Chapter 8

"You told her it, didn't you?" Casey asks softly.

Alex turns her head around and looks at Casey.

"If you're talking about what I think you are talking about, then no I didn't told her that. When I do I want her to be able to respond, not in a drug induced coma. Unless we have a similar situation and what I will say doesn't help." Alex answers.

Casey looks shocked at Alex and Melinda frowns her eyebrows. She has an idea what the two are talking about but she's not sure. Casey can't think of anything else that would kept Olivia from going to the other side of the edge.

"If you didn't tell her that, then what the hell did you tell that gets her react like this?" Casey asks.

"You know how protective Liv is, certainly about me. I told her that I need her, to be safe and to feel safe. That no one else can do that for me. That she is the only one who gives me that feeling. I told her about Prentiss. That I need her to keep fighting so that she can protect me. And it is the truth. She is the only person who can make feel safe the way she makes me feel it. And I never can be safer then when I'm with her. Since I have been in the hospital I didn't feel safe. Just being with her even like this makes me feel better and safer already. She always looks out for me whether she knows it or not. Unconsciously she always protects me and looks out for me." Alex answers.

"Well, obviously it worked. I hope you did tell her, again, that you won't leave her side as long as she is in the hospital." Casey says.

"Of course I did." Alex answers with a small smile at the corners of her mouth.

"Well this not what I expected when I kicked your ass and told you to talk to her. I have to say though that it was a good thing. Liv is fiercely protective about you. But that's something everyone knows, nothing new there." Melinda says.

"I'm sorry for glaring at you, Casey. I know you would never betrayal my trust." Alex apologizes.

"Don't worry about it. We're good. Now we have to leave. Dr. Patton told us we could be here for two minutes. And I'd like to come back inside again, so I won't push it." Casey answers.

"Thank you both for standing up for me when they wouldn't let me trough." Alex says.

"I meant what I said to the nurse. When I saw that they weren't able to get her vitals down, I knew that you were the only person who could do it. I was ready to chew her ass off when you had enough of it and were determined to get to Liv. But Casey is right, we need to go. Take care of yourself and Olivia, Alex." Melinda says.

"I don't wanna push it either. So I see you later." Alex says.

Melinda nods and walks out of the room. Casey bows to Olivia and whispers in her ear that she has a special woman sitting next to her and that she needed her, so that Olivia needs to keep fighting. She stands up straight and hugs Alex before she leaves the room too. Leaving Alex and Olivia alone. Knowing after what she saw minutes earlier that Olivia would make it somehow, as long as Alex was at her side.

The next hours Olivia's condition improved extremely well. Her vitals stayed normal. They would go a little higher twice but both times Alex talked to her and she calmed down immediately. Dr. Patton was surprised by Olivia's improvement. He did warn Alex and Casey that they weren't there yet. That Olivia wasn't out of the woods yet. But with every hour she stayed stable the chances would get higher. During the day Olivia was hand over to Prof. Nathalie Diando. A young Prof. specialized in cases of severe trauma like Olivia. She heard what Alex had done the day before and agreed that the blonde attorney could stay at Olivia's side. She also agreed with Casey staying in the next room. Half way through her 24 hour shift Prof. Diando came back into Olivia's room to talk with Alex. Of course she had visited Olivia on a regular basis.

"Good evening Prof. Diando." Alex says.

"Good evening Ms. Cabot. I'd like to have a word with about Detective Benson, Ms. Cabot." Prof. Diando says.

"Oh. Alright. And call me Alex, please. Is there something wrong with Liv?" Alex asks a bit worried.

"Alright, Alex it is. And please call me Nathalie. Actually Detective Benson is doing better than I thought she would. Considering her trauma's she improves much better than expected. Since you came into her room she stabilized and her vitals are very good. The scans of her head didn't show any irregularities, like we were afraid of. So that's a very good thing. In normal words, she has no brain damage due to the lack of oxygen. And she is stable for about 16 hours now." Nathalie says.

"What does that mean, Nathalie?" Alex asks.

"Alex, I'm gonna be honest with you. There is a huge difference between before and after you came in Detective Benson's room. After the second surgery and the first time you came into Detective Benson's room, I mean." Nathalie says.

"What do you mean with before and after I came into Liv's room?" Alex asks.

"As I s aid there is a huge difference before and after you. Let's start with before. With all the information I have and based on my own knowledge and experience, I think Dr. Patton's expectations about Detective Benson's chances on surviving were very optimistic. To put it lightly. He gave her a 35% chance if she would make through the first 48 hours and 55% chance after 80 hours, from the moment she made it through the second surgery.

I wouldn't have given her more then 8 hours left. She made it trough two surgeries. Two surgeries, with her kind of trauma and complications, I never have seen someone survive it. With one surgery I have seen survivors. But not with two surgeries, the bleeding she had, a cardiac arrest and a second one during the second surgery. That's the before part.

Now the after part. I can't proof it because it not based on scientific and medical facts or knowledge. But there is a huge difference since you talked to Detective Benson, the first time. And I think what ever you said the second time made a change inside her. Like she has made decision or a promise the first time you were there and talked to her. And is determined to keep her word. Because there is no logical explanation for what happened when her heart rate and pressure went up and we couldn't get it down, yet you come back in the room talk to her and within 30 seconds both are back to normal. And stays that way. Because the two times it went a bit higher you talked to her and it went back to normal. And given everything she went through before those times, for me they don't really count. To go back to Dr. Patton's expectations, I disagree with him for the after part too. I know we have to be careful and I can't give guarantees. But somehow I am convinced Detective Benson will make it. She will stay alive I mean with that. It's too soon to tell if she's gonna recover from all her injuries 100%. And I don't think I have to tell you anything about the mental recovery given both your profession and Detective Benson's.

I want to change something. I want to pull her out of her coma and put her on a lighter sedative. And see how she will react on that. She will be unconscious but less then she is now. I want to start with that if she stays stable for the next four hours. And if her condition stays this way or improves I want to keep her like that for the next 2 days starting from the moment she will be on a lighter sedative. I know it is a lot to take in, so take your time to process everything I just told you." Nathalie explains.

Alex is silent for a minute, processing everything that Nathalie said. And then she is ready to continue their conversation.

"I can see what you mean with before and after. And I think I have a explanation for it. Liv is very protective about me. We care a lot about each other and I'm protective about her too. But she protects me all the time, sometimes she's not even aware of it. I know without a doubt that there is nothing she won't do for me. She will protect me and defend me at all costs. No matter what the price is she pays for it. That's why there has been a change inside her. Somehow she knows I'm at her side. Even in a drug induced coma she knows it. And that's why she keeps fighting. Because she wants to protect me, make me feel safe and be safe. She is also very stubborn and hard headed. That's an other part of why she is still alive. In our own way we do everything we can to protect each other and be there for each other.

And I'm telling you know that what ever her injuries are, if there is even the slightest chance she can recover from it 100%, she will. She will fight for it and I'll make sure she gets the best of the best to help her with it. In other words, you tell me what Doctors or Professors she needs. Get her the best there are in the world. What every therapist or therapy she needs and she will get the best there is. Money isn't a problem. As long as you get her the best, I don't care what it cost. But I have to warn you, she will be a royal pain in the ass from the moment she wakes up. Because she hates hospitals and she hates it even more to need to depend on others. She will argue every chance she gets and be stubborn as hell. You may need me more then you think right now. Because when it's comes to Liv and I, there are only two people who can change our minds. Liv and I. We probably will fight like cats and dogs at times, but nobody except the two of us can change our minds when we have it set on something. If you don't believe me ask Casey, our fights are legendary at the precinct and the DA's office. But everyone also knows not to mess with us if you know what's good for you. I don't say this to scare you or as a threat. Just want to warn you for what will come or happen. So you can prepare yourself for it. I know with what you just told me you are very good Prof. And I trust you professionally. So I trust you with the task to find the best for Liv." Alex finishes.

"I promise I will. But for now the first thing I'm going to do is get her on a lighter sedative in about four hours. We will go from their. She needs a few surgeries first before we even can think about recovering and therapy. If at the end of my shift Detective Benson is doing well without falling back, I will transfer her to ICU. I'll make sure that she'll stay my patient if she goes to ICU. And try to get some rest, Counselor." Nathalie smiles.

"Well to quote Liv, I have plenty time to rest when I'm dead. Seriously, I'm used to long days as well as you and she are. You don't really think that being an ADA for SVU is a 9 to 5 job do you? Because I can help you out of that dream real quick. Most of the times when she gets a call I get a call too. I promise to take some rest when I really need to, but under no condition do I leave Liv's side. The only time I will is when she is in surgery." Alex answers.

"Well I better get you something better then this chair then. Don't want to have my ass on the line when this one wakes up and finds out we haven't taken good care of you." Nathalie says smiling, pointing at Olivia.

"No you don't." Alex laughs.

"See you later, Alex." Nathalie says.

"Thank you for talking with me about Liv, Nathalie. See you later." Alex answers.

Nathalie nods and walks out of the room. Alex turns to Olivia.

"I tried to warn her, Liv. But I'm pretty sure she won't know what hits her when you wake up. And knowing you, probably sooner then she thinks. And even though I know you will be in a lot of pain, pain that I don't want you to have, I can't wait to see your eyes again, Detective. Just between you and me, I'm actually very fond of them." Alex says softly, holding Olivia's hand in her own.

A/N I know this is not what y'all expected what Alex said to Olivia. But I think she is right about telling Olivia how she really feels about her when she is able to react on it. Even though it means that we have to wait for her to say it. Unless of course she really needs to say it like she said herself...