A New Path
By RandomGnome
Note: After a very long hiatus, I am back. This isn't my usual fair, but bless Hulu, it has S1 – S6 of Rizzoli and Isles and I finally got to watch all of them. After watching the whole thing, I decided that it could use with a little Rizzles and some re-writes of episodes. I hope you enjoy it. All mistakes in editing are mine alone (editing sucks!) The characters are not mine and I do not own anything but the story plot. Mostly.
Chapter Ten: Waiting (Lost & Found, intermission)
Jane didn't regain consciousness on the way to the hospital. She realised that she'd left her phone in Jack's car when went to call Angela. She didn't worry too much, though, because she knew that either Vince or Frankie would do it. She figured Jack would meet them at the hospital, too, so that would be okay. She answered all of the EMT's questions concerning Jane's normal health and well-being. She'd learned a great deal the day she'd gone with her to the OB-Gyn appointment. The strangest for her was that it felt almost normal to know that much about someone she loved and was planning on raising a child with. She could only hope whatever had happened in that building that the baby was okay. The idea that it might not be, that Jane could be hurt enough to miscarry was enough to bring tears spilling out of her eyes. Maura had to blink hard several times to make them stop.
No, thinking like that wouldn't do any good for anyone. She would just have to be as positive as she could, until they knew more.
They reached the hospital quickly, though the ride seemed to go on forever. Once they were there, Maura laid a sweet kiss on Jane's forehead, then she allowed the EMTs to unload and followed them inside. Once inside the Emergency Room, she knew that she had to let Jane be treated, so she asked and was directed to the waiting room. The attending physician assured her that he would send someone to find her - and any family - once there was news. He was a nice man whom Maura had not met before and his calm demeanor helped to sooth her own. She thanked him profusely and then remembered to ask after Tasha.
"She was taken directly to surgery," he told her. "Not to worry, the detective who was with her gave us as much information as he had. I'll talk to the surgeon and make sure that you're given an update as well."
"Thank you, so much." Maura couldn't think of anything else to say, although thanks didn't seem nearly enough for what she was feeling.
After that, it was a waiting game. Frankie joined her in the waiting room not long after she sat down. He'd been in the surgery theatre, doing his best to make sure that Tasha was going to be okay - for Jane's sake. When he entered, Maura got to her feet and they embraced hard.
"I called Ma," He told her, "and she's on her way."
Maura could only nod. They sat down together, in silence, and waited. Angela joined them about 15 minutes later looking harried and afraid. She hugged Frankie first, then stood with him at arm's length and looked him up and down. Relief suffused her face and she embraced him again. Then, she turned to Maura and opened her arms. The smaller woman went to her because she needed this as much as Jane's mother did. She loved Angela nearly as much as if she were her own mother.
"Do we know anything?" The older woman asked when she pulled back.
"No." Maura shook her head. "She hasn't been back there very long, though."
Angela just nodded her head. "I called Tommy, but he's at work and can't get away for a while. He'll be here as soon as he can."
Maura nodded. Of course he would be, because Tommy loved his big sister.
It took almost an hour before Jack came rushing into the waiting room, Maura's phone in hand. She hugged him, too, grateful that he'd come. "Anything?" He asked. She shook her head.
"They have to ascertain the exact nature of her injuries," Maura told him, "since nobody but Jane knows what happened."
"Okay." He looked over at Frankie, Tommy (who had arrived sooner than expected), and Angela who were all trying to look like they weren't interested and were failing. It was such a Rizzoli thing to do that Maura had to keep herself from smiling. Now wasn't the time. "Hey, uh, I can't stay." Jack told her. "I'm sorry, but I have to go pick up my daughter or my ex-wife will skin me alive."
"Oh...Okay." Maura couldn't help but to be disappointed. She understood, though. "Thank you for coming anyway. And thank you for driving earlier."
He smiled grimly and gave her a nod. "Let me know when you have news? I don't care what time it is. Okay?"
"Okay."
He gave her another hug and then left. Maura went back to the seat she'd been sitting in and waited for the questions to begin. To her surprise the only person who said something was Tommy.
"Who's that?"
"That's Maura's new friend, Jack." Angela told her son in a tone that clearly put an end to the questions.
"I met him at the college when I was teaching my seminar." Maura told Tommy. "He and I have a lot in common and he is the one who drove me to the scene today. He wanted to stay, but he has a daughter and needed to pick her up."
"Oh. Okay." That was all Tommy needed. He relaxed back into his chair.
Sergeant Korsak arrived just in time to get the first report from Tasha's surgeon.
The doctor looked tired, but triumphant. "She is a very lucky girl. If detective Rizzoli hadn't acted as quickly as she did, I don't think she would have made it. She lost a lot of blood, but she's A+, so we had enough packed red cells to give her. We got the bullet out - don't worry, we put it in an evidence bag for the police - and now all that's left is to repair the damage it caused. It's going to take a while, but I'll have someone let you know when we are done."
Maura looked at the assembled friends and family and said loud enough so that they could all hear her, "Please, let me know if you need any more blood, I'd be happy to donate."
The rest of the group echoed her and the doctor gave them all a huge smile. "What a lucky kid, to have all of you so vested in her recovery. Thank you." With that, she left.
When Jane's doctor finally found them, they were all practically champing at the bit for news. Maura saw him emerge first and got to her feet quickly. The others followed suit and everyone was standing when he came to them.
"Doctor Isles," he greeted her with a smile. To the rest of them he said, "Hello, I'm Jane's doctor - Doctor Elspeth. You must be her family." Everyone nodded. Angela was gripping Tommy's hand in horrified anticipation. "Well, first I just wanted to make sure everyone here is aware: Jane is fine. She's hurt, but she will heal."
"What about the baby?" It was surprisingly Frankie who asked this and not Angela.
Doctor Elspeth smiled. "The baby had some distress, caused by Jane's injuries, but once we were able to give her something safe for the pain and get her on some concentrated oxygen, everything smoothed right out. At the moment, Jane is asleep, which is what is best for her. We are working on getting her a room."
"A private room, if you please," Maura told him. She knew that Jane couldn't really afford her own room, but Maura could and would pay if it meant her girlfriend would be more comfortable. Doctor Elspeth inclined his head.
"When can we see her, Doctor?" Tommy asked.
"Once Jane is settled in her room, you can see her one at a time, for a few minutes. She probably won't wake up until tomorrow, but hearing all of your voices will help. An aide will be down to show you to her room as soon as possible."
They all thanked him and once he had left, the all let out quiet cheers and the hugging began. Angela saved Maura for last and held on to her tightly. She whispered, "She's okay. Our girl is okay." Maura had to fight back tears.
No more than ten minutes later a tired-looking aide in bright pink scrubs found them and took them up to the second floor, down a long hallway, past a nurse's station and to the private wing.
"Doctor Elspeth said that you can go in one at a time, for a few minutes, but don't disturb her, she needs to sleep." The aide told them. He was a young man with a buzz cut and a black goatee. Pink scrubs didn't really become him. He also seemed to be swaying on his feet. Maura wondered if he were working a 24 hour shift. She remembered those from her time in med school. Angela noticed it as well and while the men too, their turns in Jane's room, she made the young man take a seat on the bench in the hall. He tried to refuse, but Angela used her mothering powers on him.
The men decided that on a basis of age, Korsak would go first. The older detective wasn't in the room more than a couple of minutes, but when he came out, he was smiling and nodding to himself. Frankie went in next. Vince sidled up to where Maura was standing. He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.
"She's gonna be just fine, Maura." He told her. "She's young and strong and stubborn." Maura nodded in agreement. "Oh and just so you know - I'm glad that you and she have finally acted on all that flirting over corpses."
Maura's head shot up and she stared into his kind blue eyes. "H-How do you know?" To her knowledge, Jane hadn't told him yet - she'd been waiting for the right time.
He chuckled lightly. "It's as plain as the nose on your faces. And, I saw you kiss her at the scene."
"Oh." She let out a sigh. "I know that Jane wanted to tell you. I'm sorry she didn't get the chance."
He nodded his head. "Just tell me one thing, Doctor Isles. Will this affect the way that you do your job in any way?"
"Absolutely not. We've been seeing each other for several weeks now and if you haven't noticed a change in the way we do things, I daresay you won't." Maura was confident in this. She and Jane had both agreed on the utmost propriety while on the job. It wasn't always easy - like today - but they both knew it was for the best.
"Good. And you're right, I haven't noticed anything. I'd say this is one relationship that I can get totally behind. However, I won't say anything to brass about it." He assured her.
"Thank you, Vince." She murmured, feeling tears in her eyes again that she blinked away.
"Any time. I'm going to head home, if you don't mind. I'll come see her when she's awake."
"Of course. Thank you for being here." Maura allowed herself to be hugged once more.
"Jane's family. And so are you." He said, then turned and walked back towards nurse's station and the way out.
Frankie came out of the room and clapped Tommy on the shoulders. Tommy grinned at his brother and took his place in the room. The middle Rizzoli went to his mother and rescued the poor aide. Angela hugged him hard and he rubbed her back, reassuring her.
Tommy wasn't in long - just enough time to confirm for himself that his sister was okay. He hugged his mother too, then came to Maura. He gave her a half-smile and watched Angela walk slowly into the room. "She hardly looks hurt," Tommy told her. "It's not like the other times." Tommy hadn't been able to see Jane when she'd been in the hospital after Hoyt, nor had he been out of prison when Jane had shot herself to get away from a dirty, murdering cop who was holding her hostage. Maura had to push those thoughts away because she'd been there for the shooting and it was still painful to think about.
"I know. If Doctor Elspeth said she will be okay, I believe him. I want to see the report - I need to know exactly what her injuries are." Maura confessed.
Tommy nodded. "If they tell you, will you let me know? I'm no doctor, I know, but I would still like to know. I'm just glad..." his voice broke, "the baby."
"So am I."
Tommy put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Why don't you go in there with Ma? I'm sure they won't yell if it's just the two of you."
Maura nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Tommy."
"You'll tell Janie we were all here? When she wakes up, I mean."
"Of course."
"I really wanna go home and hug TJ." He admitted.
"Then go, Tommy. I'll text you when she's awake, okay."
"Thanks, Maura. You know, Janie's really lucky. I'm happy that you two are a thing, now."
"You're a fantastic brother," Maura reached out and hugged him. "Go home, Tommy. Get something to eat and give TJ and extra hug from me and one for Jane."
He grinned at her, gave her a nod, and then followed Korsak's path back to the elevators.
Maura then walked over to where Frankie was leaning against the wall next to Jane's room. He didn't say anything to her, just indicated the room with his chin. Maura paused to put a hand on his chest. She had heard that he'd fired the shot that killed the man trying to kill Tasha. She didn't have any words to engulf what she was feeling. He just smiled and put his hand over hers for a moment. Then she silently slipped into Jane's hospital room.
Angela was at Jane's bedside, holding her hand. "The doctor says you're gonna be okay, Baby. He says that you're hurt, but you're strong and healthy."
The smaller woman put her hand on Angela's shoulder and the older woman jumped in surprise. "I'm sorry to startle you." Maura apologised quietly. She paused for a moment, listening. They had hooked Jane up to a foetal monitor and a low, steady whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh sounded next to Jane's head; it was the sweetest sound Maura had ever heard in her life. Angela put her free arm around Maura.
"Isn't that the best thing you've ever heard?" Angela asked with happy tears in her voice.
"It really is. She looks better than when I saw her earlier." Maura told her. It was true. It appeared that Jane had been washed down and changed into a hospital gown.
They stood over Jane in silence, then, just looking at her. Maura didn't know what Angela was thinking, but she was gazing at the woman she loved and promising herself that she would never let Jane out of her site again. She wanted to reach out and touch her, to stroke her cheek, or run her fingers through the mane of Jane's hair. She ached to kiss her, to hold her.
"Honey," Angela spoke. "I am going to stay here, tonight. Do you wanna go home? Maybe get something to eat?"
Maura sagged against the older woman. She very much wanted to go home and shower, maybe get a turkey sandwich. She didn't want to leave Jane. She knew that she needed to take care of herself as well. A shower and a change of clothes wouldn't take too long.
"Are you sure? I could be back in an hour, 90 minutes tops?"
"I just know that you've been at work all day, Maura, and then you had to be at the crime scene. I'm sure you need to decompress - you can't do that in a place like this." Angela said, sweetly.
"I don't want to leave her." Maura finally admitted, her voice breaking.
The older woman tightened her hold on Maura. "I know you don't, sweetheart. But she's not alone and I don't plan on leaving at all tonight."
Maura sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "Would you like me to bring you anything?"
"My phone charger, please. And maybe something to eat?"
Maura nodded slowly. "I can do that." Angela let her go and she straightened. She had a purpose now. She could do something to help someone that she cared about, even if that person wasn't the one she wanted to help.
"I'll be back, soon." She confirmed. Then, she backed out of the room as silently as she'd come.