Chapter 4

Two officers were crowded around Maura. Jane pushed them out of the way.

She really registered the sight of Maura now. She looked so frail crumpled on the floor, curled in on herself.

Jane reached for Maura's wrist. Feeling a pulse and then seeing Maura's chest rising and falling—Jane let out the breath she didn't even know she was holding. She made sure to smooth Maura's hair back with the lightest of touches, hoping to catch a look at her face.

"Maura," she whispered as gently as she could, lightly cupping Maura's face in her hands.

She was trying not to cry looking at the large cut on Maura's forehead, the nasty bruising around Maura's eye….the way her lip was sliced and the dried blood that made a path from her nose down her chin.

She took off her jacket and applied pressure to Maura's forehead to stem the bleeding.

"God, Maura, please, honey, please wake up," she said desperately, shifting so that Maura's head could rest on her legs.

Jane stroked Maura's cheek with one hand and ran a hand softly through her tangled curls.

"Maura, I'm here. Sweetheart, can you open your eyes for me?"

Maura's eyes started to flutter and Jane gasped.

"That's it, honey. I'm here."

Her eyes wondered fearfully, trying to take in her surroundings. The terror in Maura's eyes made Jane want to kill Pallegro, protect Maura from the world forever.

"Maura, look at me, it's okay, Maura, you're safe, you're safe," she repeated over and over, stroking Maura's cheek soothingly.

Maura's eyes followed Jane's voice, stopped on Jane's face and suddenly changed—they were light and full of love. There were those eyes Jane had been longing to see. Had it really only been hours? Not days, months, years?

Maura shut her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she managed a small smile for Jane.

"Hi, Jane," she got out.

Jane wiped a tear away quickly. "

Hey, you."

The EMTs were by them now.

"Ma'am, we're going to need you to step back."

But Jane could barely hear them, register that they were there. Everything in her screamed to stay by Maura and keep her safe. There were soon hands on Jane's arms, trying to pull her away.

"Alright, alright! But I have to stay right here, I have to be with her," Jane said firmly. "I have to stay with her."

The EMTs got Jane up and a few feet back so that they could work and Maura looked terrified again.

"Jane!" she cried out, and it killed Jane to see her searching, her hand reaching out where Jane had been a moment ago.

"It's okay, Maur. I'm right here." Jane tried to make her voice sound soothing, but she heard the desperation in it.

It took everything Jane had to stay glued to the spot and not run to Maura.

She turned to an EMT preparing the stretcher.

"I'm riding in the ambulance," she said, firmly.

And soon Maura was beside her again. Jane didn't let go of Maura's hand in the ambulance, as the doctor bandaged her injuries and stitched her face up, as the cops asked Maura the few questions that Jane permitted them to for the moment, as they rode home to Maura's in the back of Korsak's car.

Jane was thankful for every bone of Maura's that wasn't broken, for the way that Maura still welcomed Jane's touch. She cried when she was assured that Maura had not been sexually assaulted in any way.

Jane kissed the pinky and the middle finger that were broken on Maura's left hand, ran careful fingers over every bruise on Maura's legs, her back, her arms.

She made Maura a large cup of tea, then settled her on the couch in a huge blanket. The three minutes Jane left Maura to run a bath were very difficult. She kept thinking that when she returned to the living room, Maura would be gone again.

While Maura was in the bath, Jane balled up her sweatshirt and Maura's sweatpants that her Ma had raced to the hospital with so Maura would have something to change into.

Jane had the urge to throw them out, wanting to be rid of the memories of this night forever, but instead threw them in the washing machine and turned it on.

After a nerve-wracking twenty minutes she knocked on the door of the bathroom.

"Maura? You okay?"

"Yes," said Maura softly.

"Okay."

Jane paced nervously again, twisting her fingers together, not sure what to do with her hands.

"Jane?"

"Yeah!" Jane bolted back to the bathroom door, putting her hand on it as if this way she was closer to Maura.

"Could you actually…this is silly…I just…"

"What Maura? It's okay."

"I can't seem to get out of the tub on my own. I can't really balance with my broken fingers…and the bruising on my side….it hurts."

Jane bolted in without even stopping to think, towel at the ready. Maura leaned on Jane as she stood up and stepped out of the tub into the warmth of the towel.

"Sorry," Maura whispered, clearly embarrassed.

She stood there under the bathroom light's harsh glare, looking not even close to her usual self—hair wet and dripping, shivering, Her one eye was almost swollen shut, while angry red stitches marked her forehead.

Jane's heart hurt. She just wanted to hold Maura in her arms and never let her go.

"No, honey, there's nothing to apologize for," Jane said with a sad smile.

She reached out and tucked Maura's hair behind her ear. "I have everything to apologize for. And you shouldn't be sorry at all. Please."

Jane swallowed hard, moved her hand back down and stared at her feet.

"Jane," Maura said, her voice soft, tired. "You came. You found me. And I'm going to be okay."

Jane slowly looked up and Maura gave her a small, reassuring smile. She reached her hand out and Jane took it, gave it a squeeze.

"Can you just come sleep with me?" Maura asked. "I'm exhausted."

Jane smiled through the tears burning her eyes. "Of course, Maur. Of course."

I love reviews. They make my day and help me keep writing!