38. Care

When the doctor came in a short while later, Noah woke up. Startled to wake up in an unfamiliar setting, he cried a little, waking Elliot up as well. Olivia set her son in her lap and smiled apologetically at Elliot, who just gave her a tired but loving smile.

"So. I hear Mr Stabler is eager to get out of here," the older doctor started, looking at both her and Elliot over his black-rimmed glasses. "It's been four whole days since half of his body was broken, so what is he still doing here, right?"

Olivia chuckled at the doctor's humor, and she heard Elliot mutter 'yeah yeah' under his breath.

"We've been monitoring you closely," the doctor continued, "because you have several broken bones in your body and have undergone surgery. You are receiving blood thinners to prevent thrombosis and you will need to continue using these for at least six weeks. You will need to do daily exercises for your hip, but your broken leg complicates this. This is another reason why we're keeping you here a little longer. On top of that, you had an infection which is still causing a slight fever, although it's getting better now."

The doctor gave them both a pointed look before continuing, as if to check that they were aware of the seriousness of Elliot's condition.

"However, if you can assure us that you are going to receive proper care at home, we will release you as soon as the fever is completely gone and the infected wound has closed properly. This could be as early as the day after tomorrow. Are you going to care for Mr Stabler, ma'am?" the doctor asked Olivia.

She exchanged a glance with Elliot. They hadn't really discussed it, but somehow, discussing it seemed unnecessary.

"Yes. He will be staying with me," she told the doctor, her tone leaving no room for any argument from Elliot.

She hadn't really thought of how to arrange things in her two-bedroom apartment, but she was sure they'd manage.

"Will you be able to manage Mr Stabler's daily exercises if our physical therapist gives you instructions?" the doctor asked her.

"That won't be a problem," she replied confidently, not looking at Elliot for the moment.

"Alright," the doctor said, making a few notes on Elliot's chart. "Now Mr Stabler, you will need to switch to oral painkillers because the IV is not coming home with you. We'll start you on the pills right away so you can get used to them before you leave here."

"That's fine," Elliot replied and Olivia finally looked at him again.

If she'd expected an argument from him, she knew instantly that he wasn't going to object to her taking charge and making decisions the way she was doing. He just smiled at her and the look in his blue eyes made her heart skip a beat.

"Good," the doctor concluded. "I will check in with you again tomorrow and see where we stand. For now, I suggest you get some rest, Mr Stabler."

The doctor looked at Olivia and the little boy in her lap, and she got the not-so-subtle hint.

"We're leaving in a little while," she promised the doctor.

In the back of her mind, she wondered where Kathy had disappeared to after their confrontation, and if she was even going to visit Elliot now. Just when the doctor left, Kathleen came back into the room, letting them know Kathy had left the hospital.

"I think you and her should talk again though," Kathleen told Olivia.

"That is entirely up to her," Olivia said.

She had said all she wanted to say, and although Kathy hadn't given her all the answers she'd wanted, she wasn't going to chase after the woman. She was curious how Kathy was doing though, and asked Kathleen what her impression was.

"Well, she's pretty shaken up. Says she's never seen you like this and she needs to think about what you both said to each other. She ehm ... also told me about this little guy here. I didn't know, Olivia."

Kathleen spoke a little hesitantly, but Olivia knew she was referring to the fact that Noah was adopted.

"It's okay Kathleen. You had no idea she would attack me like that."

"Attack you?" Kathleen asked, shocked.

"Yeah. About being a single mother. Didn't she tell you?"

"No ... oh, I'm so sorry, Olivia. I know she can get kind of on a high horse about how things are 'supposed to be' but I thought she was over breaking up with dad by now. She still hates being labeled a single mother herself."

Olivia blew out a breath slowly and shook her head.

"I'm proud to be a single mother of this beautiful little person," she said, kissing the top of Noah's head. "And a lot of mothers can't help it that they were left alone to raise their kids. They are to be admired for doing it anyway."

"Preach it, Olivia," Kathleen said with a genuine smile.

"So Kathy left?" Elliot interjected, sounding very tired, but he still wanted to know what was going on around him.

"Yeah dad, but I'm sure she'll be back soon. She's got some thinking to do first. Now will you let me tell the others that you're here, before they discharge you?"

Elliot looked at Olivia, who just shrugged.

"Could they come visit me at your place?" Elliot asked, needing to make sure they were thinking the same thing.

"Your place?" Kathleen asked. "Dad is going to stay with you? Cool."

Olivia chuckled, and Noah decided he had sat still long enough and laughed out loud with her.

"Hi little man," Kathleen said to Noah, rounding the bed to extend her hand to him. "I'm Kathleen. What's your name?"

"Noah," Noah said, putting his little hand in Kathleen's hand carefully.

"Hi Noah, it's nice to meet you," Kathleen said, and she shook his hand up and down very exaggeratedly, making Noah laugh out loud again.

They decided that they should all really be going so Elliot could rest, and said their goodbyes. Kathleen took Noah's hand and led him out of the room, leaving her father and Olivia alone so they could say goodbye in private. Olivia moved close to Elliot and stroked his cheek as his tired eyes looked up at her.

"I haven't forgotten your iPad, Liv," he said softly.

Olivia closed her eyes briefly. In all the commotion she had forgotten all about it. Elliot would no doubt start reading about her and Lewis on line as soon as he woke up again later that evening.

"Just remember that I'm okay now," she told him equally softly.

"You're strong. You're a fighter. You can take care of yourself. Right?"

Olivia leaned her forehead against Elliot's, smiling. He knew her too well, even now. He was right. She was strong and she was a fighter. And she'd taken care of herself, but with help this time. From her therapist mostly, but it had been a big step for her to let even one person in and tell them what she struggled with. Part of her didn't want to drag Elliot into that darkness as well, but she knew he would have to know about it. Because Lewis had been right about one thing, unfortunately. He had changed the trajectory of many people's lives, including hers. There was no denying that he still had an impact on her and that she'd changed after her encounters with this man. Her life was now divided into her life before him, and her life after him.

She was glad to find that there were more before and afters in her life now. Noah had also changed her life irreversibly, and she never wanted to go back to her life before Noah. And now her life after Elliot was changing again, because he was back in her life. And she had hope this time that he would stay, and there would never be an 'after Elliot' again. Answering Elliot's question, she quipped,

"For now, it looks like I'll be taking care of you."

"I can't tell you what that means to me, Liv," Elliot said, reaching up to move a stray strand of hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ear.

His eyes flicked from his hand to her eyes and back at her hair and she could tell that a realization was hitting him. A memory, maybe. She knew now how the look in his eyes changed whenever that happened.

"Liv, I ... I've always wanted to do that," he said, in awe of the apparent memory.

"What El? Tuck my hair behind my ear?"

Really?

"Yeah."

A content smile spread across his face.

"I love your hair, especially when it's grown out. Don't cut it off again, okay?"

...

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