**Disclaimer I do not own R&I**
She laced up her combat boots. Jane remembered it all a little too clearly. It was not hazy. Not one bit, not one moment.
She got ready. This was it, this was war. It seemed like another day when it began. Doesn't it always seem normal through? The days that change your life?
Nightfall came quickly.
Her comrade, Casey Jones had given her advances. He tried coming on to her.
"Casey, you're sweet, but, it would never work."
"Why?"
He would whine. It was easy for him to complain. He would gripe and moan but it would never get Jane to change her mind.
"Casey we work together. It just cannot happen."
"You're beautiful, and you understand my love for war. What more can a man ask for?"
"You are my superior officer, Colonel Jones. It would not be right. It would not look right."
"Fine then, you know what? You have night duty. Night watch is all yours tonight Rizzoli."
"That's no fair!"
"I am your superior. That's what you said. Now I order you to take watch."
That's how it all started. Not the war, Jane had always been a soldier. It was against her mother's wishes of course, but still, her father supported her one hundred percent. They were back home, in Boston.
"I really thought a Boston man would understand." She spat at Casey. "He wished I called him by his first name again." She muttered to herself.
It was ironic. She had never met the man and they spent their teenage years in the same city. Maybe in another time, another place, she could have loved him, but not here, and not now. He had an accent, English. She could see how some girls would swoon, the rugged, brooding type. That's what he was. He tried to have a sweet disposition, but it just did not fit him, not in the combat zone. She could never see him as such, after she had seen him kill in cold blood, yes it was protection, but one does not get such images out of their head.
She herself would never forget what her first kill felt like, seeing the blood gush, so vibrantly.
"What was that?"
"Nothing…sir." Was the appropriate reply and what she did speak with contention, but she spat the last words as if venomous poison attached. It was as if the mouth was a blowgun for darts. It was also voiced with a simultaneous batting and rolling of the eyes, finished off with a fake smile.
This really was not fair to say the least. She should have him reported, and that was what was planned.
It would have to wait. She wouldn't want to anger anyone else in the troop, and wanted to make the individual who had the actual patrol job at least a little
happy.
She angrily storms out to the outskirt of the base. They were on a stake out for one of the most notorious Taliban leaders out there. This was a war on terror.
Jane had always been a patriotic one. She was sure if she had not chosen to be a soldier she would have turned out to be a cop or something. She laughed at her own thought. Like that would ever happen.
"Just because I don't want to sleep with the guy. Honestly, how can people have such a thick skull? No means no. It is not that difficult of a concept!"
She was talking to herself. She did that a lot. Once she read somewhere that those who talked to themselves were genius. Jane was not sure if she believed the notion but it sounded true enough. It was worth a shot.
Jane was an adrenaline junkie that much was true. She loved the rush.
Tick tock tick tock. She heard a noise, followed by a ringing. The ringing she was used to as she suffered some hearing damage but the moment she looked at her feet she saw it.
A bomb and it was going to go off. Luckily Jane ran and they had planned for being found and took precautions. She did not receive the full force of the detention but enough. The sound alone knocked her off of her feet and while in air she felt a gunshot go through her thigh. This was not pretty. War was never a rosy picture, now was it?
She could only rely on the other soldiers to come in and find for themselves what was left behind. She was weak and felt all the wind knocked out of her.
A true war story never really has a happy ending. The good guy was supposed to win, but in war, it is not good versus evil. It is pure instinct.
This would be a good one to tell the kids, if you had any Rizzoli, she laughed to herself bitterly as she felt blood gushing out of her mouth.
Jane blacked out.
When she woke up, it was not what was expected, only half alive, she could have sworn, she heard an angel speak. Telling those around her what to do.
She felt restraints, and tried to fight them.
"No, no, don't do that honey. Rest, save your energy. Here this will help."
She felt a needle go into her arm. Sedative, that much she was certain as she felt herself drift off once more.
This was not before however, she felt the woman grab near her chest. She felt her dog tags lift.
"Jane? That's a beautiful name. We are going to take good care of you here Jane. You are safe. You need to undergo extensive surgery, but I'll patch you right up, don't you worry about a thing alright? You'll be better in a jiffy."
With that she was gone again, along with everything around her. Even the gentle touch of the forehead that she felt given to her by the mysterious stranger.
She would not feel the scalpel penetrate her leg, or know how precise and carefully it was wielded at it traveled her body.
Maura Isles never imagined she would be a doctor for soldiers, a doctor yes, but not for soldiers. She was always so shy, so reserved. That why what she felt she loved it so much through, there was no time to talk, not in the line of war. Not with so many people in need. There was no time to question, all she could do, was do. All she could do was act. All she could do was perform. It all done to the best of ability. She was the line between saving a hand, foot, anything, and life and death. She didn't play god, but she came close, and that was what she lived for. She thrived under pressure. Never mind any bad dreams of failure of tests or anything else. This was what she was made to do. Primitive or not, it was instinct. She relied on her instinct as much as the others. A kind voice is all anyone ever needed, all she ever needed, and that was the basis of her work. There was no negativity nor could there ever be.
She was proud of her work on Jane. She did invasive surgery and was expected to make a full recovery, everything major was saved. She would have to undergo therapy, as her leg needed time to heal, but it should be able to be done. The therapy could be done on base, and she would not have to be shipped back, no matter how much Maura was sure her family would love it. Maura could give her medical leave, but only if she asked.
When Jane finally awoke, days later, she screamed out in pain. Everything hurt. A fellow nurse came in and gave her morphine and it quickly eased her pain. I could get addicted to this stuff she considered to herself.
"Where- Wh-Who Saved me?"
"I did." Maura entered the room with a smile.
"Thank you nurse."
"No problem Dr. Isles." They responded as they exited.
"You gave us quite a scare there Jane."
"I- I know."
"I already told you once, not to speak. You need to rest." A chuckle escaped her.
"But-"
"You are very stubborn, do you know that?"
"So I've heard."
"For undergoing a bomb and bullet wound, very resilient I should say also."
"Did I have a good doctor?" She said with a smile. At least what she could muster.
"I tried my best."
Jane looked down, and her leg was covered in sheets. She couldn't stand to look. Her upper body seemed almost untouched except scrapes and bruises on her arms and big gashes placed upon her face.
"Tell me the truth… how bad is it?"
"Well, you won't lose them it if that's what you are worried about so that is promising."
There was a sigh of relief.
"You did that?"
"You did rather well, that much is certain. It helps. You are a healthy woman."
"What now?"
"Well, you have to undergo therapy to fully regain function. That is not avoidable. Even more so on your more damaged leg."
"I see."
"You may undergo it here. She spread her arms out and motions to everything around her. "In that case I would be your PT."
"Physical therapist."
"Yes, you see, we are always low on doctors and nurses and PT's. I double up when and where I can. This is my station now, so whenever I perform surgery, that patient, well, becomes my long term commitment as well. If you would like you could also undergo it back home. There would be no need for you to stay."
Jane contemplated for a moment. That's when she remembered how angel like the woman was. She smiled to herself. Still in pain and wincing from pain, she was bandaged up pretty good.
"You wouldn't mind seeing me like this?"
Jane hated asking for help, but something about the other woman felt safe. It felt familiar. She was gentle that much was seen and could be seen even without eyes or a retina attached, Jane was just thankful none of that was the case. She figured she suffered more hearing loss, but that was the least of her worries.
Maura cocked her head to the side.
"It's my job soldier. I have the easy one it seems."
She pats her hand gently.
"I- I thought you were an angel."
Jane's eyes grew wide.
"I cannot believe I just said that!"
"I take it as a compliment. I also take it that it means you will stay?"
"I owe it to the woman who brought me back from the land of the dead no?"
"Not necessarily."
"You're a quirky one, have YOU ever gotten that Dr. Isles?"
She wouldn't forget that name. She heard it said, read her name tag, and now speaking it, it felt like a sin. What were these feelings washing over her body? The one so battered and bruised? It was just her saving her life, nothing more, at least that is what Jane told herself.
"I don't believe that I have."
"I'll give you some more time to consider it all, but put a hold on your transfer since it seems you wish to stay here."
Maura begins to walk out, and Jane cannot help but have her stare linger.
Throughout the rest of the day Maura found herself drifting back to Jane. She thought how on the report it said she shouldn't have even been out in the night watch on the official commands.
It didn't seem right. Something was off about the situation. She would ask Jane what happened.
Private Rizzoli, she would ask Private Rizzoli.
Maura had to be careful about getting attached. It was never good for any party. Jane would leave soon enough, be discharged, as normal.
Still, there was something wrong with it all, and that much she could be inquisitive about.
Maura had only known Jane for a short while and already knew she would be a problem. She cared too much for the other woman and she didn't understand why.
She closed her eyes and imagined Jane healed. No cuts, a healed body. She could imagine how beautiful she was.
There was no placing this feeling.
"Dr. Isles to operation, Dr. Isles to operation."
Duty calls.
