CHAPTER 11
In the last few months Maura got to know Jane fairly well. Jane was very temperamental. Very irritable, impatient and quick to anger. Of cause if you stick around long enough around the foul mood Jane, her general good nature will peek out. The hard gleam in her eyes will make way for a mischievous glint and always plenty of humour to share.
Maura did not expect Jane to particularly enjoy the desk duty. However Captain Murphy was trying to make amends to his role in Jane's discharge. He asked the lieutenant to involve her in current cases, to let her help where she could without sending her out of the field. Jane could coordinate efforts, review material as it became available and even help with interviews. This made Jane solemnly declare Maura to be the best doctor ever and that she will never ever look at another doctor again.
Maura smiled softly at the detective, taking the praise to heart. She hated taking care of live patients, but Jane was certainly an adventure. She was slightly concern that Jane might neglect her therapy while she was caught up in the bullpen wheel. However, Lieutenant O'Brien did not know Jane from yesterday. He made sure that here scheduled sessions was part of her duties that she needed to perform.
Jane caught up with Maura as she was leaving the lobby a few weeks later.
"Maura! Drinks tonight?" she asks friendly.
Maura's liver was still recovering from the previous evening and she are sure that Jane's liver was also begging for a break.
"Dinner." She made a counter offer.
"At the Robber?" Jane asks in mock innocence.
"The Deli." Maura offered.
Jane rolled her eyes. "Ma's" she tried to steer away from the organic food that Maura seems attend on shoving down her throat.
Maura contemplated this for a moment and then agreed. At lease Angela do believe in vegetables and salad. Maura has been involved with the Rizzoli's long enough to know that Angela always craved extra guests.
As expected Angela greeted her with open arms and accepted Maura's wine gracefully. She put the girls to work. Angela is yet at the point where she will allow Jane to use a knife, so Maura is assigned to do the necessary chopping. Jane have to man the pots and stir where it is needed.
The women are cheerfully chatting until Jane gives a loud hiss and drop a lid on her foot. That is the start of a string of profanities that will make a sailor blush.
"Janie!" Angela screeches.
"Fuck, Ma! I am not a baby!" Jane growls.
Maura goes to examine her hand. Jane tries to wave her off. "I am fine! It is not that my hand is pinned to the pot by a scalpel."
Angela teared up at the inappropriate joke and excused herself. Maura shot Jane a glare and shake her head disapprovingly. She leads the detective to the sink and places her hand under cool running water. She examines the hand closely in silence, but diagnoses it as a small first degree burn with steam that does not require further medical attention. She is busy drying Jane's hand when Angela returns.
Maura glare at Jane. Jane is not fazed and simply glares back. Maura then raises her eyebrows and rolls her head in Angela's direction. Jane relents and go over to Angela.
"I am sorry, Ma. I am being a jerk." Jane apologizes.
Angela gives a sad smile and Jane gives her a hug.
When Jane did not show with the customary drink request, Maura went to her apartment to make sure that she is okay. Maura smiled outside the door when she heard some muttered curses from the inside. Jane is just being Jane again. She knocks on the door.
"Come in, Maura!" Jane calls.
"How did you know it is me at the door?" Maura asks amazed.
"You normally show up to tuck me into bed." Jane answered sarcastically, fumbling with something in her lap. "I did wash behind my ears and did brush my teeth, Mother Maura."
Maura rolls her eyes, a habit she picked up from Jane. "Jane, what are you doing?" she asks curiosly.
"Practising." Jane shrugged, lifting the pistol and cocking it with effort.
"Jane!" Maura scolds. "Put that away, you are going to hurt yourself."
It is Jane's turn to roll her eyes. "I need to effortlessly operate my gun before I can go back in the field." She explains stubbornly, before decocking the gun. She then starts the process over.
Maura sees the sweat on her brow and the pain around her mouth. Maura know Jane's hands will be trembling if she were to touch them now.
"What?" Jane huffed. "Are you going to stand there and watch?"
Maura is totally oblivious to the sarcasm.
"Yes, I am. I have to make sure that you don't injure yourself." She decides.
"Fine!"
Maura sits down and watch quietly. When Jane drops her gun while trying to cock it, Maura gently take her hands in her own.
"Careful Jane, you need to gradually build the muscle. You can't do it in one evening." She said softly.
Jane throws her head back on the couch frustrated. "ARGHHHH!" she groans. Maura gently begins to massage the hands. After a while Jane's breathing is back to normal.
"I have been reading the news paper while I was waiting for the shrink this morning." Jane offers, all signs of irritation out of her voice.
"My My, Jane. I am impressed." Maura smiles.
"And now she jokes." Jane grins. "I will let you know Dr. Isles that it was the art page as well."
"What happened to the sport section?" Maura asks.
"Read it this morning at the occupational therapist." Jane laughs.
Maura leans back in the couch, after finishing massaging Jane's hands. "Anything interesting?" Normally Maura is quite religious in reading the paper, but now that her days are divided between autopsies and a very demanding live patient, she just did not have the time. Maura took responsibility for Jane's recovery and she is going to make sure that nothing happens to Jane in this recovery. Jane often got upset with this hovering, but was actually quite tolerant.
"As a matter of fact, yes." Jane answered. "A certain Constance Isles opened her latest exhibition on Sunday. Any relation to you?"
All colour drained from Maura's face. Jane sit up worried immediately. "Maura?" she asks worried. "O shit, you are crying."
"I can't help it." Maura cries. "My my amygdala and my lacrimal gland is closely connected and I can't control it."
"Maura, Sweetie? What is wrong? Why are you crying?" Jane asks kindly, smiling at Maura's scientific explanation for crying.
"I am sorry." Maura tries to apologise.
"It is okay, Maura." Jane comforts, getting hold of the tissues and passing them to Maura. "You have seen me bawling my eyes out."
"But Jane, you had very good reason. You weren't crying because your mother was in town and you didn't know it." Maura breaks down again.
"What?" Jane exclaims. "Constance Isles is your mother?"
Maura nods.
"Are you fighting?" Jane asks gently.
"No! It is just that she is very busy and . . . and . . ."
Jane heard enough. "I am sorry, Maura." She says sincerely. "That sucks."
"Is she still here?" Maura asks.
"I doubt it." Jane answers. "The article mentioned that she flew from Europe for a day."
Jane gently squeezes Maura's knee.
"Jane – " Maura says, forgetting her tears.
"Uhm?" Jane asks thoughtfully.
"You dexterity has improved a lot this last few weeks."
"I know." Jane smiles. "When I can control my gun you can sign my release and stop being a helicopter doctor."
"Helicopter doctor?" Maura frowns confused.
"Nevermind." Jane smirks. "I can use my wonderful healed hands to make the best hot chocolate that you have ever tasted."
TBC
