A/N: I could make excuses for my lack of updates, but that would be a waste of time because I'm always going to write at the speed of a tortoise, lol. I'm still going to keep my promise to finish these stories, but from now on, expect super slow updates from me. To those who are still reading, thanks for hanging in there...

Nick sat in stunned silence and watched as the disarray before him played out in slow motion. He numbly observed his fellow brothers in blue in their various states: some walked on both feet, some dragged along injured limbs, some were strapped to gurneys, and some were draped in black. He wanted to move, but his body was too heavy. Suddenly, the weight from his chest was lifted, and his mind reeled forward to catch up.

Olivia!

He felt hands pulling at him from both sides, trying to stand him up. He shrugged them off hard—almost dislocating his shoulder in the process. The sound of his voice boomed in his ears:

"Save her! Do whatever it takes!"

He screamed these six words over and over again, as if in a trance, and reached out to her, a futile attempt since he was more than two feet away. He didn't protest when he felt a second pair of hands help him into the ambulance. He took his place beside her and curled his hand around hers. He traced a heart into her palm with his thumb like she had done to him just minutes before. He pressed his lips against the back of her hand and peered into her face.

If Nick didn't know who Olivia Benson was and the strength she possessed, he'd be consumed with worry at the sight before him. The ambulance bathed her face in a harsh fluorescent glow, accentuating her pallor and the gaping hole in her leg. He looked down and saw her tugging at her oxygen mask. She was too weak to pull it down in one motion, and the elastic band snapped back into place with each failed attempt.

"Liv," he said, trailing his index finger down her cheek. "You need to save your strength. Please keep your mask on."

His response triggered something within her, and she began pulling furiously at the mask, unperturbed by the sting of the elastic against her face and the trail of angry marks against her skin left in its wake.

Her stubbornness was one of the first things he noticed about her. It was a trait that never failed to annoy him, sometimes during the most inopportune moments on the job. But if he were being honest with himself, he would admit it was one of the reasons why he was so enamored with her, perhaps because she reflected back his own unyielding personality.

Did he admire her because she reminded him of himself?

No, that wasn't it.

When it came to getting justice for the victim, she stood her ground and did everything in her power to ensure their safety—even if that meant occasionally telling a bold-faced lie or two. When it came to the victims, she didn't know how to leave well enough alone.

But when it came to her own well-being, she was reckless and endangered herself without so much as an afterthought. She didn't seem to hold her own life in the same regard as she did the victims, and that both saddened and angered him.

Snap.

He blinked hard as he watched her complete lack of regard for her condition. He gnashed his teeth together, hoping the grinding would drown out the noise.

Snap.

He balled the hand at his side into a fist and flexed it repeatedly to calm the fire brewing within his veins. His shoulders tensed, and his nostrils flared as waves of ragged breaths exited his mouth.

SNAP.

He leaned forward and grabbed her wrists with a little too much force. "Olivia, whatever you have to say, it isn't worth dying for. Leave the mask on, goddammit!" he commanded. "I know you need to be in control, but everyone in this bus is trying to keep you alive, including me. Please, let us help you," he pleaded.

She hesitated; even in her weakened state she refused to relinquish the reins. Finally, she gave him an imperceptible nod and dropped her hands from her face.

A/N: Feel free to leave a review, you know, if you feel like you have something worth saying. If you don't, no worries. But if you DO feel up to sharing this story, go for it! Thank you.