A/N: I've been slacking on my Ethics, so I'm posting another chapter of this story before I start to focus on that a little more. If I want to graduate in December, I need to spend more time on that and not writing:) I hope everyone is enjoying this. It's been fun to write.
"Can you see him?" Olivia's voice was muffled by the oxygen mask but Elliot heard her loud and clear.
"Not yet. I'm concentrating on you, beautiful." Elliot smiled down at his wife. They were finally going to greet the little bundle of joy that had caused them so much worry.
"Almost here, daddy." The nurse gently grasped his arm and pointed to the bony little foot. She stood in position, ready to take the baby to the warmer to be cleaned.
"He's got big hands, Liv." Elliot chuckled as more of the tiny body was revealed. He watched in awe until as his son was pulled from his wife. He was finally born, and was none too happy with the outside world.
"Here's the little troublemaker." The doctor's grin could be seen around the edges of the mask as he held up the squealing infant so that Elliot and Olivia could see. He finished up quickly and handed Zane over to the proud parents.
"He's perfect, El. Absolutely perfect." Olivia nuzzled her cheek against her son's as his squirming ceased. He seemed to calm down the moment he was near his mother. She smiled at tiny fingers and the minute hand against his face.
"Yes, he is. I bet the kids are dying to meet him." Elliot held Zane in his arms and wiped away a tear with his shoulder as he watched his wife and son get acquainted. He raised his head up and saw the nurse waiting to take the baby back.
"Ready? We're just going to get him all cleaned up. We'll bring him right back. I'm sure this little guy's hungry." The nurse tucked his hand back into the blanket and set him down before wheeling him out of the room.
"Alright. Almost done here, Olivia. Congratulations, mom and dad." The doctor placed the last piece of tape on the incision and pulled the blanket over Olivia's stomach.
"Thank you." Elliot shook the doctor's hand and stepped back so the nurse could move Olivia to her room. The entire process hadn't taken long, but to the new parents, it seemed like forever.
"Just doing my job. You take care, now." He pressed the button on the wall to open the door and watched them leave.
ooo
Four pairs of eyes gazed down at their new sibling. Ooh's and aah's drifted down the hallway as each viewed the newest addition to the Stabler family. Elliot could hear his kids talking excitedly. It was only a matter of time before they would be fighting over holding rights.
"Who called dibs?" Olivia watched Elliot walk in with a grin plastered all over his face.
"Maureen, I think. She's the oldest, you know." Elliot did air quotes and tried not to laugh as Olivia started rubbing her arms.
"Stop that! It's driving me crazy!" Olivia switched from her fingers to her palm, as it covered the most area the quickest.
"I'm sorry. You must have been one of the lucky people that have that reaction to the pain medication they gave you before the procedure." Elliot wiped the grin off his face and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah, I'm blessed. How does he look?" She'd been eying the door, waiting for him to be brought back in.
"Wrinkly. They were wrapping him up after his bath and he looked like a little old man." He smoothed a few errant strands behind her ear and kissed her on the forehead.
"Aww…oh, good." Olivia perked up when she saw the nurse returning with her son.
"Someone's hungry. Before I forget, your kids are going to the cafeteria with the lady that was in here with you earlier." The nurse placed the squirming baby into Olivia's outstretched arms.
"Thanks. Casey said she'd distract them after she got back from calling the guys." Elliot grinned proudly as his son latched on and immediately began nursing.
"Slow down, buddy. Got an appetite just like his dad." She laughed when he rolled his eyes.
"I guess you don't need me here. I'll come and check up on you two in a while. Let me know if you're uncomfortable." She waved behind her and closed the door.
"He feels so heavy for weighing only seven and a half pounds." She shifted his weight when her arm started to tire out.
"Here." Elliot grabbed an extra pillow from the chair and placed it gently under her elbow, as to not disrupt his son.
"Thank you. For everything." Olivia kissed him gently on the cheek and winced.
"Careful, Liv." Elliot steadied her and scooted closer so he could wrap his arm around her and help support his son's head.
"Forgot about that." She laid her head on Elliot shoulder and studied her newborn. She couldn't quite distinguish which features were from whom. She just knew that he was a part of them both.
"Look, he's got more hair than I do." Elliot lifted the top of the little cap, revealing a large amount of dark brown hair.
"Aww…I still love you. Hair or no hair. When you're completely bald, it'll just make you look twice as tough." She smiled and looked down again when Zane stopped eating to nap.
"Wise a...um…girl. He's had a busy day. I think we all could use some sleep." Elliot yawned and held out his arms so that he could burp his son.
"Thanks. I don't think I can raise my arms that high without it hurting." Olivia sat up straighter as Elliot held their son protectively against his chest while the little head peeked over his shoulder. She was amazed at how he could be so strong and tough with a perp and yet gentle and loving with their fragile son.
"He has that baby smell. He smells good." Elliot patted Zane's back and rubbed small circles intermittently.
"Yeah. Do you think it's too soon to have some Tylenol or something?" Olivia slid back so that she was fully supported by the bed, hoping it would relieve some of her discomfort.
"You could always check. Don't wait too long to ask. Shh….daddy's done. Go back to sleep." Elliot gently turned his son over when he heard the faint whimper at having been woken up.
"'Kay." She pressed the button and laid her hand on her stomach.
"Good timing." The nurse walked in with a small cup and handed it to Olivia.
"Oh, thank you so much. I wasn't sure if I could have anything." Olivia tossed the white capsules back and chased them with a glass of water.
"We try to stay on top of the pain and keep it managed so that you feel no discomfort. No reason for you to be miserable." She placed a thermometer under Olivia's tongue and waited for the beep.
"When do you need to take him back?" Elliot carefully pulled the edge of the blanket down so it didn't cover his son's face.
"When I'm done here. I'll bring him back in a couple hours. Rest up, mom. You, too, dad." The nurse removed the plastic covering off of the tip of the thermometer and entered the readings into the computer before taking the sleeping baby from Elliot.
Olivia and Elliot drifted off with their arms wrapped around each other. Olivia had been so anxious the night before; she hadn't slept more than a few hours. Elliot had sat up with her reading the information from the hospital and talking about the future.
Olivia woke up from her nap when she felt the mattress move. She suddenly remembered what she was supposed to do and shot up in bed.
"What? What's wrong?" Elliot turned back around when he heard her startle.
"Why'd you let me sleep so long? What time is it?" Olivia held onto the bedrail as the pain ebbed.
"It's only four o'clock, Liv. I would have woken you up to nurse. Relax, honey. You're going to hurt yourself." Elliot patted her arm and sat down on the chair beside the bed.
"Oh my gosh. It feels like I've been sleeping forever. Sorry." Olivia felt bad about her outburst.
"It's okay. Why don't you wake up a little bit while I go out to the nursery? I'll see if they can bring him in a little early." Elliot smiled reassuringly and left the room. He'd sent the kids home after promising they could hold their brother the following day. They had missed a day of school and still needed to complete their assignments. He saw Casey admiring the babies in the nursery and greeted her.
"Hey. She still sleeping?" Casey watched his eyes focus as they found his son.
"She just woke up. I think she's having a little separation anxiety. I'm going to see if I can take him back in." Elliot saw something in Casey's expression that he couldn't quiet place.
"Ah…hey, I could be paranoid or something, but is he supposed to be breathing like that? I know it's probably nothing." Casey pointed to the infant below the window as if Elliot needed to be shown which one was his.
"It's a little fast, I guess." Elliot glanced at the other babies and then back at his own.
"Think we should ask? Maybe he's just waking up or something." Casey hated to make him worry, but she'd never been a mom before and she was concerned.
"We could. You're right, though, it's probably nothing." Elliot tapped on the window, getting a nurse's attention. He walked over to the doorway and smiled.
"Hi. Is she awake?" The nurse crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway.
"Yeah. I know he's not ready to eat yet, but if my wife could see him, I'd really appreciate it. And I had one quick question. Is he okay? He's breathing kind of hard." Elliot watched her frown and look over before nodding.
"Oh, that's just how babies breathe. Why don't you tell your wife that I'll be in there in a few minutes?" She uncrossed her arms and stood looked at her watch. It was a half hour past her break time.
"Great, thanks…Anne." Casey read her nametag, smiling. She walked back down the hall with Elliot in tow.
"Thanks for sticking around and keeping the kids out of trouble. What time do you go in tomorrow?" Elliot quickened his step and caught up with her.
"Probably not until seven or so, I think. I've got to get my notes in order. I'll stop by around lunchtime, though." Casey stepped into the room and sat down on the chair.
"You're still here. That would be great if you could stop by tomorrow. Elliot's going home for a while tomorrow, although he doesn't know it yet." Olivia winked and glanced at the door.
"Just for clean clothes and to shower. I've got to put the car seat in the car, too." Elliot moved aside when the nurse entered. He stood back, allowing her to position the cart by the bed.
"Here you go. My shift ends in a few hours, but I'll stop by before I leave. Let me know if you need anything until then." She left the room once again to make her rounds.
"I think I'm going to head. I'll take my turn tomorrow. Congratulations, guys." Casey gave Elliot a hug and leaned over Zane to do the same to Olivia.
"Thank you so much for your help. Go home and relax." Olivia waved with the tips of her fingers and watched her go.
"Just us three now." Elliot bent down and kissed his son on the forehead. He touched the little nose and laughed. It still amazed him how small babies' features were.
"Yeah. Come on. Let's watch our son sleep." Olivia moved over and leaned against him as he settled in beside her.
"Love you, baby. Love you, too, buddy." Elliot kissed his wife and placed his hand gently over the blanket that encased his son.
"I love you, too." Olivia gave him a peck on the cheek before doing the same to the baby sleeping soundly in her arms. In all her life, she'd never been happier.
o o o
Casey had just put the finishing touches on her make up when the phone rang. She sighed, knowing she was already behind schedule. She froze the moment she picked up the phone.
"Casey, I need you to come down to the hospital. Please. Someone has to go with Zane." Elliot's voice shook as he tried to control his emotions. He bit his lip to keep from sobbing.
"Elliot? Wha…what are you talking about? Go with him where?" Casey spotted her black pumps on the floor and bent down to straighten them so she could put her feet in.
"It all happened so fast. Olivia's a wreck. You should have seen him. They have him in this…this contraption to go to the other hospital. I just went home to shower and Cragen called me and told me to get back up here. She tried to get a hold of me and called him. He was crying. I…I didn't know it. I could barely understand him. Liv…she was…she was hysterical. I had to leave the room just to call you. Jesus, what am I going to do? I knew something was wrong. You said so yourself." Elliot took a deep breath, letting it all sink in again.
"O…okay. Give me fifteen minutes. I've got to make some calls and I'll be right up. Stay calm, okay? Everything's going to be fine." Casey slipped off her heels and shoved her feet into her running shoes. They clashed with her suit, but she didn't care.
"I just…I want someone to be with Liv. He's so small. I don't want him to be alone." Elliot pinched the bridge of his nose and clamped his eyes shut. The tears came, regardless. He kept picturing the image of his infant son surrounded by no one but nurses and machines. He couldn't bear to be apart from him, as much as he wanted to stay with Olivia. He knew she'd want him to go, though.
"Hey, it's okay. I'll sit with Olivia while you go with Zane. Don't worry about your wife, okay? I've got her covered. Take Cragen with you, though, okay? You could use someone, too." She heard Elliot's faint response before the line went dead. She shook her head and sighed. In a matter of moments, her world came crashing down. Tears streamed down her face as she thought of how much harder it must be for Olivia and Elliot. She grabbed her keys and purse and slammed the door shut behind her. She did the only thing she could thing of on the way; she started praying. She hadn't been to church in years, but she vowed to start going. Whatever it took for that little boy to be okay.