Eli's eyes, "Aunt Livvy is still hurt so she can't go running around after your little 5 year old butt, so you have to promise me that you'll be the most perfect little gentleman," Eli nods excitedly snuggling further into Olivia's side, "I'll ask her for a full progress report and if she says that you weren't perfect, you're going to have a very long time-out."
"I promise, mommy," Kathy nods and stands again when Eli looks up at her and grins, "I'm almost 6!" Olivia laughs which causes Eli to laugh and then they're all laughing, except for the man standing in the corner.
"Uh why would Liv want to spend any time with him given her current state?"
"Well, for starters she is his God Mother and helped deliver him and they haven't seen each other in two years, so I'm sure Eli will have no problem talking her ear off," Kathy fires back before Elliot can open his mouth.
"Damn Cassidy now you've pissed off two Stablers, you gonna take Eli from Liv's arms and go for a perfect score or are you happy with 2 outta 3?" Fin asks as he leans against the doorway laughing.
Ch. 5:
Elliot pulls out the Crayola markers from Eli's backpack, but before he hands them to his son he looks into his eyes, "These are only for Aunt Livvy's cast and only if she says it's okay, and if she wants you to stop you listen, understand?" Eli nods and takes them looking up questioningly at Olivia who smiles and nods. "Liv," He waits for her eyes to look up from where Eli is already coloring on the top of her cast, "I'm gonna go get a coffee but Kath will be right outside talking about-"
"Nah, Elliot I think Nick and I can handle sitting outside you and Kathy go get a coffee we'll keep watch," Fin says as they all leave the room.
Elliot and Kathy are talking quietly amongst themselves something about Eli's progress in school, when Cassidy declares arrogantly, "Your kid cut into my time with my girlfriend!"
Elliot whips around on his heel to look at the man, "My kid is 5 years old and hasn't seen her in two years and Olivia wanted to see him just as badly, and maybe more, as he wanted to see her. I think she deserves a little time to fucking color, be with her God Son, and not talk or be reminded of that son of a bitch don't you?!" Elliot looks at Nick and Fin, "Don't let him back in there until he's had sometime to remember that this isn't about him," They nod before Elliot stalks away to the elevator, Kathy following closely behind.
Elliot and Kathy come back up 30 minutes later and other than Kathy's eyes being slightly bloodshot there is no indication that anything is wrong, Elliot's hand is on the small of her back as they step off the elevator and walk towards Fin and Nick. "Where'd the meathead go?"
Nick laughs as Fin rolls his eyes and sarcastically replies, "Apparently his partner and a couple other guys are pre-gaming and he just couldn't miss that."
Elliot huffs clenching his jaw as Kathy looks through the window of Olivia's room at her son and her ex's partner laughing and coloring the cast on her left arm, "As his girlfriend lays bruised and battered in a hospital bed."
They give the pair another twenty minutes before Elliot and Kathy decide it's time for Eli to be getting home, "Hey you two trouble makers," Elliot's voice is playful and happy as the pair grin back at him.
"You like it daddy?" Eli asks as he jumps from the bed into Elliot's arms.
"I do you did a beautiful job," He grins Olivia who is still staring in disbelief at the cast, "You like it Liv?"
She nods as Elliot puts the markers away in the box and back into his school bag and Olivia glances between the two adults, "You leaving?"
"Sorry Liv you're still stuck with this one, but the cute one is heading out we have to go and get a birthday present for his friend's party this weekend," Kathy says laughing as bends to give her a hug.
"Momma you gotta be careful of her legs!" Eli's worried voice stops her for a minute looking down at Olivia and then back up at Elliot with confusion and fear, but Elliot shrugs his face mirroring his ex-wife's and Eli sighs exasperated and explains, "A bad man hurt Aunt Livvy's legs so we have to be careful until she says I can sit in her lap again."
Olivia's head rests against the pillow her head turned towards the window, and her face is red but Elliot can't tell if that's from tears or embarrassment at a untold secret coming to light, clearly one she tried to hide from at least him.
Kathy's voice is low as she says, "I promise I won't hurt her legs, Eli," She says it for to appease his worry and let him know she listened but she says it Olivia's benefit. Olivia must find it sincere because she closes the distance and hugs the other woman with her right arm and Kathy whispers in her ear, "I'm so sorry Liv. If you need anything, just tell El and I'll help you anyway I can," Olivia nods into her neck before she pulls away and falls back onto the bed, head turned once again towards the window.
Elliot whispers in Eli's ear, "Go and give Aunt Livvy a big hug before you go," Elliot places him in the empty space beside her and Olivia reaches for him and he wraps his little arms around her neck so tight and they'd be worried about her injuries but Olivia seems to hug him just as hard around his waist.
"Thank you for coming to see me and I'll miss you, sweetheart," Olivia whispers against his ear softly, "Maybe I can see you again soon?"
Eli nods excitedly as he pulls away to look at her his arms still wrapped around her neck, and he's pulling slightly but she doesn't care just doesn't want to let this little boy go again not be seen again for another 3 years. "Maybe this weekend depending on when you get released Liv," Kathy offers and Olivia glances up at Elliot who nods with a smile.
"And you gotta take pictures dad of her cast, cause Aunt Livvy said when they take it off the doctor will mess it ALL UP," His arms flying around to prove the gravity of the situation, "AND Aunt Livvy won't get to keep it, so you gotta take pictures so she can remember it, 'kay?"
Elliot nods and gives him a thumbs up as he lifts him off the bed and hands him to Kathy, who holds his backpack in her other hand, "I got it bud and I'll send the pictures to momma, so she can show you."
Kathy and Eli leave minutes later, and Eli waves until Olivia is finally out-of sight and Olivia returns it until she can no longer see the little brown head and tiny hand waving over Kathy's shoulder. Olivia's walls break once he's out of her sight and curls into herself facing the window and thereby, away from Elliot as she buries her face into the hoodie he gave her almost two hours ago.
Elliot pulls up the chair next to her bed, watches as her back heaves with sobs and softly assures her, "Liv you'll get to see him again, I promise you'll get to see him soon."
"No, I won't you'll keep him away again now that you know and I'll never see him again!"
