"It's been a month and he's not getting any better. What's the next steps?"
After four full weeks of chemotherapy, Javier still wasn't improving. He was only wake for an hour at a time sporadically throughout the day. When he was awake, he was ill from the chemo. Every day Olivia and Fitz would go visit in the morning then head to work then return for dinner with Huck and Kim. Jerry stayed with him during the day with Kim. Huck was doing his best to make quick trips to the café to open and come right back. Verna still stayed with his medical team watching his test results come back only for it to be the same.
"I think we need to get him into radiation therapy," Verna told them. "The chemo isn't helping, but radiation is more advanced. We'll get him set up for it tomorrow."
While everyone stayed with Javier, Fitz tried his best to focus on his divorce. What evidence did she have to prove he was sleeping with Liv since she started? Who would even think of such a thing? Gathering his briefcase together, he finished out a quick email before Liv appeared in the doorway.
"Ready?"
"To be divorced? Absolutely."
"I'm sure you are. But I meant, are you ready to leave? Henry is downstairs waiting for you," Liv informed him as she handed off his jacket. "I'll have you drop these off as well. Mary is expecting these."
"Do you want to have Henry drop you off at the hospital or we can go together when I'm finished?"
"I've got a lot of work to do before I can head out. Kim's going to video chat me when he wakes up if he wants to see me."
"Of course, he will want to see Aunt Livia," Fitz smiled and kissed her quick. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Letting him head off, Liv started her routine on the reports for the locations to send off to the board. Giving herself time to finish them early and do more research, she started calling other doctors. Not that she didn't trust Verna and the team of doctors at the hospital, she only wanted to have a second, or as of today a fifth, opinion to help her godson.
"Alright, Mrs. Grant, you have your witness and proof ready?" Judge Richards just walked into the courtroom ready to begin another day of the divorce.
"Yes sir, he'll be here in just a few moments."
"I believe I said two o'clock exactly, Mrs. Grant. Not when they get around to it."
"Apologies your honor, I was just finishing another case upstairs and rushed down."
"Jake?" Fitz whipped his head around to see Jake Ballard walk into the room. "Are you serious, Mellie? This is who told you I was sleeping with Liv? You've got to be kidding me!"
Taking the seat beside her, Jake smirked over at Fitz. "Judge Richards, I am Jake Ballard, I've worked with Fitz for several years. I have witnessed Mr. Grant and Ms. Pope together on multiple occasions in compromising positions," Jake told him.
"And you have adequate proof to show me?"
"Only what I have seen and witnessed, sir."
"Your honor," Fitz started but James raised his hand at him.
"I'd like to hear what he has to say, Fitz. Tell me, Mr. Ballard, what have you seen of these two?"
Jake tried to hide the smile on his face from the judge as he looked at Fitz. "Mr. Grant took Ms. Pope to California a few months ago. They are always huddled together with closed blinds and locked doors. Mr. Grant has taken her to lunches and dinners off work time. I've gone to dinner with Ms. Pope, and she's told me herself about what Fitz likes in the bedroom."
Fitz nearly screamed at Jake lying through his teeth. "Judge, this is all nonsense. Yes, I've taken Olivia with me to Los Angeles to assist with a five-day seminar I was giving. I'm 'huddled' with her when we are talking about clients and going over evidence for cases in my office or in the conference room. Of course, I can her to lunches and dinners off work time to meet with clients or discuss cases."
"And what about this bedroom situation, Mr. Grant? Can you explain that?"
"Mr. Ballard took Olivia to dinner after we returned from California. He drew his own conclusions after Mellie broke into my firm and spray-painted Olivia's office with her name calling. Judge, this is only a tactic of his to get his revenge on Olivia, when she turned him down when he tried to drag her across the street to a hotel and she broke his arm. He hasn't seen Olivia since then. This is just a stunt!"
James tried to hold back a laugh when he looked at Jake. "Liv broke your arm? Did she just twist it behind you or snap it?"
Jake's eyes turned dark as he answered. "Snapped it."
"She is feisty."
"Does everyone know this slut?" Mellie questioned looking between the three men.
"Mrs. Grant, I advise you to keep your temper and language in check in my courtroom. Olivia worked for me before she left to go to your husband's firm," James informed her. Turning his attention back to Jake, he continued. "I will say that your statements could be considered vengeful, Mr. Ballard. Having known Ms. Pope for some time, she isn't the type of woman to date, let alone date married men. And as Mr. Grant has said, everything you say can be explained easily. Fitz, I think we should listen to Olivia's side of the story, and she can verify your statements. It only seems fair."
Fitz clenched his fist under the table. "I don't think that's a good idea, sir. Olivia's very busy between her work and her godson right now. I've kept her out of this divorce for a reason. She doesn't need to be exposed to Mellie's accusations more than she has been. I'm trying to protect her from the hated that woman spues."
"I'm sure Ms. Pope can manage to find ten minutes out of her day to help her boss. And if not, try using the boyfriend card. I expect her to be in this courtroom by the end of next week."
Furious with everyone in the room, Fitz stormed out of the courthouse ready to leave. Getting Henry to take him to the gym, he sent Liv a quick text message to just meet at the hospital later.
Olivia spent her last few hours of the day calling doctors all over the country for a better understanding of Javier's condition. How can it be treated? What ways would be better than what he's on now? After getting Fitz's text, she went to the hospital and waited for responses from the doctors.
"What'd they find today?" Liv asked Huck standing in the hallway.
"Radiation therapy tomorrow. They'll start in the morning. Did you find anything in your research today?"
"Still waiting to hear from a couple doctors. I had Verna send his charts to them. I'm sorry if I'm overstepping."
"I don't care if you are, Liv. Javi needs the best. I'm only going with the best. His levels are still the same as last week. Nothing has changed."
"I'm sure we'll find something." Watching Kim through the window to the room, Javi started to wake up as Liv's phone rang. "Go take care of him, I've got to find Verna." Answering her phone, she ran down the hallway to the conference room to find her.
After hitting the bag for over an hour, Fitz was ready to head to the hospital. Grabbing a quick shower and changing, he called Jerry when he saw the text from him.
"Liv's at the hospital already, Dad. I'm on my way over now."
"How'd court go? Any luck with that?"
"Not a chance. I also need to talk to HR and have Ballard fired. He's the one who put it in Mellie's head that Liv and I were sleeping together and that's why she started working for me."
"What?" Jerry couldn't hold back the laugh. "Livia would never do something like that. He told Richards you'd been having an affair that long?"
"It was his revenge for Liv breaking his arm. Now, James wants to see her by next week."
"See who? See Livia?"
"Yes."
"Never going to happen. She will never be in the same room as him again. Not willingly."
"I'm not asking her to. And I'm certainly not forcing her to go. I don't want her near this. But I don't think I will have a choice. I don't think he's giving her a choice. If I don't get her to him by the end of next week, he's going to continue dragging this out."
Jerry was positive that James would continue stalling if she didn't show up. He might even subpoena her to show up just to see her. "Do you want me to talk to Livia? I could try to talk her into it."
"No, you and she don't need to be part of this. I'll figure it out myself. I don't want her doing me any favors."
"It's not a favor to you. It's a favor to me. I'm still obligated to pay the drunk to be your wife, Fitz. She's costing me a lot of money."
"Thank you so much for that, by the way. That's what's causing me all these problems."
"Then I'll fix it. I'll talk to Livia and ask her to show up to court. She might deck me, but it'll be worth it to get Mellie out of our lives."
Olivia came in the conference room hearing Verna shouting at a team of doctors. Verna was definitely worked up over something, but she couldn't understand what it was at the moment. Telling her to sit down, Liv took the seat next to her as she was introduced to the hospital chief.
"They won't do the radiation therapy on Javier," Verna told her.
"It's against our policy. He's only four. His brain development will be stunted and though his body will grow to full adult, his brain will still be a little kid. Our policy is the patient must be at least sixteen years old. Dr. Thornton, I'm very sorry, but we have to follow policy."
"But you just told his parents that was the next step," Liv shouted at them. "They're getting ready to start this in the morning. Your team told her that's what was next. How did your team not know this wasn't possible?"
"It must have slipped. If he was sixteen, this would be our next step, Ms. Pope."
"Then what are you suggesting we do next?" Verna asked rolling her eyes at their incompetence.
The team looked at each other before the chief started. "We suggest that we continue to do chemotherapy and let it continue to kill the cancer."
Slamming her hand on the table, Verna stood up pointing at the man. "Are you new here? Surely, you must be new here! Because if you were here and reading his daily blood draw reports, you would see that chemo isn't doing a damn bit of good! He isn't getting better. Luckily, he isn't getting worse either. So, you had best come up with something for this little boy."
"Actually, I think I might have found something," Liv told them. "I've spoken with several doctors who specialize in pediatric cancers. I've got Dr. Robbins for you to talk to, Verna."
Taking the phone from her, Verna excused herself to another room to talk. While the others went back to their original tasks, Liv waited for her to return. Doing another few laps between the conference room and Javi's, she caught Fitz coming off the elevator.
"You're not answering my texts?" Fitz asked, confused when he saw her.
"Verna's on the phone with another doctor," Liv pecked his lips catching his fresh scent. "You smell like you showered. You went to the gym?"
"Yes, after court. Any change with him?"
"None. Court was that bad?"
"Story for later."
Before he could continue, Verna came back handing her the phone with a smile.
"That had better be good news then."
"We need to discuss it with Huck and Kim."
Verna led them into the room and sat on the couch. "Radiation therapy isn't an option," she started, explaining all the complications that would have if they did. "But Liv got her research done and I just talked to Dr. Robbins in Seattle. There's a clinical trial she's working on, and he fits all the criteria for it. He's a perfect patient for the trial." Putting the description of what would happen into easier terms for them, Verna was convinced this would be a good fit.
"Has it worked on anyone?" Kim sat up listening closer.
"It's in the last two stages of the trial before they release it. The treatment has had an 80% success rate. Including in children younger than Javi."
"When can we start him on it?" Huck asked, taking hold of Kim's hand.
"Two days."
"When can they get here?"
"That's the catch, we have to get Javi to Seattle. It's the only place they are allowed to do the trial."
Huck shook his head at her. "How are we supposed to get him there? He's too sick to fly."
"Hold on," Liv stopped them before they could be more disappointed. "Javi's only too sick to fly commercially. We can get the jet to take him; take all of you to Seattle. I just need to call the pilot."
"You have a jet?" everyone asked her in surprise.
"But you hate flying," Fitz added.
"It's not like I use it personally. How soon can he leave?"
