Adding Fuel to the Fire: An Elliot Stabler Story

Chapter Twenty-One

"Who's here for Elliot Stabler?"

"We are," Olivia answered as Johanna stood up to join her in front of the doctor, anxious looks spread across both their faces.

"I'm Dr. Reed," the tall, dark-haired doctor introduced, clad in standard sterilized surgical attire. "I was one of the doctors who operated on Mr. Stabler."

"How is he?" Olivia asked.

Johanna was so thankful that Olivia was taking charge in talking to the doctor; she was so scared she couldn't speak.

"It's very touch and go right now," Dr. Reed stated, trying to maintain a poker face as doctors typically do. "The bullet missed most of his major organs but still caused quite a bit of damage, and he lost a lot of blood. The gunshot caused severe vascular damage and a pneumothorax, which is a collapsed lung. The bullet also struck his ribcage, which shattered a couple of his ribs. We were able to repair most of the damage, stop the internal bleeding, and stabilize him, but we've placed him in an induced coma for the time being, which will allow him time to heal. The injuries he sustained would cause him great pain and stress, so it's also a way to avoid him having to endure that."

"But he's going to be okay?" Olivia wondered, not worried about the medical jargon. She was glad he was alive, but she just wanted to know if he was going to ultimately be fine.

"It's a little too early to tell," he told her honestly. "He survived the surgery, but we almost lost him a few times and there was extensive internal damage, so we're going to watch him closely. He's not out of the woods just yet, but surviving the surgery is a step in the right direction, so he's off to a pretty good start."

"When can we see him?" Johanna managed to spit out.

"He's in an ICU recovery room, which is where he will probably remain until we bring him out of the coma," he responded. "You're welcome to see him whenever."

"How long do you plan to keep him in the coma?" Olivia asked.

"We're just going to play it by ear, day by day," the doctor answered. "We've done all we could do for now, so we're just going to make sure he's comfortable so he can properly heal."

"Thank you so much," Johanna sighed.

"Yes," Olivia agreed with a nod. "Thank you."

"You're certainly welcome," he replied, appreciative of their acknowledgement, as he began to walk away. "He's in room 415, fourth floor through the double doors. I'll be checking in."

"Thanks," Olivia and Johanna responded simultaneously as the doctor walked away.

"I'm going to go call the station and update everyone – go on up and see him; I'll be there in a minute," Olivia stated as she smiled and walked over to the phones, wanting to give Johanna the chance to see Elliot first on her own and wanting to check in with Fin, Munch and their captain.

Johanna's heart pounded as she got into the elevators. Everything felt surreal, like a dream, cloudy and moving in slow, jagged motions. The fact that Elliot was still alive made her believe that he would ultimately be okay, despite the doctor's uncertainty. She knew things could always take a turn for the worst, but as long as he was still breathing, she felt reassured.

When she arrived in the intensive care unit, her eyes scanned the numbers on the doors until they landed on 415. She took a deep breath and walked in.

Her eyes immediately fell on Elliot, who was lying in the hospital bed, slightly sitting upright, but fully unconscious. An oxygen tube stretched across his face, plugged into his nose and tucked behind his ears. Endless wires connected him to the machines he was surrounded by that were beeping consistently, monitoring his vitals. An IV dripped fluids into his body through a needle in his arm. His eyes were sunken in, a sign of significant blood loss and dehydration, and his skin was slightly paler than usual.