Chapter 13
True to his word, Dr. Phillips moved Bobby to regular room the next day, a process that left his patient exhausted.
"His vital signs are good; he's breathing well," Phillips confided to Alex. "But he's not eating and sleeping well…I'm hoping this move will help…"
Alex thought she knew why Bobby wasn't sleeping well—it was one of the reasons she wasn't sleeping well. They weren't able to wrap their arms around each other and drive away each other's nightmares. Alex kept this information from Dr. Phillips.
"I don't think he sleeps well under the best of circumstances," she said.
Phillips quietly absorbed this information. "Well, try to encourage him to eat…and to take his pain medication…"
"He doesn't like drugs," Alex said. She knew that Bobby had seen too many people, including his mother, turned into zombies by medications and that his time in Narcotics had cemented his skeptical view of pharmaceuticals. "He'll barely take an aspirin."
"I understand," Phillips said. "But he doesn't need to suffer…Try to tell him that…If he'll listen to anyone, it'll be you…"
Alex smiled. "He can be a very stubborn man."
"I'm discovering that," Phillips said wryly.
Bobby's new room was comfortable and quiet; the nurses on the floor greeted him warmly.
"We've heard good things about you from the ICU nurses," one of them said cheerfully.
After the nurses and doctors departed, Alex sat on a surprisingly comfortable chair. "I hope your bed feels this good."
Bobby shifted uncomfortably. "Uh…yea…" He toyed with the blankets. "Alex…"
She leaned forward in the chair. "Yea…"
"My…my mom…Do you…I mean…I don't expect you…to have to…but…" He swallowed. "Do you know how she is?" He stared down at the blankets.
Alex softly placed a hand on Bobby's arm. "I've called every day…Dr. Shimo say's she's doing well…He told her that you got hurt…He didn't give her a lot of the details…But he let her know that you saved someone…He said she was very worried about you…But she was also very proud…"
He continued to stare at the blankets.
Alex took a deep breath. "I…I though I might…I might go see her…unless it'd be an intrusion…If you wouldn't mind…"
Bobby trembled. "It…It's just," he said so softly that Alex barely heard him. "I…never wanted anyone…especially you…to have to deal with this…no one…" His voice faded.
"Bobby," Alex said gently and firmly. "Everyone who cares about you…Me…We want to help you…You're not alone…"
"I…I…" Bobby swallowed. "Like I told you…It was just my Mom and me for so long…It's hard to ask for help…To accept it…"
"Can you try," she asked. "To let me…"
"I…I'm working on it." He raised his eyes to meet hers. "But…if you go to see her…"
He flung open another door.
"You should call Dr. Shimo…Make sure she's ok…" Bobby struggled at first, but the words came more easily to him as he spoke. "Even if she's ok when you start out, she may not be when you get there…It can be very frustrating…and frightening…"
Alex tightened her grip on his arm. "Ok…I've been warned…"
Bobby winced and fell back on the pillows.
"You ok?" Alex asked. "Should I call a nurse?"
"I…I…" He was too exhausted and in too much pain to pretend. "I could use a jolt…" He pushed the button that controlled the medication. "You know," he said as the painkiller began to work. "I understand why people get addicted to this stuff…" He drifted into sleep.
"Ok," Alex thought. "He's letting me in…Step by step…It's slow, but he's letting me in…" She watched Bobby sleep, taking comfort in the steady rising and falling of his chest. The grey and purple bruises showed sharply against his pale face. "Strange," Alex thought. "Bobby's eyes and hair are so dark, but his skin is always so pale…" She gently ruffled the dark curls. "I wonder," she thought. "If he looks at me…If he thinks about me…the way I think about him…Could he…Does he…love me?" Holding his hand, she leaned back in the chair.
Bobby slept fitfully through the night; Alex sensed he suffered bad dreams, and she could only imagine what those dreams contained. She guessed that the contents of that file from Child Protective Services held more than enough material for decades of nightmares. She wished that she could slip under the covers and wrap her arms around Bobby; she knew that such a move would comfort her as well as him. She also knew the move was completely impractical, not only because of the danger of being caught, but also because the hospital bed barely held Bobby.
In the morning, Bobby picked at his breakfast. In his defense, Alex admitted the food didn't appear appetizing.
"Hey," she said. "How'd you like some real coffee?"
Bobby smiled at her. "They allow real coffee in here?"
"I've found some nearby…"
"You would," Bobby said, his smile getting bigger.
"And you'll be glad of it soon," Alex grinned. "I'll be right back with some…and maybe something edible…"
"Could you," Bobby asked eagerly. "Bring some magazines and newspapers?"
Bearing coffee, bagels, and reading materials, Alex returned several minutes later. Bobby hadn't been so happy in some time; he quickly began scanning the magazines and papers.
"Here," Alex said. "Your coffee and a bagel with…"
Bobby's head shot up. "Peanut butter and cream cheese?"
"So that's the secret to getting you to eat," Alex said as she watched Bobby devour the bagel. "Give you something really disgusting…Don't blame me if your stitches come out…"
"Not stitches," Bobby mumbled. "Staples…"
Dr. Phillips knocked and entered the room; he stared at Bobby, who'd just chomped on his bagel. Bobby looked up guiltily and pointed at Alex.
"She brought it!" he said through a mouthful of bagel, cream cheese and peanut butter. Alex spluttered the coffee she'd just drank.
Phillips laughed. "Well, it's not what I might have picked, but at least you're eating something."
The doctor examined Bobby, expressed his happiness with Bobby's condition, and started to leave the room. He turned at the door.
"Now that we know what you like," Phillip said. "Maybe we can get you to eat…"
"I like him," Alex said after the doctor left. She glanced at Bobby. "He saw though you pretty quickly."
Bobby grinned at her. "Ah, but I wasn't trying that hard…"
They sat quietly for the rest of the morning, reading the papers and magazines. When lunch arrived, Bobby managed a few bites.
"You could," he said as he poked at a grey mass purporting to be Swiss Steak. "Sneak me some more real food…"
Alex smiled at him. "When I get some lunch, I'll see what I can grab."
There was a gentle knock at the door, and a nurse stuck her head in. "Mr. Goren," she said. "You have some special visitors, if you feel up to it…"
Bobby looked quizzically at Alex.
"I don't know anything about this," she said. "I'm as curious as you."
"Uh…yea…I'm fine," Bobby said.
The nurse smiled and pushed open the door. "Ok," she said to the unseen visitors. "Mr. Goren says you can come in…but only for a few minutes…"
A dark haired and eyed boy and girl shyly entered the room, followed closely by Anthony Corelli.
"Now, remember," the nurse said. "Only a few minutes…I really shouldn't be letting you do this…"
"Detective Eames," Mr. Corelli said tentatively. "If we're intruding…if Mr. Goren isn't up to having visitors…"
"No…I'm pretty sure he's fine." Alex turned to a puzzled Bobby. "This is Anthony Corelli, Angela's husband, and their children…"
Unable to contain his excitement, the little boy rushed up to the bed and looked at Bobby with bright, shining eyes. "Are you," he asked breathlessly. "The policemen who saved Mommy?"
Bobby looked as if he wanted to dive under the covers. "Uh…well…there was another policeman…Detective Stabler…"
Alex smiled. Bobby often employed shyness as a way to disarm witnesses and suspects, but, like many of his tools, it was an exaggeration of an existing characteristic. When he was flustered or embarrassed—as he was now—he found it difficult to speak, and the condition became particularly evident when someone praised him. "It's as if," she thought. "He doesn't know how to accept it…As if he didn't get much of it when he was a kid."
"We talked with Detective Stabler," the little boy said. "He said you saved him and Mommy."
The little girl shyly followed her brother. Like many children, she appeared to instinctively trust Bobby. She stared at the bandages and bruises that covered him.
"Hurt?" she asked pointing at one of the bandages.
Bobby smiled gently at her. "A little," he admitted. "But the doctors and nurses are helping me a lot. I feel a lot better than when I first came."
Mr. Corelli and Alex, not wishing to intrude on the children and Bobby, stood back near the door. "He's a good man," Corelli said softly.
"Yes," Alex nodded. "A very good man."
Bobby talked with the Corelli children for several minutes. He told them how brave their mother was, how much she loved them, how she stayed alive for them. The little girl scrambled up on the bed; Corelli stepped forward to stop her, but Alex restrained him with a touch on his arm.
"It's ok," she assured him. "I think they're very good for him."
When the nurse returned Bobby was delighting the children by making coins appear from behind their ears.
"I'm sorry," she said. "But I'm afraid it's time…"
The children reluctantly pulled away from Bobby. The little girl carefully hugged him, Alex's vision blurred. She thought she saw Bobby's eyes glisten as well.
"Thank you," Corelli said as he collected the children. "Thank you for saving her…for saving our lives."
Bobby stared at the blankets. "It's…it's just my job…It's what I do," he said weakly.
After the Corellis left, Alex studied Bobby. "You look worn out," she said softly.
"Yea," Bobby yawned. "They…It's a nice family…I just wish…They didn't think I was some kind of hero…"
"Bobby," Alex said. "You are a hero…You and Elliott didn't have to go in that house…"
"Oh, yes, we did," Bobby said firmly.
Bobby fell into a deep sleep. Alex felt the need to escape the hospital for a few minutes and headed to the diner across the parking lot. The restaurant had become an unofficial gathering place for everyone involved in the investigation. Alex was officially part of that investigation, although for the past few days her assignment appeared to be watching over Bobby. Stabler had officially returned to duty, although Benson confessed to Alex he was still shaky. Cragen, Ross, Munch and Fin all made frequent appearances, and George Huang's duties were split between Angela Corelli and anticipating Gregory Claret's movements.
As Alex entered the diner, she saw Olivia engaged in an animated conversation with several state cops. Olivia saw Alex and hurried to her.
"Alex." Her voice was tense and triumphant. "Bobby was right…Claret…"
Alex's heart pounded.
"The state police caught him a few minutes ago in the parking garage…We got him…"
End Chapter 13