"Grace, I think it's best that we put you on anti-anxiety medication. You aren't having any bouts of severe depression, and that's good, but based on everything you've told me today, it seems like every time you have the urge to cut it is preceded by a bout of pretty severe anxiety, and I'd like to see if we can get a handle on that anxiety, so I'd like to start you on a low dose of medication, and the next time you come in we can decide whether or not it needs to be increased. Does that sound all right with you?"

"That's fine." Grace agreed from where she sat at the table doing a puzzle while she had her session, and Dr. Olivet reached for her prescription pad.

"Are there any side effects we should look out for?" Olivia asked protectively from where she was sitting nearby as Dr. Olivet handed her the slip of paper.

"If she experiences any increased anxiety, suicidal thougts, nausea, or dizziness, give me a call. She may experience loss of appetite or sleep issues for the first week or so, but that should even itself out with time." Dr. Olivet explained, "In addition to the medication, there are several tools you can use to help when you feel anxious, and I'd like to go over a few of them with you."

"My Ma'am does breathing exercises with me." Grace offered.

"That's good, breathing exercises are an excellent tool. There's also something called the three-three-three rule; when you feel anxious, I'd like you to pause and identify three objects you can see, three sounds you can hear, and move three parts of your body. Let's try it right now."

"I can see a bookshelf, a puzzle, and my Ma'am's shoes." Grace glanced around the room, "I can hear birds outside, someone talking out in the waiting area, and a phone ringing." Grace then rolled her shoulder, wiggled her fingers, and stomped her foot on the floor.

"That's very good. So there are some ideas for next time you feel anxious. Also don't forget to keep writing in your therapy journal. Your session for today is just about over, so unless there's something else you'd like to talk about, I'll let you go a few minutes early today. You can leave the puzzle where it is, my next client can finish it."

"Thank you, Doctor." Grace stood from the table.

"We'll swing by the pharmacy to have your prescription filled, and then I think my good girl deserves ice cream on the way home." Olivia stated as the two women exited the building hand in hand.

"Can we go to the ice cream parlor downtown?" Grace asked hopefully.

"Well," Olivia pretended to think, "okay. Since you've been so good today."

After getting Grace's prescription filled at the pharmacy, they drove downtown and Grace was allowed to have two scoops of her favorite cheesecake flavored ice cream drizzled with caramel. When they arrived home, Olivia gave Grace a glass of water and watched as she swallowed her first dose of anti-anxiety medication.

"That's my good girl. Pay attention to how you're feeling over the next week or so and let me know if anything feels off." Olivia instructed.

"Yes, Ma'am, I will." Grace replied obediently.

The days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into a month. One morning, Olivia emerged from the shower, dressed for work, and then went to the kitchen where Grace was cooking breakfast. Noticing that Grace was moving a little more slowly than usual and seeing that she was pale, Olivia immediately went on alert.

"Are you all right, my baby?" Olivia placed a gentle hand on Grace's forehead, "Hmm. I think you have a slight fever, little one."

"I have a little stomach ache, but I'm okay, Ma'am. I think I'm just hungry." Grace insisted.

"You wouldn't have a fever if you were just hungry. I hope you didn't catch-"

"OH!" Grace suddenly doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach, and Olivia took hold of her to keep her on her feet.

"What hurts, my baby?" Olivia asked with loving concern.

"My stomach. Right here." Grace winced and whimpered as she indicated the right side of her stomach next to her belly button.

"Come here, let's get you to the hospital. It will be faster if I drive you."

At Mercy Hospital, Olivia flashed her badge and, seeing Grace in severe pain with tears streaming down her face, everyone jumped into action.

"Please, Ma'am, don't leave me!" Grace cried out, reaching for Olivia as she was forced to lie down on a gurney.

"It's her appendix. She needs emergency surgery immediately before it bursts." a doctor said, and started barking orders to the other doctors standing around.

"I'm right here with you, my baby. You're just going to sleep for a while, and when you wake up I'll be right next to you." Olivia assured her, holding Grace's hand as she walked beside the gurney.

"Madam, you aren't allowed into surgery." a doctor held Olivia back.

"MA'AM!" Grace screamed as she lost her grip on Olivia's hand and was wheeled behind the double doors of the surgery entrance.

Inside the room, Grace continued to scream for Olivia, and in pain. She wasn't even aware of the IV that was being placed in her arm, but she was suddenly aware of a strange, calm feeling taking over her, and then her world went black.

With her heart still pounding in her chest, Olivia struggled to calm herself as she located the waiting room and retrieved her cell phone.

"Hey, Captain, I'm just clocking in." Elliot greeted as he took a sip of his coffee, his phone pressed to his ear.

"Hey. I'm not going to be in today, I've had to take Grace to Mercy hospital for emergency surgery on her appendix. They just took her back. So you're in charge today, and probably for the next several days. I'm not leaving her home alone while she's recovering from surgery." Olivia spoke into the phone as she was handed a clipboard with several sheets of paper and a pen.

"Understood, Captain. Don't worry, we'll hold down the fort here." Elliot replied.

Once she was off the phone, Olivia focused her attention on the forms she was required to fill out. Two of them required Grace's signature, but since she was currently in surgery that was going to have to wait until she woke up. After all of the forms were properly filled out, Olivia kept herself busy with her phone. She looked up again when a woman wearing hospital scrubs walked into the waiting room and made eye contact with her a little over an hour later.

"Are you Madam Benson?" the woman asked.

"Yes, I am. How is Grace?" Olivia stood up.

"I'm Dr. Warner. Grace is fine, she's resting in recovery and will be taken up to her room in about fifteen minutes. Unfortunately, her appendix burst before we could get to it, so I'd like to keep her here for the next five to seven days to clear up the infection. You are more than welcome to stay with her around the clock if you'd like, we have a family lounge area with beds and a shower. I'll have a nurse come for you in about fifteen minutes to take you up to Grace's room." Dr. Warner said.

"Thank you so much." Olivia breathed a sigh of relief as she shook Dr. Warner's hand.

"Of course. Stay here and someone will be along in about fifteen minutes."

A nurse led Olivia to Grace's room where Grace was lying on her bed still asleep with an IV in her arm pumping antibiotics into her to clear up the infection in her body. Olivia let out another relieved sigh as she sat down next to Grace's bed to wait for her to wake up.

From somewhere in the back of her mind, Grace began to stir, though she felt like she was moving through cement. Her hand landed on something hard.

"No, my baby, leave the equipment alone."

Grace heard the voice coming from somewhere. She recognized this voice and wanted the person attached to it. She felt someone holding her hand and was suddenly aware of someone gently stroking her face.

"Come on, my baby, wake up for me."

Grace recognized an order when she heard one and struggled to open her eyes. She was suddenly greeted by bright lights and let out a curse. Olivia rolled her eyes, but she would let it go this one time. A person could hardly be held responsible for anything they said while just coming out of anesthesia after emergency surgery.

"Ma'am?" Grace mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes and gazed about the room before her big blue eyes focused on Olivia.

"Well, hello, there. Welcome back to the world, my love." Olivia smiled.

"Who painted the cat?" Grace asked.

"Strong drugs." Olivia chuckled, "Don't worry, baby, it'll wear off. You're at Mercy hospital, you had to have emergency surgery. Dr. Warner said your appendix burst before they could remove it, so you're going to have to stay here for a few days to get rid of the infection you have now, but you're going to be okay."

"Ma'am?" Grace asked again, as if just seeing Olivia for the first time.

"I'm right here, my baby. I'm not leaving you." Olivia promised.

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Grace's eyelids drooped.

"I'm glad it doesn't hurt anymore, sweetheart." Olivia smiled.

Grace was in and out of sleep for the rest of the day. The next morning, Olivia took a shower in the family lounge and then made her way to Grace's room, entering just as an orderly was placing a tray of food in front of Grace, who had just woken up about half an hour earlier and was much more alert than she had been the day before. Grace thanked the orderly politely and then smiled happily when her eyes landed on her Ma'am.

"Good morning, Ma'am." Grace greeted her Mistress, wishing that she could get down on her knees to kiss Olivia's feet the way she did every morning.

"Good morning, my baby," Olivia sat down on the bed, "how are you feeling this morning?"

"Eh." Grace shrugged.

"Very convincing." Olivia chuckled, "Tell me what hurts."

"Nothing really hurts, Ma'am. My stitches just feel a little bit tender, and I guess it's the infection that's making me feel a little bit blah." Grace replied honestly. She looked down at her tray of food, "And this doesn't look particularly appetizing."

Olivia looked down at the tray and had to agree, the selection of food Grace had been offered were all 'gentle' and 'bland' food that didn't look particularly appetizing.

"Well, you're just not used to having chicken noodle soup for breakfast, but I expect to see this tray empty. You just came out of emergency surgery yesterday, you shouldn't be eating anything heavy right away. I'm sure Dr. Warner will be in to see you at some point today, and we can ask her about what you're allowed to eat while you're in the hospital this week. For right now, open." Olivia held a spoonful of mashed potatoes up to Grace's lips and Grace obediently opened her mouth to receive it.

"You still have a slight fever, but the IV antibiotics should knock that out within the next few days as the infection clears up. If all goes well, you'll be out of here by Monday." Dr. Warner finished speaking later that afternoon.

"When can I eat real food?" Grace asked.

"Grace." Olivia scolded lightly. Dr. Warner chuckled.

"I'll tell you what, if you can put up with the 'gentle food' diet for the rest of today and tomorrow, then we'll see how you do with something more substantial after that. When you go home, you'll have to stay in bed or on the couch for another five days, but you won't have any food restrictions."

"Five days!" Grace whined.

"Grace Elizabeth." Olivia scolded more sternly.

"I understand." Grace pouted slightly, but heeded the warning in Olivia's tone.

"Good girl." Olivia praised.

"Oh, and no spankings for the next two weeks." Dr. Warner looked at Olivia, "Non-physical discipline only while her stitches heal."

"Understood." Olivia nodded her agreement.