Chapter 2
Maura sat there next to the bed her best friend lay still in. She couldn't understand why Jane hadn't woken up yet, it had been three days since the shooter had opened fire. Jane continued to take shallow breaths but never opened her eyes. Could her coma be drug induced, from the anesthesia they gave her before they stitched her wound? Or was it something psychological? Maura buried her face in her hands and held back tears; Jane had to wake up, Frost and Korsak had been working hard to find the man who had killed three people and put Jane in the hospital again. Angela was at Maura's guest house crying her eyes out to her two sons Tommy and Frankie.
"Damnit Jane wake up, please." Maura cried to herself.
It didn't seem fair that Jane always got hurt, Maura lost Ian sure but Jane had nearly been killed by that sick bastard Hoyt twice, shot through the abdomen trying to save people, she lost the love of her life and now this. It just didn't seem fair that she always got hurt trying to save people. Maura knew it was Jane's job but she hated it more than anything in the world. She wanted Jane to quit but knew she wouldn't Jane was to hard headed for that to stubborn to protect her on life if it meant someone else losing theirs. Jane had tackled her to save her life, ignoring the fact she might get hurt again. Maura's head was hurting by this point, she was over thinking everything. She wasn't use to dealing with emotions like this; she couldn't understand where her current feelings came from. They seemed over friendly for her best friend and it made her uncomfortable to continue thinking that way.
"Maura?"
"Jane?" Maura jumped up and came directly to Jane's bed-side. "Jane I'm here you're alright."
"How many days have I been out?" I asked, panicking slightly at Maura's worried expression.
"Three day. Jane lay back down you'll irritate your wounds." Maura went straight into doctor mode.
"Was I shot?" I asked going into my detective mode.
"No Jane, you just ripped open your scar tissue, you're perfectly fine." Maura said. "Are you okay Jane, your pulse is extremely high."
"Oh no perfectly fine Maura I'm in a hospital." I said sarcastically. "Can I ask you something Maur?"
"Of course Jane." She said.
"Have you ever thought about batting for the other team?" I asked, regretting it as soon as it came out of my mouth.
"Is that some kind of cop lingo?" Maura asked.
"Yes Maura, cop lingo." I sighed knowing I had to finish, "I mean have you ever thought of sleeping with a woman?"
"We'll it would be an experience but I've never actually thought about it." She replied with her usual Maura coolness. "Why Jane?"
"Just a post-traumatic question I guess." I replied biting my lip. "Can I get my cloths and leave?"
Maura handed me my cloths but didn't bother to give me any privacy as I got dressed. I felt awkward with her watching me as I put on my pants and shirt; it was a different thing now that I had just asked the dumbest question. I smirked a little knowing Maura was actually watching but soon put the thought in my head she was just making sure I didn't double over and die. Maura thought to herself about the question Jane had just asked her. Was this just a slight trauma on her brain because of meds or was she really having feelings for her coworker? Maura was confused but wasn't sure of what to think about Jane's current state of mind. But that brought up a new load of questions; did Maura have feelings for Jane? Maura clutched at her stomach as she felt a stomach ache come on.
"Maura you alright? I want to get back to the precinct before it gets too late. What time is it anyway?"
"It's only noon and its just gastralgia." Maura told me.
"It's what?" I asked.
"Stomach ache." Maura replied.
I shrugged it off and followed Maura out to her car, she insisted she drive and I didn't argue. I felt stupid asking Maura that question, but I knew that wasn't what was causing her to feel sick. Not wanting to push her I stayed quiet and waited for her to speak; she never did. I shifted and ran my hands over the new stitches wincing a little at the stinging it left me with. Maura shot a concerned look over to me and I just shook my head I was okay. I thought back to the instant the man pulled the gun, I went straight for Maura, I didn't pull my gun I went against my training to protect the Medical examiner, who I might be in love with none-the-less. Holding back the urge to bang my head against the dashboard I continued to think about my actions along with Maura grabbing my hand while I shielded her. I glanced at Maura who had her eyes on the road and not on me.
"Hey doc are you okay?" I asked, poking her arm.
"I'm fine, are you sure you want to go back to work? Korsak and Frost have the case pretty well handled you can go home and rest. Like you should." Maura replied.
"This is my job Maura I gotta go back to work. I gotta catch this guy before he kills someone else. He could have shot you Maura." I said.
"Damnit Jane he could have killed you." Maura said angrily. "I understand you want to put this guy behind bars but getting yourself killed won't do that. I'm not losing my best friend."
I sat back in my seat and stared at Maura, I had never seen her so upset… okay not since I shot her pa but still, it was unusual for Maura to get emotional. I refrained from touching her hand which was clutched tightly around the steering wheel. Maura was mad at me I knew that, pent up feelings from the mistake I made? Maybe, other than that I had no idea. By the time we pulled up to the Boston Police Department. Maura parked but didn't say another word to me, I took my queue and left her sitting there and headed up to see where Frost and Korsak were on the case. They were both going over video taken from the scene where the unidentified man had opened fire on us. Both greeted me with a hug and a thank God I was okay.
"Where's Dr. Isles?" Frost asked.
"We had a fight, she's probably in the morgue." I replied.
"Janie we've been going over the tapes we confiscated we can't see anything he's got his face covered. We can't even tell you why he shot at us. Cavanaugh is pissed about the whole situation." Korsak informed me.
"Do we have anything?" I asked.
"Just some 9mm casings and the third victim. Maura couldn't find anything unusual on the third DB he never served there doesn't seem to be a set victimology between them." Frost said.
"I don't know where that leaves us." Korsak said, "Do we just wait around for another victim?"
"We have no suspects?" I asked, desperate.
"None, Jane we have nothing, no forensic evidence, nothing behind the first two victims serving in Desert Storm, and the third guy is clean 100%." Frost said.
"I'm gonna talk to Maura, you two keep doing, um, whatever it is you are doing." I said smiling at them.
Down stairs I slowed down before I reached Maura office I heard her crying. Ignoring my instinct to turn around and leave I went in and saw her sitting at her desk should heaving. I went over to her without saying a word and wrapped my arms around her. She turned into me and cried into my shoulder hugging me back. I felt terrible, I knew this was my fault and I once again hated myself. I tried to comfort Maura but I had no idea how, she hadn't cried this hard since Ian. What is wrong with you Jane? Making your best friend cry again? I needed to know what was wrong, had to know what was wrong before it killed me, or at worst killed her.
"Maura what's wrong?"
"Jane I –sob- I have to tell you something." She told be between sobs.
"Then tell me Maur." I said pulling away to look into her red eyes.
"I can't –sob- bear the thought –sob- of losing you." She cried.
"I know Maura, but it's my job, you know that." I said.
"You don't get it Jane." Maura was suddenly out of her sob-fest. "Jane I think I'm in love with you."
My jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Did I really just hear Maura say she was in love with me? I started to panic, my heart raced and I nearly passed out. Wait didn't I want this? Hell I didn't know what I wanted right now. Maura started to move away from me, feeling uncomfortable about what she had just said. As the awkward silence settled upon us I stood up and backed away. Maura started to get that far away doctor look and go back to her usual self. It seemed things for awhile would be the worst ever in my life.
"Maura maybe we, you… should take a few days?" I said, unsure.
"Just forget what I said Jane, let me get back to work, you have a killer to catch and I need to get these bodies ready for transfer." Maura said, being cold to me.
"Did you get anything from them?" I asked treading lightly.
"I found some saliva on the third victim's collar; I'm waiting for the results to get back. I'll call you when I do get them." She replied.
Back up with Korsak and Frost I listened to them crack jokes about their balls and discuss the upcoming baseball game between the BPD and the BFD. Usually I would be in the conversation with them but right now I was distracted. By the case and by Maura, my head hurt so bad right now I thought about just dying. Only when Korsak came to me with something did I manage to get my mind working again. He looked slightly happy about whatever it was he had now.
"Janie looks like we got a lead. Dr. Isles got a hit on the DNA saliva she pulled of the dead man." He said.
"Yeah, who is it?" I asked.
"Derek Jonson, three priors for assault with a deadly weapon. Just paroled two weeks ago. It's not great but it's something." Korsak told me.
"Great, let's go pick him up." I said grinning at the good fortune.
Forgetting about the weird talk with Maura we went to go pick up our first suspect in the case. Korsak drove, I rode shotgun and Frost rode in the back. Our guy worked in an auto-garage in downtown Boston. Frost pointed ahead to a gruff looking man with prison tattoos all up his arms and a large scar across his face. It was a good possibility this was our guy, but I wasn't about to get ahead of myself; after all the case had just started. Korsak pulled the car to a stop and we all got out slowly. Moving toward our suspect, Derek Jonson, we just kept calm like we always did. Derek didn't seem to take any notice that we were cops and came right ups to us.
"Your car need fixin?" he asked with a heavy Boston accent.
"No, we're Homicide Detectives for the Boston PD. Could we ask you a few questions?" I said, going by the book.
"Look lady I didn't do nothin' I'm tryin' to stay clean I ain't going back to the joint." He said almost angrily.
"Never said you where we just have a few questions for you, but you're going to need to come with us." Korsak said.
"I know my rights, whatever you gotta say you can say it here." Derek said.
"Alright fine, do you know anything about a Mark Smith?" I asked, hating that he wouldn't just go to the station.
"Yeah we went to school together, we weren't tight y'know? Two different types of life." Derek explained.
"Yeah you became a criminal and he became a banker." Frost muttered.
"Hey man those jackasses asked for it." Derek shouted becoming defensive.
"Hey, hey cut it out. Derek have you seen him in the last week?" I asked.
"I'm not saying anymore. You want me call my lawyer." He said before walking away.
"Well that helped." Korsak said sarcastically. "We'll get a warrant search his place and bring him in. Maybe we can get something then. I hate guys who know the system."
We got back to the precinct with nothing more than a card for Derek's lawyer. I needed a beer, I think we all did, but we were on the clock and we weren't going to be off for hours. This was one of the most difficult cases I had ever been on. The guy left no evidence behind, right now we had a third victim that was killed more sloppily than the first two, a few 9mm casings from the man who opened fire on us and lastly DNA saliva from a suspect who knew the system well. It was a lot of nothing. Frost continued looking through the tapes from the two crime scenes, Korsak got on the phone to start getting an arrest warrant in order for Derek Jonson and I went down to get some coffee and talk to my ma for the first time since I got hurt three days ago. Downstairs it wasn't busy and Maura wasn't around so I took this as a chance to actually talk in private with my ma.
"Hey ma." I said.
"Janie sweetheart, thank god I thought I had lost you again." She cried as I walked up.
"Ma, no hugging." I warned as she moved to hug me. "Ma come on really?"
"Fine I'm sorry. I was just relieved Maura talked to me about you while you were out." She stated.
"Oh god what did she say?" I asked, groaning and falling into a chair.
"She's just worried Jane, like a friend should be." She said.
"She wants me to get off the case Ma I need to do my job get this guy into jail." I said defensively.
"She knows that and I know that, just be easy on yourself." She said putting her hand on mine. "Otherwise I'll come by and clean."
"No ma no, did she tell you my house was a mess? Really? God almighty." I said almost whining.
My ma smiled at me and we joked for awhile, it was good to have this when the situation could be so dire. Sadly it would be best to hope for another victim and a slip up, but after the last victim I doubted that anything would change after his last mistake. He would come back with more force and be smarter about it. It was a terrible thought but it was the truth, I knew that as a detective. I told my ma I would take some coffee down to Maura and promised to talk nicely with her. Ma sent me off with a couple of coffees and a pat on the shoulder. Down stairs I knocked on the door to Maura's office, she looked up from some paper work and waved me in but didn't say anything to me. Again I started feeling bad for running out and not righting the situation before. The case could wait but Maura was my friend and that could never wait, not like I had let it before. Maura took the coffee with a slight look of disgust for it and a silent thank you to me. It took me a minute to assure her my ma had made the coffee, not Stanley.
"I don't have anything new for you Jane." She said flatly.
"I'm not here for that Maur, I wanted to talk with you." I said staring at the lid.
"Jane I don't want to talk about it, I shouldn't have said anything." Maura said sighing and moving back into her seat.
"Maura I'm sorry about earlier, please just talk to me." I begged, I hated my friend being mad at me.
"I don't handle my emotions like you do Jane." Maura stated what I already knew. "It's an irrational thought in the back of my brain to have feelings for you."
"Maura, people have feelings for other people, you're not a cyborg… are you?" I tried joking.
"No Jane." Maura said a small smile breaking on her face. "We're still friends right?"
"Maura I shot your dad I think I can handle some feelings my best friend has for me." I laughed.
Maura laughed with me and for once it seemed like the feelings that I had hidden had actually gone somewhere. But I still refused to say anything back to her, to tell her my feelings mirrored hers. Why was I so hard for me to just admit I loved someone back? I had with Casey; I could have with Dean if he hadn't ruined my friendship with Maura. What was wrong with me? I had no time to answer my own question when Maura's phone rang, she answered and I knew right away the killed had struck again. He took another victim while I was down talking and laughing with my best friend. It pissed me off that we just couldn't catch a break with this guy; in a seven day span he had killed four people. It was time to saddle up for the third time and head to the next crime scene.
