Chapter eleven

Jane was lying on her stomach on the hospital bed, a little dazed from the medication she had been given on the ambulance ride. There was a doctor still working on the cuts on her back and shoulders. Hundreds of stitches they had said. She didn't seem to have any broken bones but they hadn't done any xray's yet, they wanted to take care of the lacerations. Said lacerations covered her entire torso and arms. She still was wearing her jeans but they were torn and bloody, so she suspected that she was also cut up badly under it.

Vince was sitting on a plastic chair by the bed. He hadn't spoken since he walked inside the room but Jane felt there was something, somewhere she needed to be.

''Vince...'' She said and realised her voice felt thick like there was sandpaper in her mouth. ''Vince...''

''Yes Jane?'' He asked, his eyes caring as he turned his big body fully towards her.

''I have to go...'' She said thoughtfully. ''Tommy is bringing TJ at ma's tonight, gotta go see him...''

''Jane...'' Korsak said sadly. ''Jane, Tommy brought TJ at Angela's ten days ago.''

At first Jane thought that maybe she had lost part of her memory but then she realised that this was not what Korsak was saying. ''Wh-what?'' She whispered, unable to process it.

''Jane, do you know what day it is?''

She shook her head. ''Course I know, it's Friday,November 12.'' She saw Korsak's reaction and her eyes widened.

''It's November 23, Jane.'' He said quietly. He lowered his head in his palms. ''You and Dr Isles went missing on the evening of November 12.'' He paused as Jane pushed herself up, not bothered that she was standing in front of him with just her jeans and sport's bra. ''You've lost so much weight...'' He said and she looked down at herself, realising he was telling the truth.

A nurse walked inside the room, interrupting the conversation, setting a small cup of water and a series of pills in front of her.

''What is that?'' Jane rasped.

The nurse was a small woman, who reminded Jane a lot of her favourite Dr, Maura Isles. Her eyes were brown and sympathetic as she casted a questioning glance towards Korsak and back to Jane.

''You can talk...'' Jane said, Korsak's presence her list worries.

She pointed towards a round shaped capsule. ''This is an ECP.'' She said quietly. ''This is the strongest we have and considering the amount of time you have been gone it might not be 100% percent effective but it is still better than nothing.'' Her gloved finger trailed to the pill on the other side. ''This is a PEP. You don't know what you were exposed to and until you do you need to be careful. Your insurance covers the full treatment plan-''

''But I-'' Jane interrupted then stopped. She glanced at Korsak who didn't seem to understand what the two women were talking about and maybe it was better that way. She ground her teeth. ''Why are you...was there anything suggestive of...'' She couldn't bring herself to say it.

''We got a chance to examine you. You were unconscious the first minutes after they brought you in. We found suggestive injuries and tears that led to your attending doctor prescribing such medication. '' She looked around, her eyes settling on Korsak. ''It would be best if you left, Detective.'' She said evenly and he nodded, rising to his feet but confused. She turned back to Jane, who had dropped her head in her palms. ''I need to take your clothes and give them to the police, also take you upstairs of xrays and continue the previous examination, if I have your consent.''

Korsak didn't hear Jane's reply, he was already out of the room and walking down the corridor, angry tears stinging at his eyes. The woman in that hospital bed was his partner and she had obviously been tortured for days. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad that she couldn't remember any of it but it surely harmed the investigation, since they had no other clue. Angela should be there any minute and there was someone else he needed to check on.

Frost was already in the room when he walked inside, helping Dr Isles hold the ice pack to her face. The woman's eyes turned to him immediately, relaxing in recognition. ''Detective Korsak!'' She gasped. ''How's Jane?!''

''She...'' He paused, shaking his head. ''How are you Dr Isles?''

''She doesn't remember anything.'' Frost announced, rising to his feet.

Korsak turned to him. ''Frost, why don't you go find Jane and Angela? I'd like to talk to the Dr myself.''

Something of a teasing nature almost left Frost's lips but he immediately regretted it, solemnly nodding as he left.

''How are you Doctor Isles?'' Korsak asked, sitting down on the chair next to the bed.

''I'm...perplexed.'' Maura answered honestly. ''The memory loss suggests we were drugged but I still don't have the tox screen results. ''Does Jane remember anything?''

Korak shook his head. ''Absolutely nothing.''

''How badly hurt is she?'' Maura asked, concern colouring her voice. Korsak thought that the interest, despite it being mutual, seemed to be a little odd for someone being simply a coleague. Yet he knew the two women were close friends so he kept his opinion to himself.

''It's bad...'' He muttered. ''Doesn't look life threatening but she's in a bad shape. And her hands...'' He shook his head and reached for an envelope on his breast pocket. He paused before opening it and extracting a single photo. He held it against his chest briefly. ''I hate to show you this, Dr, but it might jog your memory.'' He handed Maura the photo gently. ''Someone sent this to us about three days after you two dissappeared.''

Maura felt tears roll down her face as she took in the picture. It was Jane, her shirt gone, her white top stained in blood that made it look crimson on the first glance. Her arms were chained over her head, her body limp and dangling. A matching pair of steel scalpels protruded from her palms. A tear escaped and splashed down onto the paper. Korsak took it away and returned it to the envelope. ''We thought she was dead...'' He said evenly. ''She looks dead.''

Maura nodded but she couldn't find her voice to speak. Her Detective, her precious beautiful detective lifelessly hanging there, if even she could be reduced to this then anyone could. She wanted to take the person in the picture in her arms and comfort her. She needed to go and see her in order to convince herself that Jane was really alive.

''I can't remember anything!'' She sobbed when she finally managed to force the words between her teeth. ''I remember talking to a reporter then I remember opening my eyes in this strange room and then...'' Korsak waited patiently for her to continue. ''Then it was Jane and she run to me and she... she did this!'' She motioned towards her bruised face. ''And I...'' She gulped. ''I don't even know why!''

''Jane did this?'' The Detective asked. He ground his teeth. What in the world had happened to them. Maura nodded quietly through the tears, taking deep shuddering breaths.

''I just can't remember anything...'' She said, lowering herself on the bed. Her heart was trying to force its way out of her chest, pushing further and further against her ribcage. Her Jane was hurt, lying somewhere and she needed to be with her!

''It's okay...'' Korsak tried to console her. ''I'll go take a look at the crime scene, let you know whats going on.'' He turned to go but regretted it, stopping and turning to Maura. ''Dr Isles?''

''Y-yes?''

''It's something the doctors have been talking about ...what does ''ECP'' stand for?'' He asked.

Maura's eyes turned into the cool scientist eyes he was used to. ''It could mean a number of things but the most common use of it is Emergency Contraceptive Pills, why do you ask Detective?'' She stopped just as the words left her mouth and her heart collapsed as realisation sunk in.

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Lk