Once again, you all have made me a happy camper with your reviews….and the sheer amount of people following is very cool. Thanks!
I have to add that we have a litter of 4 week old litter of pups right now, conveniently (or not so) located next to the computer. We show our dogs and have been waiting for this litter out of our two champions. If I am lax with updates, it's because I'm being bombarded by the cutest little terriers in the world who are just begging to be cuddled.
The bright sunlight pouring in the room causes me to bury my face in the pillow. I know I'm in Jane's bed; the thread count of her 250 cotton jersey sheets is much lower than the 1200 count I prefer.
As I leisurely stretch, I recall the first time Jane slept in my bed. Clearly platonic, she came to me seeking solace. She fell asleep instantly once we turned out the light. The next morning, she said it was the best sleep she's ever had and it must have been because of my "freaky deaky magic sheets."
I'm still not certain what she meant.
The antique clock next to the bed reads 2:30pm. Grabbing Jane's hippo, I shoulder her bag and hurry home to shower and change. I obviously didn't plan on falling asleep, but I have to admit that I feel much better. Sliding into my car, I take the hippo and place him protectively in the passenger seat. I resist the urge to buckle him in; obviously he could not sustain any life-threatening injuries if we were to be involved in a collision. I chuckle to myself; perhaps I could have used a few hours more sleep.
I manage to shower, change, and make one more stop before heading back to the hospital. It's much later than I expected to return. I hope that Jane has been able to rest and remain as calm as possible.
No such luck. I can hear the loud and heated voices coming from her room as I push the door open. Jane's small room is well over capacity. She is still in bed – barely – with Frank sitting in the chair next to her looking bewildered. Jane's face is flushed a deep red and her hands are waving all around her head.
Angela is standing toe to toe with a tall man in a suit and the two of them are exchanging heated words. Frost, his hands on his hips, is pacing while shaking his head. Korsak is yelling at another suited man, and the poor floor nurse is going from person to person apparently, (and unsuccessfully), trying to stop the commotion.
"Excuse me." My voice goes unheard. I become instantly angry. How dare they disrupt Jane like this – not to mention the other patients in this wing?
"ENOUGH!" I shout, my anger taking over. I pride myself on my ability to maintain a calm demeanor in virtually every situation; however, there is no chance of me remaining calm when it comes to Jane's well-being. My voice is so loud that I actually jump myself.
Silence overtakes the room, and I self-consciously tug the ends of my button-down shirt down. I decided to wear something more comfortable to the hospital, and chose my most comfortable shit and beloved Burberry slim-leg trousers. I actually purchased these for evenings out with Jane at the Dirty Robber. Consuming several drinks while wearing a dress is something I don't plan on doing again – at least not in public. Jane still has not let me forget the time I slipped while sliding out of the booth and landed in a very unflattering position. She was quick to help me up despite being doubled-over in laughter, and it was a relief to me when I realized that I had indeed worn appropriate undergarments that evening.
Everyone is still staring at me. Despite my attempts to remember a humorous moment in order to calm myself down, I feel my anger returning.
"Your behavior is unacceptable. Jane needs peace and quiet to recover from this life-threatening injury. I want everyone out of here, now." My tone is quiet, but forceful. I glare at each and every person in the room, except for Jane, her father, and the harried nurse. She scurries out of the room, and when no one else follows her, I open the door for them.
"You heard me. Out." The remaining people in the room remain in place. I turn my icy stare to Korsak, and it has the desired effect. He nods quickly at Jane and hurries out of the room. As he leaves the room, I hand him my car keys.
"I need everything in my trunk brought up here." I give him a small smile. "Please."
He nods. "I can keep Jo and the gang as long as you need. She's my little buddy."
"Thank you." He scurries out of the room with Frost easily following; but not before glancing at Jane and giving her a small smile. Jane is frozen on her bed, her hands suspended in mid-air. Her mouth is open in surprise, and her chocolate eyes are wide.
I turn my attention to the two suited men, whom I do not know. "Gentleman, I'm assuming you realize that Ms. Rizzoli was just involved in a terrible incident and needs some peace and quiet. I would appreciate if you would come back at a later date."
The taller man, who was arguing with Angela, approaches me. "Ma'am, we are here on official police business." His tone is condescending and I instantly dislike him.
The second man finally has the nerve to speak. "We're with Internal Affairs. We just need to ask Detective Rizzoli a few questions about the shooting." He glances to Angela. "Seems Mrs. Rizzoli didn't like our line of questioning."
"They had the nerve to accuse my baby of endangering the public!" Angela wails. "I told them where they could go. If they think for one second that Jane did anything wrong.."
"Mrs. Rizzoli," the tall man starts, "we are here to investigate the events of the shooting to determine if Detective Rizzoli acted in the best interest of the department as well as upheld her duty to keep the public safe.."
"I was being held hostage by a member of the department." Jane interrupts. "What was I supposed to do, let him shoot me? Let him open fire on all the other officers?"
My anger now bubbles over the surface and I can't contain it.
"GET OUT." I shout as I advance on the tall officer. "Finish your questions tomorrow." I point to the door. "There is nothing left for you to discuss."
At my outburst, Frank stands up and walks over to my side.
"You heard the lady. Buzz off, leave my daughter alone." He places a hand comfortingly on my shoulder.
"Ma'am, you have no right to tell me how to do my job." He responds. "I have questions to ask Detective Rizzoli, and I will ask them."
"I know I don't have a right to tell you how to do your job." I answer coolly. "But I believe that the Chief of Internal Affairs is still Thomas Daly, correct?"
The shorter officer looks nervous, as he should. Chief Daly is well-known for being very tough on his officers, and his department has the highest turnover rate of any in the BPD.
"My father and Chief Daly are good friends. I'm sure he would not want to hear of your abusive and ill-timed questions to my good friend here." I smile sternly at the two men. "There is a time and a place for everything, gentleman. I suggest you choose another time and place for this discussion. Do you understand me?" My insides are quaking, and I feel my façade start to crumble. My hands clench the bottom of my shirt and I wonder why I didn't decide to wear something with shorter sleeves. Is it ninety degrees in here, or is it just my body's natural reaction to my anger?
The officers leave without another word. I feel myself sinking to the floor and hear Jane's voice ringing in my ears. "Dad – catch her!"
I vaguely feel Frank's arms stop me from hitting the floor, and I manage to stand upright on my own. Brushing off his hands, I feel my face flush and clear my throat.
"I'm fine; I just need to eat something. I'm clearly suffering from a moderate case of hypoglycemia, given my symptoms of irritability, anger, dizziness, and fatigue." I attempt my most convincing smile, but I can tell that Jane's parents are skeptical.
"She's gonna make it." Jane states seriously. "She's spouting useless trivia and medical jargon. Back to normal." She flashes me a wide smile to let me know she is joking.
Korsak and Frost arrive, toting all of my bags. I didn't realize I had packed so much. Still unsteady on my feet, I manage to shakily walk to Jane's bedside and sink into the dreaded chair. Jane grabs my hand and gives me a hearty squeeze. Her energy level seems to have improved, which is a very good sign.
"Hey." She greets me seriously, but her brown eyes are dancing with laughter. "You okay?"
I foolishly grin at her. "Yes."
"Are you moving in here or something?" She continues, her low voice still serious as she glances around me to see the bags sitting in the middle of her room.
I shrug. "Would it upset you if I did?"
"No." She shakes her head quickly, her eyes lighting up. "No, not at all." Her resulting smile makes me feel even weaker inside.
"Ma, why don't you and Daddy head home for the night?" Jane suggests hopefully. "Thank you so much for keeping me company all day, but Maura will take over from here."
Angela looks as if she's going to protest, but doesn't. She gives me a strange and unsettling look before kissing Jane goodbye. Frank follows her to the door.
Korsak plops down on the edge of Jane's bed. "So, Doc, what's in the bags?"
Jane kicks him. I see from her grimace that the motion resulted in obvious pain, but she acts as if it was worth it. "Don't be nosy. The two of you need to skedaddle."
"C'mon, you can buy me a beer. I need one after that." Frost is still clearly angry from the altercation before with the IA officers.
They say their goodbyes, and shuffle out.
Jane and I both visibly sigh and our eyes meet.
I have heard people describe someone's gaze as 'electric'. The term has always been confusing to me, but as I gaze into Jane's lovely dark eyes, I feel almost a current run through my body which instantly warms me. Her lashes are jet black and long against her pale cheeks, and I can't help but think that she is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.
"Did you get everything?" She asks me, her voice soft and husky.
"Yes." I whisper. "Your hippo is safe."
She smiles bashfully. "You probably think it's stupid."
"Oh no, never." I respond truthfully as I unzip her bag to find the hippo sitting carefully on top. "I made him ride in the passenger seat on the way over here so he wouldn't get crushed." Handing her the stuffed animal, she clutches it to her chest.
Her wide eyes, so childlike as she hugs the hippo to her chest, meet mine again. "His name is Hungry."
"Like the country?" I question. "That's an unusual name."
"Right." Jane says seriously. "Like having a pet turtle named Bass is so normal." She smirks. "Tortise, I mean." She corrects herself before I can.
I grin at her.
"His name is Hungry, like the game." She responds, obviously assuming I understand what she's talking about.
"C'mon, Maur. You don't know the game Hungry Hungry Hippos?" Clutching the blue hippo in her hands, she shakes her head sadly. "We are playing it as soon as I'm out of here. We played it all the time when I was a kid. I was the best, could beat anyone in my family. That's why I got this guy here. My dad bought him for me because I was so good at that damn game."
"Thank you for trusting me with him." I smile fondly at her. "I'm honored that you would trust me with something you obviously consider very special."
"You're my best friend." Jane answers. "I trust you with everything."
As she gazes into my eyes, I wish I knew what she was feeling and thinking. Deciding to take the plunge while she is fully awake and present, I tell her again.
"I love you." My voice is tremulous and I feel my hands start to tremor; a symptom both of hypoglycemia and anxiety.
"Didn't we already do this?" Jane teases. "I know I was practically unconscious, but I remember having this same conversation with you." She keeps one hand firmly clutched around Hungry, and reaches the other toward me. I take it, and notice her hand has a slight tremor as well. "Seriously, Maur, you know that I love you, right?"
I nod my head. "I know we are very good friends and that we have a very good working relationship."
She sighs. "Of course. We are best friends, and professionally work great together. But you know I love you, don't you?" She cocks her head and grits her teeth. "Like I love you, love you."
Tilting my head, I furrow my brow. "I don't understand."
"Geez, and all these years I thought you were some kind of genius or something." She smiles. "Maybe it took me almost killing myself to not be afraid to tell you or to act on my feelings. I love you. I'm in love with you. I want to be with you. I want a relationship with you." Jane looks eerily calm, her intense brown eyes holding mine captive.
My mouth opens in shock. I had been so hopeful that Jane would feel this way, but honestly did not expect to hear her say the words.
"Okay." I nod, unable to say anything else.
"Okay." She nods back, still very serious.
We sit there, staring into each other's eyes as the second hand on the clock ticks away. Jane's hand has stopped shaking and sits quietly in mine. The blue hippo smiles his toothy grin and all is right with the world.