I choose me.

Part 37: The world stopped spinning

Rush hour L.A. traffic had her nerves shot to shit, she was already tired, a month of sleepless nights and this was her third trip to the City of Angels this week. So when her phone rang and it was Benny, it didn't make her happy. "WHAT?" She snapped.

"What the fuck?" He snapped back, "I really wouldn't call you unless I had to." Her irritation faded, he sounded different, "I'm sorry, I'm in L.A. traffic."

"Um, shit. I—uh, I'll just say it. Mulligan died in his sleep last night."

The world stopped. Everything froze.

"No, I just talked to him yesterday." Her hands gripped the wheel. "He just had a cold."

She heard him taking shallow breaths, "He had pneumonia, and some cancer in his lung, he never told me. I don't know. He just died in his sleep." She could hear his words, but everything was still frozen, she couldn't feel anything. "Can you come home?"

"Yes." she said automatically, "I'll have to find a dog sitter, I'll be there as soon as I can." She dropped the phone, shock may have been why she wasn't a mess crying, ripping the inside of her car apart, survival mode. The only man who had ever been a father to her, gone.

Olivia got home and let Oliver out, arranging for Jay to come pick him up that evening. She packed, booked a flight and had a car come get her. "Be a good boy for Jay and be nice to Quinn." She kissed him and put him in his outdoor run, set the alarm and was off to the airport. On the way she left messages on Crawford's phone and with his assistant, also texted Keith and Amos in case they heard from him first. Then she was on her way to Boston, not caring what time it was or which airline she flew. She blindly watched the in-flight movie, not seeing it or hearing it, not thinking or feeling.

She didn't get into Boston until after midnight and took a car right over to Mulligan's, the lights were on in his apartment. Murphy answered the door, he was dry eyed, but he hugged her before she went in, she held him and patted his smooth hair. "I didn't know you were coming."

"I just came as soon as Ben called." Mulligan's family, siblings, cousins and friends were all in there, picked piles of food and empty beer bottles were scattered around the little space. Olivia sat with them and silently mourned. "Why didn't he tell anyone or get treated?"

"He's a stubborn old son of a bitch." One of his sisters said.
"I thought he'd live forever." Olivia said bitterly.

"Benny wants to see you." Kiki said, she'd shown up around six that next morning when she heard Olivia was in town. She'd gone to her old apartment to shower and sat staring blankly at the T.V. She planned to go to the church with the family later, they wanted to have the funeral as soon as they could. Olivia didn't allow herself to feel the loss and she couldn't be still, she put on a thick jacket, such a weird thing to do after being in San Diego for a time. Benny was standing at the bottom of the stairs in the gym, his eyes rimmed red, face scruffy. "When did you get in?"

"Last night." She said dully and walked out.

"Where are you going?" He asked, surprised by her brush off. Olivia walked in the cold to the foster house, they were cleaning up breakfast, so she waited outside of Shonda's office. "Oh honey." She limped up, still in her robe and took Olivia in her big soft arms, her armor shook as comfort overcame her. "I'm so sorry, so sudden." Shonda ushered her into her warm office. "I would have picked you up at the airport."

Olivia stared at the old beige wall, "I just came, I took a cab, Benny called and I got a dog sitter and got here as fast as I could, I just talked to him the day before." She said.