"Double Time" Sequel to "Stepping Time" (Highly recommend you read Stepping Time before starting this sequel)
The main characters of Law and Order SVU belong to Dick Wolf and NBC Universal. This is meant for entertainment, not profit.* There are several characters I have created. I hope you enjoy, and I welcome feedback.
Author's Note (Especially for laurelhardy) Characters guide-Primary SVU Characters Olivia Benson, Alex Cabot Primary Original Female Characters Army Lt. Col. Erin Mathison, Attorney Angie Secondary SVU and L&O Characters Elliot Stabler, Casey Novak, Abbie Carmichael, Serena Southerlyn Secondary Original Characters Jeff Stockton, Amelia Stockton, Dylan Mathison, Petraeus (Erin's Chihuahua), Senator Rushing, TJ McCoy
Thanks for reading and the reviews for the first three chapters. Love and appreciate the reviews and it means so much that so many are reading this sequel. Thank you again!
#-#
"Double Time" Chapter 4
"Morning Liv. You want some coffee?" Alex asked softly.
"Please," Olivia sighed, looking at her phone on the coffee table.
"I checked yours and mine when I got up to make sure we didn't miss any calls," Alex commented.
"How long have you been up?" Olivia queried, padding to the kitchen.
"About 45 minutes. Angie left about 30 minutes ago. She's got a couple conference calls, but she's going to bring over some lunch later and my laptop," Alex said.
"You all are so good to me. Hell, if I had more places to sleep, I don't think we would have been able to get El or Casey and Jeff to leave after Senator Rushing called." Olivia said gratefully, leaning on the kitchen island sipping her coffee. "I don't know what I would have done last night if I would have had to go through it alone. And I'm glad you are still here now."
"I want to be here. Want to be here for you, and so did and so does Angie," Alex said, walking behind Olivia and beginning to massage her neck and shoulders.
"God that feels good…thank you," Olivia moaned.
"Well when Angie and I came out of the bedroom this morning, your head was hanging half off the couch," Alex smirked. "Made my neck sore just looking at you. I kind of guided you back on the pillow."
"Was I drooling and talking in my sleep too?" Olivia chuckled.
"No, not even snoring."
"I was dreaming though…I know that, but it is kind of a blur," Olivia sighed.
"Well, you haven't had much sleep," Alex said, patting Olivia on the back as she walked around the island to grab the coffee pot.
"It took me awhile to fall asleep. I was afraid I wouldn't hear the phone…But you've had less than me."
"I'll sleep good once we hear from Erin…I know I've told you before but I really do like Erin. And I'm really glad to call her a friend now. It's kind of funny that straight, softball playing Casey is not only responsible for introducing each of us to our girlfriends, but also really being the catalyst for getting this circle of old and new friends together," Alex smiled.
"Very true. I hadn't talked to Casey in months when she came by my apartment this past spring…and had totally lost touch with Abbie and Serena…hell didn't even know Abbie had totally settled down," Olivia laughed. "Not sure if Carmichael will ever settle down…but I think you know what I mean."
"Do you want me to call Abbie and Serena?" Alex asked.
"It's the 23rd right," Olivia mumbled out loud. "So were they getting to Serena's parents today or yesterday?"
"I think Abbie said today."
"What do you think Alex? I'm thinking maybe we should wait until we know how Erin is doing. God, I'm just so glad she is alive, but I want to know more…want to talk to her. I mean we know it's her leg and non-life threatening…but that is so vague. I wish I could be there with her."
"Knowing Erin she is probably most worried about you, her family, Jeff. I think she is probably the same type of patient you are."
"I still don't remember everything from when I was shot," Olivia sighed. "But when I woke up in the hospital…I was scared…I was scared Alex, and I wasn't alone."
"Liv…It will certainly be better when she gets back here, to you, to her friends…but you know she considers the Army a second family too…and Senator Rushing told you she was awake and alert the whole time…never lost consciousness."
"You're right. There are a lot of positives…well most positive would have been if the fuckin' helicopter wouldn't have crashed or been shot down or whatever the hell happened…in the first place," Olivia exclaimed. "That's my phone," she added running to the coffee table to retrieve it.
"Casey," Olivia answered seeing the caller ID.
"And Jeff and more importantly some good news," Jeff said enthusiastically.
"Thank God, let me put you on speaker. Alex is here with me," Olivia smiled.
"Just got off the phone with a Captain Winthrop. He's in Erin's unit and he was on the flight. Erin has a tibial plafond fracture and she'll be on a MEDEVAC flight in a few hours to Ramstein Air Base in Germany and on to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center from there which is only a few miles away."
"Jeff, I know the tibia is the shin bone," Alex started.
"I had to ask too, and then I started researching," Casey interjected.
"It's a break of the tibia right where it comes down to the ankle. And often the fracture extends into the ankle," Jeff said. "Told Casey she won't be playing softball anytime soon, but I won't have to teach her how to walk and run and everything on a prosthetic lower leg." Jeff joked.
"Is she still awake and alert?" Olivia queried.
"Captain Winthrop said they were all exhausted and a bit dehydrated by the time they were rescued. And with Erin's injury they have her on antibiotics and some pretty strong pain meds. Said she was sleeping by the time they were done checking him out," Jeff said.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful that Erin is going to be okay…"
"Liv, I was kind of wondering too. Only Erin and who was it hon?…Sergeant Eddy," Casey started. "Yes Eddy," Jeff said. "Well they were the only two out of the eight with serious injuries. Guess Eddy has a pretty severe concussion and a couple broken ribs," Casey finished.
"When they were going down," Jeff said evenly. "Eddy, he was one of the door gunners, never got fully strapped into a seat. They had impact on the side Erin and Eddy were on first…high energy impact and Eddy slammed into Erin and then to the cabin floor. Winthrop had to get a few stitches in his calf for a laceration and the lead pilot has a stress fracture in his right foot."
"Do they know what caused the crash?" Alex queried.
"Winthrop said lightning. Said they had had a pretty smooth flight. Could see lightning and hear thunder to their west and then all of a sudden a very loud clap of thunder and lightning that was almost blinding because they were flying at night and it was so bright," Jeff said.
"Jesus," Alex gasped.
"Winthrop said they heard a loud bang and then the tail dipped violently where it felt like they were almost vertical…"
"Jeff," Casey interrupted. "The important thing is Winthrop said the pilots were amazing in keeping some sort of control and bringing it down for essentially a very hard landing."
"I appreciate that Casey," Olivia sighed. "But she is going to have to talk about it when she is ready. I know there are already a few things from this deployment that are haunting her."
"She's seen some shit, but she has each time she's been deployed. She'll do what she needs to do," Jeff said firmly. "Hell, I was the one that came back a mess…not just with my physical injuries and she was there for me and kept on me until I got the assistance I kept denying I needed."
"Jeff she told me on more than a few occasions about you pulling her through after Sheila was killed," Olivia replied.
"You know," Jeff started, than took a long, deep breath. "You all would've really liked Sheila too. She had the driest since of humor. Never mean-spirited, and she would never dominate group conversations. Just sit back and listen and then deliver a zinger that had everyone laughing or totally rethinking something that was said."
"I'm sure Sheila was a great woman. Erin attracts quality," Alex said sincerely.
"I'm sorry," Jeff sighed. "Probably not the opportune time to be talking about Sheila…I was just…"
"Jeff, it is fine," Olivia insisted. "Hell less than 12 hours ago it certainly ran through my head that Erin…that Erin died basically just like Sheila did…in a helicopter crash in fuckin' Afghanistan. I'm pretty sure that was probably one of the thoughts she was having as they were going down."
"I'm liking the idea of getting back to good news out of bad news," Casey interjected. "Wishin' it wasn't because of a fractured leg…but Erin will be out of Afghanistan for good in a few hours…which means she'll be in Germany for Christmas Eve and Christmas."
"Very true and good point Casey," Alex smiled.
"Where is Landstuhl, Germany? What's the closest civilian airport city?" Olivia questioned.
"Liv, I would wait," Jeff replied. "Most likely they'll only keep her at the Landstuhl hospital for a few days tops and then send her back to the States…either Walter Reed or BAMC."
"I know Walter Reed is in D.C., but what and where is BAMC?" Alex asked.
"Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. And since Erin's family is there and San Antonio is a nice option in the winter months," Jeff said.
"Months?" Alex quizzed.
"Well she will probably need surgery. Started doing a little research as I said, while Jeff was on the phone with Captain Winthrop," Casey said. "And then of course she'll have physical therapy. Full recovery time is approximately 14 weeks depending on the grade of the fracture."
"I'm speculating, but I think they'll send her to Walter Reed so once she is post-op and just doing PT she can start her assignment at the Pentagon," Jeff added.
"When do you think she'll be able to call? Or can I call her at the Landstuhl hospital?" Olivia asked.
"She told the captain to tell me that she will call as soon as she can from Germany," Jeff said. "It's about a six and a half hour flight from Bagram to Ramstein so I imagine you'll hear from her sometime this evening or tonight."
#-#
"You feel better?" Alex asked.
"I do. Shower was definitely a good idea."
"Angie called. She'll be here in about 45 minutes with lunch. Otherwise no phone calls or e-mails."
"Thanks Lex," Olivia said plopping on the couch. "Alex…do you think I could be good at being anything other than a cop?"