A/N: Sorry for the delay but circumstances in my life have changed so I only have time to update once a week if I'm lucky. Please read and review.
Disclaimer: Only written for fun not profit so if you recognize them I don't own them.
Casey glared at Elliot with a look that clearly said 'piss off' as she took Olivia's hand in her own.
The detective nodded, taking the hint that the ADA was giving him. "I love you, Olivia," he whispered as he walked out, slowly and sadly. The guilt etched in to his tired and concerned face.
A loud heart-breaking sob was released from the distraught brunette's throat and more tears streamed down her olive toned cheeks, like a flowing river.
Elliot exhaled a shaky breath as he opened the door and walked out of the recovery room, closing the door behind him, trying his hardest not to look back at the woman th at he loved with all his heart and soul.
Elliot Stabler had made the biggest mistake of his life that lonely, cold Manhattan night but he wasn't ready to give up on the woman of his life anytime soon.
'I have to make it up to her somehow...before it's too late..." He thought to himself as he walked in to the elevator.
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As Elliot walked away, Casey rubbed the back of Olivia's soft naturally tanned hand with her thumb and looked down at the pain and hurt filled face with her eyes still closed and tears fell down her cheeks from under her clenched eyelids.
"Liv, honey..." She spoke softly before pausing momentarily. "Honey, look at me please. Elliot has gone, babe," she informed her depressed friend.
The brown eyed woman sighed and reluctantly opened her eyes. She was silently glad that Casey hadn't walked out with Elliot. Silently glad that the ADA was as stubborn as she was. Silently glad to have a friend like Casey.
The brunette detective looked up at the red haired ADA. "Why are you still here?" She asked, trying to keep up her strong facade, hoping her friend wouldn't see through it but unfortunately for Olivia, Casey did.
"Liv, what kind of friend would I be, huh? If I left when you needed me most I wouldn't be much of a friend then, would I, honey?" Casey said as she continued to caress the back of Olivia's hand.
"I don't need your help. Don't need anyone's help," Benson insisted stubbornly, followed by a nearly inaudiable sniffle as she turned her head to look away. She didn't want to be a burden so she thought it was better if she pretended that she didn't need help from anyone.
Casey could be just as stubborn as Olivia. She cupped the stubborn woman's chin with her free hand and gently turned her head to face her.
Olivia still refused to make eye contact with the red head though.
"Olivia, please look at me, honey," Casey pleaded with the detective.
Olivia just licked her lips and continued to stare at the closed blue privacy curtain behind Casey.
Casey sighed, deciding she needed to speak firmer to maybe hopefully get through to her. "Olivia Marie Benson, look at me and listen to what I have to tell you," the ADA ordered firmly but softly.
Olivia sighed but made eye contact with the lawyer without responding verbally.
Casey wiped away some of her best friend's stray tears of frustration, anger, sadness and pain. "Liv, honey...you are absolutely NOT a burden. So don't you dare even think that you are, ok?"
Olivia swallowed a lump in her throat. Her pride. Her stubborness. She then looked deeply in to the lawyer's honest, caring eyes and nodded with a small smile, which didn't really reach her usually sparking chocolate brown eyes. "Thank you, Case," she replied, very softly.
"You're welcome, Liv, although you don't need to thank me."
The curtain was opened and a short dark haired female nurse stood there.
"Sorry, ma'am but it's time for you to leave. The patient needs her rest. You've already been here too long."
Casey nodded and gave Olivia a friendly kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back later. You behave yourself, Liv," she said with a small smile as she stood up.
Olivia smiled back. "I'm always good."
Casey scoffed, playfully. "Sure. Sure."
"See you, Case."
"Bye Liv. Get some rest," the ADA replied and left as requested.
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Since he was kicked out of the hospital by Casey for Olivia's sake, Elliot headed back to the precinct to hopefully do some work even at the late hour. Elliot knew that he wouldn't get any sleep for the night.
Detective Stabler walked in to the squad room and to his surprise, it was still buzzing with life. Fin and Munch were nowhere in sight though. He walked up to the open Captain's office and knocked on the door, softly.
Cragen looked up and was shocked to see the tired detective standing in the doorway. He raised his eyebrow. "Why aren't you with Olivia?"
Elliot sighed and scrubbed an exhausted hand down his face. "Olivia hates me and Casey kicked out."
Cragen clasped his hands together and rested them on his desk. "Olivia doesn't hate you. You two are like best friends."
Elliot sighed again and shook his head. "She does hates me. She even says so. What do I do, Cap?"
Cragen sighed. "I don't know, Elliot. It's something that you need to figure out on own and you better do it soon. If you're here to work...Munch and Fin are in interrogation room two with Collins so you can catch up some paperwork."
"Why can't I interrogate the bastard? Liv and I are the primary detectives on the case, Captain," Stabler insisted, stubbornly.
"And now Benson's in hospital and may never walk again...and you...are too personally involved."
"But Captain..."
Cragen shook his head. "Either go home and get some rest or go catch up on some paperwork. Those are your options, detective," he said firmly but then his voice soften again. "I know that you're worried about Olivia but we all are, Elliot. We're all scared that she may never walk again but we have to be strong for her. Be there for her with all our support and help her through this. That's all we can do for her, Elliot. How about you try get some sleep up in the crib. We'll update you on Sean Collins in a few hours."
Elliot nodded, tiredly. "Thanks, Cap," he muttered and walked out, heading toward the crib.
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Casey walked out of the hospital and got in to her car. She looked at the clock in her Mercedes. It read 2:16am. The lawyer was tired but decided to call Don Cragen to apprise him of Olivia's current condition. Casey knew that Don would still be up and at the precinct working. The captain answered his phone just after two short rings.
"Captain Cragen, SVU," the old man answered in a professional manner.
"Hi Don, it's Casey."
"Hi Casey. How's Olivia?"
"Stubborn. Devestated. Angry. You name it, she's probably feeling it right now. You should have seen her face when she realized that she couldn't move her legs. Olivia was actually scared for once, Don," she informed him.
Cragen sighed. "I'll go see her later. Let her get some rest first."
"Ok, well. I'm heading home to get some shut eye. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Thanks for the update. Bye."
Casey arrived home only to hear her phone ringing. She rushed to open the door and ran for the phone, closing the door with her foot on the way.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Miss Novak. This is Nurse Tiffany Harris from Mercy General Hospital. We tried to call both of Miss Benson's next of kins but neither are answering."
Casey began to panic, thinking something was wrong with Olivia. "Is Olivia ok?"
"Miss Benson is refusing to talk or sleep. She wouldn't even tell us that she was in pain. We only knew when we saw her wince and the pain was etched in her face. Would you please come back to the hospital? She's in room twenty-four on the third floor."
"I'm on my way," Casey replied and hung up.
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Olivia watched as Casey walked out as she ignored the nurse checking her vitals.
"Is the wound hurting since you're laying on it? Or is the pillow helping?" The nurse asked, gently.
The detective just turned her head and winced a bit as the anesthesia continued to wear off, waking her up more.
The nurse sighed. "So you're in pain but won't verbally admit it. You're a stubborn piece of work, aren't ya?" She said with a small chuckle as she hooked Olivia up to some morphine. "We're moving you downstairs, honey so try get some sleep."
Olivia just shook his head and sniffled. She didn't want to be admit it but she needed a friend right now. Hell even her mother would do, as long as she wasn't shit-faced that is.
"When the hell did I become so fucking soft?" She thought to herself as she stared at the blue privacy curtain.
The detective didn't realize that the nurse had left. 'Shit, what was her name again. Did she even say what it was? What was the name on the badge? April Hall? Was that it?'
Olivia didn't realize until the orderlies and the doctor walked in. She just looked up at them, waiting for the doctor to say something.
"Hi Miss Benson. I'm Dr. Henry Morse. I'm your new doctor just until we move you in to a rehabilitation hospital."
Olivia just shrugged and looked away, allowing the orderlies to wheel her out of the non-private room.
Olivia refused to talk in the elevator and as she silently watched the ceiling glide past as she was wheeled in to a private room.
"I'll be back in about half an hour to check your vitals, Miss Benson," he said softly before he and the orderlies left.
Ten seconds later she could hear Dr. Morse talking to a nurse, who's name seemed to be Tiffany.
"Call her next of kin and if you can't reach the next of kin, call that ADA that April said was with her in the recovery room."
"Yes Doctor. I'll do that now."
"Tell 'em that it's nothing serious. She's just a little depressed and lonely about her legs right now and it could hinder her recovery."
"Yes Doctor," Tiffany replied and walked off toward the nurse's station.
In the room, Olivia smiled slightly. Maybe she wouldn't be lonely for the night. She ended up letting her deep mocha orbs drift shut and falling asleep but only momentarily.
"Liv...you asleep?" Casey whispered as she sat in the chair beside the bed.
Olivia opened her eyes and looked up at the tired woman beside the bed. "Resting my eyes," was her only quiet response.
Casey nodded and took the detective's soft tanned hand in her own. "Get some sleep, honey. I'm right here," she whispered.
"Not tired," the brunette muttered stubbornly.
"I bet you are."
"Why the fuck can't I move my legs, Casey? It's bullshit. I want to move my damn legs!" She spoke with such anger and frustration.
Casey sighed and sat on the side of the bed. "Honey, people can recover from something like this. You may still walk again, Liv."
Olivia scoffed and closed her eyes. "On second thought I am tired. You can stay, I suppose, but I...ah...I'm going to get some sleep," she muttered and turned to her side to relieve some of the pressure on her back. What surprised Casey was that she turned to face her. The ADA was seeing right through Olivia's stubborn facade.
She sat back down in the chair but didn't let go of her best friend's hand.