Chapter 3: Not Just a Job Anymore
Olivia was sitting outside of Elliot's waiting for him. She'd called him about 15 minutes ago and he'd called Fin who'd pinpointed the house for them.
Waiting for him was killing her. She wanted to race to Calvin, wrap her arms around him and try to take away his pain. But part of her knew it couldn't happen exactly that way. He hadn't been able to tell her exactly what happened, but it was very bad.
A knock on the window made her jump as she looked over seeing Elliot waiting for her to unlock the door. She reached over and unlocked, watching him climb in. "Sorry about it being so late," she answered as they took off down the street.
He waved it off. "Don't worry about it." He yawned. "So…did he give you any specifics?"
She shook her head. "None, just said they hurt him, but just that makes me want to put them first in line for a lethal injection." She was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles were white.
"Liv, want me to drive?" he asked. Her mind was everywhere but the road and he knew it.
Without so much as a nod, Olivia pulled over on the side as Elliot got out and she slid into the passenger seat. As upset as she was, Olivia was surprised she hadn't been in an accident.
Her mind was only focused on one thing right now: seeing Calvin again. It felt like days when it was mere hours since he'd been pried from her grasp. What happened to him? Why was he somewhere in the ratty part of New York? Oh yeah, his mother's still a junkie, that's right. She rolled her eyes as the car door slammed in signification that Elliot had taken over driving.
"I hope he'll be okay until we get there," she muttered. "I'm used to seeing strangled, mangled, half naked bodies, but he's just a kid…"
Elliot was too focused on the road to answer. He cared about him too. They'd seen families torn apart by custody battles and drug use and not one kid had been like Calvin. He was so caring and sweet. And his sanity was saved by the woman trying desperately to relax beside him, though she kept fidgeting and sighing.
Finally, he rolled to a stop at a red light and had enough time to answer. "No kid would ever be 'fine' after seeing that, Liv. You know that, but you're the person he depended on to get him out of this mess. And, somehow, I think you probably knew you would be. He'll be shaken up for a while, but you have the Empathy to help him get through it." As he finished, the light turned green and he drove as fast as he dared to the location.
"Maybe you're right, but my place, that's no place to raise a preteen. Even if I did manage to get custody. He said his mom ran," she sighed, "she's gonna fight me tooth and nail."
"Not if we catch her first," he added. "She's already messed up once by taking him again while still using. Got to be some way to use that to your advantage. As far as the living situation goes, you'll work something out. Something will come along." Slowly, he came to a stop.
Olivia looked at him in confusion. "Why did you stop?"
"Him," he pointed across the street to a yellow colored two-story house with a person curled up into a ball on the steps.
"My God!" she stepped out and raced toward him, the open door forgotten. Slowly, so she didn't startle him, she walked over across the grass until she was standing in his shadow.
"Olivia," he whispered, crying frantically. "I wish you were here now," uncurling an arm, he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "I need you."
Listening to him nearly broke her heart. Her legs were shaky as she dropped to her knees beside him.
Elliot rested a hand her shoulder. "I'll check the house," he said barely able to be heard and stepped over Calvin.
Calvin saw a figure over him and curled tighter into a ball. "NO!" he screamed. "Don't do it, please!"
Elliot jumped, slightly startled, looking to his partner, who only gestured for him to continue.
After he left, Olivia rested a hand on his shoulder and he shrank away. "Calvin," she spoke softly. He laid still, without moving. She scooted closer and scooped him into her arms. "Calvin?" his eyes were squeezed shut tightly and he still shook in fear a bit, but slowly, Olivia moved her hand to stroke the side of his face.
He knew her voice, her calming touch, but was still deathly afraid this was all some dream his mind had concocted to soothe him to sleep. She kept her hand to his face and it was like the water to fire. It took a bit before he grabbed her hand and pulled it to his chest. When she didn't pull away, his eyes slowly opened. "Olivia?" he asked softly.
His mind was so hazy, the pain he'd endured making it harder to stay awake, to fight the comfort sleep would bring right here, outside, in the detective's arms. "Is it really you? I'm not dreaming?" he asked as tears were held back.
She smiled. "Yes Calvin, it's really me." As soon as the words left her mouth, he snuggled into her jacket, resting his head on her shoulder. Something about this moment, something about him, felt so right. She wrapped both arms around him tighter before he winced in pain and the tears that were held back sprung free. "What's wrong?"
"Whole…body…hurts!" he managed.
"Shah, it's gonna be okay. I'm going to go see it Elliot needs help—"
"No! Don't go!" he said, throwing his arms around her like a child on their first day of school.
Carefully she stood with him. "Calvin, listen to me. I want you to bury your head in my neck and don't look until I tell you to, alright?" she said as she turned into the doorway of the house, feeling him nod against her.
As she was about to walk in, Elliot stepped up to her. "Apparent OD. I found a few bags of the choice drug in numerous drawers." He pulled out his cell. "I'll call the ME and the Ambulance. You ride with him. He needs you. I'll call Fin to help gather evidence."
"Elliot?" Calvin asked. "Is he re-really d-dead?" he choked out, holding tighter to her.
The detective ruffled his hair. "Yeah, yeah he is." He gestured outside.
Olivia sat back on the steps. Elliot made his calls and sat beside them. "Did you touch him?" he asked.
Calvin shook his head. "O-Only the chair to get through an-and then he fell. I-I-I didn't do it, right?"
"Calm down, Calvin. It's alright. No, you didn't do it." Olivia said.
Three Hours later…
Calvin was asleep in a bed at Mercy Hospital with Olivia in the chair beside him. After they gotten to the hospital, a full examination was performed.
Calvin had numerous bruises to his abdomen and cigarette burns on his back. Which did explain why he cowered and screamed when Elliot stepped over him, Olivia realized.
And, as if the physical abuse wasn't bad enough, they found evidence of sexual trauma. Olivia ran her hand through her hair in attempt to gather her thoughts, but it didn't work. Her mind was on a track to make whoever did this too him suffer thoroughly. Though, part of her thought who did it to him was the man lying on the exam table in the ME's office, it still didn't do much to ease her mind.
A knock on the door, pulled her out of her thoughts. Fin walked in. "How's he doing?"
She shook her head, sighing. "Okay, from what I can tell. I just don't know how someone managed to inflict this much damage in such a short amount of time." She ran her hand through his hair. "What's that?" she asked seeing the folded paper in his hand.
"Oh yeah," he walked over, sat in the chair beside her and handed it to her.
Quickly and carefully she tore the seal and opened it. "Temporary custody?" she whispered. "For how long?"
"'Til we find Vivian. Then it's up to you. Novak talked with a couple judges. She convinced them that since she left him in such bad shape when she's found, she'll be put in Rikers." Fin answered.
"What she's done? She hurt him? Her own son?"
He rested a hand on her arm. "Its hard to explain, but that's what the evidence of the cigarette burns pointed to."
"What about the bruises?"
"Pulled shoe impressions off Calvin's skin that matches the stiff," he shrugged, "but as he's dead, nothing really needs to be done."
Olivia bit her lip. Even while he was asleep she was fearful the next question would terrorize him. "A-And the trauma?"
He patted her shoulder. "We're not done with the house or neighbourhood yet," he stood up. "We'll find it. Elliot's bringing your stuff from the precinct." He walked over to the doorway. "And when he feels better, Novak wants both of you in her office to recount."
"Me?" she asked. "Why me? I didn't see anything."
"She figures he'll open up easier with you in the room," he answered, walking away.
She smiled a bit. Temporary custody, huh? For now, it was all she could do to keep