You and I [A Bensler Fanfiction]

Thirty-Three

Bernie held Marley's carrier in one hand and gave Avery's hand a gentle squeeze with the other. As they walked towards the ICU, Avery's hand shook in her grandmother's hand.

"Do you think Daddy will wake up since Marley and I will be with him?" Avery asked.

"Honey, they have him sleeping with medicine. He won't be waking up for a while, especially since he's very sore and needs time to get past the worst of the pain. We are just having you and Marley here to remind him how loved he is," Bernie replied. Avery nodded slowly as she stepped closer to her grandmother as a bed was pushed past them.

Once inside Elliot's room, Marley was lifted from her carrier and held beside Elliot. Avery spoke quietly to her father and told him who was in the room with them.

"Marley hasn't really changed, Daddy. I hope she's still tiny when you wake up, then it'll be like you didn't miss anything at all," Avery spoke, as she rubbed her father's arm gently. She looked over at her sister, before exhaling.

"Kid?" Joseph asked quietly.

"He's never going to be the same, Papa. I don't think he'll ever learn to walk and who says he'll actually want to come home to us... If he can't be like he was before, he may give up," Avery sniffled. Joseph pulled his granddaughter away from the bed and then onto his lap once he was sitting. 

Avery snuggled into her grandfather's embrace as tears slipped down her cheeks. These raw emotions hadn't been shown yet, but were coming out now because Avery was exhausted and scared. So scared that her father would never return to their family.

"I have known your father much longer than you have, and he would never give up on his family and leave them behind. He has fought too hard to get Olivia to trust him and blend your family, that he won't just walk away."

"What if he rolls away?" Avery whispered, and Joseph smiled softly and shook his head.

"Let's not joke about your father being in a wheelchair. Why don't you read your book to him?"

"He's going to get bored with all my books," Avery giggled.

"Then I guess your Mama will have to send you with more next time."

///

When Elliot was weaned off the sedation, Elliot stayed asleep for many days after. At that point, Olivia was exhausted and had a horrible time trying to keep her kids in line. The boys missed Elliot so much that they kept throwing fits and ended up being sent home from school almost every day. Avery tried to keep up with her classes, but her homework and lessons kept pilling up. Marley was fussier than usual, and Olivia was at her wit's end.

"Hello?" Olivia whispered, as she answered her phone in the middle of the night.

"O-olivia?" a voice croaked. Olivia sat up quickly as her heart pounded in her chest.

"Elliot? Babe, is that you?!" Olivia asked, her voice shaking.

"You still remember my voice," He said with a weak laugh.

"How could I forget it? El-" Olivia started, but Elliot's voice interrupted her.

"This is my official request for you to join me at the hospital. A nice nurse helped me update my emergency contact list, so you are on the top." Elliot spoke as tears slipped down Olivia's cheeks. She had been praying for the moment she could see her boyfriend, and it only took three weeks for him to wake up and for her prayers to be answered.

"Just me? Or can I bring our kids?" Olivia sniffled.

"Can I see you first? Maybe you could kiss me?" Elliot replied.

"I'm always willing to kiss you, El. Can you answer a question for me before we end the call?" Olivia asked.

"They don't think I'll be able to walk. Sounds like I'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life."

///

Olivia left the kids with a sitter before heading up to the hospital. The moment the elevator opened to the ICU, a nurse was asking for her ID. When she saw Olivia's name, she smiled and explained how she was now allowed to sit with Elliot during visiting hours. 

"Hey there, handsome," Olivia spoke as bravely as she could. Elliot looked at her and gave her his famous smile.

"I guess I was in a coma for a while. Tell me what I missed?"

"Everything has been going well, El," Olivia breathed. She didn't want him to feel bad that things didn't go well over the past three weeks. The tantrums and tears.

"Don't lie to me, Olivia," Elliot spoke as he reached out to her. Olivia swallowed hard as tears burned her eyes.

"AJ is having a hard time keeping up with her assignments, the boys miss you and keep getting in trouble, and our littlest is super fussy all the time," Olivia spoke. Elliot reached out to Olivia as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Liv. I should have picked any other job but an FBI guard. Then we wouldn't be in this situation. Maybe we'd be snuggled together in our bed with Marley snoring in her bassinet," Elliot breathed, as he reached up and caressed Olivia's hair.

"It's so good to see you and feel your touch... I just don't know what is going to happen, and it makes me so scared. I also feel like I'm failing our kids, and there is no coming back from that."