A/N: Thanks to everyone for the wonderful PM's! Your words are so sweet and inspiring! A special shout out to Will'nr who solved my therapy problem! Now maybe we can dig a little deeper into this odd connection…
Oh, and for those who've asked, a new chapter to Full Circle is underway. Hang in there!
Chapter 48
"What are you listening to?" asked Maddie as she handed Serena some iced tea and sat down. Serena eyed the drink warily. "Don't worry, there's nothing but sugar and tea in there, this time" she explained with a sly grin. Serena grinned and took a drink. She was alone with Bernie and Maddie today as Liv had to appear in court on another case that was postponed, and Elliot was back at work since the mistrial declaration. After yesterday's sort of argument, Serena had been in a foul mood. She was still speaking, but she was definitely off. She didn't want to take it out on Maddie though.
"When I was little, my Uncle John bought me these language learning kits. They had CD's, videos, flashcards, everything needed for kids to learn a new language. I loved them and seemed to absorb it all easily. I'm fluent in four languages besides English and ASL now."
"Uncle John?" questioned the aide. "I've never heard you speak of him?" She was just glad that the teen seemed more open today, even if she wasn't as mobile as she was yesterday.
"Well, he's not really my uncle. He used to be the sergeant when my parents were detectives. Back then I called him 'Uncle Munch' but that seems silly now. Anyway, he sent me a letter when I got out of the hospital. Can you believe it Maddie? An actual handwritten letter! It was so sweet. I texted him back and he called me instead, but I couldn't speak to him on the phone though; it… so we started texting. I told him remembering those lessons with that stupid looking fuzzy animal thing made me feel less lonely. Do you know what he did?" When the woman shook her head, Serena continued. "He gifted me a subscription to an app that does all the same things! It's a bit more sophisticated than jingles and flash cards, but it has every language, right there, ready to be absorbed! I love it. So, to answer your question, I am reviewing my French."
"Oh! Parlez-vous jeune femme française?" Serena looked at her in shock but quickly answered. (You speak French young lady?)
"Oui, couramment! Ou avez-vous appris?" (Yes, fluently! Where did you learn?)
Maddie chuckled. "Honey remember? My full name is Madeline. People pronounce it the basic way, but it should be Mad-ah-line. Like the book character. And my brother's name is Antoine. My father is from Cameroon; my mother from Haiti, where we were raised until adolescence. French is my first language child."
"That's so cool. I was fluent in Spanish and English before most kids could write a full sentence. My nanny was from Ecuador. I miss her." Serena leaned back and closed her eyes. At first glance, it looked like she was remembering fondly, but Maddie was well-trained and very astute.
"Okay, the pain hasn't subsided, has it?" It was more of a statement than a question.
Taking a deep breath, Serena confessed. "No. Actually Maddie, I called Dr. Paxton's service after Momma left. She's the first doctor I saw at the clinic. She seemed as surprised to hear from me and I am to have called her." She tried to make that a joke, but it fell flat. "She said she will make time to see me whenever I can get there. Will you take me Maddie?"
"Oh baby, that's something for your Momma to do."
"No actually, I checked. I do not need parental consent or accompaniment to see a gynecologist. That's the law and my right to privacy. Which is something I haven't had a whole lot of since my return. I'm not hiding anything from her Maddie, but she could be in court all day and I don't want to wait any longer. Plus, I can't take the doc- clinic AND the doting at the same time. Please?"
The aide had to think about that, the whole time sizing the kid up. For her to have called the doctor, a gynecologist of all people, on her own for a same-day appointment, it was worse than they all thought. Finally, while maintaining eye contact, she spoke. "You will leave your mother a voicemail right now and tell her exactly what is happening. I'm not keeping her out of any loop or withholding any information about your health and wellbeing. What you choose to divulge is up to you, but I will tell her everything I know." She made sure Serena was dialing her mother as she stood up to send Bernie next door.
After getting Bernie settled and sending Olivia a quick text herself (not that she didn't trust the kid, just as a courtesy) she waited in the truck. When Serena didn't come out, she had to go look and what she found was a tad disturbing. Serena was still sitting in the lounge looking frustrated. She reached her hand out and Serena took it gratefully. Maddie had to use her strength to help the child stand, and then wrap her arm around her waist to bear most of her weight. Once she was buckled in the truck, back seat by choice, Serena maneuvered her body into an almost prone position.
True to her word, Dr. Paxton had Serena escorted to an exam room promptly upon arrival. Maddie stayed in the waiting room, after a rather heated argument. She made sure to send Olivia updates (which wasn't much) and it was three hours later when Serena was wheeled out by the nurse, but instead of getting up, the nurse wheeled her straight to the truck. Once inside, Serena made herself comfortable again and handed Maddie her discharge instructions just as her mother called.
-SVU-
That was her last case. Twenty-six years as a cop, twenty of those in SVU and she just testified in her last case as investigator. It was bittersweet. Olivia didn't know whether she wanted to celebrate or cry. She pulled out her phone to leave a message for Elliot. He was in the Bronx giving his own testimony and he has never been so glad to do so. He said he'd rather sit in court all day on a case that has nothing to do with him or his family than to face the media or 1PP, who had both been up his ass, understandably. She was going to leave a message saying she would wait around for him, but when her phone powered up, she noticed one missed call from Serena and four texts from Maddie. Shit! She hit her voicemail-hearing her daughter's voice first would prepare her for whatever Maddie had to say.
"Momma. I asked Maddie to take me to the clinic today. I called Dr. Paxton, yeah, I can't believe it either. Anyway, I'd rather see her than go back to that hospital again or break in another doctor. Plus, I remember you saying how she was very professional and under other circumstances you would recommend her. Anyway, this is my decision, and all Maddie will be doing is driving. I'll see you at home. At home, Momma. No need to come to the clinic. Okay, bye."
What the fuck? Serena asked to go to the gyn? Without me? I knew I should have insisted on the exam on Friday. Dammit! That child of mine and hiding her pain. She quickly read through Maddie's texts. All about how Bernie's with Gladys- Serena in pain although not outright admitting it- Waiting in waiting room- Still waiting.
Well screw that! Liv thought as she ran for the parking garage. Her daughter is at the doctor's office without her and that is unacceptable. She left Elliot a voicemail to tell him what was going on as she sped off. She was approaching the exit to the clinic when another of Maddie's texts came through. Headed home. Liv called her instead.
"Maddie, what's going on? Baby, are you okay? I'm getting off the exit now" She knew that in the car, she'd be on speaker and Serena would be listening.
"I'm fine, Momma. Or at least I will be. Just go home instead." She leaned her head against the window and her eyes began to droop.
"Olivia, could you stop at the pharmacy on your way in?" Maddie interrupted. "There should be two scripts waiting for her. She's okay for now. In pain but denying it of course and fighting sleep as usual but we will probably be home at the same time." Liv agreed and after checking on her charge one last time, Maddie started the car.
Liv did in fact beat them home. She had just opened the door when the Range Rover pulled in. Before Liv could open the back door, Maddie put her hand up to stop her. "She just dozed off. She wouldn't let me in the room and with confidentiality the doctor never spoke to me. That woman is something else! Anyway, she did give me her discharge papers which basically tell me that there is tearing and bruising and a low-grade fever. She has been bleeding and her bathroom habits have only exacerbated the problem. That is all I know of her diagnosis, but can I speculate?" When Liv eagerly nodded, Maddie continued. "Well, from what I can tell, the gun probably caused tearing, which she will say she is used to, but I think the speed it was shoved in and the struggle that ensued…" Seeing the look on Olivia's face had her back tracking. "I'm sorry, Olivia. "Shoved" shouldn't have been the word I used. I believe it has been a while since The Doctor had touched her in that way, and I think the celebrations stopped quite some time ago as well. Anyway, the force ripped her up a bit and bruised her vaginal walls, with a possible small pelvic fracture. Once she started moving around, that fracture may have widened along with the tearing."
Liv took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay." She quickly threw her arms around the other woman's neck. "Thank you, Maddie. I'm not sure if I've ever said that, or how many times, but thank you!"
When they broke apart, Maddie continued. "You're all family darlin'! I tried to convince her it wasn't my place to take her to the doc, but she insisted and Then I realized, why would I stop her? But I'd hate to wake her up to have her walk inside just to lie down again. It's the movement that causes the pain. Did you get her medicine?" Liv raised the bag. "Okay, well we can leave her in the rover for a bit, I suppose."
Olivia didn't want to leave Serena in the car, but Maddie was right as usual. After peeking her head in through the front seat, she looked up and saw Manny bringing in his trash cans, which gave her an idea. It was very unlady-like, but she put her fingers in her mouth and whistled, waving him over.
Manny approached the two ladies with an odd look on his face. "Is everything okay Ms. Olivia? Ms. Maddie?"
"Yes and no Manny. Serena just came from the doctor and she's alright" she interjected when she saw the young man was about to interrupt. "She fell asleep in the truck and would you be a dear and carry her inside?"
"Of course!" Manny went around to the other side and easily scooped up his friend, without too much jostling. When they began to walk up the steps, Serena nearly jumped out of her skin, and his arms, resulting in both women grabbing onto her.
"Too many hands! TOO MANY HANDS!" Serena shouted. She locked her arms around Manny's neck and buried her face. Maddie and Olivia both immediately pulled away. "Sit Manny. Just stop moving and sit now please I don't care where!" His plan was to take her to her room and lie her on her bed, but he immediately sat on the couch. After a very tense few minutes, she untangled herself and sat next to her friend, grabbing his hand instead. She held her other one out to the side which Liv quickly took in her own to ground her in the present. She swung one knee over the arm of the couch and adjusted her sitting position to lean heavily on the young man next to her. Her eyes were still closed, and the only sound was her trying to regulate her breathing.
"Sorry. I only ever got carried after… I don't really remember actually being in his arms, just the feeling subconsciously I guess and just now I was kinda dozing and there were just so many hands on me and I had that same carried feeling." Breath. "I'm okay, though. Sorry." She still hadn't opened her eyes.
"What have I told you about apologizing about your feelings?" admonished her mother.
"Don't be sorry on my account. I'm happy to sit here" stated the young man.
"You can make it up to me by putting this on and drinking this" interjected Maddie as she handed Olivia the cannula and placed the tank on the floor. In her hand was a drink, which she deliberately held out to the young girl.
"No, Maddie! I don't want to sleep right now!" she whined. "I don't need to!"
"It's not that kind of drink, sugar. I mixed up your new antibiotics and painkillers that your mom just picked up, per directions on your discharge papers. It shouldn't knock you out, but they will help you heal and keep any infection at bay since you have a slight fever." At the word infection, Serena's eyes opened wide. "You will drink when I tell you to and I promise not to slip you a potion. The oxygen will calm your mind and body and you are not to move from this spot, unless you need to use the bathroom or want to go to your bed." She had such a no-nonsense tone that Serena let go of Olivia's hand to take her drink and shook her head.
"I'll stay here for now. Thanks Maddie" she said as she finally looked the aide in the eye and smiled. "Really." Turning to the boy next to her, she asked, "Wanna watch a movie? Or a stupid video? Or an old show?"
After watching that exchange, Salomon wasn't going to move either. "Are you kidding? Recent years have opened up a whole universe of superheroes and I'm going to introduce you to them all."
-SVU-
Court dragged on for Elliot. He was only there to testify about the procedural collection of evidence and chain of custody between the Bronx and Manhattan. But of course, he was a big deal and his daughter was frontline news so the defense was trying to make a case of NYPD cover-ups, misconducts and mistakes. It didn't make much sense to him because at the time of this particular rape spree, Serena was still missing and procedure was status quo (not that her return change that any). He was happy to finally be done. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Liv of course since his lunch break didn't coincide with hers, so once he got outside, he powered up his phone but he didn't get a chance to check before he was interrupted.
"Elliot Stabler! Long time, no see." As Elliot turned around, there stood Dr. George Huang, former FBI consultant for SVU. He walked up to give his old friend a hug.
"George! How the hell are ya? What're ya doin' here? Last I heard, you were in Washington, Mr. Big Shot."
"I'm here on personal business actually, but I've been following your daughter's case and when I heard you were testifying close by, I thought I'd pop by to say hello. My partner's family lives just a few blocks from here. How is everything Elliot?" Huang always had a way of making people feel at ease, even though he was an FBI profiler. Olivia used to say it was the shrink in him.
"I can't put it into words George, hold on." At that point, Elliot's phone finally came to life and binged with unread messages. "Oh, what the hell now?" he exclaimed as he read. When he looked back up, he seemed to sigh in defeat. "Hey Doc. Wanna grab a cuppa coffee?"
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