A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews and for checking out this story! I hope you like it as it continues. Please provide me with any feedback or critiques you may have. I'm not new to fanfiction or this fandom, but I am new to writing for this ship!

Inspired by "Night," season 6, episode 20.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Law & Order: SVU, its characters, or storylines. I make no money from this work of fiction, that is inspired by an episode, but otherwise created from my own mind. Any relation or resemblance to another story or a real life instance is purely coincidence.

Recovery

Chapter 2

kateandharvey

"Well won't he be surprised when he finds me at his door when you go to collar him for the second time, ready to nail his ass to the wall." Casey was her normal, sassy self, with fire in her eyes.

"That's the thing, Casey," Olivia said, knowing her words would anger the redhead, "you can't come."

"Why the hell not?" The injured woman had barely gotten her question out when Captain Donald Cragen entered the room, his hat in his hand. She moved her attention to the visitor, and Olivia pulled her hand from Casey's, sitting back in her chair.

"Hi, Casey." The older man said, stepping further into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Hi." Not one for pleasantries, Casey cut right to the chase. "I'm feeling fine. Can you please tell Detective Benson that I will, in fact, be part of the case against Kyle Anderson?"

After a glance at his detective, the captain shook his head, looking at the bruised woman. "You won't."

"Why the hell not?" The ADA repeated the same question with the same annoyed tone. "I know I need some recovery time, but it'll just be a couple of days. I'm not too close. I can do this case." When the two other people in the room only glanced at each other again, she angrily spat, "What's going on?"

Olivia leaned forward, placing her hand on the woman's arm. "Casey, Kyle Anderson murdered Judge Garrison."

Casey's eyes grew only slightly as she waited for further explanation.

Cragen grasped the end of the hospital bed, swallowing thickly as he added, "After he left your apartment, Anderson went to Jackson's house. When he couldn't find him, he tied up his wife and their 12-year-old, Rebecca." He paused, allowing Casey a moment to process what he was saying. "When Jackson finally returned home, he made them watch as he tortured him and let him bleed out."

"Oh my God." Casey's free hand found her way to her mouth.

"Rebecca and Mrs. Garrison are fine." Olivia continued, "The problem is that we can't find Anderson."

A quick one, the ADA asked, "Do you think he's going to come back for me?"

"If he knows you're alive, it's possible. We can't risk it." Cragen said. "I'm sorry, Casey."

"I know how important looking him in the eyes is to you, and you'll get the chance at trial." Olivia squeezed her companion's arm. "I promise. But for now, it's safer for you if Anderson thinks he succeeded in killing you."

Casey nodded, digesting the information. "What am I supposed to do until you find him?"

Straight to business, just like the Casey they knew and loved. "Well, we're including an unnamed ADA with the story about Garrison in the papers. We have unis packing up your apartment. You'll have to lay low for a while. You'll need it, anyway, with the recovery." Cragen smiled softly, "You have a rough road ahead, Novak." The ADA grew anxious with each word. Before she could even ask a follow-up question, the captain continued. "We've got Elliot and his family in Jersey. You and Olivia are the only two left to worry about." He took a breath. "The department rented a place on the Lower East Side for the both of you."

Olivia watched Casey's face for her reaction. "It'll be fine, Case." Olivia said, "We'll just be there a few days, at most, and I can help you out while you recover."

"With all due respect, Olivia, I can take care of myself." The ADA was annoyed at the lack of independence that came with the plan.

"With all due respect, counselor," the captain started, "Benson is a trained detective. You are not."

"And what about her safety?" Casey asked, sitting up straighter in her bed. "Aren't you worried about that?"

The captain nodded. "Of course."

"I'm fine, Casey." Olivia said, "But still, they're posting a uni at the door, and the whole squad will know where we are. There's power in numbers, too." She sighed, "I know I'm a hypocrite here, but this is all for precaution's sake, not because you aren't capable of taking care of yourself."

Looking between the eyes of Olivia and Cragen, the ADA found that she was in a losing battle. "Quite frankly, I don't have the energy to disagree. I've already proven myself pretty incapable, so if you want to house us together for a few days, so be it." She sighed. "Anybody know when I'm getting out of here?"

"Are you sure you don't want to go to bed?"

Casey gripped the doorframe as she entered the living room where she was staying for the next few days. "I'm fine, as I told you three times on the way here," she gritted out, "Besides, I've apparently had enough sleep in the last few days to put a corpse to shame."

Olivia, her hands loosely around the redhead's waist as she slowly hobbled, asked, "Are you sure?"

At that moment, the redhead moved the wrong way, causing a searing pain to run through her waist, and making her legs buckle underneath her. Quickly, Olivia caught her before she could fall. "I'm sure."

"Are you sure you don't want the wheelchair?"

"I've got it!" Casey spat, and kept moving slowly toward the couch. After she had lowered herself down, she let out a sigh of relief.

Ignoring the attitude of the counselor, Olivia glanced at the clock on the mantle and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Casey shrugged. "I could eat."

"Do you have a preference for something specific?" Olivia grabbed two pillows from the chair and handed them to Casey for her to prop herself up more comfortably. "I was thinking we could order some takeout." She exited the room, and the ADA heard the fridge open in the kitchen. "It seems we could make something, too." The detective called.

"It's your call, Nurse Benson." When Olivia reentered the room, she found Casey wearing a bitter expression and crossed arms.

She raised a single eyebrow. "Nurse Benson?" She asked, "Really?" Casey shrugged, and Olivia moved closer to her, her hand resting against the arm of the couch. Annoyed by Casey's attitude, but trying to stay calm, Olivia sighed. "I'm a little tired and I'm sure you are too. Let's order out for tonight." She decided. When the other woman said nothing, she asked, "Chinese? Thai?"

"Doesn't matter." Was Casey's clipped reply. She barely made eye contact with the detective.

"Chinese it is." Olivia said, moving forward into the kitchen. "There's gotta be some take-out menu's in here somewhere…." She called to Casey, "What do you like, counselor?"

"Chicken."

Olivia returned to the living room without a menu. She was quickly losing her patience with the ADA. Letting her irritation get the best of her, she asked, "Sweet and sour? Kung-Pao? Sesame? Orange? What type of chicken?"

Gathering her own attitude, Casey spat, "Could you stop?" The lawyer knew she was acting ridiculous. She knew she was feeling a lot of emotions, and instead of processing them like a normal person, she was letting them come out by way of anger toward the detective.

"Stop what?" Olivia questioned.

"Treating me like a helpless child."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Olivia said, "but maybe when you're done acting like a child, we could talk about it."

"I'm not acting like a child." Casey said, knowing she sounded exactly like one. She took a breath. "I'll have the sweet and sour." When Olivia just looked at her, Casey added, "Please."

"Okay," the brunette responded, "I'll order it." Casey simply nodded in response. When the silence had passed for a moment, Olivia asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Casey shook her head, eyes cast downward into her lap. "Not right now." Olivia watched as the usually strong counselor raised her head and made eye contact. "I'm sorry," Casey closed her eyes, and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. "It's not… you. I'm just…"

Olivia stopped her. "Casey, it's okay." The ADA looked at her. "I know."

The redhead offered a wry smile in return and the other woman exited the room to place the take-out order.