A/N: Little delay in this posting while I chased my kids around all over the place...17 & 13 are such fun ages! Busy, busy but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I hope you enjoy this continued look into Maura's and Jane's expectant times.
Disclaimers remain in place...these great characters are not mine.
Ch 10- Stay Awake and Talk to Me
I left my office to have a mid-afternoon cup of de-caffeinated hot green tea in the café with Angela making certain that Susie knew where I would be if anything pressing were to arise in my absence. During the seven months of my pregnancy, the periodic breaks had become somewhat frequent. Not every day, but typically I would find my way to the cafe for my coffee alternative two or three times during a week. Jane was out collecting a suspect in a case we had been working on for the last three days, so today I was going to spend time with my mother-in-law. She was so excited about the baby, as we all were, and these moments we had together were spent discussing final baby preparations.
"I love the way the nursery has turned out…despite you girls deciding not find out what that precious little bundle is! I don't know what we used to do not knowing if we were having a boy or girl! I'm so anxious! I just cannot wait to find out!"
"I know. It has been incredibly exciting to make choices and have so much surprise lingering around us. I think Jackson is even getting in to it. I think he may have been betting with his Uncle Frankie a couple of days ago! I heard him talking about 'odds against a brother' in his whisper voice." After a hardy round of laughs and several minutes of relaxing conversation, I saw Frankie come into the café. "Frankie. Come join us. Where is Jane? Is she with the suspect?"
Frankie's silence and subsequent deep breath put me on edge immediately. I knew…I knew.
"Where is she, Frankie?" My hands unconsciously grip the table, and my breathing slows in a vain attempt to make my wildly beating heart to calm. My eyes drifted to the front of Frankie's shirt which I see has reddish-brown moist stains on it. "Is that her blood? Is that Jane's blood on your shirt?"
"What? Oh, I guess," At my drastic gasp, he quickly continues, "Maura. She is ok, but she is en route to Mass General."
"Oh, God…I can't do this again…Janey!" Angela jumps up and grabs Frankie's arm as she blurts out her statement.
"Maur? Jane sent me to come get you. She didn't want you driving, and I think she needs you to get there. She was pretty outta control when they EMTs took her." At this he snickered, relieving some of my trepidation.
"What happened?" At my request, Frankie begins to tell me the events of the afternoon.
(Frankie's flashback)
"I'll take the lead," Frost said.
"Gotcha, Frankie you go in behind him, and I'll come in at the rear. Eyes open guys…let's go." Jane made sure the team was set before they entered the small building at the rear of the property looking for their suspect. They didn't expect any trouble, but you can never be too careful. Korsak and two uniforms were keeping the perimeter and back of the area under watch.
We went in, cleared the room with no trouble. Jane was last in, her gun at the ready. A small noise alerted her too late. She began to turn only to see a glimpse of a man with a board aimed at her head. The 2x4 weapon hit her soundly in the back/side of her head with a sickening sound and sent her flying to the floor. The blood started pouring from a large gash; Frost got to the guy before me, and I went to my sister.
"Janey! Jane! God, Frost there is a lot of blood, man!" I speak while keying open my radio mic so help can respond.
Jane starts to move around and mumble, "God damnit! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! That hurts! Shit!" She tries to sit up.
"Jane, stay down. Korsak heard the call and radioed for a bus. Just stay still." I pleaded with her.
"Damnit! I don't need an ambulance…Maura will be pissed! Shit!" She began wobbling around as she tried to stand. "Frankie…I think I'm going to be sick!" She began to vomit but was able to sit still and let the nausea pass.
Frost had the suspect cuffed and passed off to the uniforms before he came to check on his partner. "Damn, Jane. That was some hit you took. The gash is bleeding like a son-of-a-bitch…Frankie you have blood all over you. Jane, you owe little bro a new shirt…don't be cheap either. That looks like a shirt he probably spent like $10 on…one of his nice ones, ya' know?"
"Shut-up asshole!"
"Both of you shut the hell up…my head is going to explode, and you two are yapping like old ladies at a church social!" Jane's sarcasm goes a long way to making us feel better.
After the EMTs arrive and do an initial evaluation, they determine Jane has to go in for a cat-scan checking for a possible skull fracture and a VERY certain concussion. "I don't need a damn c-scan! I am fucking fine…peachy even! Let me go home…my wife is a damn doctor! Just stop the damn bleeding so she won't kill me before she helps me!" It took Frost and Korsak several minutes to calm her down enough to get her on the stretcher to head out. She cussed everyone within earshot the entire time and she could be heard still ranting even as the door shut. "Frankie! You go get Maura! Don't you DARE call her! You go get her, tell her I am OK, and bring her to me. Do you understand! Do NOT scare my wife and my baby!" Through the door I was pretty sure I heard something about "fucking perp", "fucking board", and "fucking" a few other things.
"So, I came to get you immediately." Frankie finished his recount in the car as he drove me to the hospital. He was clearly upset by all of the afternoon's events.
I put my hand over his on the console in a gesture of familial comfort. "Thank you, Frankie."
He let out a huge sigh. With a shaky voice, he began to speak again, "I was scared, Maur. It happened so fast. I don't know how we missed the guy! He was hidden, but it happened too quick…then she was just down. It sounded awful…and then the blood. Damn." He took another deep breath then managed a small chuckle, "Of course, when she started talking, I was less scared FOR her as I was scared OF her! She is mean…and she has a mouth on her!"
Now I could actually giggle with him. "Yes, she is! And yes, she does!"
At the hospital, I went quickly to the ER station nurse, "Detective Rizzoli-Isles, please? I am her wife."
The nurse looked at me with what I perceived to be great relief. "Dr. Rizzoli-Isles? Thank God and all His saints! Your wife is down the hall in exam 5, and can I tell you she is being a real pain in the ass? She hasn't shut-up since she was brought in, and we need her to calm down so we can run some tests. But she loudly told us all that nothing was going to "poke or prod" her until her "wife who is a doctor…and not just any doctor but the Chief ME for the god-damn Commonwealth" gets here to approve it…so on behalf of the entire Mass Gen emergency services staff, thank you and welcome to our living hell, Doctor."
I know that I should be embarrassed at my wife's behavior, but I am so happy that she is ok that all I can do is laugh. I'm certain the nurse thinks I am as insane as Jane, but I really do not care. If Jane is capable of being this bitchy then she is going to be fine. "Sorry for all of your trouble. Would you please take me to my wife now? I will make certain that she is more cooperative from now on."
"Then you, Doctor, are both a miracle worker and a saint…God bless you."
As we approach Exam 5, I hear Jane. "Get the damn electrodes off of me Dr. Jekyll! I am fine…just give me a fucking aspirin and let me go home!"
Walking through the open door, I take in the harried staff before I can see bloodied woman who makes my heart beat. "Jane. Stop…let the nurses do their job, and you will stop talking immediately."
She turns her eyes to me at the sound of my voice, "Maura! Thank God…you would not believe…"
"I said STOP. Not another word, Detective." She ceases her whines instantly. "Now, please excuse my wife's behavior and continue with your fine work. I thank you for your care, and although it isn't apparent right now, my wife thanks you as well." I address the staff with a sincere smile as I walk further into the room to be beside Jane.
Jane does not say another word until the staff has left the room, but she takes my hand the moment I reach her bed. Her grip is firm and her eyes find mine. I know that her tirade has much more to do with her fear than with anything else. Her hand in mine brings comfort to us both. When we are alone, I lean over to kiss her head…her eyes…her nose…and finally softly on the lips. "Hi baby."
"Hi, M. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to be here." Her voice sounds so small. I know she is guilt ridden right now.
"I know, Jane. I know. We are OK…we are all OK." I lean into her to gingerly hold her while Jane reaches for our baby to stroke and pat my swollen belly. "We are OK."
2 hours later:
With no fractures and lessening symptoms, the doctors reluctantly allow me to take Jane home. If I had not been a doctor, she would have never been released. I would have preferred a night in the hospital, but I know Jane well enough to know that she needed to be home more than she needed anything in the world right now.
"OK, your mother is going to keep Jackson for the night, so he will rest. You know the rules; I have to keep you awake for a few more hours and then I must wake you every hour for a time after that. It is going to be a long, long night, my dear."
"I am sorry, M. The last think you needed was to have to babysit me and get no sleep tonight." Jane looked sad and small.
"Sweetheart, I am your wife…this is not babysitting. We will get to spend some quality time together, and we will make more memories to share with our children. I've taken the next couple of days off, so we are just fine."
We get Jane cleaned up and in fresh clothes before we decide to lie on our bed. She tells me her version of the incident then we talk about other things for a bit trying to just calm our souls and spirits after the day we have had. After an hour or so, Jane began to get restless. "Jane are you alright? Are you in pain?"
"I ache, but really, I am just getting tired. The long days since the case started are startin' to catch up to me, I guess." Her eyes look a little glassy, but not from her injury...clearly she is beginning to fade with exhaustion. I cannot let her sleep for 12 hours after the injury which leaves me with close to 5 hours left. If this is getting difficult at 11 p.m., we may have a particularly long night ahead of us.
"Tell me a story." I decided the best way to keep Jane up was to keep her talking.
She gave me her confused look. "Excuse me? What am I, Mother Goose?"
"Well, I think it may help keep you awake and distracted if you talk; so I want you to tell me and the baby a story."
"What kind of story, M? You want me to just pull something outta my ass?"
"I prefer you keep your ass out of this, dear…tell the baby a favorite memory of yours. I think that would be fun. Maybe something I don't know about?"
Jane seemed to consider this for a minute or two then she proceeded to maneuver herself in the bed where we had lain so she could 'address' the baby. "OK munchkin…I have a story to tell you. A few months ago, I had one of my best days ever. I want to tell you about the day I first saw you." Jane's voice took on a loving sweet tone…I don't think I will be able to hear this story without shedding tears.
(Jane's flashback)
"Maur, sit still…you are acting…well, like me! Do you have ants in your pants?"
"Jane, my bladder is completely full! I am uncomfortable. Dr. McAfee needs to get here quickly." The cold room, cold crackling sheet over the exam table, and the lovely patient gown could not be making Maura's experience any better right now.
"I'm sorry sweetie. I'm sure she will be here soon." I hold her hand and begin to kiss her fingers. "I am so excited! I can't wait to see your face munchkin!" I stroke M's belly with my free hand.
"Oh, Jane! Please…don't touch me. I may not be able to control my functions much longer."
"Good morning, Ladies!" Dr. McAfee came breezing into the room with a bright smile. "How is the Rizzoli-Isles family today?"
"Good morning, Doctor. We are well with the exception of my extremely full bladder; I hate to be pushy, but can we please get to the sonogram?" Maura is clearly ready to go.
With a small chuckle Dr. McAfee walks toward the machine. "I understand, Maura. I'm sorry that you are uncomfortable. We will move along…now, do you ladies still have the same desires? You do not want to know the baby's gender?"
"Yea, that's right. My genius wife will not look until you give her the all clear…right, M?"
"I will do my best, Jane. Doctor if you will make your measurements and evaluations then let me know when I can view the sonogram without an angle to see gender, I would appreciate it."
"You two are quickly becoming my favorite patients! I don't think I've ever done this quite this way before…it will be fun!" The doctor had the machine in place and was now coming toward Maura. "OK, Maura. You know what to expect. Cold jelly…" She moved the sheet covering and raised Maura's gown. She put the special goop on her bare stomach. "Now, Jane. Let's take a look at this baby."
I look at Maura again. She smiles at me then closes her eyes. "Be my eyes, Jane. Describe what you see…please." I stand up so I can kiss my wife's beautiful lips.
"You bet…thank you sweetheart. Thank you for this…all of this." I sit back down as I hear the baby's heartbeat. Then I turn to see the screen. "Oh my God…"
I reach up to touch the screen... "God, Maura…the baby. Hi baby! Oh we love you…you are beautiful, so beautiful."
"There is the spine, the heart…toes, fingers…" Dr. McAfee makes moves and clicks on the machine taking measurements and checking out all of the things she needs to while she talks. "Baby looks perfect ladies."
"Ten little toes, M. Ten little fingers…they're moving. Oh that face! Baby, you are precious. You look like your Mommy. The baby has your nose M! I can see it!"
"Maura. I've adjusted everything for you…it is ok to look now."
"Maura, look at our baby…look!"
"Munchkin, I don't know if you are our son or our daughter, but I got to see you for the first time that day. Your legs kicked…it even looked like you tried to suck your thumb while we were watching. Your face is so sweet…you definitely have your Mommy's nose and I think you have her mouth, too. I hope you have her dimples! You are perfect. Absolutely perfect. You are our baby. Nothing matters except that you come see us in a couple of months healthy, safe, and sound. I love you so much…I am so proud to be your Mama.
"I'm sorry I got hurt today and upset your Mommy; I really try not to do that. I promise you that I will do my best every day of your life to come home safe to you and to your Mommy and brother. I want to watch you grow up. I want to be there for you every step. I want to teach you everything you need to know and hold your hand or kiss your booboos…whatever you need. I will be there. Like that first day when I knew you were in Mommy's tummy and the day I first heard your heartbeat and that day I first saw your face…I will be there. I will love you more tomorrow than I do today but not as much as I will the day after that.
Jane leans over and kisses my belly so very sweetly. I stroke her hair tenderly being cautious of her stitches. "I love you, Jane. Our baby loves you so much, too. Thank you for coming home to us tonight."
She looks up at me with a somewhat watery smile, "Always, M."
"How do you feel?"
"Better…calmer. Still sleepy but ok."
"How about we snuggle and watch a video for another hour or so…then you should be at a safe point to go to sleep. I will have to wake you up every hour for a while, but you seem to be doing well."
"I am better than 'well', M…I am in heaven. I have you and our kids…it couldn't get any better."
It is going to be a long night…but I wouldn't trade this time with Jane for anything. And thank God for that hard Rizzoli head of hers.
TBC...