Sorry everyone that it's taken me so long to update this story! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them, just being a graduate student with finals, and now working full time over Christmas break has taken precedence!
Disclaimer: Dick currently owns them, but I'm really wanting them for Christmas, maybe we could share them...like joint custody or something?
Blake grasp at his chest, as blood poured from the wound. He coughed, as blood filled his lungs. He fell to the ground, and went limp, as a crimson puddle began to form around him. After a last struggled breath, he was dead.
Elliot sat in the room for a second, stunned by what had just happened, trying to piece everything together. A member of the SWAT team had been able to get a shot off through the window, and had killed Blake. After realizing that Blake was indeed dead, and he wasn't shot, he looked over to Olivia to make sure she hadn't been shot. Thankfully, she hadn't. He then turned to right, to make sure Dani was ok, but that wasn't the case. Blood seeped through her shirt around her stomach area. Her breathing was shallow and raspy, and her skin was void of all color.
"Shit," Blake must have gotten a shot off, Elliot thought.
"Dani," Elliot said as he pressed his hands against her stomach to try to stop the bleeding, "Don't you die on me. Don't let him win."
The paramedics rushed into with two separate stretchers, while Cragen pulled a struggling and fighting Elliot out of the apartment to give the paramedics room to work. He was quickly met by Munch and Fin, who greeted him at the entrance of the apartment building with hugs.
"Glad you're ok, man," Fin said.
"God," Elliot gasped out, running his fingers through his hair, shrugging Fin away, "how did I let this happen? My two partners could die. I tried to get him to kill me instead, and now I'm the only one who's not hurt or dead." He began to pace back and forth on the lawn, waiting for any sign or word of their conditions.
He looked up at the door as the paramedics emerged pushing Dani on a stretcher. She was attached to a breathing machine and had several IVs stuck in her. Her skin was pale, and gauze wrapped her middle section. Followed closely behind, were the rest of the paramedics, pushing a stretcher with Olivia on it. Her eyes were closed, and like Dani she was attached to a breathing machine and several IVs and tubes. A brace engulfed her neck, forbidding any movement. In the sunlight, her black bruises really showed up, contrasting against her ghostly white skin, and Elliot gasped at the true severity of her condition. The paramedics loaded them into the ambulances as Cragen took charge of the situation and instructed Elliot to ride with Olivia and Fin to ride with Dani. He and Munch would meet them at the hospital.
All the way to the hospital, Elliot stroked Olivia's hand and talked softly to her, telling her more of his favorite memories of them together.
"Liv, baby, its me. We're on the way to the hospital now so you've got to hold on just a little while longer. Remember the first time we sparred in the gym, how you thought you could beat me, and almost did? I fell in love with you that day. You were so strong, and beautiful, even though you were covered in sweat and determined to beat me. We've had so many good memories together. I need you to pull through this so that we can have more. I can't live without you baby," Elliot continued as tears sprang to his eyes again, quickly wiping them away with the back of his hand. The paramedics continued to work on Olivia's condition, and within 10 minutes, they were at the hospital.
The next hours were a blur. Olivia had been rushed to surgery to release the pressure on her brain, stop the internal bleeding in her abdomen, and repair her collapsed lung. Dani had also been rushed to surgery in hopes of repairing her gunshot wound.
Elliot paced back and forth in the waiting room accompanied by Munch, Fin, Cragen, and Casey, as the hours drowned on. At one point, Dani's surgeon came out and informed the team that Dani had made it out of surgery ok, was in critical condition, but was resting peacefully. Now the real worry was Olivia.
"How are you holding up Elliot?" Don asked, approaching the spot where Elliot was standing.
"I don't know Cap, its killing me. I know its frowned upon in the precinct, but I'm in love with her. I can't lose her. She means everything to me."
"I know, I know. I've seen it for a long time. I think she feels the same way about you. I'm sure she'll be ok," Cragen said as he placed his hand on Elliot's shoulder. Munch brought up coffee for everyone and tried to lighten the mood, but until they heard word on Olivia, no one was going to be hungry or thristy. The group sat in silence, except for the occasional sigh, or the rustle of fabric as someone shifted in their seat. They had been at the hospital for about seven hours and it was about 8 in the evening, when a doctor finally came out.
"Are you here for an Olivia Benson?"
"Yes," the group simultaneously answered, standing up and crowding around the doctor. "How is she?" Elliot asked, panic mixing in his voice, "is she gonna be ok?"
"There was quite a bit of damage externally and internally. We were able to fix her lung, and stop the bleeding, but the pressure on her brain is a different story. We inserted a small tube in order to allow the fluid to drain, but right now, the pressure is still intense, and she is currently in a coma. Once the remaining fluid drains off, we will be able to tell the full extent of the damage, and assess whether there has been any permanent damage."
"So, she's gonna make it through right?" Munch questioned, asking the dreaded question that loomed in the air.
"Right now, I'd say she has a 50-50 chance of surviving. Her injuries were so extensive, and the risk for infection is huge, especially with a fluid drainage tube, and an infection would be fatal at this point. I'm so sorry. I wish I had better news. Right now, only time will tell. We have her on several pain killers, so at least she isn't in any pain. You can go in a few at a time and sit with her if you want. If you have any questions, just have the nurses station page me, and I'll be happy to talk with you guys." They thanked the doctor, and turned to Elliot.
"Elliot, you go first. We'll all wait here. She needs you Elliot. She'll fight through, she's so stubborn. This would be the last way she'd want to die," Cragen said with a hint of optimism. Elliot nodded and headed off toward her room.
'A 50-50 chance of surviving', 'the last way she'd want to die', 'would be fatal.' Bits and pieces of the previous conversation played over and over in Elliot's head as he approached Olivia's room and opened the door.
He stepped inside and closed the wooden door behind him. Allowing his eyes to gaze up to the bed, he saw her, lying lifeless on the bed. Her bottom half was covered by a green hospital blanket, and wires came from under her blue hospital gown and attached to a heart monitor. The steady beeping from the machine was the only way to know that she was still alive. A tube went into her nose supplying her with oxygen, and several IV lines ran from the bags on a pole and disappeared into her hand. He looked further toward her face, when he saw that a small part of her hair had been shaved, and a tube protruded from her head, allowing the excess fluid to drain. The entire area was covered in gauze. Dark circles underlined her eyes, and cuts and bruises littered her skin.
A lump rose in his throat and his lip began to quiver as he surveyed his best friend, the woman he loved. Elliot pulled a chair over to the edge of the bed and sat down, gently taking Olivia's hand in his, allowing his thumb to run lightly over her skin, caressing it.
"Hey baby, its me again. You've scared me so much over these past couple of hours. I really need you to pull through this. You're going to be fine. Everyone's outside waiting for you to wake up. You've got to fight sweetie. For me. For Cragen, Munch, Fin, and Casey. For all of us. We all love you and need you to come back to us. I love you," Elliot said as a tear slid down the side of his face.