I'm finding it hard to keep track of all the information I'm putting into this... tell me if stuff doesn't add up and I'll try and fix it. _
Maura looked into the wing mirror of her Lexus to fix herself. Jane was back at the station, probably pacing and flexing her hands as she usually did when anything bothered her.
...Jane...
She pulled her hair back into an unruly bun, telling herself from her bland exterior she had to look the part. She was already clad in the orange overalls, she grimaced. Her face was bare of make-up, her body was shapeless and her Lexus soon felt foreign. Korsak was stood outside and Maura's breath quivered. She fumbled for her phone in the glove compartment, she knew she only had a few minuets.
Her hands held the device shakily. Maura knew she shouldn't, she'd tempt Jane to rush down to MCI, but last night wasn't enough.
She punched in the numbers clumsily, feeling the pressure build up in her, she had to keep her head, but she hadn't planned how she would feel.
Maura sniffed and rubbed her eyes of the moisture that had settled. It rang, the electric drone lasted two seconds before she heard Jane's raw voice down the other end.
"Rizzoli"
"...Jane..." Maura sat back and gulped down harshly, her hands shaking, they vented the nerves.
"Maura" Jane's voice went quiet but urgent.
"Janie, wish me luck?" Maura felt a stray tear stain her skin.
"I wish you all the luck in the world"
"Why do I feel that isn't enough?" Maura's voice grew weaker and more tears fell, she had to get a grip at least, she was only staying for a week, not a lifetime. The only crime she'd committed was calling Jane, it was a crime to them both... a punishment if you will.
"I bet you look good" Jane tried to lighten the mood, but her voice cracked in all the wrong places, betraying her emotion.
"Yeah, orange is a real eye catcher"
"Is that sarcasm I hear? Dr. Isles, I'm shocked" Jane laughed softly, the husk of it sent Maura a warm embrace of home, of comfort.
"Jane..." Maura breathed and saw Korsak beginning to turn, to say it was time. "Janie, I..." Maura's voice failed and she hung up as the door was pulled open. Maura sucked up the dramatics.
"Let's just go" Maura got out of the Lexus and Korsak tilted his head to look at Maura's butt. Maura felt his gaze.
"Another time Korsak" she was snappy and direct.
"Right" he coughed and walked with her into the prison. Maura closed her eyes before she entered for all to see.
"Korsak, tell Jane to feed Bass" she smiled and Korsak nodded once.
"You got it Doc..."
Maura scanned this new world with doe eyes, not matter how serious they claimed to be.
It was bleak, grey and stone, there was no colour apart from the orange overalls she wore to her distaste.
A warden guided her through, Maura's walk was limited to short shuffles, considering she was playing character not herself. The crazy woman that constantly needs to be in the hospital ward for 'supervision' she had to play it well, so they didn't see any cracks. Maura felt a cold sweat creep down her back as she walked with wolf whistles and crude comments snapping at her through the bars of the more public cells. Maura kept her eyes down, she gulped, she felt dozens of eyes stab her back and butt.
The warden banged on the bars to shut them up, but they called louder, screeching. Maura felt it attack her, wretch at her stomach she was going to have to survive this for a week? She really hadn't planned it through.
"This is you" the warden barked and stopped in front of a large white door, reading 'Hospital' in large grubby letters. Maura thought back to the identity she'd been given, her new name was Hillary Godard, she was emitted here after killing a young man, Jeff Harrogate, she'd been deemed medically unstable at her 'trial' it seemed bullet proof, for now. A nurse opened the door with a sly grin on her face, Maura guessed ever since Yamada had gone, they'd been running the ward.
"Hello" it was bitter sweet and nasal. Maura put it down to either a deviated septum or sinusitis.
Maura nodded once, keeping her face low, she'd been signed to work with Nurse Franklin.
"Nurse Franklin needs to see her" the warden's voice buttered at nurse.
"Right" she stalked off and a small framed woman, with copper choppy hair and a thin face greeted Maura with a knowing smile.
"Hi" she greeted and stood aside to let Maura. The first nurse, Gret eyed Franklin, like she was deranged.
"She's in my care Gret" Nurse Franklin rolled her eyes and guided the M.E to where the victims were now kept, it looked like a critical care unit, with large glass doors and a wall length window covered by blinds. Nurse Franklin's voice lowered and she looked behind her shoulder. Maura found herself pushing the doors open, franklin constantly looked over her shoulder. If Maura wasn't busy with getting to the patents aid, she would have noted this.
"Have they gotten worse?"
"Considerably" Franklin bowed her head and closed the doors firmly behind them
The room hung with the stench of bleach, probably due to the three women bringing up blood.
Maura's eyes fell onto Bella first, the young woman was almost yellow to the skin and groaning in pain, trying to muffle her own sounds by driving her head into the pillow.
Maura moved over and knelt by her bed, to examine her.
Bella felt a hand on her lower leg and eyed Maura weakly.
"Are you going to help?" Bella wheezed and too in a deep breath.
"Yes"
"Wait, your a..." Bella tried to rush her words but the sounds moulded into a groggy slur. All the young woman saw was a orange haze.
"...Talk later..."
Maura winced at her own words, it was lucky if Bella did have a later... by the look of her, she only had a few days left. Bella's face had began to swell. Maura tugged up the sheets and exposed Bella's ankles. They were swollen also, pink and blotchy.
Maura sucked in a breath.
"Has her hair been falling out?" Maura looked over her shoulder at Franklin and spoke softly. Nurse Franklin nodded, sober towards the situation and kept watch, in case of any other snooping nurse.
Bella groaned out in irritation his time, she heaved herself up. Maura leapt back. Bella scratched the skin of her neck roughly and Franklin rushed to stop Bella scratching at her already broken skin.
"Stop" Franklin warned and Maura's brow furrowed.
"She's been itchy too"
"We've had to bandage her arms, it's that bloody from the scratching"
Bella began to whimper and tears streamed down her face, Maura lent her head back and rubbed her face. Bella was crying loudly now. The other two woman groaned at her, grumpily.
"Nurse Franklin" Maura took Franklin aside, away from Bella and the others. "It's kidney failure"
"She's going to die?"
"We can prolong it, but she's in such a state with it..." Maura looked over to Tracy and then to Kelly Ford the latest inmate to be poisoned. "I'll try to save them..."
Franklin nodded once.
"You might want to start acting a little crazy" Franklin whispered kindly in light of the dark subject.
Maura frowned, but then realised, she was supposed to be mentally unstable.
"Will I have to go out onto the yard?"
"Most likely" Franklin patted her on the back. "Good luck"
Maura felt nausea hit her, communicating was one thing, rough women were another.
Jane leant back on her chair and rubbed her eyes. It was getting late, but she was worried.
A. About Maura
B. About her lead
C. How the hell was she going to get the puzzle finished if contact with the M.E was limited to chase prison visits and phone calls.
Kelly Ford was the third victim and hopefully the last. Jane felt regret sink into her skin, if she hadn't put Yamada behind bars, Maura wouldn't be trapped in the lions den.
Jane yawned and got Bella Gustafson up on her computer again, to scan her record. Frost walked past while leaving, he looked over his partners shoulder.
"Looking at it again?"
"Yeah, there has to be something..."
"Rather you than me if I'm honest, I'm beat"
"Yeah, well see you tomorrow" Jane wafted a hand absently in his direction in a lousy goodbye.
Jane's eyes bored into the information.
Bella had poisoned her ex, they knew that much. Jane sighed. Bella had pleaded that she was innocent throughout her trial and still said she was while in MCI. This woman was either really deranged or trying to cry out a false prosecution.
Jane knew Maura would be their inside informant, they'd know soon enough how the evidence would point to.
Jane clicked on a picture of Bella's ex, Tabitha. Something about her struck a chord with Jane. Her face looked similar to someone she'd seen before. Jane followed her hunch and clicked in to Tabitha's records.
Jane dug deeper and deeper, not aware of the time that drained away. It was around midnight when Jane finally decided to call it quits. There was something about the late Tabitha Malkam.
