All I Ask [A Bensler Fan Fic]

Chapter Thirty

"Mom!" Lizzie cried, as she left her father's side and moved to where her mother stood. Kathy hugged her youngest daughter tightly, as Kathleen and Maureen hesitantly moved to where their father was standing with his mouth wide opened.

"We were with Mom tonight when Lizzie called crying... what's happening?" Kathleen asked. She ended up waving her hand in front of her father's face until he looked at her and spoke.

"Liz and Eli were watching Evie tonight, and she got her hands on one of Eli's dice and swallowed it. She went without oxygen for at least ten minutes, so we don't know what is happening right now," Elliot replied weakly, as he looked at his daughters.

Neither of them have had a relationship with their father, but came to the hospital when they find out the little sister they never wanted was very sick.

"What are they doing to help her?" Maureen asked, and Elliot shrugged slightly.

"I don't know exactly. Just keeping her comfortable and helping to keep her alive. They have to run tests too... make sure her brain is still working," Elliot sighed weakly. He was exhausted and wanted to cry, but he had to stay strong. 

"Have you seen her yet?" Kathy asked as she joined the others.

"Nope."

"She'll be okay, El. I think it's a genetic thing," Kathy smiled weakly.

"I won't believe you until I look at my baby and see her smile again."

///

Olivia was too tired to be shocked when she saw Elliot's ex and older two daughters. She also wasn't shocked when they all went upstairs to wait for additional news on Evie.

"That was Dickie. He's requesting emergency leave and should be here this afternoon if it's approved," Kathy spoke, as she moved back to the waiting area. 

"He didn't have to do that," Olivia sighed softly, as she looked up from her hands for the first time in nearly two hours.

"This is his baby sister, Liv. He wants to be here."

"I have a question to ask you all," Olivia spoke, her voice growing louder.

"Babe-" Elliot started, but Olivia was already speaking again.

"Is this going to last? Or once Evie is released from the hospital, you will go back to calling her a bastard and me a home wrecking whore?" Olivia mused. Elliot frowned deeply as he grabbed Olivia's hand. He was thinking those exact questions, but he didn't want to ruin this moment. He enjoyed having his kids all around.

No one responded, and that just made Olivia angrier. She stood and walked from the waiting room before making her way down the hall. Evie had her own room but still wasn't allowed visitors. So Olivia stood outside of the room and just wanted her baby.

Her entire life, Olivia had wanted to be a mother. Now that she was one and her daughter was so very sick, she was thinking through everything that she had ever done. If maybe this was payback for something she had done. Was this the universe getting back at her for the affair that led to Evie?

"She's still not doing great, but that little girl is a fighter," an older nurse smiled as she walked from Evie's room. Olivia didn't even look at her, since her eyes were locked on her daughter's small chest as it rose and fell with every breath.

"She went without oxygen for a while. What are her chances of being completely normal? Like before..." Olivia trailed off.

"The doctors aren't sure yet. They will update you as the test results come back." The nurse replied. 

Olivia finally let her eyes drift from her baby and to the woman beside her. Olivia bit her lip before sighing.

"Don't recognize me, huh?" Olivia asked weakly.

"What?" the nurse replied.

"That baby in there is your granddaughter, Mom. You didn't even realize," Olivia grumbled. She turned on her heel and walked in the completely wrong direction as Elliot came to check on her.

"Ah crap. Is she okay?" Elliot asked, but the nurse wouldn't speak. She turned and walked away herself.

///

Elliot found Olivia eventually, and when he sank beside her on the cold bench, he noticed Olivia crying.

"Evie will be good, Liv."

"I'm not crying because of Evie right now, El," Olivia sniffled.

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because the nurse that is taking care of our baby is my mother."

"Huh?" Elliot questioned.

He and Olivia never talked about their mothers. They had discussed their dead fathers, especially since Elliot was around when Olivia found her father. However, they never talked about Serena or Bernie. They weren't in touch, so what's the point?

"The nurse in the purple scrubs with dark brown hair... and a scar above her left eyebrow. That is the one and only Serena Benson. I thought she wasn't allowed to be a nurse anymore since she was drunk all the time, but clearly something changed."

"Olivia, we need to request a nurse change. Miss-I-beat-my-daughter will not be taking care of our child. So-"

"Why does everything have to be so hard?" Olivia asked.

"What?"

"Why does everything have to be hard? Why can't you and I just be happy?" Olivia whispered. Elliot frowned deeply as he wrapped his arm around Olivia's waist. He kissed her temple gently as hot tears slipped down her rosy cheeks.

"Life has never been easy, Olivia. I know we don't enjoy having these difficult things to deal with, but it makes life interesting. I think the universe knows you'd get bored with all the same old same. We are strong and will make it through this all," Elliot smiled. He leaned down and kissed Olivia a few times before feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Elliot pulled it out and read the text before looking at his girlfriend.

"Evie is ready to have visitors. I think we should go inside and make sure our baby knows we are here."

///

Serena was at the nurse's station when Olivia and Elliot made it to Evie's room. All of her siblings, minus Dickie, and Kathy, were already in the room. Olivia said nothing to them. All she did was ignore her mother's voice and reached into the crib to caress her baby's hair.

"Hey, Evie. It's Mama. Please keep fighting. You have been the best thing to happen to me, and I can't imagine life without your sweet little smile and that giggle that makes my love for you grow every single time I see it."