Olivia awoke to a tremendously bright amount of light causing the small amount of dizziness she had already been experiencing to escalate to nauseating proportions. She closed her eyes but even the darkness seemed to spin. She tried desperately to push down the rising bile in her throat but she could only concentrate on one thing at a time and right now the dizziness was over powering.
Casey was again awoken by what she thought was a cold blast of air only this time she immediately looked at Olivia who was once again in distress. Casey scrambled to her feet reaching her bedside in three short steps. Right away she knew what was about to happen and was able to grab the large basin next to the bed setting it in her lap just as the vomiting started.
When it stopped Olivia laid her head and upper body back against the bed feeling like she had just suffered a violent attack. Casey stood next to the bed feeling helpless wanting to do everything she could to help ease the pain of her friend, like Olivia had once done for her.
"Did someone call?" Hannah appeared at the door already pulling on a fresh pair of gloves. An older nurse they had never met followed her into the room.
"Ladies this is Mel. She will be the day time nurse." Hannah said. "Oh I see Ms. Benson is feeling the residual effects of the narcan.
"Call me Olivia, please." Olivia's voice came out as a croak, far from the passionate, butter smooth tone Casey was used to hearing.
"Ok Olivia. How are you feeling? Still nauseous?" Mel asked.
"No, not really. Just weak." Olivia answered.
"Good. That is what I suspected. The vomiting is a residual effect of a medicine we gave you last night. Its purpose is to absorb the medication already left in your system then expel what is left." Mel explained. Olivia appreciated this amount of information and it seemed that Mel understood her need for it.
"I'm still a little dizzy." Olivia admitted.
"Yeah that's most likely due to your electrolytes being so out of balance. I'll make an adjustment that should help, but I wont lie until you are completely rehydrated the dizziness will linger." Mel said. Olivia did not like the sound of that but understood.
"Olivia everything looks good. You are due for more pain medicine in an hour or so; I will be back in then. If you need anything just press the call button." Mel said finishing her notes on the chart. With a polite smile she and Hannah left the room. Olivia turned her attention to Casey.
"I have a lot of questions." She said.
"Are you sure you are up to it?" Casey asked.
"We have an hour until Mel comes back with pain meds and I get knocked out again. Until then you answer my questions, then I rest and relax for awhile." Casey could see the determination in her eyes. She wanted answers and if Casey were in her place she would want answers to.
"Ok. First let me get you some ice chips to chew on while we talk." Casey said agreeing. Olivia waited patiently for her return.
"Here you are. Mel said that bucket should be gone by the time she comes in." Casey said placing the bucket in Olivia's lap. While she started happily sucking on the ice chips Casey took a seat on the couch and made herself comfortable.
"First question." Casey said once settled.
"Is Rhoades dead?" this had been the question causing her the most headache. Ever since she woke up the first time with Zoe in the room she dwelled on that fact that she had started to like Penn, they had worked well together, and now she faced losing another partner; so soon after the loss of the only other partner she had ever had.
"Not yet. She's in bad shape but still alive." Casey answered. A small wave of relief crashed through Olivia clearing a large space in her mind.
"Who kidnaped us?" Olivia asked.
"Mrs. Gains hired two guys to kill you. They followed you from the park, pushed you inot an ally way where they jumped you, injected you with vecuronium then dragged you into their car. After they got cold feet on the killing idea they decided to kidnap you and hold you for ransom." Casey explained. "Penn had followed you, saw them dragging you into the car and tried to intervene."
"How did you find us?" Olivia asked chewing happily.
"Well Zoe helped. She treated the cab driver who witnessed the abduction and managed to get some info out of him. Of course she didn't know that you guys had been kidnapped when she was questioning him. With her information and some research we identified the kidnappers. During interrogation we pit them against one another and they cracked. Told us almost everything." Casey answered.
"What did they not tell you?" Olivia asked.
"Where they were holding you. No matter what we tried they wouldn't give it up. Something about leverage for a deal." Olivia couldn't help but wonder had Elliot been there if he could have gotten the information out of them. She new one thing for sure, he would have given anything to get it and would not have stopped till he did.
"So if they didn't give you our location who did?"
"Your five second phone call narrowed down the area, but we still had a lot of ground to cover. The FDNY provided the last piece of information we needed." Casey explained. "That medical bag you had was stolen from an unlocked ambulance not far from where you were taken. Each bag is equipped with a tracking device. Once they discovered it was missing they turned on the tracker and we used its GPS ping to get a location." Olivia remained silent for awhile finishing the last of the ice chips. All the details were good to hear but there were still large pieces of the puzzle she wanted. Always the detective she really wanted to know the who and why."
"Did they spill on the Gains involvement in all of this?" She asked.
"They agreed to give us everything they had on the Gains and testify during their trial for a reduced sentence. Each will serve thirty years at the least." Casey answered.
"Do we have anything other than their testimony?" she asked eagerly but clearly starting to tire.
"Don't you worry about the case. The squad and I will make sure everyone gets what they deserve. Besides you cant have any more involvement in this case, being that you are now a victim of it." Casey spoke the last word as cautiously as possible knowing how sensitive Olivia was to it. Olivia would normally not care about that detail and continue working the case until justice was served, but this time she knew the right thing to do was stay out of it. So she went on with her questions.
"How long have you been here?" Olivia asked turning the mood into a more light hearted one.
"Since they let you have visitors, so yesterday early evening."
"You didn't have to do that."
"You did the same for me when I got attacked in my office that night. When I woke up I was confused and scared, than there you were to calm me down, comfort me and answer all my questions. So now here I am for you." Casey said. Olivia thought back to the story Penn had told and realized just how luckily she was to have friends like Casey, Fin, Munch, and Cragen.
"Anything else you want to ask? Our hour is almost up." Casey pointed out.
"Good because my arm is starting to kill." She answered shifting uncomfortably.
"Did I hear someone's in pain?" Mel asked entering through the door carrying a needle and vile.
"Yeah. Starting to feel it." Olivia responded. Mel gave her a disapproving glare knowing she was lying.
"Alright so it's been hurting for awhile." Olivia admitted sheepishly.
"Tut tut. Olivia you should know upfront lying to me will get you no where. I can always tell." Mel said pushing a needle and syringe into the IV line. "That should stop the pain but it will make you sleepy so don't fight the medicine, you need the sleep."
"Yes mam." Olivia responded already feeling the affects of the medicine.
"Call me if you need anything." Mel said heading for the door. As she exited Fin walked in.
"Hey girl! Nice to see you awake." He said approaching the bed.
"Wish I could stay awake." Olivia responded fighting her drooping eyelids.
"Aww. Its ok you need the rest. We can talk later." Fin said sympathetically.
"Any updates on the case or Penn?" Olivia asked. Even her drug idled brain could not miss the sudden change in his domineer. Casey also noticed.
"What's going on Fin?" Olivia asked. He looked down at the floor, took a deep breath in and held it for a moment as he worked up the nerve. When he looked up and caught sight of Olivia's pleading anxious eyes he knew he had to tell them.
"Nothing new with the case, although someone will need to take your statement when you're ready." Fin stalled trying to decided how much to tell them about the scene he just witnessed.
"So is it Rhoades? Something change?" Fin struggled to maintain his resolve seeing Olivia lying there weakened by her ordeal so despite for news. With a heavy sigh, he broke down.
"It's not our Rhoades. Her sister Zoe slugged the PC." Fin said.
"Why would she attack the commissioner?" Olivia asked continuing to fight the medication.
"I'm not sure. When I got there, Cragen was holding back the commissioner and several nurses were restraining Zoe. The commissioner immediately demanded Zoe be arrested. Cragen had no choice but to take her to central booking." He explained.
"What is she being charged with?" Casey asked.
"Holbrook wants her charged with assault and battery on a police officer but he was beside himself. I wouldn't be surprised if more charges are added on." Fin answered. "Zoe didn't say anything just asked for her lawyer. Doesn't look good though, Cragen witnessed the whole thing as well as an entire unit worth of hospital workers.
"I need to get to my office and see what I can do." Casey said checking her watch. "Liv I am going to leave Fin here to keep you company. Get some sleep and I'll check in on you tonight." Olivia was finally losing the battle to stay awake but managed a whispered response.
"Don't worry, Fin's good." Casey and Fin shared a smile at this.
"Sleep tight Liv." Casey said giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She waited a few minutes for Olivia's eyelids to fall firmly shut before leaving the room. Fin sighed another heavy sigh before making his way to the other side of the bed and seating himself on the vacant couch.
"Wow! I got the raw deal last night." He said as he made himself comfortable on the couch.