Hi guys, thank you so much again for all your reviews. Every single one of them lights up my day. After today, I may be switching to updating every two days in stead of daily. It seems like a new idea writes itself for a while, and after that, it becomes more difficult as the emotions start to run deeper. I'm still loving this myself and I know where I'm going with it, so I'll try to keep updating fast!

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12. Fever

"Why would they let someone like that ever get out of prison again?"

Anger had flared up in his eyes after she'd told him who the man with the knife had been, and for once, Olivia couldn't be happier about it. He would have been angry when confronted with a pervert like Gitano. He had been.

"He had been locked up for eighteen years," Olivia told him but Elliot shook his head.

"Not long enough. After doing that to a child? Life isn't long enough."

"They tried to have him committed after he'd served his sentence but he didn't fit the 'criteria'," Olivia explained, making air quotes when she said 'criteria'.

Elliot scoffed.

"Does he now?"

"He's dead."

"Good."

Olivia was still sitting on the egde of the bed and Elliot had put his hand on her knee. She put her hand over his and rubbed his hand, and she could tell it helped him relax slightly. He still felt very warm though, and she felt his forehead again.

"You're burning up, El," she said softly. "I think I should get the nurse in here."

She started to stand up but Elliot grabbed her hand again.

"You will tell me more about that case, right?"

She smiled reassuringly.

"Of course."

But after it was confirmed that Elliot was running a fever, he was subjected to a bunch of tests, and Olivia was asked to leave for a while. She hated not knowing what was going on in Elliot's room and had to admit she had easily slipped back into partner-mode, as if those four years apart had been wiped out completely. Sitting alone in the hospital cafeteria with a cup of tea did give her a little time to come to terms with what had happened earlier. Elliot had dreamed about the case that had almost broken them. And he'd dreamed the first part many times before. He'd been looking for her all along, while she had thought he didn't want her in his life anymore.

Her anger at Kathy flared up again and she considered calling the woman. But she wouldn't. Not without checking it with Elliot first. She decided to call Donald Cragen instead. He'd want to know what had happened to Elliot. She knew he and Eileen were in the city at the moment, and hoped that they could come to visit Elliot before they'd be off again, to some tropical destination or other.

Her old Captain was baffled. He almost tripped over his words and shared her indignation that they had never been appraised of Elliot's condition.

"We should almost be grateful you rammed your car into his," Cragen huffed, making Olivia chuckle despite the bitterness in his words.

"That's what Elliot says too."

"So he's remembering now?"

"No, just very tiny bits for now. Maybe seeing you will help."

"I'll be there this afternoon."

Olivia blew out a breath slowly after ending the call with her old Captain. The detective in her had re-awoken and she needed more manpower to crack the case of the missing memory. The next person she called was John Munch. John was in Chicago but promised to take an early flight back the next day. And finally, she called George Huang, who was shocked to learn about Elliot's amnesia, and promised to visit soon.

After finishing all her calls, Olivia wandered back to Elliot's room, hoping that the doctors would be done by now. One of the nurses just came out of the room when she walked up, and Olivia asked the young woman if they knew what was causing the fever yet.

"There seems to be an infected wound, but I'll let the doctor fill you in," the woman answered, gesturing at the door of Elliot's room.

Olivia took it as permission to go inside, and slipped into the room quietly. Another nurse was adjusting Elliot's IV and the doctor was writing something on his chart. Elliot was watching the nurse add something to his IV and seemed to accept that he needed extra medication. When he noticed her standing back, their eyes locked. He was pleading with her wordlessly to stay. She hadn't planned on leaving any time soon and she just smiled at him.

"Doctor? What are you giving him?" she asked once the doctor put Elliot's chart back in its holder.

"Some antibiotics to help his body fight the slight infection he has in the area of his hip we operated. We've removed the dressing and will monitor the wound closely. It's under control for now, miss ..."

The doctor looked at her questioningly and Olivia said quickly,

"Lieutenant Benson from the NYPD. Mr. Stabler is a former employee."

She avoided looking at Elliot for the moment and the doctor bought her excuse to be there. After he and the nurse had left, Olivia walked up to Elliot to feel his forehead again.

"Lieutenant Benson huh?" Elliot said, a sparkle of amusement in his eyes. "What happened to 'I'm the one who caused this'?"

She smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed again, taking his hand in her hands. It was becoming easier and more natural to touch him, and she refused to overthink what that meant right now. She could do that at home, alone. Not here with him, and not now. She needed to talk to him now.

"Elliot, don't you think you should call your kids to let them know you're in the hospital?"

Elliot frowned and she wondered if he had any contact with his older kids these days. She could see him thinking deeply about her question, and finally he told her,

"I think I'd like to talk to Kathleen."

Olivia nodded. Kathleen had always been close to his heart. To hers too, for that matter.

"Do you have her number?"

Elliot looked at his nightstand.

"You know, I'm not even sure I still have my phone."

Olivia stood up and walked around the bed to look in the drawer of his nightstand, and sure enough, there was a cellphone inside.

"This yours?" she asked, holding up the device.

"Yeah."

"You wanna call her right away?"

He nodded and she handed him the phone.

"You want me to wait outside?" she asked modestly, but Elliot looked at her with astonishment written all over his face.

"Now why would I want that?" he asked her. "I want you with me every step of the way."

He focused his attention on his phone and finding his second daughter's number in his contacts, and it gave Olivia a minute to process what he'd just said. He wanted her with him every step of the way. Filter-less indeed. Her heart rate had gone up a little and she walked over to the window to distract herself and take a few deep breaths. When she looked at the feverish man in the hospital bed again, she could see that he was nervous about calling his child. He really did need her to help him through. And she would. She'd do anything for him. Just like she always had.

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