Nothing Like What I Was Expecting

Disclaimer: I do not own anything and that includes all things related to Rizzoli and Isles. So don't sue me. I have nothing to offer.

Chapter 1

Dr. Maura Isles sat at her desk reviewing the content of the article that filled her computer screen. She usually kept herself current on most of the world's news but the particular situation she was reading about she had more than a casual interest. Admittedly, her curiosity had been piqued well before she had received that first call but after that initial inquiry she had gone back and read everything she could find on the Web about situation.

While it all had intrigued her, nothing she had read so far had been enough for her to make up her mind. Even now, as she scrolled through the available headlines she wasn't any closer to a decision. The headlines were getting more and more intriguing to her though.

'Surgeon' Strikes Again

Boston Police No Closer to the Truth After Latest Victim Found

All Questions No Answers: Boston PD Fails to Make Any Progress as 'Surgeon' Roams Free to Kill

Maura knew without even reading the Web reports that there was an atmosphere of frustration and impatience surrounding this case. That had been the reason she had been called in the first place. An attempt to change the course of the investigation was clearly needed. Maura just wasn't sure she wanted- or needed for that matter- to be a part of that change.

"Excuse me, Dr. Isles?" a voice interrupted Maura's reflections.

Looking up Maura smiled at her most senior criminalist. "Yes Abby?"

"I'm having an issue trying to separate what I believe to be two different enzymes on the victim's shirt for the Jackson case. I've tried what I'm comfortable with and am not having any luck. Now I'm afraid of doing permanent damage to the evidence so I was wondering if you had any ideas or if you could maybe help me?" Abby asked quietly clearly unsure if she should be bothering her boss.

She hated having to ask Dr. Isles to help with such a menial task. This was something she should have been able to just handle herself. Especially if she was supposed to be Dr. Isles' 'go-to' criminalist. But she'd really tried everything and she was now afraid she was going to destroy one of the key pieces of evidence in a murder investigation and she knew she would be in more trouble for that than asking Dr. Isles for help.

Maura flashed her criminalist a reassuring smile. Asking for help was never the wrong thing to do and she was always surprised by just how many people seemed to refuse to reach out. "I'll be right there," she answered. "I'm sure between the two of us we can figure something out."

Abby seemed to immediately relax. "Thank you Dr. Isles," she said and she retreated from the ME's office to head back to the lab.

Maura finished reading the Boston Globe article which seemed to just rehash of all that was currently unknown about the recent serial murders being committed by 'The Surgeon'. The article ended with a demand for progress or change from the Boston police.

Turning off her computer Maura headed out to review what Abby had already attempted while formulating several options she knew Abby wouldn't have considered or just didn't feel comfortable attempting. She was needed here and for right now the problems in Boston just didn't have anything to do with her. But as she exited her office she wondered if she would be able to make that claim for much longer.

XXXX

"Hold on Jane," Detective Vince Korsak tried to console his partner. "The bus is almost here. Just hang on for me." There was no mistaking or even an attempt to hide the concern in his voice.

Helpless. He felt utterly helpless as he watched his partner lay there in agony. All he wanted to do was to help her. He wanted to pull the scalpels from her palms but even his basic medical training was enough for him to realize that may do more damage than had already been done and he didn't want to risk that.

So he did what he could. He covered her with his jacket hoping to keep her from going into shock. He kept his hand on her shoulder so she knew she wasn't alone anymore. He was fairly certain had she not been so injured she'd be chewing him out for coddling her and even touching her but he kept his hand on her shoulder. It had seemed to help her. So he wasn't moving it until an EMT could take over her care.

"Where the hell is that bus?!" Vince barked out to no one in particular. At this point there were so many detectives and officers around he wouldn't have been able to pick just one to yell at anyway.

"Pulling up now Vince," someone from near the top of the basement stairs replied. "Tell Rizzoli to hang in there." He thought he recognized the voice of that of Cavanaugh but he wasn't sure. Not that it mattered. He just wanted EMTs to take care of his partner.

"Vince…." Jane whispered and he almost didn't hear her.

"Yeah Jane?" he said leaning down over her so she didn't have to strain to speak to him.

"Did…" she tried to ask but clearly talking while trying not to cry or express the agony she must be feeling seemed to be taking its toll on her. "Did you…"

Immediately Vince knew what she was asking. "You Jane," he said emphatically. "You got him." Jane caught the bastard. She was the one that found the house. He was the one who failed to take her comment about a tip seriously. He didn't want any credit for something that in the end he knew was his fault. He had left her alone. "Catherine Cordell is alive. Hoyt is in custody."

He immediately saw a small sense of relief in Jane's eyes. It amazed him. She was clearly in distress but she still wanted information about Cordell. How he ever underestimated her he would never fully understand. He reached down and repositioned his coat over her again trying to just keep her warm. "You just hang in there and we will get you both out of here. EMTs are here. They are coming right now Jane."

A small smile seemed to cross Jane's lips. "We got him," was the last thing she mumbled before she passed out. At first Vince panicked when she lost consciousness but when he looked down at the scalpels still piercing through her hands he suddenly believed it may be best if she wasn't really aware of what an EMT was going to have to do.

He heard the EMTs approaching. "Over here," he barked. He shifted but refused to completely leave his partner alone. The EMTs started their assessment all while asking questions Korsak rattled off the answers to not really caring what they wanted.

"Just get those things out of her hands," he said after answering about the fifth question.

"We will," the EMT responded kindly. "For what it's worth," he said briefly catching Korsak's eyes. "You did the right thing by not just pulling them out. You probably would have done real damage…or at least more damage…to the nerves in her hands."

Vince just nodded. He knew that too but knowing that and dealing with the images of his partner pinned down to the floor in agony and his inability to do anything for her was something he was going to have to find a way to live with. He already knew it was something he was never going to be able to forget.

XXXX

"There's an urgent call for you Dr. Isles," Maura's administrative assistant popped her head into the lab to get her boss' attention.

Maura was just finishing up on the last procedure she and Abby had run on the shirt when Carol interrupted. "Thank you Carol," she said. "I'll take it in here." Carol nodded and went back to her desk to transfer the call to the lab phone.

It only rang once before Maura picked it up. "Dr. Isles," was all she offered as a greeting.

"Please hold for the Governor," came the voice Maura had heard more than once these last few weeks. Only about 10 seconds passed before she heard the Governor pick up the line.

"Maura," the Governor started but he found himself cut off.

"I still haven't changed my mind," Maura interjected hoping to make this call end quickly.

"While I can respect that I'm going to have to insist," he replied back in a tone he hadn't used with her to this point. Something had changed.

"What's happened?" she asked.

"We have him," he answered. "They caught him with what would have been the sixth victim."

"Well," Maura replied, "that should help you with the press. Having the suspect in custody is a major breakthrough." If the suspect was in custody she wasn't certain why this call was even necessary.

"That part I agree with you. But just because we have him in custody doesn't mean any of this is over." The Governor paused. "Maura, I no longer need a consultation from you. I need something more."

"More than a consult?" she asked.

"I need you to take over here," he answered flatly.

Maura was stunned. She hadn't expected that kind of request. They'd only previously discussed a simple consultation when it seemed like the Boston ME office wasn't making any progress.

"Maura, the medical examiner's office is not in a position, as it exists today, to handle this case. If I let the office continue as is I've been warned that there is a good chance we won't be able to connect Hoyt,"

"Hoyt?" Maura interrupted.

"Charles Hoyt. Our suspect in custody," the Governor replied. "Maura the DA is convinced that the current ME's office will be unable to adequately connect all five victims to Hoyt. They've had the bodies for weeks now and haven't been able to come up with anything. It is my understanding that we actually came upon Hoyt through a random tip given to one of the detectives. It was more accident than design. Now that he is in custody we need to build a case against him. Everyone here is convinced that there is forensic evidence that will do just that if only we had someone with the skillset to find it."

"Sir," Maura tried to interrupt.

"No Maura," he replied. "You and I both know that not only do you have that skillset but you are the one I am insisting upon. And don't call me Sir," he said trying to lighten the mood. "Uncle John has always been acceptable in the past."

Maura didn't smile. "Uncle John isn't asking this of me. The Governor of Massachusetts is," she pointed out.

"True," he admitted. "But this Governor has also changed your diaper."

That got Maura to chuckle. "What exactly is it you are asking of me?"

"I'm offering you the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. On your terms. Set your salary. Set your budget. Whatever you want. Whatever it takes to get you from San Francisco to Boston as soon as possible. Name it Maura. You know I can make it happen."

"I assume there is some urgency in getting my answer?" She asked only because she was now staling for some time to think.

"Yes," he replied. "Hoyt has means and attorneys are already working on trying to discredit what little the MEs office has already done. They are pushing for charges to be dismissed. We have five bodies that need to be reexamined before that happens, not to mention two people from an encounter during his arrest."

"Two people?" Maura asked. She vaguely remembered reading that they were concerned the Surgeon would kidnap another victim soon but she hadn't read there was anyone let alone two people.

"Hoyt kidnapped another woman plus the detective who found her was injured," he answered. "They both have injuries that I assume would be beneficial in examining to show links to the five deceased." He paused to let Maura take it all in. "Maura please. You are the only person I trust to handle all of this."

Maura sighed. It was true she had been seriously considering helping her Uncle with a consultation. But that was all she had been considering and she hadn't even decided to do that yet. Now here he was asking her to take over the Boston Medical Examiner's Office. She wasn't sure she was ready, or willing, to make that kind of commitment.

"I won't agree to completely take over the office. Not yet. Not without really getting an idea of where things there stand and if I feel like it would be in my best interest." She heard the Governor start to interrupt but she cut him off. "However," she conceded, "I can be there tomorrow." No reason to waste any time if examinations and testing needed to be re-done.

"But you won't agree to take the office?" he asked.

"Not right away. I'll come out and supervise the handling of this case for you. I will also evaluate the Examiner's office for you and then when things are more controlled than they are now we can talk." It was the best she was willing to do at the moment. It would have to do.

"I'll put in a call to Ashton's office," he said not containing the clear sound of relief that she was finally agreed to help. He was actually fairly certain once she got here he could keep her in the office.

"I'll need to put in for a temporary leave here so your call may actually help smooth things over on that front. I'll fly out in the morning," Maura agreed.

"Thank you Maura," he said. He was coming up for re-election soon and there was no way he could run on the crime platform his advisors wanted if his medical examiner's office fell under the scrutiny of being ineffective during such a high profile case.

"If you could get me copies of everything the office has done to date I'd like to acquaint myself with where things stand before I arrive," Maura asked.

"Copies are already being delivered to your office as we speak," he replied.

Again Maura chuckled. "You were certain I would say yes this time," she said.

"Honestly, I was more hopeful than certain. But I was also prepared to play the Godfather card if I had to," he admitted.

"Well, I'll let you keep that one for another day," she answered back. "I'll be in touch when I land tomorrow," she said.

"I look forward to seeing you," he answered. "Should I inform your mother you are coming into town?"

"No," Maura replied. "I'll let her know once all the other arrangements are made."

"Goodbye Maura," he said. "Travel safe."

Maura hung up and sighed. A trip to Boston wasn't what she had planned for this week.

Carol reentered the lab. "Dr. Isles there is a delivery for you," she stated. Maura gave a half smile. Her Uncle really wasn't kidding about the files.

"I'll be right there," she replied. "And please get Governor Ashton's office on the phone for me." Carol nodded and disappeared to make the call.

Apparently she was about involve herself in what seemed to be the highest profile case Boston had seen in many years.