Chapter 12
"No no no no, Liv. Come on Liv, stay with me." Alex says.
Munch sees that Olivia lost consciousness and runs downstairs. At that moment the paramedics arrives.
He runs outside to the paramedics.
"What took you so long. Hurry up she lost consciousness." Munch spat at the paramedics.
They took the stretcher and walk inside. The stairs doesn't have a curve so they are able to take the stretcher upstairs. Munch walks inside and carefully takes the controller out of Olivia's hand. Olivia is in the Ambulance in less then 3 minutes. Amanda and Alex are in the Ambulance as well both pushing on a gunshot wound. They arrive at the hospital 3 minutes after the left the safe house. They take Olivia straight to the OR. Alex and Amanda walk to the waiting room of the ER. Amanda takes a seat. Alex starts pacing.
In the mean time the bomb squad arrives at the safe house. Cragen stands outside waiting for them. Fin is upstairs with Munch.
Robinson walks to Cragen.
"What do have now?"
"A dead suspect with a bomb on his body. Detective Munch holds the controller in his hand. This location is a safe house we had ADA Cabot and Detective Benson here. Atkinson, the suspect, managed to take out two officers silently and got into the house. Detective Benson managed to shoot him but not before he shot her twice. Somehow she catches the controller before it hit the floor." Cragen explained the situation.
"What a sick son of a bitch. How is Detective Benson? ADA Cabot is she alright?"
"Yes. ADA Cabot is unharmed. Detective Benson I don't know. She lost consciousness before the paramedics got here. She's at the hospital now."
"I hope she's gonna make it. I really am. Now we go inside. Where are they? Upstairs or downstairs?"
"Upstairs in the master bedroom."
"Ok we gonna take the controller over from Detective Munch. I assume that you want to go to the hospital as soon as possible?"
"Yes."
"OK. Is there an other team on their way?"
"Yes I called them in. They should be here any minute. SVU Brooklyn is taking this over."
"Let them secure the area. As soon as they are here, you guys can leave."
"Thank you. I appreciate that."
Cragen and Robinson walked upstairs the rest of the bomb squad behind them.
"Detective Munch can you hand over the controller to Detective Riley?" Robinson asks. Pointing to a Detective behind Cragen.
"Yes, of course." Munch says.
"After you hand over the controller, you can leave the safe house. Captain Cragen here told me that SVU Brooklyn is taking this over. As soon as they are here you can leave to the hospital." Robinson says.
Munch hands over the controller carefully to Detective Riley. Relieved that he get writ of it.
Cragen, Munch and Fin walk downstairs and outside. Waiting for the SVU Brooklyn squad.
They arrive shortly after they went outside.
Cragen gives a quick heads up to the leading Detective and after that they are going to the hospital.
A few minutes later Cragen, Fin and Munch are walking into the waiting room. Their heart breaks when they see Alex pacing.
"How is she?" Cragen asks Amanda.
"They took her to the OR right away. We don't no more then you do." Amanda answers.
Fin walks to Alex and stand right in front of her to stop the blond ADA from pacing.
"Alex, you know Liv is a fighter. She will fight." Fin says.
"I know. But what if she doesn't make it? I don't know what to do without her, Fin." Alex whispers.
"Have faith in her, Alex. She won't leave you. You have to believe in her. I know, it's hard. But you and I know how stubborn she is. She won't give up."
"I'm scared, Fin." Alex says softly.
"I know baby girl. We all are. But there is only one person she is fighting for right now and that is you, Alex."
Fin takes Alex to a chair and let her sit down and takes the seat next to her. They all are silent now. Waiting to hear something, anything about Olivia.
Suddenly Amanda speaks up.
"Shouldn't we call Nick?" Amanda asks.
"I called him on our way up here. He comes as soon as he can." Cragen answers.
After that it went silent again. Everybody lost in their own thoughts. Slowly the waiting room is filling with members of the force. A lot of cops knows Olivia and they all want to know how she is doing. Most of them stay a few minutes and then leave again. But it is a coming and going with men and women in blue. Nick walks in an hour after Olivia went in the OR.
He takes a seat next to Amanda.
"Any news yet? Nick asks Amanda.
"No. She is still in the OR. But nobody showed up for an update." Amanda answers.
Nick asks softly at Amanda what the hell happened and Amanda tell him everything that happened. After that they went silent again. Liz and Lena Petrovsky came in shortly after Nick arrived. Liz talks with Alex for a few minutes. She knows when to leave Alex alone or not. She knows that when Alex wants to talk, she will come.
Alex is pacing in the waiting room on and off. Fin managed to let Alex sit down for a minute or 10 each time, but every time Alex can't sit still and start pacing again.
They are waiting there for hours. Alex corners a nurse that is coming in the waiting room now and then, but they don't get any news.
After 7 long hours of waiting a doctor comes into the waiting room. She gets a tiny little smile in the corners of her mouth when she sees the waiting room is full of cops.
"Family of Detective Benson?" The doctor asks.
Alex, Cragen, Amanda, Munch, Nick and Fin are standing up. Cragen takes a step forward. Fin nudges Alex.
"Go on, Alex" Fin whispers.
Alex looks at Fin for a moment and then she takes a step forward and stand next to Cragen.
Cragen looks at Alex and Alex gives him a small nod.
"I'm Captain Donald Cragen and this is ADA Alexandra Cabot. We are Detective Benson's next of kind." Cragen says.
"I'm Doctor West. Are you family of Detective Benson?" Doctor West asks.
"No. Detective Benson has no family." Cragen answers.
Fin clears his throat softly but Alex hears it. It gives her the courage that she needs.
"I'm Detective Benson's girlfriend." Alex says softly. Loud enough for the Doctor and Cragen to hear but soft enough that the others couldn't hear it.
Doctor West nods. She understand that the rest accept for the black Detective and the Captain doesn't know it yet.
"Ok. I address to the two of you then." Doctor West says.
"Thank you." Cragen answers.
"Detective Benson made it to surgery. How ever she is in a coma. She lost a lot of blood. She is a fighter though. We lost her 3 times but she kept coming back. Some stubborn Detective she is. Most people wouldn't survive but she did. That doesn't mean she is out of the woods yet. Her brains are swollen. We needed to open up her scull to give her brains some space. The next 48 hours will be critical." Doctor West explains.
Alex winced when the Doctor told them that the had lost Olivia 3 times. She barely can hold it together.
"Can we see her?" Cragen asks.
"We are bringing her to ICU as we speak. I can bring you all there but there can be one person inside at a time. Now I know you all want to see her. So I am allowing you all to go inside a minute. After that only one of you can stay longer." Doctor West says.
Alex looks at Cragen. Cragen gives her a nod. He knows that once Alex is at Olivia's side she won't leave her no matter what they say or do.
"Did Detective Benson fell on her head when she was shot? Normally someone does not get this kind of head injury by getting shot." Doctor West asks.
Cragen looks at Alex. Alex shakes her head.
"Her head came in contact with the floor but she didn't hit her head hard. She was almost blown up earlier today. I mean last night. She stood on a bomb and had to dive in an elevator when the bomb exploded. The paramedics checked her and she was brought to the hospital because of a arm injury. She has her left arm broken at two places and a hairline fracture in her humerus. But she was cleared out of the hospital." Alex answers.
"That makes things more complicated. Probably the blast of the explosion combined with getting shot and hitting her head on the floor, how briefly it may be, made her brains to swell up. The fact that we lost her 3 times doesn't do any good neither. So at this point I honestly can't say if she's gonna make it and what damage will be done to her head. We need to make a scan of her head to get an indication. She should make a full recovery from the gunshot wounds only. But as I said right now I can't say if she's gonna make it or what the damage will be if she makes it to the next 48 hours." Doctor West explains.
"Can we go to see her now, please?" Cragen asks.
"Yes of course. This way." Doctor West says as she points to the elevator.
They all went into the elevator and up to the first floor where the ICU is. Doctor West leads them to Olivia's room.
"Now remember one at the time and only for a minute." Doctor West says.
They all nod to the Doctor.
"Who goes first?" Doctor West asks.
Cragen looks at his Detectives with a stern look in his eyes before he answers.
"Alex, you go first. Take my minute too. So you can stay 2 minutes." Cragen says.
Alex wants to protest but decides against it as she sees the encouraging look in Cragen's eyes.
Fin speaks up too.
"Take my minute too, Alex." Fin says with a voice that leaves no space for arguing. Yet with a soft tone too.
Doctor West gets what's going on.
"Anyone else who wants to give up a minute?" She asks.
"Yes. Take my minute too." Munch says.
"Ya take mine too. Ya need it more then I do." Amanda says.
Nick knows something is going on. He doesn't know what but he guesses that it has to do something with what happened today. That and that Alex and Olivia know each other for almost 12 years. He decides to give Alex his minute too.
"Alex, you can take mine too. I think you went trough enough with Olivia today. So if you want it, it's yours." Nick says.
"Ok. Ms. Cabot you have 6 minutes to stay with Detective Benson. Go ahead." Doctor West says.
Alex whispers a quiet "Thank you" and takes a deep breath before she walks into Olivia's room.
Alex froze when she saw Olivia lying in the hospital bed. All hooked up with machines. Her head in a white bandage. Her left shoulder in a bandage and plaster. She always thought Olivia was unbreakable but see her lying in that hospital bed she looks fragile and almost broken. Alex walks to the bed and pulls a chair next to the left side of the bed. She sit down and takes Olivia's right hand in her left.
"Hi Liv, I don't know if you can hear me, I know studies showed that it's possible that you can so I talk to you. I'm here now and I won't leave your side. I stay in this chair until you wake up. And after you woke up I will staying in this chair. I need you to come back to me Liv, I need you to wake up. I need you. You can take all the time you need, but when you are ready I need you to come back to me. Without you my life is meaningless. I love you, Olivia Benson. I love you with my heart and with my soul."
Meanwhile outside Olivia's room Cragen talks with Doctor West. The rest of the squad are listening.
"I think you understand that Alex won't leave Olivia's side now that she in that room." Cragen says.
"Ms. Cabot can stay with Detective Benson for the 6 minutes she has from all of you. She can stay at the Detectives side during visiting hours after that." Doctor West answers.
"I think you don't understand what I'm saying. Alex or Ms. Cabot to you will stay at Olivia's side and not leave it. Meaning that she stays there how long she wants. Visiting hours or not." Cragen says.
"Ms. Cabot can stay there as I said she can."
"Let me get this straight with you. Do you know who she is?" Cragen asks.
"Yes. She is ADA Alexandra Cabot. As you have introduced her to me." Doctor West answers.
"That is correct, she is Alexandra Cabot as in THE Alexandra Cabot. The Alexandra Cabot who's name is on the plaque outside this wing. She is THE Alexandra Cabot from the Alexandra Cabot Foundation."
"She is that Alexandra Cabot?"
"Yes she is THAT Alexandra Cabot. Now that we made it clear who she is, I tell you this one more time. Alex stays inside that room with Olivia as long as she wants. If she wants to stay there for the next nights and days, she stays there for the next nights and days. And I advice you to allow her that, unless you want a lawsuit against this hospital or to stop the donation you get from her foundation. A very generous donation I think. Did I make myself clear, Doctor?" Cragen says sternly.
"Yes you have. Ms. Cabot is allowed to stay at Detective Benson's side as long as she wishes. I make sure that the nurses and doctors will know that, Captain." Doctor West says.
"Good. I'm glad we understand each other. I also think that Alex being with Olivia hearing her voice at some point, will help Olivia to wake up. Knowing that Alex is at her side makes her fight even harder then she already does." Cragen says and turning to his Detectives.
"We all take turns and stay in the ER waiting room. I think that if something changes in Olivia's condition they can send someone there to inform us. Am I right Doctor?" Cragen asks.
"Yes. Of course. I make sure they come to the waiting room to inform you about Detective Benson's condition. Well the one that is there. I think it is safe to assume that if something changes that who ever is there will contact the rest of you?" Doctor West answers.
"Yes we will. Now Alex and I are the next kind in line. We both are listed as her MPA. Alex will make the decisions that need to be making. I will support her and help her to make the choices if she can't make them on her own. But first of all you turn to her if there is a decision needed to make." Cragen says.
"Understood." Doctor West says.
"Good. Amanda I want you to stay in the hospital. The rest of you go back to the precinct now. I will let Alex know that you are here, Amanda. In case she needs something. Nick, I'm sorry to cut off your free time but I need you back now that Olivia is here in the hospital." Cragen says.
"Of course, Captain. I don't want it any other way either." Nick answers.
"Good. Now go all of you."
They all thanked the Doctor for saving their friend and colleague and went their ways.
Doctor West turns to Cragen.
"If you will excuse me, I have to go. I make sure that everybody understands the present of Ms. Cabot at Detective Benson's side and that they need to go to the ER waiting room if something changes in Detective Benson's condition."
"Yes of course. Thank you for your cooperation Doctor and for saving Olivia. Now it's up to her."
"You're welcome. Now I know that we don't know if Detective Benson is gonna make it, but I think the fact that Ms. Cabot is at her side will increase the possibility. Detective Benson is one hell of a fighter."
"Yes she is. And she is also stubborn as hell. In this case I think that is a good thing right now. Again thank you Doctor West."
"You're welcome. Now I really need to go."
"Yes of course. I only will tell Alex that she can stay with Olivia as long as she wants and then I will leave too."
"That's alright. Goodbye Captain."
"Goodbye Doctor."
Doctor West left and Cragen knocks on the door and opens it.
"Alex can you come here for a moment?" Cragen asks.
Alex stands up and walks to the door stepping out of the room and closes the door behind her.
"Where is everybody?" Alex asks.
"They all went back to the precinct. Accept for Amanda. She is in the ER waiting room. If something changes in Olivia's condition they will go to there to inform her. We all take turns to stay at the hospital so that as soon as something changes we will now it. If you need anything you can there."
"OK. But I won't leave Olivia's side. I don't care what I have to do to make that happen. Last night we talked and confessed to each other what we're feeling. We were gonna talk with you tomorrow, today now. And we were gonna talk with Liz when we would have left the safe house. To talk with you. I guess that's not necessary now."
"No it's not. I managed to arrange that you can stay with Olivia as long as you want to. I knew that when once you were inside you wouldn't leave her side. So I made that clear to Doctor West. She promised me to let the nurses and doctors are aware of that." Cragen answers.
"Thank you Don. You can't imagine how much that means to me."
"Nothing to thank me for. Just stay at her side." Cragen answers.
"Wasn't gonna leave her and I won't. I leave this hospital the day that Liv gets out of here." Alex says.
"Good. Now I go back to precinct and you go back to your girl, Counselor."
'Ok. Bye Don." Alex says.
"Bye Counselor. If you need anything just ask." Cragen says.
Alex give a nod and turns around and opens the door of Olivia's room. She walks back to the chair next to the Detectives bed.
"I'm back, Liv. I needed to speak with the Cragen for a moment. But I won't leave your side. Cragen made it clear to the doctor that I'm gonna stay here. I won't leave this chair for a long time. Please come back to me, Liv. I love you so much and I need you."