Author's Note: So, I sat down tonight completely intending to write for Puzzles, but my muse was clearly more Prometheus... so here is the next chapter.
For those reviewing, following and favouriting (and yes I know I just made up a word). Thank you as always for the incredible faith you have shown so early on
Tx
Prometheus: Chapter 4
She swept past her assembled audience briskly, avoiding their gazes of awe, puzzlement and shock and clenching her fingers tightly around the handle of the case of medical supplies to steady the tremor in her hands. She was still reeling from the encounter, still charged with adrenaline, knees tingling and a cool sweat emerging at the back of her neck.
All of them – Frost, Hinkler, Dr Jameson… even her other orderly Ms Chang had appeared at the window to watch the exchange, as if they knew something out of the ordinary would take place.
Maura exhaled softly, bringing herself to the remaining two occupied beds, busying her mind with the two folders that contained the medical history of the prisoners in them. Tasha Martinez, with cranial lacerations, severe concussion and compound fracture to both her radius and ulna, and Brodie Reece, three bruised ribs, bruised spleen and pulmonary oedema. And Rizzoli had – what, a concussion? She shook her head. This was hardly a prison brawl. This was a massacre. And Rizzoli had been weakened by her infection.
She pursed her lips as doubt fluttered through her stomach. Perhaps challenging this woman had not been the best move. She knew nothing about her.
"You like to play with fire, Doctor?" The unmistakeable drawl of Dr Jameson behind her caused her to start slightly, and she did her best to repress the cringe in her body. Slowly, she turned, clutching the clipboard from the inmate with the broken arm to her chest. His head was tilted slightly, his arms crossed across his chest, thin lips peeled into a smile.
Maura shook her head.
"No… not usually." She said. "But in this instance- and after earlier in the day, I thought it was important."
"To make an example." He offered. Maura shook her head.
"To demonstrate I was unafraid."
He nodded slowly at that, his eyes lifting up to the ceiling and lowering with his head in the same move. "And are you?" He asked, licking his lips. "-Unafraid…?"
Dr Isles paused for a moment, finding herself not entirely convinced as to what the Warden was referring to.
"I am confident in my assessment of her actions." She answered, in the end choosing the one that fit the question best. "They were instinctively defensive. But they were subconscious. I am… unsure… whether the same could be said for her when lucid."
"An appropriate level of caution." He said, his voice low. "And an advisable one, doctor." He moved to turn away but stopped. "My concerns from earlier today have been… allayed." He said, then continued back towards the corridor. Maura felt a breath of relief waiting to exhale until he paused, looking over his shoulder. She froze. "I hope you don't mind-" He added "-I asked Mr Hinkler to contact me directly when her temperature returns to normal. I intend to move her to isolation as soon as practicable."
Maura blinked. "So soon? Her stitches still need monitoring, she's still at risk of developing further infection-" The words tumbled out of her without her thinking, and she found herself both regretting she had said them, and regretting that she regretted it.
"This is not a hospital, Dr Isles." Jameson said, turning his head and watching her out of the corner of his eye. "It is a prison infirmary housing convicted criminals, who would kill you before giving you a second glance. You will need to adapt to that quickly." He flashed her another withering smile. "I would hate to have to replace you so soon."
Without further comment, Jameson disappeared down the hallway towards the exterior doors.
Dr Isles was attempting to rationalise the humour in the statement, her patient file still clutched around her chest, when Frost and her second orderly, Susie Chang inched their way into the main infirmary.
They stood side by side, Frost blinking faster than normal and Ms Chang barely blinking at all.
"That was… unusual." Frost's voice sounded first.
"That was… incredible." Came a smaller, softer voice chasing quickly after it.
"I don't even understand what that was…" Alex Hinkler appeared behind the two of them, wiping his forearm over his face and rubbing his fingers over his short hair.
Slowly lowering her clipboard, Maura allowed the beginnings of a smile to appear on her lips, which then broadened into a grin, then bubbled into a small chuckle.
"I know, I might just be the craziest infirmary doctor alive." She said
"It was stupid."
The fourth voice – one that Maura had not heard before, rose gruffly over the heads of the three already assembled at the mouth of the corridor. Frost's eyes flashed in recognition and he turned his head, stepping to the side to allow the figure to emerge – an older man, heavy set with short, silver hair and well-kept beard of similar length. She thought she caught a flash of surprise in his eyes, hooded by bushy grey eyebrows, when he stepped around the two orderlies and saw her for the first time.
"Dr Isles, this is the prison Sergeant, Vince Korsak." Frost introduced. Maura took a step towards him, remembering Frost's words from earlier in the tour – she would like this man.
However, she deduced that from the expression on his face and his posture, right now the feeling was not mutual. His hands rested loosely on his hips just above the gun enclosed in its holster at his side.
"Korsak this is the new head of the infirmary, Dr Maura Isles."
"Won't be for very long, if you keep pulling stunts like that." He said, with the same gruff tone as earlier. Maura shifted uncomfortably, "-and is it true I heard you let her out of the restraints earlier today?"
"Vince-" Frost appeared beside him, and Maura could see his eyes flicking uneasily between her and the uniformed man in front of her. "She was doing her job, she didn't know."
Korsak didn't look at Frost, he simply folded his arms over his chest and slightly tilted his head. "Well, you've got a steep learning curve if you want to survive here, Doctor." He said. "Rizzoli is an animal. Nothing more."
Maura felt herself bristling at the comment. "Frankly, the way I behave around my patients Sergeant is none of your concern." She said, slipping the patient files back into the brackets at the end of each bed. "You might be surprised how closely a Friday night in the Emergency ward resembles a place like this. Now-" Advancing a step, she mirrored his folded arms and raised her eyebrows. "While it is surely… a pleasure.. to meet you, is there something in particular that has brought you into my infirmary?"
She detected a small softening of his features at her defence. Perhaps there was hope for them after all.
"Yes." He said. "I am here to get statements from the other two girls here." He peered over her shoulder at the two unconscious forms. "But it would appear that I might be too early."
"It would." She agreed simply.
Nodding, Korsak stepped away. "I'll come back later." He said.
The Doctor watched him leave, her arms still folded over her chest and her right foot tapping absently on the linoleum.
"I'll call you if they regain consciousness." She offered after him. He lifted his hand in a wave, then continued on.
Hinkler and Chang had scurried to their respective corners of the infirmary like mice. Maura's eyes slid over to Frost, fixing him with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay." He said, putting his hands up toward her. "He really is a good guy, I promise-" A puff of breath left his lips and he raised his eyes to the ceiling, returning them to her as he rubbed his fingers over his forehead. "I shouldn't really tell you this, but – you'll find out anyway." He started. "The husband who was killed, who she killed… was his nephew."
"Oh." Maura's face fell, and she found herself instantly sympathetic to his earlier responses to her. "That must be very difficult." She said softly.
Frost nodded. "We don't speak about it, but when it comes to Rizzoli he is definitely…. Opinionated." She nodded again, and Frost added "-It's just a shame this was the first circumstance he met you."
"It is fine, Mr. Frost. Our professional courtesy still stands. I will notify him when the prisoners regain consciousness and perhaps our second encounter will be less." She searched for the appropriate word "-strained."
As it happened, it was well into the early evening before either of them woke and by that time, Korsak had already left. Maura had remained in her office most of the afternoon, reading up on recent patient history, meeting with Mr Hinkler and Ms Chang to learn more about them, and reviewing the remaining list of personnel on her file. She noted the three additional nursing staff – two full time and one part time – who she would make a point to meet over the next couple of days.
Leaning back in her chair the Doctor laced her fingers together in her lap and contemplated the infirmary through the glass windows that encircled the front of her office. It certainly was a world unlike anything she had ever imagined.
Her eyes dropped down to the one remaining file on her desk – the only one she was yet to open – and scanned over the inked notation in its corner.
'6559724 - Rizzoli. J.'
The Doctor tapped her index finger thoughtfully against the back of her hand, and bit down on the inside of her cheek. Then finally after several minutes of inaction she leaned forward, grasping the edge of the file in her fingers and slipped it back into the drawer of her desk, locking it shut. She gathered her bag, keys and phone, and tapped a quick message into it before pulling her blazer over her shoulders and stepping out of the door.