A/N: I'm BACK! If you are picking this up off of the last two series I wrote this would fall 6 months after the last story, which was under Lifelines the series. I didn't like Lifelines too much, but I loved the Broken Olivia series (Like Father, Like Mother, Like Me through Classes, Cases and Chambers). I'm hoping with this new story I can capture some of the feeling of that series or at least tell a good one. This can be read with out the other series I think, maybe if your patient with it. So I guess we could sort of call this Season 3. Shall we see where the journey will take us? Sometimes I'm just as surprised and disappointed as you folks are.
Truth Seekers
1.
Olivia slumped into the hard plastic chair in the hospital waiting room. Her hand was throbbing. It felt like all the bones were broken. She winced when she tired shifting.
"Olivia Benson," a nurse called from a far door.
"That's me. I'm coming."
Olivia walked toward the nurse and followed her back to an exam area.
"What happened here Ms. Benson?"
"On the job accident."
"What's your job?"
"I'm a detective, NYPD."
"How did your hand get like this?"
"My partner shut my hand in the door of the car."
"Mhmm. Well I'm sure the doctor will want to take x-rays. One of the doctors will be down to see you in a few minutes."
"Thanks."
Olivia sat on the cot with her hand cradled in her lap. The nurse had given her an icepack, but it didn't seem to be helping a whole lot. 5 long minutes passed before a face appeared around the curtain.
"Olivia, I say we have to stop meeting like this."
"Dr. Vic!"
"How are you?"
"I'm alright considering."
Dr. Vicky Valez nodded as she carefully lifted Olivia's hand to exam it. Then she called in a tech and they took a x-ray with a machine he had brought in with him.
"Well it's definitely broken. We'll know more once we get the x-rays back."
"How long will that take?"
"Why got a hot date?"
"No just wondering," Olivia laughed.
"Well I'm not sure, we aren't really backed up so it might only take a little while," Dr. Vic sent the films out to be developed with the Tech after signing off on them.
"Okay."
"So how's that Alex of yours, isn't it?"
"Yes, Alex. She's great. We've been together for about 3 years now." Olivia said with a smile.
"That's great. So how is it that Elliot managed to slam your hand in the door?"
"Oh I'm not partnered with Elliot anymore. He was shot about 7 months ago and ended up taking a long leave of absence. He has been teaching at the Academy for a little over 6 months now. I have a new partner Jessie Clay. She's pretty good. We had a perp who's friend smashed into Jessie as we were booking him. Just as I was pulling my hands away from the car, she slammed into it and the door, which crushed my hand."
"Sounds like quite the story," Dr. Vic laughed.
"Yeah pretty unbelievable. It will be an interesting write up."
"I'll bet. Well I'm going to check on your work and I'll be back in a few minutes. Take a rest, I know how much sleep you get most nights."
Olivia smiled and rested her head back onto the bed. It wouldn't hurt to take a little nap while she waited. Dr. Vic had given her some pain meds and they had already kicked in making it easy to fall asleep.
It seemed like Olivia had just shut her eyes when Dr. Vic was shaking her awake.
"You're all set to go."
"Wait don't you need to…" Olivia stopped speaking when she realized that she already had a cast on her hand.
Dr. Vic smiled, "You are quite the sleeper with those meds."
Olivia laughed, "Yeah I guess I am. Thanks."
Olivia maneuvered her blue encased hand through her jacket and hopped off of the hospital bed.
"Do you have someone to drive you home? You're going to be groggy for a couple hours with the meds and I have a script here for some more painkillers to get you over the hump. Its going to smart for a few days. Then its probably going to start itching. If a few weeks you will be able to get the cast off. You can come back here or go to your regular doctor."
"Well, you pretty much are my regular doctor and I'll catch a cab home."
"You know Olivia, you really should have a regular doctor."
"I know, I know. Thanks Dr. Vic, I'll see you in a few weeks."
"Alright. Take care."
Olivia dialed for a cab on her way out of the hospital and waited in the cool fall air for its arrival.
She loved the fall. It was cool and fairly dry. Yet it was still warm enough to enjoy being outside and going for runs or strolls in the park. You didn't need a heavy jacket. She could get by in her favorite brown leather jacket or a light wind breaker. On off days she like to just wear a sweater or hooded sweatshirt around the house or city.
She took a deep cleansing breath. The smell of fall was another thing Olivia loved as well as the sights of fall. The leaves on the trees turning colors and falling to the ground. It was a sad time of year, but you knew that spring would come eventually.
A yellow cab pulled up to the curb and Olivia climbed in, and after stopping at the pharmacy gave directions to her apartment.
The elevator was out of service. She glared at the sign taped to the doors and made for the stairs. Luckily she only had to go up 3 flights, but she was already tired from the pain medication. After taking off her coat she landed haphazardly on the couch and tried to relax into a nap.
/elsewhere in the city/
The day was almost over, just one more stop before heading home.
Alex Cabot's heals clicked down the hall toward the bullpen at the precinct. She was bringing news to Cragen about the cases in progress and picking up information from Fin about another case that just opened.
She was so tired. It had been a trying day. She was in court all day, only seeing her office for about 25 minutes that was suppose to be a lunch hour. However she ended up fielding phone calls from Hudson U. She had taught there the previous year, an instructor in the pre law program. However, with the way the DA's office was understaffed at the moment she was taking a leave from teaching. Even only there a year the pre law program head and students really missed her. It was a hard decision, but she didn't feel like her work with the DA's office was over yet.
She found herself standing outside the doors of the bullpen and shook her head to clear her thoughts. The bustle of the police station filling her senses. She marched right through the doors and to Cragen's office and knocked.
"Come in!"
Alex opened the door and stepped in.
"Don, we're loosing the Masser case. I need anything else you can."
"I don't know what else I can give you Alex. Munch has been hauling ass on this case for weeks. This is the only plausible and supported explanation for her death."
Alex frowned and then nodded.
"I guess I'll have to see what can be done for the case. Keep your guys with an eye on it, maybe something will come up in trial."
"Will do counselor."
Alex left Cragen to his work and went in search of Fin to retrieve whatever it was he wanted to give her.
"Here is a file on the new evidence for the Rogers case," Fin said handing her a folder.
"Thanks Fin," Alex tucked it into her carry all brief case. It seemed to get heavier as the day went on, her shoulder was starting to ache.
She looked around the room to see if Olivia was still there or had left yet. All she saw was Jessie bent over a report of some kind.
"Jessie, where's Olivia."
"Didn't you get the message?" Jessie asked with a confused look on her face
"What message?" Alex scrambled for her phone. It was dead, she must not have charged it last night. "Perfect."
"We had a perp's friend slam into me and the cruiser's door as Olivia was putting our guy in the back. Slammed real hard into her hand. I dropped her off at the ER and she left a message for you, because she knew you were in court."
"Why didn't you stay with her?" Alex was a little upset.
"She was insistent that I come back here and start processing the guy and finish working the case."
"Where is she now?"
"Home I think. She said she would call a cab if she didn't hear back from you."
Alex nodded. "Thanks Jessie."
Alex hurried out of the precinct and toward home. The day was done finally. She wanted to just put up her feet and relax, tomorrow she had to do it all over again. Now she had to check on Olivia too. Hopefully she would be home and safe. She hailed a cab and sunk in as the little yellow car sped toward home.
Her feet ached by the time she entered the apartment building. She couldn't wait to take off her heals and walk around barefoot. She noticed the sign on the elevator doors and almost wanted to cry. She gingerly walked up the 3 flights of stairs. The only thing keeping her shoes on was thought of what might be on the stairs. They lived in a nice apartment building, but the communal stairwell and stocking feet just didn't mesh for Alex. Her toes pinched terribly by the time she entered the apartment.
She unceremoniously peeled her shoes from her feet and dropped them on the floor. She could almost feel her toes breath a sigh of relief when the air hit them. Before entering the living room she stripped her legs of the pantyhose and wadded them in a ball. The day was definitely over.
She savored walking in bare feet on the short journey to the living room. A grin played on her lips as she took in the sight of Olivia draped on the couch sound asleep. She bent down and kissed Olivia on her cheek. Olivia stirred and opened her eyes, they were heavy with sleep. She took a couple minutes to adjust and then sat up and grinned slightly at Alex.
"Rough day," Alex asked as she plopped down next to Olivia.
"You could say that," Olivia lifted up the blue cast that encased her hand to emphasize.
Alex stuck out her lower lip in a pout, "Jessie filled me in. Are you okay? I'm so sorry I didn't get your message, my phone died sometime today."
"It's okay, you're here now. Nothing you could have done anyway. I saw Dr. Vic today. She asked about you."
"Oh. How is she."
"She seems well."
"That's good. So how long do you need the cast?"
"Looks like a few weeks. It doesn't look like there is any permanent damage though. On the bright side I got some nice pain killers out of the whole deal. How was court?" Olivia rested her head on Alex's shoulder.
"Long, my feet hurt and I missed lunch. I spent all 25 minutes I had free today on the phone with Hudson U. They want me back for next term. I'm not sure I can afford to go back with the DA's office so understaffed. And to top it all off we are loosing the Masser case. Don says there is no more evidence, no more proof that he killed that girl and the defense has basically won already. Its just a frustrating case, I'm trying not to give up on it. I've been playing phone tag with Branch all day… Oh no… can I use your cell?"
"Sure, here," Olivia handed Alex her cell from where it landed when she tossed it before her nap.
Alex dialed the voicemail service and entered her pin when asked. She pursed her lips as she listened to the messages. After a few moments she snapped it shut.
"We've lost the Masser case. It's going to be dismissed in the morning because he apparently is wanted by the FBI on higher charges then manslaughter." Alex hung her head.
Olivia pulled her into a hug. "It will be okay"
"But the family won't get closure."
Olivia nodded slightly understanding Alex's point. It was out of her hands. Munch would not like the news however after all the time he had spent on the case.
"How about we order some dinner and call it an early night?" Olivia stood up from the couch and stretched.
"That sounds like a wonderful plan," Alex responded with a yawn.
"Why don't you go take a shower and change out of those work clothes while I call the… Chinese place.
"Perfect."
The two women went about their business and settled down with their food 40 minutes later, both showered and in pajamas. They ate at the coffee table and watched a rerun of Murphy Brown. They laughed at the antics of the characters and how Murphy's latest secretary was hired and subsequently fired all within the 30 minute show.
They helped each other off the floor after 2 episodes of the show and threw away the remains of dinner on their way to bed.
They were both out like a light when their heads hit the pillows.
Olivia woke a few hours later, her hand throbbing. She tried shifting but just couldn't find a comfortable position. She finally got up after a few minutes of moving around to take some pain meds. While she was padding around the kitchen her cell phone went off. She rushed into the living room to answer it before it woke up Alex.
"Benson," she yawned into the phone.
"Olivia, I need your help."
TBC
Stay tuned for the next installment of Truth Seekers. How will the rest of the week go? Will Alex make a decision about the DA's office and Hudson U? How will Olivia handle the broken hand? And most importantly…. WHO called????