A Waiting Game

One Big Happy Family

Elliot's POV

I'm about to snap.

Olivia, Lizzie, and Dickie are home with the flu so I've had to deal with dumb and dumber all day.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and a wave of blond haircut of the corner of my eye.

"I don't have time for asinine questions, figure it out." I say harshly.

"Jesus dad." Maureen says loudly.

"Mo?" I ask looking up from my paperwork.

"I came to pick you up." She says.

"I thought you were Amanda," I say running a hand down my face, "Why are you picking me up, my shifts not over for 3 hours."

"Mom called when I was on my way home from school, she asked me to pick you up so you could help with Lizzie and Dickie, she's got it worse than them." Maureen says.

"How bad?" I ask.

"She's got a migraine, throwing up, but Lizzie and Dickie have high fevers, and are throwing up." Maureen says, "She said they're all in bed together, she's trying to keep an eye on them, but she's a lot sicker than they are."

"Just let me tell Cragen and we can go." I say sighing.

When we get home I go upstairs and see Lizzie and Dickie asleep in our bed, and Liv's in the bathroom, bent over the toilet.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry." I say as bend down and run her back.

"It's okay," she says leaning back, "It's part of being a mom."

I sit down on the bathroom floor next to her.

She lays down on the tile and smiles.

"What are you doing?" I ask, smiling at her.

"The cold tile feels good." She says.

I put the back of my hand against her forehead.

"You don't have a fever babe." I say, "Are you starting to feel better?"

"No, not at all." She says laughing.

"Well the kids have high fevers, at least 100, are you sure it's not something else?" I ask, stroking her hair.

"What else would it be?" she says snuggling into me.

"Liv..." I say slowly.

"What?" She asks.

Before I can say anything else, Liv is bent over the toilet throwing up again.

I rub circles on her back, and pull her hair out of her face.

she leans back against my chest and takes a shaky breath.

"Ugh." She says, "I don't think I've ever been this sick, thank you for being here El."

"Of course babe." I say, "But do you think if could be something else?"