"Maura?" She woke to the sound of somebody shouting nearby. She opened her eyes, her vision hazy and blurry. "Maura!" Running a hand through her hair, she rested her fingers on her forehead as the bright light that was seeping through the haze was beginning to hurt. Closing her eyes briefly, she shook her head, somewhat aware of people shouting from far away and footsteps approaching.
"Miss Isles?" said another voice on her left, very different to the one she had woken to. Opening her eyes, she managed to focus on the speaker – a woman in a white coat. A doctor, she reasoned. "Can you put your head back for a moment?" Things were becoming more focused as she obeyed, still trying to work out where she was. Well, a hospital, given the fact there was a doctor. Said doctor took her head gently in her hands and tilted it back. Maura winced slightly as suddenly a bright white light was shone directly into her eyes.
"Hey, careful!" said the first voice, rather indignantly.
"It's just procedure, Detective," the doctor replied. Her mind was still rather fuzzy as the light was shut off and she closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead against the pain. "Stay with her for a moment, I'll be right back." She heard footsteps fading by the second.
"Well, it's not like I've been sitting around on my ass for the last few weeks for nothing!" the Detective shouted after the doctor, and the door closed with a sharp snap. She opened her eyes again, her vision thankfully clear now as she looked around. She was in a small but well-furnished room. She guessed it was a private clinic, judging by the amount of money that had obviously been spent on creating a more comfortable environment.
"Are you alright, Maura?" asked the voice again, the Detective. Maura quickly reasserted her gaze from the wide window overlooking a vast and well-kempt expanse of lawn and orchard and brought her attention back into the room, and more importantly, the woman sitting next to her bed, clasping her hands again. Maura reflexively withdrew her hands from this stranger – she wasn't really one for intimate touching with anyone – and then instantly felt guilt wash over her as the Detective, a middle-aged, dark haired woman wearing a red T-shirt tucked into black trousers, a matching black jacket hanging over the back of her chair. Her hair was tied back in a long ponytail and her brown eyes were shining with concern as the woman looked rather surprised and… hurt… by her actions. Clearing her throat, Maura spoke.
"Apart from a mild ache in my head, probably from a trauma to the back of the head, and a little dizziness, probably caused by a side-effect of painkilling drugs, it would appear I'm fine," she said with a small smile. The Detective let out a laugh of relief and slumped rather ungraciously back in her chair. Maura noticed the shining badge on her belt.
"Do you remember what happened?" asked the Detective, her eyes twinkling as she spoke. Maura thought back, trying to revisit the last thing she could remember.
"No, I'm afraid I don't, Detective," she replied. "I would guess though, from the fact that I have most likely head trauma, and an officer of the law is here that I was attacked or something similar?" The Detective's brow wrinkled slightly as she looked a little puzzled, before shaking off the notion and returning her attention to Maura.
"Are you okay, Maura?" she asked, her smile fading slightly from her face. Maura nodded.
"I assure you, I'm fine."
"Then why are you being all… 'Detective'," she emphasised using air-quotes.
"The use of air-quotes is more often than not considered unnecessary as people can convey sarcasm, ambiguity, satire or disbelief using tone alone. Also they were called Ersatz, which is an interesting choice of word as it means replacement or spare, but it can also mean artificial or imitation in German, but the German version of the gesture sometimes differs from the American."
Maura rattled this information off absent-mindedly and was surprised to find the Detective smiling at her antics when most people just looked confused and moved on. There was something about the way this Detective looked at her that suggested that perhaps she knew her. Otherwise, she was just real friendly, but the way she spoke to the doctor proved otherwise. The Detective seemed to be holding back a laugh, a fond look in her eyes as she seemed to be waiting for Maura to continue. When Maura did not, she spoke.
"Anyway, glad to see you still have the Google-mouth, by the way. Not that it isn't as annoying and… confusing as ever, but why are you being so… un-Maura?"
"I'm not sure I know what you mean," replied Maura. "And what's Google-mouth?" The Detective's eyebrows rose in surprise as she took a moment to take in this seemingly important information. Maura waited patiently.
"Maura, do you…" Maura watched the pained look flash across the Detective's face before disappearing instantaneously. Those Brown eyes were fixed on her own now. "You do know who I am, right?" she asked tentatively. Maura squinted slightly, trying to decipher the joke. She wasn't very good with humour. Concluding this was no joke, she scrutinised the Detective's face. There was something familiar about her, there was no doubt. But she must have only seen her in passing.
"I'm afraid I don't." Maura this time could not miss the widening of Jane's eyes, betraying her surprise. "Should I?" she added softly, searching the Detective's face for clues.
"Uh…" The Detective looked crestfallen to say the least. Maura was sure she could hear a crack in her voice.
"Are you alright?" asked Maura, concerned, as the tall woman stood from her chair.
"Yeah!" replied the Detective a little too jovially.
"Did I say something-?" asked Maura, cursing her lack of social skills.
"No, no, it's fine. I just have to… uh…" She muttered all the way to the door, pulling a phone out of her pocket as she went and closing the door behind her. Maura watched, confused, as the woman kept her face subtly hidden behind her hand with the phone as she walked past the long window that provided a view into the corridor. The woman ran into the doctor, who looked concerned and asked her a question that the woman just shrugged off and walked away.
"Is your friend alright?" asked the doctor, closing the door softly behind her.
"I… I don't know, she's not my friend."
"That's odd," commented the doctor absently as she looked through the charts.
"Why?" asked Maura curiously, sitting up a little straighter in her bed.
"Hmm?" The doctor looked up from the papers. "She was in here practically every day for the last few weeks you've been in here."
"Really?" asked Maura, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yes. Now, can you answer a few questions for me?"
"Of course."
"Name?"
"Maura Dorthea Isles."
"Occupation?"
"Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Chief Medical Examiner."
"Good, good," replied the doctor. "What's the date today?"
Jane Rizzoli stumbled down the corridor, dialling a number on her phone as she walked, her head reeling. Maura didn't remember her. Her best friend didn't know her. Trying to calm herself down, taking deep breaths as she pressed the back of her head against the wall of the corridor, she found rare tears pricking at her eyes.
"Janey?" said the voice at the other end of the phone. "Are you eating alright? You aren't still spending all your time at that hospital, are you? How's Maura-"
"She… Ma, stop…
"If you don't come home soon, I'm going to that hospital and force-feeding you myself-"
"Ma! She can't remember!" Jane exclaimed.
"What?"
"She… she doesn't remember me!"
"Oh my God, Jane. Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not okay! I-"
"Miss?" Jane whirled at the voice, an angry retort on her lips, when she saw the nurse standing behind her.
"Detective," Jane automatically corrected.
"Sorry, Detective. I'm afraid you can't use your phone in here," she said, somewhat timidly. Jane was tempted to just ignore it, her mood demanded she lash out verbally, but she sighed, letting her shoulders drop and slump against the wall.
"Ma, I have to go, call you later," she muttered with a quick apology to the nurse, who looked happy to leave without causing a fuss.
"Wait, Janey-"
Jane hung up the phone with a sigh. She glanced at the door, where the doctor was leaving again. She had to go back in to get her jacket at least. She didn't know if she could stay there for too long. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself as she grasped the doorknob and let herself in. She tentatively glanced from the floor up at Maura, and immediately her heart melted. Maura was sitting with her head in her hands, her mussed blonde hair shielding her face.
"Maura," said Jane.
"I'm so sorry," replied Maura, looking up. Her eyes looked red, ever so slightly wet around the edges.
"What for?" asked Jane, forgetting that this was a Maura who didn't know her and darting to her side. This time she neglected to touch her, but was close all the same. Maura didn't seem to mind though. In truth, Maura needed someone close by.
"I've… I've forgotten the last four years. I'm guessing we knew each other."
"We more than knew each other, we were friends," replied Jane warmly. This made Maura look up, a little startled.
"We didn't just work together?" she asked.
"No, we were best friends," smiled Jane.
"I had a friend…" mumbled Maura to herself. Jane knew this must be a big thing for her.
"We did work together, that's how we first met. You gave me money to buy coffee because you thought I was a hooker, and then you sassed me."
"I… I think I remember that…" said Maura quietly. "You look very different."
"I was undercover!" defended Jane.
"And I think we worked on a few cases?"
"How much do you actually remember?" asked Jane gently.
"It's very scattered and vague. I can't remember much of the past four years."
"I see. What did the doctor say?" asked Jane, trying not to let the hope get too strong.
"She said she didn't know if I would definitely get my memories back, but it is possible to make a full recovery. She said a lot of familiar people and places would help."
"Good, we can do that. If you want, I mean," stuttered Jane. Maura just smiled and nodded. Then her face changed.
"Detective?" she said suddenly.
"Call me Jane. Jane Rizzoli," Jane replied as calmly as she could. It still hurt, having to introduce herself to her friend.
"Uh… Jane. Has anyone been looking after Bass?" she asked, her face looking adorably worried. Jane looked bewildered for a moment, then burst out laughing. Maura looked confused but waited patiently until Jane calmed down.
"Yes, I told my Ma to look after your damn turtle," said Jane.
"Tortoise," Maura corrected automatically. She tilted her head as Jane seemed to freeze for a moment, like what she had said triggered something, but ti was gone before she questioned it.
"Your mother feeds my tortoise?" she asked.
"Yeah, she lives… close by, so I told her to look after him while you were in here. I would have done it but… I was here too, and there was work, and… other things…" Jane rambled on as Maura thought.
"But how does she have a key?"
"She... she lives in your… guesthouse," Jane mumbled quietly. She watched Maura's face go from confused to surprised to shocked. "I have a lot of explaining to do," Jane groaned as she sat back in her chair.