Never Let Go
Chapter Four
"What's wrong Mommy?" Noah asked as he watched the color drain from his mother's face.
Liv swallowed back the sob trying to escape her lungs, "Everything is going to be fine My Love." She told Noah as she held him closer on the stretcher praying fervently that she was telling the truth.
When they arrived at the hospital they were quickly ushered to the pediatric area and Liv did her best to remain calm while she waited for news on Rafael and not let on to Noah that anything was wrong. She was immensely relieved when Lucy arrived.
"Amanda called me, I got here as soon as I could." She explained breathlessly quickly hugging Liv before turning to Noah. "Noah, Mommy has to go help Rafi with something and we're going to wait here for the doctor. Mommy will be back in a little while."
"Rafi says he's going to be my Papi forever, Lucy." The boy explained proudly.
"That's why we need to let Mommy go help, all right Noah?" Lucy asked.
"OK, Mommy you will come back soon?" He asked.
Liv hugged him tight, "Yes My Love, and I am just going to be down the hall."
A hospital volunteer returned with some toys for Noah and he seemed happily distracted Liv took off to the emergency room to find out news on Rafael. She was met by Chief Dodds and was once flooded with memories of Mike's death, and the sob she had been holding back finally found its way out.
"Is he alive?" She asked as she accepted the Chief's embrace.
"Yes, the bullet went straight through, but they've taken him back for exploratory surgery to check for damage." He explained.
"I need to call Lucia." Liv said fumbling for her phone.
"I already sent a uniform to her school. She should be here any minute." He assured her.
"Thank you Chief, did we get Cassidy?" She asked.
"Yes, it looks like he sustained some injuries trying to escape Fin and Carisi, but nothing too serious. He's getting checked out now, then we will get him in a cell. I promise you Liv, Brian Cassidy will spend the rest of his life in jail." Dodd told her.
"I will personally see to that." A familiar voice boomed from behind her. Liv turned and offered a tired smile to the District Attorney.
"Thank you Jack." She offered thankful for the man's presence.
"When this is over will you two just get married and stop making more work for my office?" He joked in the way only jack McCoy could at a time like this.
Liv felt a genuine smile cross her face, "Yes Sir, I think that sounds like a good plan."
Lucia arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and upon realizing she could not see her son she insisted upon waiting with her grandson. "I can do nothing for Rafi now, the least I can do is help Lucy with Nieto."
"Abuelitta!" Noah yelled when he saw her. Olivia smiled, Noah had taken to calling Lucia Grandma from almost the first time they had met. "Did you bring galletas?" He asked since Lucia always had cookies for him.
"Not this time Nieto, but maybe we can go home and bake some later." She told him.
Liv shuffled between the surgery waiting room and Noah's room while she waited on news of Rafael. When the doctors cleared Noah to leave it was decided Lucy and Lucia both would take him home.
"I will drive everyone in this hospital crazy Hija, waiting on news you call me as soon as you hear something." Lucia told Liv.
Liv was comforted knowing that with Lucia and Lucy both at home with him Noah would hardly even miss her or Rafael. She helped them out of the hospital where an officer was waiting to take them home. She promised to call as soon as there was any word of Rafael and that the officer would wait to bring Lucia back to the hospital when she wanted. She was walking back into the hospital when she was stopped in her tracks as Brian was being brought out in a wheelchair, his leg in a cast, handcuffed surrounded by officers, Fin, and Carisi. She quickly studied his face and where bruises were already taking shape. She glanced at Fin's hands that wore knew bandages and remembered Dodds saying something about "Brian sustaining injuries while trying to escape."
"Hey Liv, how are you?" Brian asked as if nothing had happened and Carisi's hand quickly connected with the back of his head.
"Do not speak to her." Carisi said but Liv leaned in close to Brian placing her hands on the handles of the wheelchair. Her face inches from his she locked eyes with the man who had tried to destroy her family and lowered her voice.
"It's all right Carisi, let him talk all he wants. Let him tell you about how he wasn't man enough to support me through the worst time in my life. Let him tell you how he was relieved when he found out when I wasn't pregnant with his child. Let him tell you about how despite everything I have made a life better than I could have ever imagined if I had stayed with him. Let him tell you how he's going to spend the rest of his life in jail knowing that I have everything I have ever wanted without him. But first Brian, let me tell you that if you make me tell my son that his Papi isn't coming home to him that life of yours is going to be very short." She kept her eyes locked on him until she heard a voice calling her name.
"Olivia, the doctor is ready for you." Chief Dodds called from the doorway.
"Get him out of here." She told Carisi as she readied herself for what the doctor would say.
The doctor showed her into a small waiting area. "Mr. Barba was very lucky, the bullet did very little eternal damage. We were able to stop the bleeding. He's going to feel pretty sore for a while and need to take it easy but he should make a full recovery."
"Rafael take it easy." She couldn't help but laugh, "Thank you so much doctor, I need to call him mother, then can I see him?"
"Yes, of course, he will probably be asleep for a while but you can wait with him." He told her.
Liv called Lucia who said she would have the officer bring her down after she finished making dinner for Lucy and Noah. Liv smiled, Lucy was more than capable of making dinner but she knew it was part of how Lucia was coping with it all. Liv had a nurse show her to Rafael's room where she found him sleeping attached to monitors. She sat down beside his bed and took his hand. Sitting there watching him in silence except for the beeping monitors she finally let it all go. The tears she had been holding back ran down her face. Eventually she simply laid her head on his chest and let her tears fall on him until she heard his tired weak voice.
"No llorres mi amor." He whispered telling her to not cry.
"Rafa" She gasped as she placed her hand on his face and kissed him.
"Where's Noah?" He asked.
Olivia smiled at his immediate concern, "He's fine, at home with your mother and Lucy so he doesn't have a care in the world."
He smiled a little and nodded as the nurse and doctor both came in, "Glad to see that you are awake, but we really need for you to rest some more. Lieutenant Benson, his mother is here, they can visit for a few minutes then you all need to let him sleep and come back in the morning."
Liv nodded and kissed him again, "I am going to let your mom visit with you. I'm going to go home to Noah, I will be back in the morning."
Rafael's eyes were already starting to close but he grabbed her hand, "Tell Noah Papi loves him." He whispered. Olivia nodded and squeezed his hand before letting go, she quickly hugged Lucia before heading home.
It was almost lunchtime the next day before she got back to the hospital. Lucia had offered to go back early in the morning so that Liv could be home with Noah. She had spoken to the doctor and knew he was awake and feeling well. She was pleasantly surprised to see Jack McCoy leaving his room when she arrived.
"Take care of him Lieutenant." He said with a smile and he passed her.
"I plan on it." She answered as she entered his room relived to find him looking so much better than the previous night.
"Hi." She said somewhat nervously.
"Hi, yourself, are you going to come in and kiss me or are you going to make me get up?" He asked her with a smile.
She sauntered slightly to his bed hesitating just for a moment before placing her lips on his, she let out a gasp when he pulled her down on to the bed next to him.
"Rafa, be careful." She warned kissing him again before moving to the chair.
"I missed you last night." He complained.
"Our bed is lonely without you." She admitted. "Where is your mother?"
"She went to get some breakfast when Jack came." He explained.
"So how was Jack?" She asked, "Does he want you back at the office tomorrow?" She laughed.
Rafael smiled, "No apparently I have six weeks mandatory paid leave."
"Oh God, you are going to lose your mind, which means I am going to lose my mind." She laughed again.
"We could take a vacation." He suggested. "I know you have the time."
Liv smiled at him, "I think we could arrange that."
"Or we could take a honeymoon." He offered waiting to see her reaction.
"A what?" She asked.
"Open the drawer, Liv." He said pointing to the nightstand.
Liv did as he said and immediately saw a small box sitting inside the drawer. "Open it." He prompted her gently.
She slowly opened the box to reveal a diamond ring, "It was my Abuletia's. I had my mother bring it this morning. Olivia please say you will marry me, as soon as possible, I don't want to wait." He pleaded.
Olivia pulled the ring from the box and held it out to him so he could place it on her finger, "Rafael Barba, I do not want to spend one more day than absolutely necessary as anything other than your wife."
Three weeks later they were watching Noah run head first towards the ocean as the sun was setting. Lucia and Lucy had both tried to talk them into leaving him at home but they wouldn't hear of it. They assured them they would take another trip alone soon but right now they all needed to be together. Rafael chased after him scooping him up in his arms with laugher as he carried him back to Olivia holding them both as they watched the waves knowing they would never let go of what they had.
The End