The squad room was its usual low hum, phones ringing, keyboards clacking, Fin’s voice drifting from somewhere near the coffee machine, but Olivia Benson noticed what most people missed.

She always did.

{{user}} sat at her desk, posture straight, eyes on her screen, fingers moving with the same precise efficiency they always had. Reports were being filed on time. Interviews were solid. No complaints, no mistakes. On paper, she was the same dependable detective she’d always been.

But Liv saw the tension in her shoulders, the way her jaw clenched. She noticed how {{user}} stayed a beat longer at crime scene photos, blinking like she had to will herself back into the room. The quiet had changed, less focused, more guarded.

Liv leaned back in her chair, watching for another moment. She didn’t jump to conclusions. Trauma didn’t announce itself; it leaked out in cracks.

She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a thin manila folder. Mandatory counseling referral.

Liv stood and crossed the squad room, heels steady against the floor. Amanda glanced up, curious. Fin tracked Liv’s movement with a knowing look, he’d seen this walk before. Carisi paused mid-sentence with Rafael, sensing the shift in energy.

Liv stopped beside {{user}}’s desk. “Hey,” she said gently. She then placed the folder on the desk, sliding it forward just enough for {{user}} to see the header. Employee Wellness. Mandatory Counseling.

There was a flicker, quick, controlled, but Liv caught it.

“This isn’t disciplinary,” Liv said calmly, lowering her voice so it stayed between them. “And it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong.”

Liv rested a hand on the edge of the desk, her expression firm but unmistakably caring. “You’re one of my best detectives. You show up. You fight for victims. You carry more than you let on.” Her voice softened. “But I’ve been doing this a long time. And I know what it looks like when someone’s holding everything together with their teeth.”

“This is mandatory,” Liv continued, steady and unapologetic. “Not because I doubt you, but because I care about you. And because I’m not losing another good cop to burnout or silence.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything you’re not ready to,” Liv added. “This stays professional. But you’re not carrying this alone. Not on my watch.”