Three Cups Of Tea, Part Two
Disclaimer: Don't own it!
A/N: As I've said, I haven't watched See One, Do One, Teach One, so please don't kill me for any inaccuracy!
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By midnight, Korsak had fallen asleep on one of the cots. Frost, however, was still awake.
Something about hospitals frightened him. Made him look over his shoulder, nag medical professionals relentlessly, and keep an eagle eye on anyone with him. If Jane and Frankie weren't in the ICU, he'd be hovering by their bedsides.
Taking a sip of the coffee one of the nurses had given him, he looked over at Maura. She was evidently having a dream, but judging by her calm expression, waking her up wouldn't be a good idea.
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Maura had begun dreaming of the second cup of tea almost as soon as she'd fallen asleep.
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After the trial of Charles Hoyt, Maura had offered to let Jane stay with her overnight. The detective, shaken and in torment, had accepted the pathologist's offer.
Neither of them had said anything on the way to Maura's house. Jane just stared ahead, face blank of any emotion. Her hands told a different story, though, as they endlessly worried a small, polished piece of wood Maura had given her.
After gently guiding her into the living room and insisting she lie down on a couch, Maura covered her friend with an afghan and went into the kitchen to make her a cup of tea.
Maura stared at her collection of teas for a while before deciding on lavender chamomile. She was no expert on herbs, but she'd heard that combination helped induce sleep.
After putting the teabag in the mug and putting her kettle on to boil, she paused and then went over to her home remedy cupboard. Rummaging around for a moment, she found what she wanted: a bottle of valerian extract. After pouring the water into the mug, she added a drop of the extract along with a bit of sugar to mask the bitter taste.
When she returned to the living room, Jane had sat up and was still worrying the piece of wood. Maura sat next to her and put the mug in her hand. "Here, drink this," she told her friend quietly.
Jane obediently took a sip. Maura, slightly unsure of what to do next, suggested that Jane lie down in her spare bedroom.
"I don't want to be alone," Jane whispered. "If I'm alone, I'm vulnerable."
"Then you can stay right here on the couch and I'll stay with you," Maura replied gently. "Lie down and sleep, Jane. I'll be right here."
Lying back down, Jane fixed her eyes on Maura. "Don't leave."
"I won't."
Jane stared at the ceiling, evidently determined to stay awake, but the tea took hold after a few minutes and her eyes closed.
Maura slipped into the kitchen and swiftly made a cup of black chai. Returning to the living room, she sipped it, determined to stay awake for Jane.
She stayed there, watching her friend, until the first rays of the morning's sun filtered through the windows.
She was almost asleep when Barry Frost knocked on the door.
Maura let the rookie detective in. He'd just been transferred to Homicide, and while he was pretty green, Maura liked him.
Quietly explaining the situation, Maura led him back to the living room.
"Get some sleep, Maura," he told her. "I'll stay with Jane."
"Thank you."
Lying down on one of the unoccupied couches, Maura allowed herself to drift off to sleep as Frost took up her vigil.
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Frost put his coffee cup down and yawned. It was almost one AM, and he knew he should lie down on one of the cots before he fell asleep.
Positioning the cot next to Maura's, he lay down and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
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A/N: That certainly didn't turn out like I thought it would. XD But I kinda like it. What do you think?