Well, we'll see where this goes. I feel like continuing chapters are a voyage into unknown territory, and it gets harder to keep things close to the show. I don't have a beta, so I apologize for errors. I do catch most of them, but sometimes I type fast and as I'm changing words, I think I deleted one and didn't. Reviews, as always, are wonderful. I have to say thank you to all of the kind and gracious reviews from the last chapter. The Rizzoli & Isles community is very supportive, and (when the muse is speaking, anyway) it's a pleasure to write and know the audience is really reading this! As far as additional chapters go, we'll see. Feel free to suggest facets you would like to see—maybe it will spark a thought and help me figure out where to go with this thing.

She was hot, and the covers felt too constricting. Jane pushed away the heat, blinking and wondering what time of day it was. Her room was dark, curtains shut firmly to keep out any light, probably to make sure she slept as best as she could. "Maura? … Pop?" she called uncertainly. Her side was a little achy from laying in one position too long, and experimentally she stretched by degrees. Legs straightened and flexed, arms stretching carefully, stopping when she felt the pull against her injury.

The doorknob turned and opened quietly, Maura's red head peeking in. "Jane?" she whispered, daylight filtering through the hallway behind her.

"I'm awake," Jane rasped, yawning hugely and rubbing at her eyes. She could hear the light tread of her best friend crossing the room, and the curtains parted a little, letting in mid-morning light.

Maura perched on the edge of the bed, looking casual chic in those legging looking things and her fashionable sleeveless top with the ruffles. It made Jane feel grubby in comparison, and she wished she could sink to her neck in a bubble bath—one of her guilty pleasures that had been denied her until her incision healed fully. "Open up," she urged, holding out the thermometer.

"I feel better," she answered hopefully, "and I'm thirsty."

"I have some Gatorade for you, but not until we get your temperature." She held out the thermometer, smiling a little when Jane obliged by opening her mouth and closing it around the end of the thermometer. "Sit tight, I'll be back with the Gatorade."

Gingerly, the detective shifted, leaning against the pillows to find a more comfortable spot as she waited for Maura to return. She wanted something to drink, and she wanted a bath. A damp cloth was probably the best she was going to get, and it irritated her that she couldn't even jump in the shower. Even after losing some covers, she felt hot, so Jane worked off both socks, one leg sliding out from under the light sheet and balancing out the remaining warmth.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and Jane let herself drift a little. It amazed her that she could still be tired, but she let herself relax, knowing there was nothing else to do anyway. She wondered what day it was, wondered how Frankie was doing and if he would stop by later. If her father had a job going, if her mother was in the living room driving Maura crazy or out selling that juice stuff and driving everyone crazy.

"Still awake?" Maura asked as she rejoined her, carrying a coffee travel mug.

"Yeah," the brunette replied as she handed over the thermometer and let Maura help her sit up a little, supported by a mountain of pillows. She sipped the cup, glad they had found some orange flavored Gatorade instead of something like that lemon-lime flavor. She drained the cup steadily finally looking up at Maura. "Am I gonna make it?" she tossed the question casually.

The startled look in the hazel eyes darting to her told Jane that she'd hit a raw subject, and she closed her mouth quickly, apologetic. "Sorry… I just meant… is my fever down."

"Yes," Maura replied, turning the thermometer over with her fingers and shifting to the nightstand to scribble down a date, time, and temperature in the journal she had been keeping. When she turned back to her best friend, her face was smoothed into a mask of composure.

"Maura, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that … I was just joking and being stupid." It bothered Jane that her friend seemed to have no desire to talk about this right now, and she felt like a heel for it. Sarcasm had always been a coping mechanism, and she knew it occasionally made her look like a first class jerk, however she didn't always feel regret.

Slender fingers took Jane's wrist, and she quickly caught the pulse, her eyes glued to her watch, counting silently. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

Jane knew avoidance when she saw it, and she knew that since Maura failed so epically at lying that the smaller woman would divert the conversation. "I didn't mean to hurt you," she said quietly.

The eyes that lifted this time were watery, but several blinks seemed to clear the majority of it before any tears could fall. "Jane, I know you didn't mean to." That much, Jane was sure, was honest, and she let it go for now. A stethoscope followed, and Maura listened to her breath for several moments before she was satisfied that everything sounded like it should and added to her notes. "You're still running a low fever, ninety-nine point four. And I won't be surprised if it spikes later this morning on in the afternoon."

"You're not sending me back to the hospital?"

Her friend shook her head. "I think we can reach a compromise."

Brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you mean by that? Slucky's not coming over, is he?"

Maura gave her a pained smile. "No, he's not. But I can tell you're already getting cold again," she replied, tucking a blanket back over Jane. "You still feel warm, and I'm serious about your fever coming back later. Plus, you need help to clean up and to manage the bandage changes. I know your parents have been great, and I still plan to be here a lot, too."

"Drop the other shoe," Jane begged, hating that Maura was right as she tugged the blanket up over her shoulder for warmth.

"I spoke with Byron, and he's agreed it's in your best interest to have a home healthcare nurse drop in each day. Eventually we'll cut it back to a few days a week until you're back on your feet. Well, on your feet in the metaphoric sense … and the literal sense." Maura traded the empty mug for a bottle of water.

Jane's brow wrinkled as she thought through this one. It definitely beat Slucky, hands down. "Make sure it's someone nice, huh? That can handle Ma when she's here?"

Maura nodded. "I have a few leads already, and I think I've found the right person. You're okay with this? I think it's the best solution. And if your fever goes up too much, we have options to care of it here, without needing to send you to the hospital."

The dark head nodded, settling against the pillow. "Don't really have a choice, do I."

"Well, it's either this or I'm hypothesizing that you could end up back at the hospital later tonight."

"You're not making a hypothesis. You know what you're talking about, Maura," Jane mumbled, not fighting the yawn.

Maura reached forward, gently tucking a wild strand of hair behind her friend's hear, frowning a little at the warmth she could feel radiating from Jane. "One more thing before you fall asleep again, drink down some of that water."

"It's so cold," the detective sighed, struggling to twist off the top and hating how weak she felt. She managed it on her second try, sipping a little and shivering as she felt it traveling down, cooling her further.

"It's better than a UTI, or an IV."

"Beside manner much?" Jane grumbled, sipping down several more mouthfuls. "Drink more later," she sighed, eyes slipping shut. She didn't really even acknowledge Maura taking the bottle and setting it on the nightstand, nor the scribble of the pen as her best friend added to her notes.