AN: THANKS FOR READING. LET ME KNOW YOUR OPINIONS.
D: LAW AND ORDER SVU AND ALL ITS CHARACTERS ARE NOT MINE.
CHAPTER 80 RECKLESS
—Olivia, are you okay?!— I can hear Fin's desperate voice as I walk away from the place. —Liv, are you injured?— He insists even though I ignore him. I just want to get away from the patrols lights and the noise of their sirens. From the police officers and the doctors who are all around. I want to run away and lock myself somewhere safe.—You are hurt!— He stops me by the arm making my body turn towards him.
—I'm fine!— I yell at him frustrated and manage to get out of his hand, but I don't walk away anymore.
—Detective we must check you.— An unknown voice catches my attention.
When I look up, a young black woman looks at me with concern. Because of the outfit she is wearing, I realize that she is a paramedic. —Please, let me take you to the ambulance.— I let out a sigh. - You are bleeding.— She explains putting something on my forehead. I raise my hand unconsciously and then I realize that my head is pounding.
—It hurts.—Iis the only thing I can say while I fight inside myself to remove the memories of the last time I was surrounded by patrols and paramedics with blood all over my hands. His blood.
—What hurts?— Fin asks me as we start walking towards one of the ambulances.
—My head.— I answer somewhat annoyed by his question. If I am injured in the head the answer is obvious. Unless I have more injuries that I have not noticed. Fear invades me when I think that it may be worse than I think. I realize that my arm is clinging to my belly and that it has not moved from there in a long time. My brain starts to work quickly going over every part of my body to make sure everything was fine.
—What happened?— I ask somewhat stunned. I feel tired.
—I'm sorry Liv, I let my guard down.— The expression of concern on Samuel's face gives me chills.
—Are you pregnant?— Another man's voice distracts me. I try to answer him but the words don't come out of my mouth.
—Yes, she is.— Samuel answers for me and does not leave my side.
—We will take you to the hospital to check everything is fine.— The man stats without even asking. I know that in another situation I would not accept to go to the hospital just because of a blow to the forehead but today the only thing that occupies my mind is my baby. So I do not complain at all. I just get in the ambulance and lie down on the stretcher.
—Don't lie down, detective.— The same young man commands forcing me to get up. —It is better for you to stay up.— He explains moving a little until he is in front of me.
—Sure.—I know that.
—What's your name?— He asks as he takes out a little lamp while the young woman is taking care of my forehead.
—Olivia.—
- Okay, Olivia, I need to check your reflexes.— I watch him do a few things and try to focus on his instructions to prevent sleep from winning me over.
SAMUEL'S POV:
I get into the ambulance with Olivia and make sure she stays awake. I feel terrible. I can't believe that in a couple of seconds of distraction things got out of control. We did not expect the suspect to be in the house. we were sure he has gotten out of the city the day before. But the bastard came back, he was waiting for us hidden somewhere downstairs. I was too worried about getting the children out of the place that I never saw him. Got damn! I told Liv to stay at the station, but she's so stubborn.
—Your reflexes are fine. Tell me, did you hit somewhere else?— I notice that Liv is silent again so I hasten to answer.
—She fell to her knees after the blow to the head.— I explain remembering the moment when the man came out surprisingly and took her pulling her away enough to take her hostage. I can still feel how I was paralyzed for a few seconds, before pointing my gun at him. How fear invaded me when I saw Liv with a gun pointed at her head. The words of the idiot still resonate in my mind and the fear in my partners expression. Partner. She negotiated with him. She is damn good at her job. The fear didn't paralyzed her. She offered him the way out if he let her go. I agreed, of course I would let him escape in exchange of her safety. I wouldn't hesitate a bit. And he didn't take long to accept the deal, but not without hitting her first. He knew that if he hurt her we would not run after him. I would not leave her there to go catch him. I ran to her as fast as i could and was able to stop her fall before she hit the ground.
Luckily, Fin and the Captain were not far away and they caught the man before he left the house. I hurried to call for reinforcements and the ambulance while trying to wake her. She did. She opened her chocolate eyes and her lips moved slightly as she asked for... Elliot.
—She was unconscious for a few seconds.— I say to the doctor while I listen to how they open the ambulance door.
—It seems she is fine but I'd rather be sure.— She tried to get up to go off the ambulance by her own feet but a pair of nurses stopped her and put her in a wheelchair. I came down after her a little calmer. She looks good. She is aware of her surroundings and I can even perceive that frustration being the center of attention always gives her. Her silence does not worry me. I have learned that when she is quiet and attentive is when she is thinking the most. Which is good for her to stay awake. We enter the hospital and calmly move through the corridors to get to a quieter part, away from the emergency room.
—Livie?— A worried voice calls our attention but the first to turn is Olivia. Without a doubt in her expression. She identified Dr. Beresford's voice way before any of us. —What happened?— The doctor asks, approaching her quickly.
—I'm fine.— Liv says quickly without hesitation.
—What happened?— He asks again something frustrated.
—I got hit on the head, but it's nothing.— I can tell in her way of speaking that she is saying it just to calm him down. There is some doubt in her voice. I wonder if Kyle can notice it too.
—Take her to my practice.— Beresford orders in a demanding tone, the nurses don't hesitate to divert her to another corridor.
—Her reflexes are fine, and it seems she just hit her head.— The paramedic explains the doctor as he walks at a fast pace after him, leaving me behind.
—She got hit.— I correct the paramedic as I accelerate my step, but Kyle sudden stop and turn makes me stop. His eyes cold at mine.
—What happened?— He asks me seriously, something in his tone of voice bothers me a bit.
—A suspect hit her with a pistol during a police operation.— I reply with the truth.
—You are her new partner, right? Samuel?— He knows the answer to that.
—Yes.—
—Aren't you supposed to have her back?— Even if it bothers me, it's the truth, but who does he think he is to recriminate me.Before I can answer him he turns and continues on his way. I prefer to stay here and control my anger than to follow him and end up fighting him. I let out a big sigh and look for a place to sit while I take off my jacket and tie.
OLIVIA'S POV:
I wait sitting in the chair, still carefully inspecting my body, then I realize that my knees hurt a little but I don't know if it is cause of the incident or if it is part of the pregnancy symptoms like my poor swollen ankles. The paramedic keeps pressing on the wound in my head trying to stop the bleeding while we wait for Kyle.
I try to move a little to observe the young man holding the gauze on my forehead. He looks a bit altered. I smile at him as soon as he turns to see me, hoping that he will react with a positive response so I can feel more secure, and thank heaven he does.
— It was a strong hit.— He says showing his white teeth in a smile.
—So it seems.— I keep trying to remember what happened. Although I really think I know what it was. "I think it would be better if you stayed" Samuel's words begin to echo in my mind, as if they were assuring me of the situation. Now I also think I should have stayed at the station.
—How are you?— The young paramedic completely changes his mood as Kyle enters the room.
—The bleeding stopped.— He tells Kyle in a rush.
—That's good.— Something in Kyle's voice makes me feel awkward. —Thank you.— He says as with a hand gesture he asks the paramedic to separate from me. Kyle bends down to carefully separate the gauze from my skin so he can see the wound. I try to look elsewhere and avoid contact with his gaze. —Give me the medicine cabinet, please.— Luckily he is concentrated on his task. The young man rushes to bring him his things.
—This will hurt a little.— Kyle tells me before placing some cold liquid on my skin, by the smell I can guess that it is hydrogen peroxide.
—Auch.— And the burning confirms my guess. He ignores my complaint and continues cleaning the area. I dare to look out of the corner of my eye and his serious expression surprises me. Is my wound worse than I imagine?
—You will not need stitches.— He tells me kindly placing a small patch over the injure.
—Good.— The paramedic says giving me another smile, which I reciprocate kindly.
—Does anything else hurt?— Kyle asks trying to look me straight in the eye. I hesitate a bit before answering.
—My knees. I think.— He makes an expression of displeasure and takes my hands to help me up.
—Get on the examination table.— The coldness in his voice makes that seem like an order so I limit myself to comply with it and with the help of the young man I get on it.
—Thank you, you can leave now.—Kyle tells him.
—Your welcome, If you need anything I will be...—
—I know were to find you.— The poor paramedic leaves with a grimace of displeasure. I can't help but see him with an expression of doubt and surprise, what the hell did he do wrong?
—Why do you treat him like that?— I ask Kyle trying to guess if the young man has not done his job well, or what has he done to make him be so upset with him. But I don't get an answer, he just comes up to me.
—What were you doing in a house full of armed men?— His question takes me by surprise, but I do have an answer.
—My job.— He evades me with a strange grin and lifts my pants a little to see my knees. —Hey.— I try to get his attention.
—You'll get some bruises.— He goes on ignoring me.
—Hey! Are you mad at me? Can you tell me what I did to you?— My voice sounds annoying and strange even to my ears. He just lets out a sigh followed by a great breath of air.
—Liv, do you know how reckless you have acted?— He asks a little less serious this time. I just stay silent reasoning his words. The memory of the incident flies to my mind. The captive children in the house; Being taken by the arms of the man; Samuel in front of me pointing his shaking gun; The gun at my head; The fear in my body and my arm clinging to my belly. —You put your life and that of your baby in danger Olivia.— Kyle tells me with that annoyed look —Didn't you think about what could happen? What if Samuel hadn't been there?— I can hear the frustration in his voice and the concern in his eyes. —What if you've gotten shot?. Tell me what the hell were you thinking?— I can see how he is trying not to yell.
—It's my job.— I complain without even thinking what I'm saying. I just know that I don't like his words. I don't like him talking to me as if I were a little girl in trouble. —And what else do you care?— It is not until I see the pain in his eyes that I understand harsh of my words.
—You know? I wish I didn't care so much.— In the middle of the silence I can feel the lump in my throat. I don't want him not to care.
—I don't.— I hear my voice cut off. Just thinking that he can get away from me causes my whole body to shiver. I have discovered that the time I am with him the wound in my chest does not burn, and I do not feel that terrible cold or loneliness. Maybe it's a selfish thing of me, I feel like I'm using him for my benefit and I haven't stop to think of his.
—I'm sorry.— He says in a sigh. —I just don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want to see you suffer.—
—I know. I did not think things through.— In the end I agree with him. But I rather not think about what could have happened if things had gotten completely out of control.
Suddenly I feel his arms around me. I settle between them and I cling to him. I do not like to fight with the only person who accepts me as I am... permanently damaged.
—You will ask for your medical license, right?— He asks without letting go. I nod my head.
—Oh.— I let out the expression when I feel the tap inside me. Without thinking twice I take Kyle's hand and place it on my belly waiting for it to move again. He just waits patiently until I feel it again. A smile lights up his face and his other hand goes up trying to feel more.
—It is the first time that I feel it.— It is true. It has never moved when I am with Kyle. I remember once assuming that medical appointments bored it and would rather sleep through it. But not today. It is waken and moving.
—Is everything okay in there?— Kyle approaches and speaks to my belly, and the baby answers with another strong kick.
TO BE CONTINUED
AN: THANKS FOR READING. STAY SAFE.
