Superman

Hours passed. "What could be taking so long?" Alex asked, as she paced the seven foot room again.

"They're doing what they can," Elliot said, "Maybe no news is good news."

"I know, Elliot," She said, trying to not let her eyes tear up again. She was frustrated with him, and herself, and the lack of information she was getting. She wanted to be in there. She wanted to be useful. She wanted to do something.

She wanted her will alone to be enough to pull Olivia back from wherever she was. She looked into the hall, and sighed, no one was in sight, just like every time she had checked the hall in the last several hours. There was no urgent news; there were no important updates.

There was nothing.

She was pretty sure she had cried more in the last eight hours than she ever had before in her life. She refused to do anything else but sit and wait, now impatiently pace the room, worrying herself into a horrible frenzy. Elliot sat with her. He had left only once. He had brought them both food, but Alex couldn't stomach it. She had only picked at it, staring at it as though it was something she had never experienced before. Elliot tried to talk to her. He tried to rationalize with her. He tried to explain to her that Olivia was strong, and that she was a fighter, and he promised Alex that she was worth fighting for.

He begged her to sit. He begged her to try to calm down. He tried to get her to close her eyes, but he realized it was hopeless. She couldn't stop pacing long enough to listen. And when she stopped moving, she would sob, a horrible deep guttural sob that wracked her body and unsettled his soul. The sob was blame and he couldn't take the sound, so he let her continue her pacing, while he tried to focus on calming himself.

They stared at each other for a moment and then looked away. Alex continued to walk, wrapping her hands nervously in each other. She hugged herself, and then would straighten her arms. She bit down on her lip, trying to make lists of possibilities. The possibilities were getting worse as she let her brain work. Alex hugged herself again and continued her frantic pace.

"Alex," Elliot sighed. "Come on, you need to relax."

Alex sighed heavily staring at him. He reached out his hand to her. Reluctantly, she took it and slumped into a chair, feeling the exhaustion in her body but knowing she couldn't sleep. Her foot immediately started dancing on the floor as her anxiety worked its way out of her body through her constant movement. She caught the necklace around her neck, the one that Olivia had given her. She started to play with it, running it over her chin absently, while she focused on what was happening and what was not.

Alex closed her eyes. In the first time in a long time, she found herself praying to a God she had long ago written off. Suddenly, she found herself wishing that an all encompassing being that was the universe would take pity on her and for one minute, show her mercy and save the love of her life. She knew that she had no right asking, and she knew that believing at this hour made her a hypocrite, but she needed to know that she had tried. She needed to ask any God that would listen.

Elliot had taken care of so many things for her, things she had found herself suddenly, uncharacteristically unable to do. She didn't like herself like this. She hated feeling like she relied on someone, like she needed the help of anyone, let alone a man, to keep her together. But Elliot had been there for her. He had talked to Cragen, and answered the questions about Alex and Liv's suddenly public relationship.

He protected her, like she knew he would have protected Kathy. Like Olivia had protected him before. Cragen has spun into damage control, trying to save Alex from the press, and protected Olivia's privacy from the prying media frenzy for information about an injured cop nearly killed by a drunk driver. Like a little girl, she let her head rest on Elliot's shoulder, while he held her hand and whispered soothing words in her ear. While her tears continued to fall quietly, Elliot held her together.

Each time a nurse walked by, she prayed for them to provide any flicker of good news. Instead, when she they would pass by without comment, she felt the lack of hope fill her soul. Each one cut into her stomach and left her feeling empty. Each flash of hope made her realize that Olivia might not make it. She could die here, in this hospital tonight.

Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes which she frantically wiped away. If she could stop them from falling, she could make this entire thing stop. Elliot stood and reached for her, and he held her to him. In his mind, each tear she shed was another indictment against him. He felt the intense guilt of being the one who made her cry. He was the one that made his partner lay unconscious in the next room. He was to blame. It would always be his fault.

He made a promise to himself. He would always take care of Olivia, they both knew that. But today, in this hospital waiting room, he added to that. He would always take care of Alex Cabot. His best friend's future wife would be his responsibility too and like her protected Olivia Benson, he would protect Alexandra Cabot until the end of his days.

To Be Continued…