Truth And Deception
(Chapter Sixteen: Bed Rest)
Elliot sat at his desk smiling at the latest sonogram picture on his desk in a frame. The babies were getting so big and before long they would be here.
"What are you so happy about?" Munch asked as he walked into the bull pen in one of his moods. "It is Monday morning. We still have four days to go. That is assuming we survive this week and Cragen doesn't kill us for not closing this case. We have no witnesses and no leads. Our victim keeps changing her story and she is not even sure she wants to press charges. They have us all running in circles like a dog chasing it's tail and you sit here grinning like a fool. What is going on with you?"
"I know what he is so happy about," Olivia said with a smile as she sat down in her chair with a cup of tea. "My doctor told us at my appointment on Friday that she is pretty sure that 'Baby B' is a boy. That is the look of a father who just found out he is about to have another son."
"First bit of good news all week. Congratulations buddy," Munch said patting Elliot on the back. "Of course two girls would have been precious, too. You got names for them yet?"
"Well, we were thinking of kind of going off this 'Baby A' and 'Baby B' thing Dr. Raines started. 'Baby A' will be Addison Nicole and 'Baby B' will be Bryson Michael, assuming 'Baby B' is indeed a boy. They still cannot tell us for sure."
"She said there is an eighty percent chance that this," Elliot said holding up the sonogram picture revealing two little infants fairly clearly, "is a son. And she is sure with out a doubt that this one is a little girl."
"You know those things have been wrong before," Fin added to the conversation. "I have heard of people who spent nine months preparing for a son. Had the baby's room fixed up and everything, then had a girl. They get the cord mixed up with the…."
"Thank you, Fin. We know what they mix it up with," Elliot remarked. "I'll be happy either way. I just want these babies to be healthy."
"And our nursery theme is pretty gender neutral. The top part of the walls are a soft yellow and the bottom half a pale blue. Then there are little frogs and turtles and ducks. It is really cute. But mostly yellows and greens, it could go easily either way. The crib sets are sage green and yellow plaid and have frogs, dragonflies, turtles and little yellow ducks. Two identical cherry convertible cribs with the changing table, rocking chair and dresser to match. I wanted to be covered either way."
"Good idea," Fin said. "Sounds like you guys are pretty much prepared."
"Pretty much," Olivia replied. "But we are in no hurry. They still have about six weeks in there and I want them to stay in as long as they can. My doctor said it is common for early delivery with twins. Although they both seem to be developing wonderfully. She said right now they weigh about three and a half pounds each."
"That sounds so tiny. Hard to believe that any of us were ever that small," Munch said.
"I think I was almost ten pounds when I was born," Fin replied.
"I was around eight somewhere," Elliot said as they both looked over at Munch.
"I was always a small kid. I weighed about six pounds. What about you, Liv?"
"I was just over three pounds," she said sitting back at her desk.
"Just over three pounds? You are kidding?" Munch replied.
"No, actually I'm not. My mother drank and smoked while she was pregnant. I was born five weeks premature and spent the first three weeks of my life in an incubator."
"I'm sorry, Liv. I had no idea," Munch stuttered.
"It's okay," she said with a forgiving smile. "She had a problem. An alcohol addiction that apparently she couldn't even kick while she was pregnant. Just makes me realize how much more I want for my kids," she replied rubbing her palm over her belly to settle the babies inside.
"It is still a little hard to believe that you were this size," Elliot said holding up the sonogram picture of their twins, "when you were born."
"Yeah," Olivia said taking the frame from him and tracing her fingertip over one of the babies little profile. "A lot has changed since then, huh?"
"Changed for the better. I always knew you were a fighter," Elliot said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Our babies are too, they get it from their mother. And these two are going to be just fine. I can feel it," he said rubbing his hand over her belly and kissing it.
"Thanks, El."
"I love you angel."
"I love you, too."
Elliot leaned in to kiss her tenderly on the lips.
"I think that is our cue to get going," Munch said looking at Fin.
Olivia sat in the rocking chair in the nursery staring out the window into a storm. The weather was getting warmer and the summer air was beginning to creep its way into the city, leaving them with hot, humid nights.
Lately it seemed the babies had their days and night's confused and they were up bouncing around and kicking wildly inside her all night while she was trying to sleep. With only five weeks to go, Olivia's doctor had suggested she think about going on bed rest to prolong the pregnancy as long as she could. The babies appeared to be very healthy and developing well. Being twins, it was expected they might have a lower birth weight than most single birth deliveries, the closer she was able to carry to her due date, the bigger and healthier the babies would be.
She looked around the nursery in the dark. The guys at work had thrown her a baby shower and she now had enough diapers, bottles and pink and gender neutral clothing for the first six months of her children's lives.
Olivia had been in her nesting stage for about the last four months. She had washed and rewashed and rearranged everything in the nursery at least half a dozen time anxiously awaiting the arrival of her babies.
She had already spoken to Cragen and arranged to take an early maternity leave as soon as her doctor told her it was definitely time for bed rest. But seeing as she was unable to sleep most of the time anyway and Cragen had long since placed her strictly on desk duty. It was not nearly as interesting as her normal job in the field, but at least this way her babies were safe and Elliot's paperwork didn't fall behind.
Every moment of her life at this point seemed to revolve around the arrival of their little bundles of joy. And as much as she knew it was better to wait it out, part of her couldn't wait to finally deliver these babies. Partly so she could finally hold them and see them and love them, but also just because she was so tired of being pregnant.
Olivia exhaled uncomfortably at the kick of a little foot under her rib. The babies were growing bigger every day and she could tell by the discomfort each time she felt on of them move they were running out of space in there. She wasn't sure how on Earth Kathy could have done this five times. There was no way in Hell she was going to. These two were plenty enough baby for her.
"Hey you?" She heard Elliot's voice from across the room as he turned on the light. He laughed at the sight of her sitting with earphones stretched over her huge belly. "What in the world are you up to?"
Olivia adjusted herself in her chair trying to get comfortable. "It is ocean sounds. Supposed to calm the babies," she said rubbing a circle over her belly. "If I play it out loud it just makes me have to pee. They say the babies can hear music like this. It's good for them. Helps their brains develop or something like that."
"Something like that?" He asked walking toward her to kiss her lips. "Can't sleep?"
"I could. I would gladly go to sleep, I am wore out. But the kids think it is time to play." She took Elliot's hand and placed it against a spot on her belly where one of the twins was kicking like crazy.
"Dang."
"Yeah and your daughter is doing that under my ribs."
"You want me to get you something?" Elliot asked kissing her forehead.
"I'm okay, thanks. I am just sitting in here in the dark watching the rain on the window and rocking my babies," she said as she smoothed her hand over her belly.
"Baby, you look so tired. Why don't you come back to bed. Get comfortable and I will rub your back for you until you fall asleep."
"I don't know, El. I'm kind of antsy. This is starting to help me unwind. If I go in there now I will just keep you awake."
"Maybe it's time you considered this bed rest thing," Elliot said kissing her belly. "You are hardly sleeping at night anymore. You are uncomfortable all of the time and now you are in pain."
"I'm not in pain. I am uncomfortable. It is different. I am about to have twins and my stomach is so stretched it looks like it is about to pop. I have gained nearly forty pounds in just over seven months and I am miserable. It is all part of being pregnant."
"You should come on to bed with me. I will throw in a foot rub."
Olivia smiled. "Really babe, I'm fine. I think I'm just gonna sit here for a little while with the babies. I'll come to bed when they wind down."
"Okay, but if you change your mind on that back rub don't hesitate to wake me up," he said leaning down to kiss her lips.
She smiled as she watched him back out the door and turn the light off leaving her to her blue rainstorm.
Four days into her bed rest Olivia was already bored out of her mind. Cable sucked and there was not a movie on that she hadn't already seen. Elliot brought her newspapers and magazines home every day, but by noon the next afternoon she was finished with those as well.
She had managed to finish a novel and read half of another, completely pack her hospital bag and hang Addison's name in soft pink letters over her daughter's crib. She even had the letters ready to go up for the second baby, a pink Bailey for a girl and a blue Bryson for a boy.
Four days, she thought to herself, some women are on bed rest for months. Just then she heard the door shut in the front of the apartment. Elliot came home every afternoon on his lunch break to make sure she ate something and keep her company for an hour or so before heading off again.
"Hey babe," she called to him.
"How you feeling?"
"Bored out of my mind!"
"Few more weeks, Liv. Hey, I brought those Philly steak sandwiches you like so much."
Olivia yawned. The one good thing about being pregnant was that Elliot had been through this enough times that he always supplied the best pregnancy foods.
"Give me a minute, I have to pee again then I will move in there on the couch so we can eat together."
"Okay sweetheart." Elliot pulled a wooden tray from the pantry and laid out the sandwich on a plate for his wife. Then he placed a hand full of carrot sticks and a glass of juice for his babies. He pulled an apple from the fruit bowl in the center of the table and washed it off. He cut it in half and cored it cutting it in to decorative slices and laid them on the plate with the carrot sticks.
Olivia waddled down the hallway with her hand under her belly.
"You alright," Elliot asked not liking the look on her face.
"Yeah, I think one of the babies just kicked an ovary or something. I can't keep track. My organs are so jumbled up now I have no idea what is where anymore."
"I made you a plate. Do you want to sit on the couch and eat or sit at the table."
"Umm, table. I have been reclined with my feet up all day. I think I can sit at the table for a few minutes and enjoy lunch with my husband."
Elliot took her plate off the tray and sat it on the table. He set the tray aside then helped her into her seat. They sat for a little while and ate while they talked about work and anything to keep her mind off being locked up in the apartment all day.
Olivia shifted and winced as she felt a kick and a sharp pain.
"You okay?" Elliot asked with a worried look.
She groaned a little and readjusted herself on the chair. "Someone just kicked me in the bladder. I have to pee again." Olivia turned and started to stand. "I feel wet," she said looking confused.
"Honey it happens sometimes when you are this big pregnant. They kick your bladder and you lose control. It happened to Kathy a few times with the twins," he assured her.
Olivia exhaled and stepped back to go change her clothes. "No El, the chair is wet." She placed her palm in the cushioned seat cover and raised it to see blood on her hand. "Oh God," she gasped looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
She opened her palm to show him as tears streamed down her face.
"It's gonna be okay, baby. Where is your bag?"
"By the bed," she sobbed.
"Sit back down," he said lowering her to the chair. "I'm gonna grab your bag and call Dr. Raines on my cell. I brought the squad car and it is parked out in front. We are just a few blocks from the hospital and I am sure everything will be fine."
Elliot kissed her forehead and ran back to grab her bag. He helped her to the elevator, where she began to have hard contractions. Elliot opened the door and helped his wife into the back of the car so she could lay down and drove her to the hospital.