26x16 - Let Me Bring Pardon

[bunniefuu]

In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses

are considered especially heinous.

In New York City, the
dedicated detectives

who investigate these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Hey, Mom.

I know I haven't been
here in a while, but...

But I have been thinking about you...

[CHUCKLES]

Especially in therapy.

In fact, that's why I'm here.

I just want you to know

that I've been working really hard,

on forgiveness.

♪ ♪

Lord, make me an
instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred,
let me bring love.

Where there is error,
let me bring truth.

Where there's offence,
let me bring pardon.

Thank you for meeting me.

To be honest, I was a
little shocked you called.

I told you over the
phone, I forgive you.

And Chris?

- We have a lot to talk about.
- What, we do?

I... I want you to know,
whatever happens,

we are in this together.

So, how is Ellie doing?

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

We are headed to
Blackwater State Park.

That is so pretty.
Oh, Chris, my phone.

Oh, oh, oh.
Be safe.

- Have a safe...
- Thank you.

Today, Chris surprised me
by taking me to a thrift shop.

- Guys.
- We did it.

We ran into a bit of car trouble.

♪ ♪

Are you sure she can hear this?

Yes, she just squeezed my hand.

OK.

You see?

You and Chris really
did love each other, Ellie.

Well, your mom has forgiven him,

- and I hope you will too.
- We are on a road trip.

- [LAUGHS] Day one.
- Here we are.

Morning.

It's quiet in here, for a change.

Well, we were all just
talking about Carisi's trial.

It's time to set a date.

The prosecutor trying to make a deal?

Well, Carisi told me
all about it on the way in.

- That deli standoff?
- Deonte Mosley.

I heard he's pleading not guilty.

Well, he's claiming duress,
not to mention self-defense.

Who's stupid enough
to take that case?

According to Carisi, some young

hotshot attorney who's
looking to make his bones.

Can you picture it,
Carisi in a witness box?

Benson.

I might have to show up
to see him held in contempt.

Uh, yes.

Yeah, of course. I'll meet you there.

Everything all right?

- You remember Ellie Hughes?
- Yeah.

That influencer case,
the girl from California.

- Isn't she still in a coma?
- She is.

Her doctor called just to let us know

there's been a complication.

I know you have a
relationship with Ellie.

Well, I actually haven't seen her

in a few months though.
Is... is something wrong?

- This is delicate.
- OK.

I think you should hear
it from her mother first.

OK, thank you.

To distract the wolf.

Hey.

Olivia.

So nice to see you.

- Oh.
- Oh.

Ellie, look who's here.

Hi, Ellie.

- May I?
- Yeah.

OK.

It's Olivia.

- Oh, you got your nails done?
- I did them for her.

I was gonna take some new photos

for her Instagram later.

Oh, you... you still
keep that account active?

After all the press
surrounding her case,

she has more followers than ever.

Oh.

Well, your nails
look very, very pretty.

So, Laura, how are you doing?

I've never been
happier. How are you?

- I'm... I'm good.
- Good.

Good.

Yeah, so, um, Ellie's doctor called me

and let me know that
there was a change in her...

her condition.

We just got the most amazing news.

OK.

I'm gonna be a grandmother.

[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Ellie's pregnant.

Yeah.

Oh, she's beautiful, isn't she?

Wow.

Um, how...
How far along is she?

What difference does that make?

It's a miracle.

♪ ♪

So Ellie's pregnant.

I'm assuming that the father is
her ex-boyfriend, Chris Becker.

I can't say that for sure.

Why not?

Well, how far along is she?

My best estimate,
the gestational age

of the fetus is between


So you're saying
that Ellie could have

gotten pregnant after she
was admitted to the trauma unit?

Yes, as much as I hate to consider

that this happened
while she was in a coma,

- it's a possibility.
- We need to get a DNA test.

Because if this is not
Chris Becker's baby...

We're looking at a r*pe.

♪ ♪

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

So Ellie Hughes is pregnant?

And the doctors can't
determine who the dad is?

This isn't a typical pregnancy.

Because of the coma,

they cannot pinpoint
the date of conception.

Obviously, Chris's
DNA is in Ellie's r*pe kit.

So it's either the
boyfriend who tried to k*ll her,

or...

Whoever r*ped
her in that trauma unit.

That's messed up.

OK, so what's the play here?

Get a swab from every guy who visited

- Ellie in the trauma unit?
- Yes.

And we need to get a fetal DNA test.

The problem is that
Ellie can't consent,

and, the mother won't.

And the state can't
compel fetal DNA.

You're not gonna like this,

but we can try and talk Chris Becker

into petitioning the court.

Fin, I already thought of that.

Downside is, if he
is the biological father,

he can sue for visitation.

Maybe even custody.

And if he isn't,

that means
that there's a r*pist out there,

that is so depraved,

that he would as*ault
a woman in a coma.

Listen, I know we don't want to

deal with Chris Becker again, but...

He might be our quickest option

if Laura won't budge.

OK, but you're driving
us to Greenhaven.

And while we're there,
tell Bruno and Silva

to get a list of every single person

who visited her in that trauma unit.

- Copy.
- Let's go.

Wait, you think there's a chance

- Ellie's baby isn't mine?
- It's a coin toss, but yeah.

Of course, it's yours, Chrissy.
Who else's would it be?

Well, actually,
there's a possibility

that Ellie was r*ped
in the trauma unit.

By who?

We're trying to find that out.

What a load of crap.

Her mother, Laura, told
me she never left Ellie's side.

Oh, so you and
Laura are friends now?

Yeah, she called me
the second she found out

- her daughter was pregnant.
- Wait, how far along is Ellie?

Well, according to her doctor,

the baby was conceived
between 16 and 18 weeks ago.

OK, well, that...
that would have been

the end of our road trip, so...

Chrissy, let me and
your lawyer do the talking.

As far as I know, Laura Hughes

is still Ellie's legal guardian.

- Is she not?
- You're right.

Why the hell can't
she agree to a DNA test?

We need you to petition
the court for fetal DNA.

We might be willing to discuss

some sort of arrangement.

An arrangement?
Oh.

What did you have in mind?

You get that judge who framed me

to reconsider my sentencing.

What are you hoping for?

Early parole.

Well, let's see if we
can talk to the judge.

So we're gonna let him believe

we're going along with
that early parole request?

I don't really care what he
believes as long as it gets us,

you know, one step closer to justice

- for Ellie and this baby.
- OK.

I see why this strikes a nerve in you.

What does that mean?

You want me to spell it out?

You want me to just go
back in there like the old days

and knock some sense into Chris?

'Cause believe me, I will.

I really don't need to
look for a new sergeant.

Hey, get the car, will you?

I'll meet you there.

Mrs. Becker.

What do you want?

Well, I understand that
you've been talking to Laura.

Not that it is any of your business,

but we're gonna
co-parent as grandmothers.

You know, I just wanted
to make sure that you've

actually thought it through.

Of course, I have. It's
Chris and Ellie's child.

Laura and I have it all figured out.

Oh, I just wanted to make sure

that you were aware
that Laura is unemployed

and that she had quit
her job to take care of Ellie,

and she's living off her
deceased husband's pension.

- It's a fixed income.
- Yeah, so?

Well, you work part-time
in a beauty salon, right?

- Yeah.
- OK, well,

child support in the state of New York

is 17% of the custodial
parent's gross income.

Your son is gonna be
in prison for 25 years.

So who do you think is
gonna have to pay that 17%?

So, Mrs. Becker, we know
that this child is Ellie's baby.

What we don't know yet

is whether or not it's Chris's.

Are you really willing to
spend that kind of money

on a child that may
not even be your blood?

So how'd that go?

Never underestimate
the power cash has

to affect a person's morality.

Isn't Chris the one
that has to petition

the judge for fetal DNA?

Yeah, but I think
Virginia will convince him.

Now, all I have to do is talk to Laura.

We talked to some of
the nurses in the trauma unit

who remembered
Ellie having half a dozen

male visitors during her
month-long stay there.

One was her uncle
on her mother's side,

a few friends from college,
and a couple collaborators

from the social media world.

All cooperated, gave DNA,
and the lab's got the samples.

OK, well, might as well keep going.

What do you mean?

Well, it can't hurt to get a list

of all the male employees
who worked in the trauma unit

when Ellie was there.

I'll call the hospital, let
them know you're coming.

So, how'd it go at Greenhaven?

Benson's taking
this a little personal.

Is there more to the story?

Don't look at me.
I got a call to make.

Let's just say the Captain's
going that extra mile,

for reasons that are
none of our business.

You know what that
means, don't you, Detective?

Yeah, we should
stop asking questions.

- Laura.
- Oh, Captain Benson.

What are you doing here?

It's past visiting hours.

- I'm here as a courtesy.
- Oh, for what?

Well, I wanted to let you know

that Chris Becker
has petitioned the court

to get a fetal DNA sample.

Virginia didn't mention that.
She would have called me.

I think Virginia is a little
more pragmatic than you think.

What are you talking about?

Well, I think that
before she commits to

the responsibility of
co-parenting this child with you,

that she wants to make sure,

that it is indeed her grandchild.

Who else's could it be?

I was with her the whole time
she was in the trauma unit.

I never left her side.

But there had to be
times when you,

you know, went home to shower,

or sleep or,

you know, get something to eat.

You think someone took
advantage of my daughter

- because I left her alone?
- No, no.

Laura, I'm not saying that.

I'm not blaming you.

I think that somebody may have

taken advantage of your daughter

because she was completely vulnerable.

And if that's what happened,

he may still be out there.

Laura, we need to get a DNA test.

My family is already pressuring me

to terminate this pregnancy

because they think
the baby is Chris's.

What do you think they'll say

if you prove this child
came from a r*pe?

[TENSE MUSIC]

Ellie didn't just lose what she had.

She...
She lost her future, too.

And for months, I have been
praying for her to wake up

so she can have that future.

I can't imagine what
this has been like for you.

This baby is a miracle.

And miracles don't always
happen the way we want them to.

Sometimes, they happen
the way we need them to.

Please.

Please don't take my miracle away.

♪ ♪

In the matter of
paternity of Baby Doe,

are all parties present?

Counselors, please
identify yourselves.

Good morning, Your Honor.

Anthony Sullivan for the petitioner,

Christopher Becker.

I see Mr. Becker is
joining us via video.

Can you hear us OK, Chris?

Yes, Your Honor.

And who is representing
the mother of Baby Doe?

Emma Cartwright for Ellie Hughes,
the mother of Baby Doe.

I understand the mother
of the child in question

is unable to participate
in these proceedings.

I am Ellie's mother, Laura Hughes.

I will be speaking for
my daughter, Your Honor.

Thank you.

Mr. Sullivan, this is your petition.

Please state your case.

Your Honor, we're here
today to petition for a DNA test

to determine whether
my client, Mr. Becker,

is the biological father of Baby Doe.

Although incarcerated,

my client has signed a formal petition

to establish paternity,

as is his legal right
under New York State law.

Christopher, is it
your intent to petition

for paternity here today?

Yes, it is, Your Honor.

I understand the mother of the child

is in a coma and cannot
consent to the test.

That's true, Your Honor,
but my client seeks to know

if he has legal responsibilities
towards the child.

Just to be clear, Your Honor,

we are not seeking
any financial assistance

- whatsoever from the petitioner.
- Mr. Sullivan?

This is not solely
a financial issue.

We seek to serve the
best interests of Baby Doe

by ensuring access to a
complete medical history,

and we submit that a DNA test

does not cause harm or undue burden

to either Baby Doe or Miss Hughes.

How do you know
what will cause her harm?

My daughter has been through enough.

She has had three
surgeries, a craniectomy,

not to mention all the
injections she's had already.

The last thing that she needs
is another needle in her arm.

Laura, Laura, it's OK.
She's got it.

I understand your
concern, Mrs. Hughes,

but you need to let your
lawyer speak for you.

- It's OK.
- Miss Cartwright.

We oppose the petitioner's
request, Your Honor.

On what basis?

The petitioner is currently serving

a 25-year sentence for
the attempted m*rder

of Ellie Hughes.

- Mr. Sullivan?
- We only seek to establish paternity,

and we're more than happy to

accept any safeguards to protect her.

In cases like this,
the child's best interests

take precedence.

This court sees determining paternity

as a necessary first step
to determine those interests.

Accordingly, I grant the petition.

We're adjourned.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Yes, of course, I
remember Ellie Hughes.

How's she doing?

Ah, she's as well
as can be expected.

She's alive, but she's still comatose.

And her mother just
found out Ellie's pregnant.

Pregnant?
How far along is she?

We're looking at a window.

She's somewhere
between 16 and 18 weeks.

She had a boyfriend, didn't she?

- Yeah.
- It's probably his.

We'll know more
after a fetal DNA test.

But with this kind of
timeline, Mrs. Turner,

there's a possibility that
the pregnancy may be due

to someone other than her boyfriend.

Are you suggesting it was
someone who worked here?

That's exactly what
we're suggesting.

We're gonna need a
list of every male employee

who worked here
during the month that Ellie

was in your trauma unit.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[SIGHS]

So what did the trauma
unit administrator say?

She wasn't the most forthcoming,

but, at least she gave us a list.

How many names are we looking at?

Between doctors,
orderlies, techs, and nurses,

somewhere between 115 men.

None of whom have a
record of sexual as*ault.

Well, someone is about to get one.

So I just came back from the lab,

and the DNA results are in.

Let me guess...

not a paternal match to Chris.

So at least we know.

So Ellie's baby is
the product of a r*pe.

♪ ♪

Laura.

I asked you to leave us alone.

Yes, and I'm sorry to intrude.

I just, um...

I wanted to talk to
you about the DNA results.

Let's go in the hall.

I don't want Ellie to hear this.

OK.

So, um...

I wanted to let you know

that the DNA is not a
paternal match to Chris.

OK.

Laura, do you understand
what that means?

Yeah, I think so.

Well, just to be clear...

[PHONE BUZZING]

It means that Ellie was r*ped

in the trauma ward in the weeks

after she was admitted
for her brain injury.

So did someone tell Chris?

- Chris?
- He just won't stop calling me,

and I feel like I
should call him back.

Don't worry about Chris, OK?

I...
My detectives will notify him,

and they'll tell him
to stop calling you.

I think the only thing,

that we should be concerned
about right now is Ellie.

I understand that
you have a job to do,

and I have to do mine,

to take care of Ellie and her baby.

My job is taking care of victims.

And your daughter is a victim,

and after everything
you've been through,

so are you.

So I'm gonna look after both of you,

if that's all right.

OK?

OK.

Next.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Open.

Next.

Dr. Haimes.
Paging Dr. Haimes.

Open.

Excuse me.

Who is that guy?

Chief of Neurosurgery.

Hey, excuse me!
Doctor.

Where are you going?

- I don't have time for this.
- Dr. Haimes.

- You hear that?
- Yeah.

Well, unless you know how
to remove a brain stem tumor,

get the hell out of my way.

I'm sorry, but we
still need to swab you.

Then I suggest you come by my office

in about eight to ten hours.

What do you mean I'm not the father?

You sound like
you're angry about it.

Well, yeah, I'm angry.

I'm angry at myself.

That means Ellie was r*ped
while I was two floors down.

I should have been
there to protect her.

Do you hear how that sounds?

Considering you're the one

who put her there in the first place.

Are you gonna go and
find the guy who did this?

Let us worry about that.

Does he get to be
a part of Ellie's life?

You think you should be?

Look, I photographed Ellie

at all of the happiest
moments of her life.

Look, I don't care if
that child is mine or not.

I still want to be a part of its life.

Well, that's not gonna happen.

Well, my mom told me
that Laura forgave me.

Maybe she has, but we haven't.

And since we're here,
let me give you this warning.

Stop calling Laura,

or you'll see how uncomfortable

I can make it for you here.

Jesus.

What the hell is wrong with that guy?

He's manipulative and delusional.

Well, it's a good thing
Benson didn't come with us.

Yeah, she'd have
jumped over that table

and smacked the
blonde out of his hair.

About that, how's she doing?

What do you mean?

Come on, Fin, don't pull that.

You're forgetting I'm ex-IAB.

I investigated her.

- I know the full story.
- What story is that?

The reason why Benson
joined SVU in the first place

is because her mother was r*ped,

and Benson is the child of that r*pe.

Look, Benson's still
working through a few things

like the rest of us,

but those things, are what
makes her built for this job.

You're a good friend.

Why, because I try to keep
quiet about her personal life?

I'd do the same thing for you, Curry.

I appreciate that, but I
meant for preventing her

from having to come back here.

Yeah, well, let's just hope

none of us have to come back here

and see Chris Becker

or that mother of his ever again.


in the trauma unit,

and not one of them
is a paternity match

- to Ellie's baby?
- No.

We even double-checked to make sure

we didn't miss anyone who was fired

or quit within the time frame.

Time to check the visitor
logs from the entire floor?

I don't think that
this is a random visitor.

Ellie's mother was
there 90% of the time.

OK, so it had to be someone who

was around enough to notice
when Laura was out of the room.

There is someone we missed,

and he probably knows
that floor better than anyone.

- Who?
- Ellie's crusty neurosurgeon.

Yeah, he managed to
avoid giving us a sample.

Hold on.
The chief of neurosurgery,

Isaac Haimes?

Yes, I met this guy.

Well, anything's possible.

Yeah, I talked to him,

when Ellie was first
admitted to the trauma unit.

When we were trying to swab him,

and he said he was headed to surgery

and that we should come back

- in 8 to 12 hours.
- Oh, did he?

Well, he's not the only
busy one in New York City.

Well, do you want us
to go back to the hospital

- and follow up?
- No.

I will do that myself.

There, you happy now?

When it comes back
without a match, I will be.

Look, you didn't have
to give my detectives

such a rough time.

I'm sorry.
A traumatic brain injury

took precedence over your caseload.

I understand that you
have a demanding schedule,

but, you know, on my way over here,

I was looking at
your visitation records

during the time Ellie was here.

- And?
- And...

And you found the
time to visit Ellie...

A lot.

She was my patient.
Of course, I visited her.

But over 12 times?

And this was after you
made the recommendation

to take Ellie off life support?

What was that about?

Captain, I'm not guilty of r*pe.

You'll see that when
you get the results

of that swab you just took.

So why did you visit her?

To be honest...

You got in my head.

I visited Ellie to see
if she was capable

of the response we talked about,

communicating by
squeezing someone's hand.

And?

She never squeezed my hand.

But, at least it got me thinking.

About what?

Bigger things.

The human soul, I suppose.

I even asked the
youth pastor about Ellie.

He always seemed to be
spending time with Laura.

Doing what exactly?

Trying to convert her.
Seems like it worked.

Paging Dr. Haimes.

The two of them were always
praying together over Ellie.

A lot of good that did.

[TENSE MUSIC]

The youth pastor?

You're talking about Caleb Hartwell.

Mm-hmm.
What can you tell me about him?

He helped me find my faith again.

Yeah, I grew up in a religious home

- when I was a kid.
- Right.

At some point in my teens,
I had a falling out with God.

I understand.

And Caleb helped
me find my way back.

Yeah.

So I wanted to ask
you a delicate question.

Was, was Caleb ever

alone in the room with Ellie?

Why?

Well, because...

Well, we DNA-tested

all the male employees
that worked in the trauma unit

during the time that Ellie was there

and all of her visitors,

and there were no paternal matches.

You don't think it was my pastor?

Well, we don't think
that it was a random visitor

or somebody off the street.

I mean, you were there so much,

that it had to be somebody who...

Who knew your patterns,

and when you were out of the room.

Caleb is a good man.

Yes, I know.
I know that you think that.

But, are you sure,

that he was never alone

in the room with Ellie?

There might've been one time.

Uh-huh.

The day of the hero's walk.

A couple that Caleb was counseling,

Brandon and Christina
Hanson, their daughter Michelle

was in a car crash...
A drunk driver.

And she had brain swelling, too,

but she wasn't as lucky as Ellie.

So, they took her off life support

and donated her organs.

You can imagine what a
difficult day that was for them.

And you spent time with them?

Two hours in the chapel.

And where was Caleb?

He was waiting with Michelle's
body,

- in her room.
- Mm-hmm.

And just out of curiosity,

where was Ellie's
room in relation to...

To Michelle's?

Down the hall.

You pull the hospital footage

from the hallway in the trauma ward?

I scanned it through
the day of the hero's walk.

- And?
- We got him.

All right.

There's Pastor Caleb at


entering Ellie's room.

That fits the
timeline that Laura said

- she was in the chapel.
- Yes.

He then goes to Ellie's bedside.

Then, a few minutes
later, he closes the shade.

No video cameras in the room.

- He leaves 15 minutes later.
- All right.

So what do we know
about Caleb Hartwell?

According to his
website, he lives a life

of service and compassion.

"A devoted youth pastor
who began volunteering"

"at the trauma ward
where he saw the unique"

"struggles faced by teens
and families in crisis."

OK, are there any complaints

from the hospital administration?

Hospital had nothing but
good things to say about him.

But I'm guessing,
he didn't need privacy

in Ellie's room just to pray.

So find out if he'll
give a DNA sample.

[KNOCKING]

- Can I help you?
- Caleb Hartwell?

- Yeah, that's me.
- I'm Detective Bruno.

This is Detective Silva.
We're with the NYPD.

NYPD?
What do you need from me?

It's about Ellie Hughes.

Ellie Hughes.

Honey, everything all right?

Yeah, fine.

Do you mind if we come in?

No.
Of course, not.

- What's going on?
- Everything's fine.

Just go take care of Zachary's bottle.

Cute kid.

- [CHUCKLES]
- How old is he?

Oh, just turned four months.

So what about Ellie?

So you do know her?

Yeah, I was working
in the trauma unit

the night she came in.

It's horrible what happened to her.

When's the last time
you talked to Laura?

We haven't really been in touch

since they moved Ellie
to a long-term care facility.

You did have contact with them

when they were in the trauma unit?

Yes, I encouraged
Laura to return to her faith.

We prayed together.

Were you ever alone with Ellie?

- No.
- [BABY CRYING]

Uh, I had no reason to be.

I was fully occupied with the family

I was originally there
to counsel, the Hansons.

And their daughter was
in a drunk driving accident.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Laura mentioned that.

What's this all about?

Can we show you something?

- OK.
- OK.

That's you, isn't it?

- I think so.
- Going into Ellie's room.

I remember now.

On the day of Michelle
Hanson's hero's walk,

it was very emotional.

I was called to Ellie's room
in a quiet moment after.

Called by who?

[LAUGHS]

The Lord.

What happened in that room?

We prayed together.

That's it?

Where exactly is this going?

We're investigating something

that may have happened to Ellie.

Well, I wish I could help,

- but I'm...
- Actually, you can.

Would you mind giving us a DNA sample?

To be honest, it's
not really a good time,

and I have to help my wife,

and I have a sermon in a few hours

that I really have to prepare for, um,

But why don't you come back?

Yeah, we'll do that.

Great.

[BABY CRYING]

So, four months
ago, the pastor's wife

is nine months pregnant.

And he's called by God,

to spend a quiet
moment in Ellie's room.

He's never gonna volunteer a sample.

So what's the move here?
We go through his trash?

That, or find
probable cause to arrest

and get a judge to
sign off on a DNA swab.

I trusted Caleb.

He betrayed me.

His story, he was in your
daughter's room praying.

I left her alone,

so I could help people

who had just lost their child,

and he used that opportunity
to r*pe my daughter.

Laura, we are so sorry.

But we're gonna get him.

How?

So we need a reason to arrest him,

to get his DNA.

Did you give him permission
to go into Ellie's bedroom?

No.
Absolutely not.

That's enough for criminal trespass.

OK.

Today, I want to
talk about two things,

that can transform our
relationships with others,

and God.

I want to talk about forgiveness,

and second chances.

That sermon he had to work on.

So we're gonna arrest him

in front of his whole congregation?

You heard the Captain.

In Matthew 18:21-22,
Peter asks Jesus,

"Lord, how many times shall
I forgive my brother or sister"

"who sins against me?"

"Up to seven times?"

And Jesus responds,

"I tell you, not seven times,
but 77 times."

Now, Jesus wasn't
giving us a math lesson.

No, he was saying
forgiveness,

is not meant to be keeping score.

It's about keeping our hearts open.

♪ ♪

If you would excuse
me for just a moment.

♪ ♪

Going somewhere?

Pastor Hartwell.

- Who are you?
- Ellie Hughes' guardian angels.

You're under arrest.

We got a DNA sample from the pastor?

- At the lab as we speak.
- OK.

- He's willing to talk?
- Lawyered up.

Church's head counsel,

but they're open to
answering questions.

Does anybody even doubt that his DNA

is a match for that baby?

No, and the video footage

puts him in Ellie's
room in the time frame.

So do we even need to talk to him?

We do.

Pastor Hartwell, I'm Captain Benson.

This is Detective Bruno.

I believe we met.

We're here willingly.
What do you want to know?

I would like to know,

what this is about.

I already told you,
detectives, we were praying.

Right, and they don't believe you

any more than I do, so...

I think the real question here is,

will you tell us what really
happened in that room?

That is between me, Ellie, and God.

So you're saying, God called you,

to r*pe a comatose woman?

Your words, not mine.

But as to why I was
called to Ellie's bedside,

God's will is unknowable.

Well, I'll tell you what I know.

I know...

That God didn't want you to r*pe

a completely helpless woman.

Ellie's not helpless.

She's very much alive.

Her spirit, her soul
never left her body.

Are you saying she's in there?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Have a seat, Mr. Hartwell.

So...

Even if that were true...

She couldn't give you consent.

Laura shared with me,
that you acknowledge,

that the core of who Ellie is,

the thing that makes her her,

might still be there.

So you're using

the tiny shred of hope,

that Ellie might one day wake up,

as an excuse,

for the fact that you
sexually assaulted her?

- Did you hold Ellie's hand?
- Yes.

Did you ask her to squeeze it?

I did.

And, do you think she was present?

I have no idea.

But we're not talking about me.

We're talking about Ellie, right?

Do you believe in God, Captain?

What would you say if I told you

this is all His will?

I would tell you that
you are deeply confused

about who God is.

God allows bad things to happen

to good people every day.

Look at what Chris did to her.

So you made it worse.

How is bringing a
life into the world worse

than trying to remove one?

I held Ellie's hand.

I...
I...

Asked her if she wanted a baby.

I asked her to squeeze once for yes,

and she did.

[LAUGHS]

That is some story.

My client is telling you his truth,

which is based on faith.

There's no way to
disprove that in court.

I'll tell you who's not gonna have

a hard time disproving it.

It's the 12 people on the jury.

Laura wanted a miracle.

Ellie needed a miracle.

So I gave them both one.

What happened is you r*ped Ellie,

and you conned her
mother with your religion

so you could get
close enough to do it.

I am not a con man.
I'm a man of God.

Oh, a man of God.

And to answer your question,

I do believe in God,

and I hope that you do half
as much as you pretend to,

because then you would
know that there's a place,

for people like you,

that's way worse than any prison

that we could put you into,

but until that happens,

I'm gonna make sure that you spend

the rest of your days

in a 6 by 8 cell.

I promise.

♪ ♪

Lab confirms Hartwell's DNA

is a paternal match for Ellie's baby.

Carisi is aware?

He's arraigning Hartwell today.

And the grand jury?

Carisi doesn't think
there'll be any problem

- getting an indictment.
- OK.

I will let Laura know.

So you gonna tell her that
religious BS excuse of a story?

This is her grandchild.

Whatever...

Whatever she decides,

it's up to her.

What about Ellie?

I was planning
on talking to her too.

You really think she's
somewhere in there?

Like, trapped inside?

I don't know, Fin.

But if she is,

she deserves to know the truth.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Hey, Ellie.

So I don't know if you
can hear me or not,

but if you can,

I just wanted to let you know that...

That I understand,

the burden that your
child will carry when...

When they enter this world.

And I understand it because...

Because I carry it too.

But the one thing that
I do know for certain...

Is that your mother loves you...

Unconditionally...

Truly.

♪ ♪