The doctor was ominously silent as he crossed the room. Olivia met him half way on shaky legs, eagerly jumping to her feet. Her haste wasn't lost on him as his expression was one of surprise. The seconds felt like hours as he prepared to speak, his face still agonisingly unreadable.
"Are you the woman that came in with miss Cabot?", he seemed abrupt when he spoke, his eyes were bloodshot and drooping.
"Yes, how is she?", Olivia could hear the pleading tone in her own voice, in any other situation it would have bothered her.
"What's your relation to miss Cabot?", he frowned as he spoke. Olivia panicked, he wouldn't tell her anything. It was then She suddenly realised that she was nothing to Alex in this situation. Being her girlfriend probably wasn't going to get Olivia into see Alex soon enough, another second was too long. Quickly she changed her position as an idea came to her, relaxing her posture and calming her breathing trying to give a more relaxed impression. She was going to have to lie, but this would be the last time.
"I'm the Detective working this case. Olivia Benson", she quickly retrieved her badge from her jacket almost fumbling as she showed him. He nodded, Olivia exhaled quietly; he seemed satisfied. "Can you tell me how she is? And has she said anything about what happened tonight?", luckily it was easy for Olivia to slip on the facade of the detective. It was even a comfort to her as it objectified the situation. The doctor sat down, he looked pretty exhausted but it was the middle of the night.
"Well as you probably know, miss Cabot was brought in unconscious. The paramedics found her like this. The biggest problem at the moment is what her attacker gave her to subdue her... Shouldn't you be writing this down", Olivia quickly riffled in her pockets hoping she hadn't removed her notebook from her jacket at home. Taking it out she made quick notes before gesturing for the doctor to continue. "The paramedics said that the suspect gave her some form of animal anaesthetic. As you can probably guess it doesn't really agree with humans and so this combined with a fall we believe the victim had in the bar has led to bleeding on the brain. The pressure is not severe or in need of surgical intervention but we are keeping her in to monitor her other organ functions", Olivia was amazed the doctor wasn't out of breathe when he finally finished, although he inhaled sharply. She had been making notes up until he mentioned bleeding on the brain. He hadn't yet answered her most burning question.
"Was there any evidence of.. Sexual assault?", Olivia's throat went dry as she tried to speak, the mere prospect of it made her heart leap into her mouth. She held her breathe till he finally answered.
"Well I haven't personally looked. Apparently the attacker was interrupted before he could do anything like that", Olivia finally relaxed. She put her notebook away, not that she would be able to read the illegible scribbles she had made for the past five minutes.
"When can I see her?... I need to get her statement as soon as possible", Olivia was careful not to give her act away. The doctor stood and told her to follow him. Soon they were in the middle of the emergency room. It was pretty quiet apart from a few drunks taking up the seats in the waiting area.
"Miss Cabot is still in trauma 1, we're waiting for a bed on neuro before we move her", with a quick thanks Olivia was off. She was only feet from Alex when the doctor shouted after her. "What about the suspect?", this was just about the only thing he could have said to stop her dead in her tracks at this point. She spun immediately on the spot.
"What about him?", she could feel the rage building inside her. The possibility of him being in the same building as Alex made her blood boil.
"He's in one of the side rooms. I thought you knew. There's an officer with him. Not that he could get out of bed. Apparently the bar tender did quite a
Number on him", Olivia was torn. Part of her was drawn to Alex, who was laying unconscious a few metres away. The other half wanted to see the man that did this. It was an easy decision to make in the end, Alex was her one and only priority.
She crossed the rest of the distance in seconds, for some reason she paused just outside the door scared of what she would find. She could see Alex through the glass, she looked peaceful just like she had the previous morning when they had woken up. Olivia couldn't believe she had been so closed minded before. Marriage was a big deal but the obvious choice for two people who wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. She would have been in here in a flash if she was Alex's wife. Right now, in legal terms, Olivia was nothing and she promised herself as she entered the room that would change as soon as possible.
The next few hours Olivia spent wide awake even though she was exhausted. Her eyes were stinging and dry from the artificial lighting and stale air conditioning. She was transfixed by the rise and fall of the readings on the heart monitor. They didn't change rhythm or speed, which Olivia reasoned was a good thing. No one bothered them except the quiet coming and going of the night nurse, changing drips and checking vitals. It wasn't until eight the next morning that Olivia was actually interrupted from watching over Alex. Elliot was stood in the doorway, he must have been talking to her because he looked confused but she was too tired and focused on Alex to hear him.
"Have you heard?", Olivia frowned. No one had said anything to her since the doctor five hours ago.
"Heard what? I've been here", Olivia spoke quietly trying not to wake Alex even though she knew she probably couldn't.
" The guy that did this, have you not been to see him?", Elliot looked genuinely shocked. Olivia almost smiled, had he expected her to barge in his room and finish what the bartender started.
"I had more important things to do Elliot", she turned away from him hoping he would take the hint and leave Alex and her in peace.
" you don't know who he is then?", this actually got Olivia's attention. Was it someone she knew? She was up out of her chair without a word and pushing past Elliot who shuffled behind her towards the side room, clearly he was exhausted as well.
She barged past the officer who made no attempt to stop her upon the silent gesture Elliot must have given that she was allowed to enter.
The lights were brighter now, her eyes took a moment to adjust and when they did she felt physically sick.
"It can't be. He's dead", Elliot was directly behind her. She got the feeling he would be ready to grab her should she decide to do anything stupid.
"George Stewart is dead. This is Greg Stewart, his brother", the man in the bed stirred. He was clearly concious, something that was hard to make out through the two swollen eyes he now possessed. Olivia wanted to get closer and ask him why but she suddenly realised something. There was a beeping she hadn't heard before. It was louder and urgent like a fire alarm.
She spun on her heels when it dawned on her. The alarm was signalling a cardiac arrest in trauma one. Elliot followed Olivia closely as they sprinted the short distance to where Alex was. Nurses and doctors converged in the room, blocking Olivia's view, the bustling on people it impossible to see or hear anything. Elliot held her back now as she still trying to enter the room.
"Alex!", Olivia was yet again totally powerless. Her fear of marriage was almost minuscule compared to the terror she felt now at the prospect of losing Alex.
sorry it it has taken me months to update I've been kind of busy. I'll try and post more regularly. This story is nearly finished and I'm planning a crossover between the universe in this story and my rizzles universe in 'doctor who?", what do you guys think about that?