*I think we all need a humor break- enjoy Elliot stoned out of his mind- much more fun than 'the letter' stoned Elliot.*
*Also- THANK YOU for all your kind comments! You are so wonderful and I love how invested you are in my story! You are what makes this fun! Thank you so so much!*
Ayanna relieved Liv in the early afternoon so she could pick up Noah from school. She scrolled through her phone, killing time until she heard, "Shit, am I late for work?" Stabler scrambled to get up.
"Woah partner." She gently pressed his shoulders down, "Sit your ass back down."
He looked down at his hospital gown. "What the hell? Did I get shot?"
Ayanna chuckled, he was totally high. "Uh yeah. Lower left abdomen." Elliot frantically pawed at the hospital gown trying to see. "Stabler, keep your hospital gown. I don't need to see all that." She laughed again, "I think they have you on too much morphine." She discreetly pulled out her phone to film this, knowing it will be pure gold for the Christmas party later this year.
"What happened?' He was still looking at his hospital gown like he could see the bullet wound through the fabric.
"We met with that pimp. He pulled a gun. Clipped you below the vest, and Jamie got one in the shoulder."
"What the hell Jamie?" Ayanna held back her laughter. This was making up for the hellish 24 hours they all endured. Elliot continued his rant. "Wasn't he my cover, not great covering Jamie. You kind of suck. Not a great partner I think. You know who was a good partner?" She knew exactly what he was going to say. "Liv. Liv was a good partner. She had my back ya know? I almost never got shot with Olivia." He turned to Ayanna, "Do you know Olivia?"
It was getting increasingly hard to stifle her laughs, "Yes I know Olivia. She's my friend."
"She's so pretty. I mean beautiful. Do you think she's pretty? Jamie isn't very pretty." This conversation was going to embarrass the crap out of him later.
"Yeah, Liv is beautiful."
Elliot's face fell. "Hey! Liv is my, my, I don't know what we are but she is my something. No making moves on her!"
"Don't worry Elliot, I'm pretty sure she doesn't swing my way." Her abs hurt from trying to hold back her laughter.
"Yeah. I don't think so either. Because you know," his eyes focused on Ayanna intensely, "She kissed me the other night."
"Oh really?" Probably not something Liv wanted her to know, but it could also just be delusional high Elliot talking.
"Yeah. I love her." Elliot stared at his hand aimlessly.
Ayanna smiled, "Yeah I know." She really needed to change the subject. Embarrassing Elliot was one thing, but she'd try to spare Liv. "What's Eli been doing these days?"
"College stuff. Mostly. But probably girls more than college. But don't worry- we talked about it. No glove no love ya know? Half my kids wouldn't have been born if I remembered that one…" He looked like he was spacing out. His attention flitted back to her, "Ayanna?" He asked seriously.
"What Elliot?" She wasn't sure what was going to come out next.
"Words are weird."
"What?" Laughter spilled out. There was no containing it anymore.
"What?' he asked back.
She knew this was going to be a long afternoon.
~o~o~o
Liv got back to the hospital after she fed Noah and took him back to Amanda's apartment. She met Sergeant Bell outside Elliot's room.
"Okay so he has been…" Ayanna laughed, "super high."
"Oh God." Liv groaned. She didn't have the best experiences with high Elliot.
"It's fine. They took his pain meds down a little, and he crashed pretty hard after that." She laughed again, "He should be more lucid when he wakes up."
"Hopefully. At least he can storm into my apartment or crash on your couch."
Ayanna laughed in return. "I have video. I'll send it to you." She scrolled on her phone to send it over. "Don't feel embarrassed about anything he said. I'm not planning on showing anyone else, well maybe a little, but well you'll know what I mean after you watch it."
Liv wasn't sure she wanted to know what Elliot would have said uninhibited. Bell didn't make it a big deal though, so it was probably fine. "I'll watch it before he wakes up," Olivia smiled. "Kathleen is going to be here in the morning and can stay all day, and Maureen, Dickie, and Liz are planning on rotating until he is discharged."
"Good. We need to get back on this case, and I'm sure the kids will be happy to have time with him."
"Yeah. They weren't excited he was shot, but it is nice for them to get some time with him without work."
Bell looked at the floor and then back at Olivia, "I think all our kids feel that way."
"That's probably true." Liv answered.
Ayanna gave her a wave goodbye and Liv quietly opened the door to Elliot's room. She sank into the cushioned chair next to the hospital bed. He looked sound asleep so she figured she watch the video, figuring it wouldn't be that bad.
She about died from laughter within the first thirty seconds. She didn't love all the information he decided to spill to Bell, but at least she knew he thought she was prettier than Whelan. Plus, Bell was intuitive, and likely knew more than Stabler had ever admitted anyway.
She pulled her laptop from her bag to finish some work while he slept, however she found herself watching him more than her computer screen. After forty-five minutes of visual ping-pong she pushed her laptop screen shut.
He slept with one arm under his head, and the other wrapped around a pillow. She wanted to take the pillow's place, but she worried she would hurt him if she moved him too much. After a few minutes of back and forth she decided to lay by him. She was tired too. She hadn't slept much the night before, and had to finish things at work and take care of Noah. She felt exhausted, and she wasn't sleeping in a chair.
He didn't flinch as slid over next to him. She had the foresight to bring herself a fluffy blanket from home. She threw it over both of them and settled in facing him. She laid her hand over the arm he had wrapped around his pillow. She snuggled as close as she dared without hurting him, and let her forehead rest near his.
Liv barely drifted off when she felt his warm hand snake up her arm and around her waist. He pulled her towards him and she laid flush against his chest with her head tucked beneath his chin. His breathing stayed steady and even while he slept, and she allowed herself to relax in his arms and sink back into a blissful sleep.
Olivia awoke to a pained groan escaping Elliot's lips. She immediately sat up to see a nurse reaching over to check his wound and apply a clean dressing. Liv felt a little embarrassed, and asked, "Do you need me to get out of the way, I can go back to the chair." She started to scoot out of the bed.
The nurse stopped her. "No no don't worry about it. I already got his other vitals, and about done with this gauze." The nurse gave her a sweet smile, "You would be surprised how many spouses end up sharing the hospital bed. I think it makes both feel better after a trauma. I won't tell." The nurse gave a quick wink.
Liv agreed, not wanting to go into their relationship logistics, and tentatively settled back next to Elliot. She put a hand to his face, feeling immense gratitude that he was here, breathing.
She knew he was sound asleep, snoring softly. "I love you, I've always loved you," She whispered tenderly. One day she would tell him. One day, when he was a wake and fully aware she would let him know how much she loved him, and needed him. For tonight though, this was enough.