That Gut Feeling
by Simahoyo
Jane is having serious problems with her digestion. Is Maura right? Is it the junk food she eats? Or is it something worse?
It was starting again. Jane Rizzoli screeched the squad car to a halt, leaving Frost behind staring, slack jawed, as she ran into the nearby public building. By now she didn't care. The weird growl in her stomach was a warning, and she had learned to heed it. She pounded up the stone steps, followed the signs while dodging people, and got to the Ladies Room. Her long legs got her there just in time.
The projectile bowel movement could be heard all over the Ladies Room, and Jane was embarrassed. Why the hell was this happening? She would have asked Maura, but she knew what she was in for. Lectures on her eating habits. Even worse would be to talk to her mother. Jane sat, waiting until she was sure everything was over. For now.
Jane got back into the squad car, glaring at Frost, daring him to say one word. Unfortunately, he had worked with her too long to let that cow him.
"What was that all about?" His eyebrows made lines between his eyes.
"None of your business. Let's get going." Jane was crabby and scared. She moved back into the traffic.
Frosted eyed her suspiciously. "Yeah? Looks like something to me."
Jane growled at him. He looked ahead, waited, then looked back at her. Jane drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. She ignored him.
"So, what is it?" His head was cocked to the side slightly.
"Nothing!"
"Maybe you'd better ask the Doc..."
"Hell no! I don't need a lecture. It'll go away."
"What will go away.? Seems like you've got something bothering your guts."
"Yeah, Yeah. It's probably a bug or something. It will pass."
Frost just looked at her, his eyes boring into her–playing bad cop.
"Alright. If it doesn't go away in a week, I'll ask Maura. Sheesh!"
Frost smirked. He held up a crooked pinky. "Pinky swear?"
"I'm driving."
"If you don't do it, I'm telling your mother."
Jane tried the death glare. Frost just shrugged. This was bad. He was immune to all her threats.
The agreed on week passed. Jane was in avoidance mode. If Frost came close, Jane ducked out.
If he caught her in the hallway, she ran for the elevator. Finally, as Jane was typing up a report, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. Frost was at his desk, so she turned to see Maura giving her that level, slightly accusing look.
"Maur' Hi."
"Jane. I understand you have been experiencing Gastro-intestinal distress. Come down to my office so we can talk."
Jane could tell that this wasn't an invitation, but a command. She glared at Frost.
"Traitor."
He laughed, the rat.
Jane followed Maura down to her office. She walked slowly, like she was going to the principal's office..
When they got into the office, Maura crossed her arms. "Sit down, Jane."
Jane sat, not looking at her suddenly threatening best friend.
"Tell me what's been going on." Maura was using her doctor voice.
Jane's legs were crossed, and she swung her foot, trying to line the words up so they made sense.
Maura waited.
"I thought it was a bug. Flu or something. But then it lasted for two months."
Maura's eyes widened, and her mouth made that little round shape, as she blew out an exasperated breath. "Here comes the lecture." thought Jane.
"And..."
Jane swung her foot some more. Maura was going to make her work for this.
"Then Frost started bugging me, and said I had to tell you if it went on for two weeks."
Maura's eyes narrowed, in the pre-dangerous stage. "Aw Hell!," thought Jane.
"So you waited a month and a half, then avoided Frost until he had to come and get me? Had it occurred to you that this might be serious? Of course it didn't. My God, Jane. You have intestinal scaring. You need to call Dr. Sluckey."
"Hell no! I can't stand the guy. I'll be fine."
"I can't stand him either, but if this is an infection, or something else dangerous, you need to take care of it."
Jane thought about it, trying to look anything but frightened. She uncrossed her legs, then crossed them the other way. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. I'll do it."
"Today?"
"Maur', I have work to do I..."
Maura handed Jane her cell phone. "Call his office now. Get it over with."
Jane called.
Sluckey's office was cold. Or maybe it was Jane's fear getting to her. When they finally called her name, Jane answered the nurse's questions. The nurse was a little slip of a woman, but Jane was still nervous around her. Then she was gone. Jane tried to read an old magazine about baby care.
When Slucky sailed in she ditched it. She didn't need him thinking she was pregnant. And she wasn't unless it was virgin birth.
"What can we do for you today?"
"I've been having some problems with my stomach."
"Could we be a bit more precise?"
"We have been having very loud growling noises, not like when we're hungry. Then we have to run to the john."
"Voiding, or a Bowel Movement?"
"What the ...heck is voiding?", Jane huffed.
"Emptying your bladder."
"Nope. It's the other."
"Diarrhea?"
Jane felt herself blush. It was bad enough talking about this stuff with Maura.
"Yeah. Projectile."
"We need to do some tests."
"Ah man, do we have to?", Jane heard herself whining.
"You shot yourself, you barely survived, and now you could have a serious infection. Or something more exotic. We don't know. So..." Slucky started writing. He wrote a lot. Jane had a feeling of drowning.