Chapter 17

Olivia POV

Alex returned a several minutes later with a sheet of paper in her hands. She gave a Alex a smile and handed the paper to me. I read the name and address printed on the paper. I couldn't help but smile because Alex was so much closer to being safe again.

"Thanks, Casey. I'm going to have Amaro pick me up and we're going to pay Brian Mitchell a visit. I hope this address is still good."

"Anytime, Liv." She turned to Alex and said, "I'm really sorry for even sending that interview to you."

Alex gave her a smile and said, "It's not you're fault, Casey. There was no way you could know he was bat shit crazy."

Casey and I both laughed at her insult. I texted Amaro before I left Alex's office. He was there inside of twenty minutes. I gave him the address in Lower East Side. He pulled into traffic and we were headed in the right direction after a pair of right turns. Amaro was fairly quiet at first but after we sat at a stop light for a moment, he wanted to talk.

"Liv, you realize he will only get a few misdemeanors out of this, right?"

I looked at him for a moment before I said, "Yes, Nick. If it keeps her safe, though, it's still worth our effort."

"I'm not saying it isn't worth our time. I'm only saying this guy is fixated on her already. What if he is worse after we speak to him or after the charges are filed?"

"Nick, we will do our jobs and try to keep her safe. She's afraid now and every thing we do, no matter how small, will help build an even bigger case. I just hope this is enough of a deterrent."

We finished our ride in relative silence. He parked directly in front of the address Casey had given me. We climbed out of the car and looked at the run-down building that seemed out of place on Orchard Street. I walked to the entrance and my partner followed. Once inside, we climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. I knocked on the door to 402 after I checked the paper Casey had given me.

I heard movement inside and stepped to the side of the doorway. Amaro was already on the other side. The door swung open and revealed an unshaven man with a hat turned backwards, Brian Mitchell. I could smell stale cigarette smoke from inside and I felt my stomach roll. Mitchell was about my height and thin. He smiled, showing several rotten teeth.

Amaro showed his badge and said, "I'm Detective..." Mitchell turned and ran farther into the apartment. As we chased him inside, I silently hoped he didn't get onto a fire escape. I had already drawn my gun and let it lead me down the short hallway. There were no doors except the one at the end of the hall. I found myself hoping he was on the fire escape at that moment. Amaro was behind me, not quite in the hall.

The door was thrown open suddenly and before I managed to fire my pistol, I felt pain and was thrown backwards. I realized I had been hit by gunfire. I heard my partner return fire and I watched holes appear in the walls around the door frame. I pulled my pistol up with my left hand and waited for Mitchell to appear again. He did. He stuck his head out and before my partner could miss again, I fired three shots. Mitchell fell to the ground and Amaro stepped around me. He knocked the pistol out of Mitchell's hand and checked him for a pulse.

Amaro called for a bus and ran back to me. He knelt down and said, "He didn't make it." He stood again and ran into the kitchen and found a few towels. He returned and wrapped one towel around my arm. Then raised my head and sat it down on the other towel. He applied pressure to my arm while my head applied it's own pressure.

"Hang in there, Liv. It's not as bad as it feels right now."

"Nick, did he really shoot me in the head?"

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure you hit it on your way down. That was probably the best thing, though. The first shot probably saved you from something worse."

"You know you are a terrible shot, right?"

He just shakes his head and gives me a little laugh. I could barely think and I was beginning to feel sleepy. My eyes started to close.

"Liv, you have to stay awake. The bus is going to be hear soon. Just talk to me for a few more minutes. Tell me whatever is on your mind."

"My head hurts more than my arm. The only thing on my mind is the pain on the back of my head."

I entertained him with complaints about my head for a few more minutes before the ambulance arrived. Complaining was the only thing I could do without thinking about what nearly happened. I was placed on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance. Nick had to wait for Cragen and IAB to arrive before he could leave. He had even kept my pistol for them.

Alex POV

I received a call from Nick Amaro at nearly 5pm. He was calm as he told me Olivia had been shot in the arm and busted the back of her head open. Nick, also, told me she should be just fine. I guess I was too worried to believe him. He told me she was taken to Bellevue. I remembered to grab my purse as I headed to the hospital to see her.

I didn't drive. I took a cab because that was faster than finding my car. I arrived at the hospital and was pointed toward an area of partitioned areas. I found her laying on a gurney. She was alone and looked like she was asleep. I sat on the only chair in the cubicle and waited. I studied her for a few moments. She was still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. It amazed me that I could think that even while she had an IV in one arm and bandages around her head. The blood soaked hair and clothes weren't a deal breaker either.

She opened her eyes and looked around until she found me. "Did you come here to stare at me?"

"I thought you were sleeping. I didn't want to wake you."

"I can't sleep, head hurts too bad."

"I'm so glad you're going to be alright," I said dumbly. What was I supposed to say to someone who just took a bullet while trying to find my stalker. I felt the tears well in my eyes.

"I just hope I'm better sooner than later," she said with a small smile. "Alex, don't look so upset. I'm ok."

"Liv, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry this happened. I didn't want you to get hurt over some asshat painting my door."

"It's ok. Besides, I didn't get shot because he painted your door. I got shot because he didn't want to be caught after he painted your door."

I wiped my eyes on a tissue from my purse. A doctor walked in and smiled at me. He turned to Olivia and said, "Detective, how are you feeling?"

"I've been better, I guess."

"Head still hurting?"

Olivia nodded and the doctor said, "I want to keep you overnight. You do have a concussion but it isn't too bad. Lower spectrum of the Glasgow scale. Everything is looking good right now but you will have a headache for a few days."

"It may look good but it doesn't feel to good," she told him irritably.

"Over the next few days," he continued, "you will probably keep the headache and feel some nausea. Maybe a little vomiting and vertigo." I realized she was feeling pretty awful when she didn't complain about needing to stay. She just accepted it without an argument.

"A nurse is just outside and she will take you upstairs to a private room. Oh, sensitivity to light is normal. That's why we are giving you your own room. If you want the lights off, you won't have to worry about another patient. However, a nurse will have to wake you up throughout the night."

"I doubt I will be able to fall asleep anyway so I won't complain."

"Detective, we can't give you any very strong painkillers for a few more hours. I'm sorry about that. I don't want to give you something that masks any complications."

"Ok, how about some ibuprofen? Can I have that?"

"Yes, I will add that to your chart," he said as he reached for the chart hanging off the foot of the gurney.

After he left us, she looked at me and said, "Alex, I appreciate you coming to see me but I know I'm not good company. You can go home if you want."

"It's alright with me if you aren't good company. I don't mind being here."

Her eyes drifted shut and I watched her until the nurse came to move her. I followed behind the gurney as she moved through the hospital. She didn't say much for the next few hours. I texted Casey to let her know Liv's condition. All of the SVU detectives came in later in the evening. Flowers were delivered. It was a long evening.

I went home at 11pm. I was supposed to return to pick her up the next morning at 8am. I volunteered for that when the nurse asked her about needing a ride. I moved around my apartment feeling numb. I knew she was hurt but I couldn't help but worry about how indifferent she felt about my presence.

Finally, I picked up my laptop and moved it to the couch. I went to my kitchen and fixed a glass of wine then returned to my couch. I sat with my laptop for awhile before I began looking at my pictures. I replaced my laptop every year but I kept a growing album of pictures on a thumb drive. I looked at them for awhile before I started sorting some of the ones I liked the most.

Before long, I had separated most of the pics of Liv and I. I started moving them to another file. After I did that, I went to a pharmacy website then ordered double prints of them. I didn't actually have many photographs from the past few years. Once I quit using film, I quit having any pictures printed. I had a few empty photo albums so I figured I could put one together for me and one for Liv.

I got to the hospital to pick up Liv and I was early. We waited in her room for nearly half an hour together. Amaro had brought in the clothes she was wearing. She looked a little pale and seemed uncomfortable with her arm in a sling. We were waiting for the doctor to come in to give final instructions. He finally arrived with a big smile.

"Ok, Detective. I've already signed off on your release but I want to discuss a few things beore you go. You need to stay home for at least 5 days. Your head should be feeling much better by then. Your arm, however, is a different story. The bullet did miss the bone completely but the bullet took some muscle off the tricep area. You will need physical therapy for that. That puts you returning to work on Monday morning. Go to your family doctor in seven days to get your stitches removed. The arm and head stitches can come out the same day."

Olivia nodded and the doctor continued, "Keep everything dry for the next day. No baths, showers only after 24 hours. I want somebody with you to wake you up tonight. Not every hour but every other hour should be fine."

"I can do that for her," I offered.

"Great. You need to ask a few basic questions. Ask what day is it or which month. Birthdates are good too. Just a few questions and then she can sleep. Olivia, I want you to come back if the headache gets worse. You can expect some dizziness but if it becomes unmanageable, you will need to see a doctor. Call an ambulance if you notice any numbness, slurred speech, or fluid coming out of your ears."

She made a face and said, "That's gross. Anything else?"

He gave her a sympathetic smile and said, "Quiet activities for the next few days. Avoid anything strenuous. No running or bouncing. I'm not going to say bed rest but it would be a good idea. And that, ladies, is all I have. Any questions for me?"

Neither of us had any questions so I helped Liv off the bed and into the wheelchair. A nurse came in and pushed Liv through the hospital. She sat with her while I went to get my car. I drove her to my apartment. She didn't even argue with me. I ushered her into my bedroom because she always commented on how comfortable my bed was.

The day went by slowly. I checked on her twice while she napped. I read part of a book and played solitaire. I was fairly lonely but I didn't want to leave her alone. I woke her up for a late lunch and she was hungry. I fed her grilled cheese and she went back to sleep. Usually she was a pain when she didn't feel well, this time was totally different.

Late in the afternoon, I woke her again. I needed her to eat again and it was time for her pain medication. I walked into my bedroom and realized she had turned on my lamp at some point. I sat on the side of the left side of the bed and she rolled from her back to face me. She gave me a little smile and took the pills I offered. I handed her a glass of water and she finished the glass in a few gulps.

"Alex, I don't think I can sleep anymore. Do you mind if I join you in the living room?"

I couldn't help but smile, "Of course, you aren't a prisoner here."

She slowly pulled herself into a sitting position and I helped her stand. We walked into the living room together and she sat on one end of the couch. I sat on the other end after I had turned off the overhead lights and switched on a lamp. We both knew television wasn't a great idea for a couple days and reading required too much concentration.

"What would you like to do, Liv?"

"I don't know." She didn't speak for a few moments and I watched as she began to cry. Initially, I was worried about her concussion but then she said, "I thought he had shot me in the head. I was laying on the floor and I was convinced he had because my head hurt so much more than my arm. I keep seeing that door thrown open and then it's like I'm pushed backwards."

I moved next to her on the couch and put one arm around her. She leaned into me and then I wrapped my other arm around her. I wish we could have stayed like that forever. She had stopped crying quickly but stayed in my arms. I just held her. Slowly, I pulled her with me to the middle of the couch and then I stretched out on the couch with her head on my chest.

We spent the next hour on my couch together. She cried a few times and I held her while she did. I knew how it felt to be shot. I also knew how it felt when I realized I came close to dying. I had never taken a life before. She had that to cope with also. I had always thought she was strong. I realized then, even the strongest people break sometimes.

She sat up slowly and asked me, "Alex, can we just have pizza for dinner?"

"Sure, Liv, whatever you want is what we will have."

She gave me a smirk and said, "Maybe I should get shot more often."

I shook my head and laughed at her, "Please don't. I worried enough yesterday."

"You thought you were watching me sleep. That's so creepy," she teased.

"Nah, I used to do that. Yesterday, I was staring at your hair. It was puffed on top from the bandage. It made me think of those sweatbands from the 80s."

Liv laughed and I dialed the number for the closest pizza delivery. I ordered a large pepperoni. I went into the kitchen and pulled two plates out of a cabinet. I began setting my table and added a bottle of Sprite and two glasses to the table. I returned to the couch to wait with Liv. She was calmer now, more at peace.

We ate quietly. I could see she was tired and I didn't want to bother her. I cleared the table and rinsed our plates. I put the leftovers in the refrigerator. I turned to see Liv sitting at the table yawning. I couldn't help but smile as she fought to stay awake. I helped her stand and walked her back to bed. She didn't even try to argue. Once she was in bed, I pulled out my night clothes and turned off the lamp.

I wanted to sleep in my bed with her. I don't think she would have objected but I couldn't bring myself to join her. I showered in the guest bath and returned to the living room. I spent another hour reading a book and then I pulled a throw over me for a nap. I wasn't going to get comfortable in the guest bedroom because I was going to be up soon enough.

So, closer but not quite together.