A/N Here it is, finally. A new chapter. I'm really sorry it took me so long to get back to writing and with that let y'all waiting for such a long time. I really hope that I'll be able to post chapters more often and faster from now on. Although it (probably) will not be as it used to be. On the bright side, it won't be as long as this one has taken me either, haha.
I'd like to thank each and everyone of you that kept reading or re-reading this story and am thankful to those of you that started to read this story for the first time.
I hope it will be as good as it used to be or as y'all are used to.
"You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens." - Mandy Hale
Chapter 61
It had been silent for a few minutes after Gena broke down. While Alex had been standing next to her, Oliver had carefully climbed out of his bed and walked towards them, after having a short and silent conversation with Alex. The blond attorney knew that Gena needed her husband's comfort and presence, and had silently given her consent for Oliver to leave his hospital bed. After Oliver came over, Alex walked away from the two of them and sat in a chair next to Oliver's bed. Oliver had taken Gena in his arms and tried to comfort the distressed nurse as best as he could in his current state.
Once she had calmed down, she and Oliver had a soft conversation and after having been reassured by Oliver that everything that would or had been said in this room would stay there, Gena had asked Oliver if he wanted to tell the others what had happened.
"As it is painful for everyone in this room to even think about what happened in that hospital I was brought in after the accident, let alone talk about it, I do ask of you to keep in mind that even tho it was painful for Alex and myself, it turned out to be painful for Gena as well and that she was wrongfully punished for it, in my eyes," Oliver said, as he looked at each woman and silently let all of them know to let him finish before either one of them would speak up.
"We all know how lucky Alex and I have been with the support and acceptance of my squad and Captain, and people like Liz at the DA's office, about both my relationship with Alex and me being transgender, and how lucky they and we all have been with that regarding the relationship of Abby and Jane, and of two others we know of and know well. All of us also know that unfortunately not everyone in the force is like them and we all know what can happen to those not as fortunate as we are, and how far some of our fellow officers or colleagues will take it when they do not approve of it." Oliver said.
Oliver looked at Gena and softly squeezed her shoulder before continuing.
"Gena's wife is a Detective in the 48th precinct and since we all know how they deal with these issues, I don't need to say anything more. She also went through the process only the opposite of me, meaning she was physically born as a male. Her wife transferred outside of the city to the NYPD so she didn't know how things are dealt with within certain precincts or squads here. But, in a way, luckily she didn't tell her Captain or squad members about it right away and found out soon enough how they think about it and decided not to tell them anything. Neither her marriage with Gena nor her have been going through the process. Yes they know she is married but not to whom." Oliver said as he paused to take a breath and gather his thoughts together about how he wanted to continue.
Oliver looked at Gena again for a moment and then he looked at his wife.
Alex knew that Oliver wasn't finished and even though she didn't know what he was going to say she knew and felt that he needed some kind of unspoken support to continue and softly nodded at the Detective. Oliver nodded back and took a deep breath before he started to talk again.
"Danny Vain was also Kerry's surgeon, Gena's wife. Kerry transferred to the NYPD just two months before I was in that hospital, but due to a case in her 2nd week with the 48th, she knew she couldn't say anything. Vain being the head of the team, well at that time of course, knew that Kerry was also a Detective, and somehow knew how they would deal with it and her, once they would find out she had been his patient and why. So long story short, Vain started threatening to blackmail Gena not that long before I was hospitalized. Gena found out that he was the one that made the mistake of switching me with that other patient, shortly before our appointment with Petterson about making that deal. And that's when he actually started to blackmail her and threatened that he would make it public that Kerry had been through surgery and contact Kerry's Captain at the 48th when Gena wanted to come forward with it.
Of course, Kerry wants to transfer away from the 48th but she doesn't know how or where to as she doesn't know which precinct would be safe to transfer to, especially if Vain would go to her current Captain. That's why I said it was painful for Gena as well as it was for us, as well why, to me, she was punished wrongly," Oliver finished.
"Stronzo! Cab…" Jane started angrily, only to be interrupted by Oliver.
"Stop it, Rizzoli, cursing in Italian or Spanish is not what Gena needs now or what's helping her!" Oliver said sternly before he continued.
"I know that not everyone in this room speaks either Italian and or Spanish, and I know you long and well enough to know where it would have gone if I didn't interrupt you. I get it though and I agree as for why you were doing it. Let's just leave it with that and focus on the more important things right now, alright," Oliver finished, more saying than asking it.
"Yeah you're right. Let's do that." Jane answered.
And everyone's attention went back to Gena and Oliver.
"I'm sorry, I can only imagine how it must be for both you and your wife, Gena. And I promise you that your secret, so to speak, is safe here with us." Alex said.
"Thank you, Mrs Benson," Gena replied.
Abby looked at Oliver and waited till he nodded at her, before she turned to Gena.
"Miss Denning, If you don't mind asking me, and if you do feel free to say so, is what happened the reason that you now work in this hospital?" Abby asked.
"Yes it is. And please call me Gena," Gena answered.
Oliver softly cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"I think that we passed the need for formality inside this room that is, so let's just drop it and go to a first name base. That is if everyone agrees of course," Oliver said.
All the women looked at each other briefly before looking to Oliver and all nodded "yes".
At that Oliver nodded at Gena and turned around and slowly walked back to his bed and climbed back into his bed. It took him a while but nobody dared to offer him assistance. Everyone in the room, including Gena, knew that he would bite their head off and would start to argue with them which would lead to a moody or cranky detective and even more delay for him to be back in his bed where he should be anyway.
After he settled himself again he looked at Alex and the blond immediately jumped up from her chair and climbed onto the Detective's bed and carefully snuggled against him.
"I see that nothing has changed here," Gena said with a small smile, and shook her head.
"Nope. And it won't either, Gena," Oliver quipped.
"Don't worry, I'm not even gonna try it once. I've learned my lesson and not gonna make that mistake twice,"Gena answered.
Oliver smiled at Gena before his face turned serious again.
"So now that you're here. I have a couple questions..no a few questions. How long do I need to stay in this damn hospital? And can you get someone to reheat my dinner?" Oliver asked, as he pointed to the bags that were still on the table.
"Oh, here we go," Alex mumbled.
Which earned the blonde attorney a snicker from Jane and Abby and a not so amused look from Kathy. The older blonde knew exactly what would happen as she herself knew Oliver very well too, and since she was a nurse in this hospital she needed to at least try and help Gena, even though it probably would be useless to try and keep Oliver from doing anything, so soon after the surgery.
However Gena also had heard Alex and looked with a raised eyebrow at Kathy. The oldest blonde internally shook her head while she nodded at her darkhaired collegue.
Kathy took a deep breath and turned her attention and look to Oliver.
"Oliver…"Kathy started, but the poor woman didn't even get a chance to finish.
"No Kathy, just no. No to what ever you might suggest or want. Unless you want to ask when I want my dinner, then the answer is 10 minutes," Oliver sternly said as he interrupted Kathy.
"Oliver Benson, let me finish and if you interrupt me again whatever I would ask, say or offer will be off the table," Kathy sternly said.
"And i'll make sure you'll stay here as long as they want you to stay, not as long as you need to stay! Do I make myself clear, Detective?!" Alex added, with her courtroom voice.
Oliver was about to counter when he remembered he had a few more questions and knew that he needed his wifes and his friends help to get done for what he had in his mind that he wanted to do, and decided that for just once he wouldn't start arguing and being his stubborn self.
"OK, fine. Go ahead, Kathy," Oliver grumbled.
Everyone's jaw dropped and they all looked at Oliver as if he had grown a second head. But at the same time Kathy didn't want to jinx it and so she continued instead of asking what had gotten into the Detective.
"Thank you. If you stay in your bed till at least 10 pm, I personally will go and reheat your, and Alex's dinner, right away. If, and only if, that goes down well and you don't get sick or anything else related to your surgery happens, then I'll talk with the Doctor and try to see if I can get you released around noon tomorrow. But if you refuse to do anything that is needed or get out of your bed before you're allowed to, then everything is off the table. And no promises other then that I'll try to get you released at noon tomorrow. Got it?!" Kathy finished asking.
"Yes, I got. Fine i'll do as you ask. Can you go and reheat our dinner then, please Kathy?" Oliver asked with the best sweet voice he could do right now.
"Yes, I'll go and do that. I wanted to ask something but I don't want to jinx it so I'll just go and do as asked and promised," Kathy answered.
Kathy turned and walked out of Oliver's room while shaking her head. She knew that he had something on his sleeve that made him agree and use that voice. There was no way that he agreed so easily without a reason or wanting something and she figured that she would find out soon enough what ever it was that he wanted.
After Kathy closed the door behind her Oliver turned his head to Genand quickly looked around at everyone while he spoke up before any of the women still in his room could say something.
"Don't worry, I didn't grow a second head or anything like that. I just need to talk about something with you all and probably need your help. And before you ask or object, no it is not something related to me staying in this hospital. So for once I'll do as asked. I'd like to suggest to just take it and leave it,"Oliver said.
"No arguments from me. I'll gladly take it, " Gena commented.
Which made the others smile. They all would have laughed at it if they weren't scared of Oliver changing his mind and start being his usual self he normally would be in a hospital. And after everything that had happened already in this hospital they all knew that it must be something important since he agreed without any objection to all that Kathy had offered.
"We all take it, Liv. Now out with whatever it is that you want to talk about with us, before any of us puts their foot into their mouth, please," Alex said.
Oliver couldn't help but snicker at the blonde's comment, before he got himself back on track again.
"Gena, what division is Kerry in?" Oliver asked as he turned to look at the darkhaired nurse.
"She's in homicide now, but she wasn't before she transferred to the NYPD. Why?" Gena replied.
" Is she on duty now or is she home and if so, could she come to the hospital?" Oliver asked instead of answering her question.
And with asking that question Alex, Abby and Jane knew why he agreed with Kathy so easily. All three knew that he wanted to try to help Gena's wife. And with wanting to do that he once again showed how selfless he is and how he believes that almost everyone should get a second chance. Of course not having seen that side of the Detective, Gena was a bit suspicious about all the questions and didn't know what direction Oliver was going to. And with the experiences she had so far with her wife's precinct and Dr. Vain, she didn't know what to expect.
"I'm not sure I understand what's going on here. I don't want to offend anyone in this room and especially not you, but why all these questions about my wife and her job?" Gena asked, while looking a bit scared, as if she was afraid she did offend Oliver.
Jane beat them all and answered before anyone else could, including Oliver.
"Because this is another side of Oli, one that you haven't seen before now. My guess is that he's being the selfless person again that we all, except for you, know so well. So my advice is to just answer his questions and go with the flow so to speak. It won't be anything harmful that will happen after answering them, i promise you that," Jane said.
Alex and Abby stayed quiet, as Jane had said it all, and now it was up to Gena to trust Oliver and for them to wait and find out what exactly Oliver wanted to do to help Gena's wife Kerry.
Oliver also stayed silent knowing that she had to come to him, so to speak, before he could do or say anything.
Gena took a few seconds to think about what Jane had said. And also thought about the conversation she had with Oliver earlier and how kind and understanding he had been and how she felt like she was safe with him during and after that conversation. So she decided to do as Jane advised and hoped that her trust in the Detective would be for the best.
"She's off duty and home now, so I could call her and ask to come here. But why?" Gena answered.
"Because I want to talk with her and try to help her and try to help you. That's why. Look, just call her and try to get her to the hospital. I promise I'm not setting you up or anything bad like that. I just rather explain everything once, when she gets here. In fact to show that I don't have any bad intentions and really want to help, I'll stay in the damn hospital for as long as you or the doctor want me to and sign for it. If either you or your wife feel like something bad will happen when she gets here and sees me, I'll stay. She's a Detective and I have the feeling she goes by the same gut feeling thing that Jane here and myself go with. So if she's willing to come here and, as soon as she sees me, have a bad feeling about me, I'll do as I just promised or said," Oliver answered.
And with Oliver promising that he would stay in the hospital as long as she or the doctor wanted him to stay she knew he was being honest and really wanted to help. Because being a nurse and being married to a cop, she knew that one of the things they all hated the most, was being in a hospital.
"I'll go and call her now. Thank you so much," Gena choked out, being overwhelmed by Olivers words and promises.
Gena turned around and quickly walked to the door of Oliver's room and opened it, she turned around and nodded and looked for a moment at Oliver before she turned around again and closed the door behind her.
As soons as the door closed Alex turned Oliver's face toward her and briefly kissed the Detective before she speaks.
"You just have to be your selfless self again and think about someone else instead of yourself don't you," Alex said.
"You know I have to, Lex. I just need to do it," Oliver answered.
"I know, that's one of the reasons I love you so much," Alex answered back.
"And also one of the reasons that Jane and I love you as well" Abby said.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, everybody loves Oliver, I get it," Oliver grumbled.
"And he's back ladies and gents," Jane quipped.
A/N 2 I hope y'all liked this chapter and that I did a good job at my come back, so to speak, and thank you all for reading it.
I just randomly picked a precinct for this part of the story so anything that might be true, how awful it might be is a coincident.
I know that unfortunately even in this day and age there are still people, and therefore also in police forces, that are short sided and or narrow minded.
