Coming Home [A Bensler Fan Fic]

Thirty

Elliot sat in his room as he rocked back and forth on the floor. His eyes were fixed on the wall in front of him as he thought about his wife. Surprisingly, Elliot wasn't angry at his wife at the moment. He mostly missed her and wanted her to hug him. 

"Alright, Elliot. We are going to move you to another room and help you feel better." Dr. Cortez spoke, as he opened the door and walked in with a few male nurses. 

"Olivia." Elliot whimpered.

"She's here, Elliot. But you can't see her until you are in a better place. So let's get you up and moving." Dr. Cortez spoke, before motioning to the nurses to get Elliot to his feet.

As soon as the two strangers moved towards Elliot, he let out a cry and went scrambling to his feet. He ran to the door, then back to a far corner. He fought the nurses and wouldn't go with them. Elliot kept screaming his wife's name, as Olivia stood in the viewing room with tears streaming down her cheeks.

///

Elliot wouldn't go with Dr. Cortez and the nurses, so the doctor had to come up with a way to get Elliot to go with them. He didn't want to use drugs right now, so he sent Olivia in with the nurses as backup.

"Hey, handsome." Olivia spoke weakly, her voice shaking as she took slow and completely unsure steps towards her husband.

"O-olivia?" Elliot asked, as he lifted his head up. He was cowering in the corner of the room, and only his wife's voice made him feel safe enough to show his face.

"Hi, Elliot. Dr. Cortez wasn't lying to you... I have been here for a while, and I won't leave until you say so." Olivia said with a forced smile.

Olivia was still so confused about where she and her husband stood, but no matter how poorly she was treated, she knew that she had to support her husband right now. 

"I'm scared."

"I can tell. But there is nothing to be scared about. Dr. Cortez and everyone else is here to help you. These men are going to help take you to a room where you can lay on a bed. You can get all bundled up under the blankets like you like and get some sleep."

"I-i'm not tired." Elliot whispered, as he tucked his head back between his legs and the wall.

Olivia didn't want Elliot to shut down, so she quickly walked over to him before sitting cross-legged beside him.

"You remind me of Lou right now." Olivia smiled, as she restrained from touching her husband at all.

"How?"

"You know how she's sit on the sofa and yawn so loudly that her little body shook? And then you'd try to get her to go to bed, but she claimed that she wasn't tired. Lou would-"

"She'd start dozing off sitting up, and I'd have to carrying her to bed otherwise she'd never go." Elliot smiled, and Olivia chuckled and nodded.

"Then she'd snuggle super close to you, start sucking her thumb, and just fall asleep in your arms." Olivia breathed, as she thought about happier times. Times where Olivia thought she'd never be unhappy, but clearly she was wrong.

"I'm tired." Elliot sniffled, and Olivia nodded.

"Do you want to lay your head on my lap? You can take a nap and I can protect you while you sleep."

"You'd do that for me?" Elliot whispered, and Olivia nodded as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I'd do anything for you."

///

Olivia sat on the floor of that room for hours as her husband slept. She caressed his hair and brushed tears from his cheeks when he'd randomly shed them. Olivia was dedicated to making her husband feel safe and happy, even if they were far from happy in their relationship.

When Elliot awoke from his nap, he was still laying with his head on Olivia's lap. He sat up, confused, before watching as Olivia stood.

"Come with me, El."

"Olivia." Elliot huffed as he kneaded his eyebrows together.

"Baby, c'mon." Olivia smiled as she reached her hand out to Elliot. Elliot took it hesitantly before standing.

Olivia and Elliot walked slowly to the door before it opened from the outside. They walked from the room and down the hall to Elliot's more permanent room. Elliot looked at the bed before glancing at Olivia.

"I'm going to be staying here for a while, huh?" Elliot asked. He seemed a little more 'there' than before, but not back to normal. He'd never be completely normal again.

"Yeah, you are. But when you get out and know how to take care of yourself... we can figure things out. Okay?"

"Will you visit me?" Elliot asked awkwardly, as he sank down onto the bed.

"I think you may change your mind about wanting me to visit. Now, lay down and relax."

Olivia stayed with Elliot for a little longer, before leaving the room. Her in-laws were standing behind the entrance door, and they stepped back when Olivia was buzzed out.

"How is he doing?" Bernie asked, and Olivia shrugged as she raked her fingers through her hair.

"I think he's scared still and confused. I'm worried that he will fight them and never come home... uh, Dr. Cortez said that we need to go home. Elliot won't be allowed anymore visitors for a few weeks. He needs to get used to his medicine and make sure it's at the right dosage." Olivia explained.

"I-i kinda wanted to see him." Bernie admitted, and Olivia nodded.

"You probably should have been the one to comfort him." Olivia frowned.

The group walked together to the elevator, before all climbing in. Once the doors closed, Olivia turned to look at the wall as tears poured down her cheeks.

She never thought that her husband would end up in a hospital to help and get his episodes under control. Olivia always thought that this would be her, that she'd finally try something and end up here. But now she had to be the strong one, and she'd do that even if she felt so lost and weak at the moment. She'd do anything for her family and husband, even if Elliot had done so much harm to her lately.