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ATTENTION: My friend Milk has agreed to help me finish this story in exchange for me helping finish one of hers. We started co-writing in Chapter 12 and will continue to the end. I figure it's a good way to get both of our butts in gear. Thank you so much for inspiring me and helping me get this monster off my back, M.

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Doubts:

Maura wound her way through the hospital wing that she had now become so familiar with over the past few weeks. Despite her background, she was never overly comfortable in hospitals. They were always so bustling, filled to capacity with trauma, or pain, or pending death. She wouldn't necessarily say this to anyone but Bass, but she preferred the quietness of the morgue, where her main goal was clear: to provide solace through logic and investigation. That was her way of making a difference. As she continued through a set of double doors and down the hallway towards Jane's room, she quickly noticed that the nurses around her darted smiles at her as she walked, as if recognizing someone they knew. Had she really become that familiar around these sterile walls?

"Afternoon, Dr. Isles," greeted a tall blonde at the nurse's station. "Angela just went to grab herself some lunch, but she'll be back up in Jane's room in a moment. She'll be glad to see you. Jane, too, of course."

Maura halted her gait for a moment, standing awkwardly in front of the nurse's station, unsure as to why she was receiving such familial treatment. Not that she didn't appreciate it, but the nurse's comments weren't exactly helping her deal with her own emotional issues towards Jane. She shook the thoughts from her head as the nurse gave her a concerned look, and quickly gave her an assuring nod. "Great," she replied. "Hospitals tend to stoke the brain's need for additional connection and comfort." She cringed at her flaccid explanation, which fell flat even to her own ears, and hurriedly continued down the hallway.

Without looking very closely or paying attention, she passed a young man in the hallway who seemed to be a bit frazzled as a nurse looked down at a chart. "Sorry, Mr. Weaver, but she hasn't been in."

Maura's ears perked up at the name and she cocked her head towards him as she deliberately slowed her pace, hoping to hear a little more of the conversation without seeming suspicious. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse to buy her some time, and flicked the screen on, her stomach giving a little tug of joy as she saw Jane's name flash upon the screen with a test message.

'Weaver is here.'

Clearly the detective wasn't resting, but Maura reserved her chastisement for later, pausing in front of a door and diverting her attention to her phone.

"I just wanted a chance to speak with her," he said, his voice cracking. "She was the last person to see my mother alive."

Something in his voice made Maura look up from her phone. She did indeed recognize Jim Weaver. He had no major distinguishing characteristics, but she had a good memory for faces, and the cranial structure of each human was unique. His shoulders didn't have the look of the grieving. Instead they were strong underneath his unwrinkled suit jacket, and his hands were latched on to his hips.

"Do you know where I might be able to find her?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't give that information to you. But you're more than welcome to leave her a message at the nurse's station and I'll give it to her as soon as she returns."

Weaver seemed about to respond, but then he noticed Maura standing a few yards away, trying not to draw too much attention to herself. He recognized her and called out even as she turned away, making the medical examiner curse inwardly.

Hoping the sound of their voices wouldn't attract Jane's attention, Maura turned back to him, giving him what she hoped was a surprised and questioning smile. "Mr. Weaver - Jim - how are you?"

"Fine," he said, his eyes darting back to the nurse, as if waiting for her to make herself useful someplace else. She seemed to get the message, and shrugged, turning and walking back down the hallway.

Maura turned her expression back up to the man, studying the crease in his brow and the tension across his chest. He seemed to be suffering from stress, and although his mother's death could certainly account for that, his response seemed "off" to her. She furrowed her own brow, not content with her lack of a more logical and scientific explanation. "Are you looking for someone?" she asked, pretending that she hadn't heard his exchange with the nurse.

He hesitated, his response dying on parted lips as he glanced up the hallway. "I don't know," he said, his posture changing suddenly, slumping forward. He pressed a hand up against the wall to steady himself, but the gaze that he turned towards her still held that same look that she couldn't quite place. All she knew was that her skin was getting clammier the longer she stood near him. Jane's conspiracy theories had clearly transferred over to her. She shook the feeling off as Weaver continued speaking.

"I'm at my wits end, Dr. Isles. I just need some closure. I want to know what happened to her. If it was some kind of medical error - I just need to know." He kicked his foot lightly into the wall, punctuating his words. "I won't take this lying down. Not like my stepfather."

That piqued her attention. "Your stepfather is the one that requested the autopsy." She had merely stated a fact, but he seemed irritated by her comment.

"Right. If there's a medical error anywhere near this, he wants to find it. The guy just wants to get his hands on a settlement. He doesn't care about my mother."

Maura was in no position to impede on family dynamics, as she mostly never understood them herself; they usually superseded all normally functioning logical parameters. "Mr. Weaver - Jim - maybe its best if you let an outside authority handle this. A lawyer, rather than trying to investigate the hospital and its staff yourself."

He chuckled, the sound jarring against the sterile walls. "Oh, Dr. Isles. If it were only that simple." He peered down at her, his eyes becoming serious. "Greed never is." He turned, leaving her alone and walked back down the hallway, his dress shoes echoing against the tile floor. Maura released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and backed her way towards Jane's room.

The detective was sitting up in bed as much as she could without straining her abdominal muscles, which wasn't very much, and she beamed as she glimpsed Maura in the doorway. "Shut the door," she urged as the blonde stepped inside, but Jane's eyes quickly noticed something odd in the way the medical examiner carried herself. Normally, Maura's posture was straight and narrow, almost rigid with the rationality that ran through her veins. Now, though, her shoulders had shifted, her brow furrowed, as if deep in unpleasant thoughts. "Maur?" she asked,"what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost... Or at least some type of paranormal phenomenon that you actually believe in."

Jane's words were playful, but her expression wasn't. Maura quickly leaned away from the door and walked over to her, placing a quick kiss on the detective's hairline. The gesture seemed to bring her out of her own head, and she smiled.

"Was that you I heard talking to Weaver?" Jane asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

Maura nodded. "He was grilling one of the nurses, but he saw me." She glanced back at Jane, and fumbled with the edge of her blanket as she worked through the conversation once more in her head. "He's not very fond of his stepfather."

"Doesn't seem like it. What did he want?"

"Answers," Maura said simply. "He wanted to find the nurse that last saw his mother."

"Right. Susie. I wanted to find her, too."

Maura nodded. She didn't make it a point to keep up with the names of the nurses, but instead categorized them in her head by height, hair color, and general disposition. 'I suppose love hasn't changed me as much as I thought,'Maura acknowledged. That didn't mean she was any less frightened of the strong feelings that Jane stirred in her, but it was nice to know that she wouldn't lose all of herself during this journey. She had never been in love before, but so far, it was suiting her, Jane's near-death experience and this bizzare hospital mystery aside. She just hoped that Jane was starting to feel the same way. Maura didn't want to be in this by herself.

"That's one of the first things on our list, then," Jane continued, too excited with planning her strategy to notice that Maura had checked out. "I don't think it's a coincidence that Susie was one of the last people to see Rose alive and suddenly doesn't show up for work."

The medical examiner sighed. "Jane, I believe your theories have some merit, I really do, but I'm not sure you're the one who should be looking in to this."

Maura's blunt statement stung, and Jane's excitement was quickly replaced by anger. Her brow wrinkled and she fixed her lover with a hurt, angry glare. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice dropping an octave as she instinctively curled her body a few inches away from Maura.

"I mean... I mean, I'm sorry. I want to help you. I just - I worry. Your body has already been through so much, and even though you're recovering, I'm afraid something else will go wrong."

Reassured that Maura was simply concerned about her and didn't doubt her ability to handle her own problems, Jane's body language became much friendlier. She patted the space on the bed beside her, urging Maura to sit down. "Come here," she said, opening her arms. Glad that Jane wasn't angry at her, the doctor snuggled up next to her lover on the mattress, not caring that it was slightly uncomfortable. She wrapped one arm behind Jane's shoulders and gave her a soft but lingering kiss, pleased when the detective draped an arm over her waist.

"Why does a girl have to argue with you in order to be invited into such a comfortable spot?" Maura asked, tucking herself more securely against Jane's side. If any of the nurses came in and spotted them, well, that would be too bad for them. She let her fingers trail lightly up and down the outside of Jane's arm, enjoying the warmth of her skin.

"If she's beautiful enough, she doesn't have to start arguments," Jane murmured against Maura's lips, giving her another kiss. "She just has to be."

Maura felt a little guilty for putting Jane on the defensive just moments after she walked into the room, but she was very content in her current position. She stroked the side of her lover's face. "I just wanted you to pay attention to me."

"I'm paying attention to you now. I'm not exactly on the other side of the room." Maura felt butterflies when she realized what that meant. Normally, aside from their risky sexual encounters in semi-public places (her office and the hospital, to name two), Jane remained wary of public displays of affection. She was afraid that someone would catch her and tell everyone at work, confirming all of the rumors she had worked so hard to rise above. Now, the detective seemed completely relaxed with Maura snuggled against her.

'It almost feels like we're in a proper relationship...'

"What I don't understand is... why a nurse would leave suddenly after one of her patients dies. Is someone threatening her? Does she know too much?"

Maura felt her heart sink as she realized that Jane's thoughts had wandered to a completely different place than hers. The brief moment of love and connectedness she had felt was a product of wishful thinking. "Are you still on about that, detective, even with a beautiful woman in your arms?" Maura asked, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.

The knock that suddenly sounded at the door nearly startled the medical examiner out of her precarious perch on the bed, and only the detective's lighting quick fingers prevented her from falling to the floor. They both uttered quick, distracted "come in" as Maura stood, combing a hand over her hair, as if the mere physical action would calm her nerves. 'So maybe this doesn't exactly feel proper,' she thought as Korsak poked his head tentatively inside the door.

The gray-haired detective smiled as he glimpsed the two of them, clearly fooled by the platonic rouse they created, with Maura moving toward the opposite side of the room. "Rizzoli," he said, waltzing over to her. "How you feeling?"

"You bring me some work, Korsak?" the brunette asked, raising a hopeful eyebrow.

"The most work I'd even think about bringing you right now would be a crossword puzzle."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Don't bother. I just toss it over to Isles and let her do it." She gave Maura a grin, and the medical examiner readily returned it, despite the tease.

Korsak placed his hands in the pockets of his suit trousers, glancing down at her with an eye that held the consistent concern that Jane had come to expect in them. "I just wanted to check in on you and see how you were. I know it can't be easy being here."

Jane glanced over at Maura, as if gauging her disposition. "Actually, I may have something to keep me occupied." The medical examiners eyes widened, but the brunette gave her a pointed glance. After all, Maura was the one who suggested she share her theories with someone. It might as well be with Korsak.

The older detective glanced questionably between the two women, but he never tried to understand the looks that they shared. Instead, he simply asked, "what are you talking about, Rizzoli?"

Jane inhaled, leaning up as much as she could. She didn't particularly like having to look up at her old partner, as if begging for some favor. "Do you mind sitting down?" she asked.

He darted another glance between Maura and Jane, and this time the medical examiner caught something like suspicion in his gaze. As he moved towards the chair next to Jane's bed, Maura nervously pulled up another chair directly beside him, causing him to glance curiously over at her. "You ladies want to tell me why you're acting as shifty as a couple of perps?"

"Last week a woman died," Jane began.

"That's not exactly surprising," Korsak cut in, gesturing towards the sterile walls around him.

Jane gave him a glare, and continued. "Her husband, however, thought her death was suspicious. The woman, Mrs. Rose Heissman, was recovering from breast cancer, but suddenly went into heart failure one night last week."

Korsak sighed, but said nothing further. Instead he chanced a look at the medical examiner next to him, but she was intentionally avoiding his gaze, instead focusing intently on a blank spot on Jane's bed.

"The hospital wasn't exactly being helpful, so I asked Maura to step in."

Korsak's stiff jaw fell open in surprise. "You did what?"

"I asked her to do an autopsy."

Two pairs of eyes landed on Maura, and she felt her face redden as glanced over at Korsak's dumbfounded expression. "You did an autopsy on this woman?" he asked. "Work not keeping you busy enough, Dr. Isles, or do you constantly pick up pro bono work from random people?"

"It's not 'random people,'" she said. "It's Jane. Besides, I didn't want Dr. White or his charges touching that body if there was any possibility..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that Korsak had not been explicitly introduced to their theory yet. "If there was any possibility of foul play," she added after glancing at Jane for confirmation.

"Foul play? What kind of foul play? Some kind of medical mistake?"

"Possibly," said Jane. "We were thinking more along the lines of, well, murder. Wait, don't say anything yet," the detective pre-emptively cut off her former partner's protests of disbelief. "Everything we've uncovered so far has been suspicious. Rose's cancer was going in to remission, and she suddenly dies from what looks like an overdose of, what was it again?"

"Raloxifene. Marketed as Evista. It's an SERM, and one that wasn't even prescribed for her in the first place -"

"She had a dangerously high dose of a cancer drug that wasn't supposed to be there. The weirdest part is that one of the nurses hasn't been in to work since. She was the last person to see Rose alive."

Korsak looked anything but convinced. "There could be a hundred other possible explanations for those things. Murder is the least likely. Besides, who would kill somebody in a hospital that's already sick?"

"Someone smart," Jane insisted, frustrated that Korsak wasn't buying in to her theory. "Someone who knows that the least likely place to look for a murder victim is in a place where people die every day."

"What are we, characters in a movie? This is real life, Jane. Besides, you don't have any suspects, no motive..."

"What about her son? He's been sticking his nose into everything for the past several days, sniffing around for more information on what happened. And I'm sure Rose has a will. If she was staying in a private room up here, that means she's probably got some money to spare. The only reason I was moved in to this section of the hospital was because Maura paid for it behind my back."

Korsak frowned and stood up from his chair, walking around behind it and holding the back with his hands. He gave Jane a single sharp, disbelieving shake of his head. "I don't buy it. This kind of thing just doesn't happen. It's too bizarre."

"Maybe you're just not imaginative enough."

"And you're too imaginative," Korsak shot back. "Have you been getting any headaches lately?"

That statement made Jane see red, but before she could say anything, Maura leapt to her defense. Very few things made the medical examiner angry, and she had to admit that she hadn't believed Jane's theory at first herself, but seeing Korsak - someone that Jane trusted and respected - dismiss her lover's ideas so readily infuriated her. "I don't know what you're trying to imply about Jane, but I think Rose was murdered as well. She isn't making this up."

The words left her lips before she could ascertain the consequences, but she didn't care. She felt Jane's eyes on her, and she desperately wanted to look over at the brunette, to feel some sort of connection, but she kept her focus on Korsak. His doubt was beginning to grate on her nerves. "I have my own suspicions as well. Medical errors rarely happen on this scale, and when they do, hospitals are quick to pinpoint the problem. There's a lot of money to be made with a case like this, and someone ought to act like they care enough about Mrs. Heissman to find out the true nature of her death."

"That's where I come in," Jane quipped, raising her hand.

Korsak rolled his eyes. "Please, Rizzoli, you're bored out of your mind. Out of your mind," he repeated, emphasizing his true thoughts for her benefit. He turned his gaze back to Maura. "Dr. Isles, I advise you to keep your professional wits about you. I expected a more rational response."

Maura bit her lower lip. She was, of course, less than rational when it came to Jane Rizzoli, but something about Weaver's haste to vilify his stepfather itched at her nerves. Luckily, another sound at the door prevented her from having to continue this train wreck of a conversation.

"Jesus, traffic was ridiculous. You'd think people would be at work right now," Angela said, pummeling inside the room and heaving a large, black purse higher onto her shoulder. She looked up, halting at the sight of Korsak and Maura. "I rest my case," she said with a shake of her head. She set the bag down on a small table, the structure quaking under the heft of her accessory.

"Afternoon, Mrs. Rizzoli," Korsak said with a gracious, overdone smile.

Angela nodded over at him. "You're not here bothering my daughter, I hope."

Korsak shook his head. "Of course not. I just came to check in on her, like Dr. Isles here."

Angela smiled sweetly at the medical examiner. "Maura is always welcome here," she said as she heaved a somewhat smaller bag out of her purse which was emblazoned with 'Casa Razdora'. "The food here is simply unsuitable," she said, taking out a container of soup. "I brought you some real Italian cooking." She glanced over at Korsak. "You done here? You want to let my daughter eat in peace?"

Korsak took the hint. "I've got to get back to work," he said. "And I expect you," he said, narrowing his eyes at Jane, "to lay off the work." He turned, glancing at Maura. "And I expect you, to stick to the work you're paid to do. I'll be checking in again before the week's out," he said, giving one more look back to Jane. "Take it easy," he said with an assuring nod before letting the door close behind him.