Thanks again for all the reviews. I can see people are leaving them as the review count keeps going up, but apparently something is wrong with the site, so I can't actually read any of them. Good or bad, I appreciate you all still reading. :)

Elliot could hear Noah crying as he wheeled his chair down the hall toward the hospital waiting room. He wondered how long the little boy had been screaming and he felt awful leaving him with someone the child saw as a complete stranger, but he'd had no choice. When they arrived, they had rushed Olivia back to be examined and it had been a whirlwind of doctors and nurses, and when the former captain had offered to keep Noah with him, they had no other choice. Now Elliot wished he'd thought to call Maureen sooner to relieve him because Noah was obviously scared and Don was doing his best to soothe a child he didn't even know, but he'd just thought to call her a half hour earlier, and she wasn't there yet.

"Let me take him," he heard a woman's voice as he reached the door to the waiting room and Elliot wondered who was talking. "Now…now little one," she said softly. "Your mommy's gonna be fine, but you need settle down." He could hear Noah's cries soften to a whimper as he pushed open the door and saw the woman he didn't know cradling his son in her arms.

"Captain…I'm sorry…" Elliot said, wheeling himself into the room. "Has he been crying this whole time?"

"No," Don said quickly. "He was okay for a while, but he fell asleep and when he woke up he was scared." He glanced at the woman next to him, "Elliot…this is Eileen…my…" he wasn't sure how to introduce her. Girlfriend sounded too childish, but it wasn't like they were married or even engaged. "She's the woman I've been seeing for a while." He explained.

"Nice to meet you," Elliot gave a sad smile, then he reached out and took Noah, his arms shaky and weak as he held him close and the little boy drifted back to sleep.

"How's Liv?" Don asked nervously. He had been scared to death when Elliot had asked him to drive them to the hospital, and when Olivia emerged from the bedroom a while later, obviously frightened and in pain, he had been even more worried. She'd refused to look at him, even in the car on the way to the hospital and he wondered if she was upset with him for being gone so long. She probably considered him another person who had disappeared from her life without warning, the way Elliot had. She'd obviously forgiven Elliot though, so hopefully she'd forgive him too. "Is she going to have the baby?"

Elliot shook his head, "She's asleep," he answered. "They gave her something to stop the contractions and it seems to be working. She was pretty shook up, so they gave her something else to help her sleep." He looked sadly at him, "Thank you…for getting her here…and for staying to take care of Noah…I know this wasn't how you planned to spend your evening."

"I'm just relieved she's okay," Don said seriously. "Elliot…isn't the doctor concerned about how much weight she's gained…how swollen she is? I'm no expert, but she looks so sick…like something is seriously wrong with her."

"This whole pregnancy has been one problem after another," Elliot sighed. "The doctor is concerned, but there is nothing he can do about it. I asked him if delivering the baby was an option. I think that's the only thing that's going to help her…but he doesn't think it's a good idea. Her lungs aren't fully developed yet and with her other issues, he wants to wait as long as possible. Liv's blood pressure has been high for months, but it's not so high that they have to deliver…" He suddenly felt tired and dizzy, even sitting in the chair and closed his eyes, "Can you take Noah?" he asked, and Eileen grabbed him while Elliot rubbed his temples.

"Are you okay?" Don asked.

"My head hurts," Elliot admitted, his voice quivering. "It happens…sometimes when I've been up too late or if things get stressful…" his voice trailed off, his body shaking slightly from the pain.

"Elliot…" Don asked. "What's going on? Do I need to call for a doctor?"

"No…" he moaned. "This happens…" he insisted. "I just need…to get out of the bright lights…"

"Take him outside," Eileen suggested. "It's dark…and the fresh air might help."

Don pushed the wheelchair out the sliding doors to the courtyard outside. Elliot didn't say anything, just kept his eyes closed, and Don sat down on a bench near his wheelchair. "Elliot…" he whispered, trying not to make his pain worse with loud words. "What do we need to do?"

"I'll be okay…" Elliot insisted. "It happens sometimes…"

"The headache? The shaking? What happens sometimes?" Don asked nervously.

"All of it," Elliot breathed a heavy sigh. "Liv makes me go to sleep when it happens because that's what the doctor said to do…I get confused when it goes on too long…"

"Okay," Don said gently. "Then you need to go to sleep, right?" He hated seeing him like this. It scared him and he didn't know the severity of what was happening. He hadn't even known about the shooting until a few hours earlier and he still didn't know the extent of his head injury. All he knew was what Elliot had told him, that he had trouble doing certain things now and that walking was hard for him, but the severe headache and shaking seemed even more serious.

"No…" Elliot's voice was weak. "I have to stay with Liv."

"You can't help her when you feel like this," Don reminded him.

"Dad…" Maureen walked up beside them, kneeling down by her father. She had only seen him like this once, but she knew it had happened a few times at least, the first time being the night he's set off the smoke alarm in the apartment. "I just got here and some lady said you were outside because you didn't feel well. What's going on?"

"I'm fine," Elliot quivered. "I don't want to leave…"

"He's in pain," Don said quickly. "We came out here to get out of the light and to get some air. He said he usually needs to sleep when this happens, but he doesn't want to leave Olivia."

Maureen nodded, "Dad…Olivia wouldn't want you to be in so much pain. When you called me you said she was asleep. Why don't I take you home and you can get some sleep, and then when you feel better we'll come back…okay?"

"I'll stay…" Don offered. "In case Olivia wakes up…and I'll call right away if she needs you. I promise."

Elliot wanted to argue, but the pain was leaving him exhausted and confused, to the point that he couldn't find the right words. "Let me get you in the car," Maureen suggested. "And then I'll get Noah and we'll go home." Elliot didn't say anything as she helped him in the car, or when she folded his wheelchair and slid it in the trunk. "Dad…" Maureen said softly. "I'm gonna go get Noah. Are you okay?"

He nodded slightly and she closed the door as gently as she could, and walked into the hospital. Don rushed up to her, "My God…Maureen…how bad is he?" he asked.

Maureen shook her head, "Sometimes, he's pretty good…but he has these moments. He almost caught the kitchen on fire once…and Olivia told me he has to go to sleep at a decent time or he starts to get confused about things. He's trying really hard to get back to normal…but he's doing too much. I think Olivia's contractions just proved to be too stressful for him, plus it's late…he'll be okay." She looked at Noah, sleeping in Eileen's arms. "I'll take them both home and we'll come back in the morning. Thank goodness my daughter is at her dad's for a few days or I'd be lugging her around with me too." She reached out and took Noah who opened his eyes briefly and seeing Maureen, smiled and rested his head on her shoulder falling back to sleep. "Call me, please…if anything happens with Olivia or the baby."

"I will…" Don promised. "Elliot said the contractions had stopped with the medicine, but I think I'll stay with her, just in case."

Maureen nodded, "Thanks…I really appreciate this." She sighed, "I hope the baby's okay."

"I'm sure she will be," Don tried to smile and look assuring, but he was worried too. He watched as Maureen walked out the door with Noah, and then he turned to Eileen, "Not quite the welcome back to New York you expected, huh?" he asked her. "I'm sorry…I know we had dinner reservations and you wanted to go see some friends…"

"I don't mind," Eileen smiled. "Don…these people aren't just your former coworkers. They're your family. I know that. You need to be here now."

"Do you mind if I go back and sit with her?" he asked. "If she wakes up…I don't want her to be alone."

Eileen smiled, "Go…I'm gonna head home…unless you want me to stay…"

"No…you should at least get to sleep in your own bed tonight," he leaned forward, kissing her softly. "I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Stay as long as you need to," Eileen grabbed her purse and headed toward the door. "And when she wakes up, tell Olivia I said congratualtions." She smiled. "I know things aren't perfect…but she has a lovely family."

"I'll tell her," he smiled, standing and kissing her once more. "Goodnight…I love you."

"I love you too," she squeezed his hand and then walked out the door.