Chapter 14

Author's Note: So sorry for the delay. I have honestly been working on it and tweaking it for ages! And I was wrong...The last chapter was a breeze to write compared to this one! Oh, how I have wrestled with this chapter: The blood; The sweat; The tears...And that wasn't just the characters!

Thanks as always to my awesome beta, Whitewave42. Although I grumbled and pouted every time she told me it needed more moments, more layers and more everything...She was absolutely right and I am so grateful for her honesty and support.

Anyway. Thank you all for sticking with me! Please tell me that the writing angst was worth it. I love to hear what you think.

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After sprinting back to ICU, Jane flashed her badge and yelled for the desk clerk to call security before tearing down the corridor, half skidding to a stop when she reached Constance's room to find the blinds drawn. She struggled to get her breathing under control, her chest heaving from the exertion, her veins coursing with adrenaline. She carefully tried the door handle, cursing under her breath when she realised it was locked.

He was already here.

She dragged a shaky hand through her hair, trying to keep her rampaging emotions in check and suppress the rising tide of panic that whispered in her mind that she might already be too late. Jane knew she needed to focus and not allow her feelings to cloud her judgement. She had to get herself back into detective mode for Maura's sake, but she didn't have the luxury of choosing the perfect moment to strike. She needed to get in there now, whatever the situation was on the other side of the door.

Just then Maura's urgent plea broke the silence, 'Please, Evan! No!'

Jane didn't hesitate, the desperation in Maura's voice mobilising her instantly. A well-placed kick shattering the lock on the door so it smashing against the wall, swinging wildly on its hinges. Jane exploded into the room amid a shower of safety glass and splinters, just in time to see Maura's attacker raising his knife to strike as she lay propped up awkwardly against the bedside chair, her blouse soaked with blood.

'No!' Jane let out an anguished cry, knowing that she had no hope of getting to him before he could strike, throwing out her hands in desperation as he lunged at Maura with his knife. Jane held her breath as Maura bravely thrust out her injured arm in an attempt to minimise the damage. She succeeded in deflecting the blade away from her body, but screamed in pain as the knife tore into her forearm instead. Jane launched herself across the room as he raised his blade for a final assault. But it was Maura who took them both by surprise, letting out a grunt of effort as she swung at him, the shoe she had in her hand smashing into the side of his head with enough force to stun him, knocking him off balance.

While Evan clutched at his head, disoriented by the blow, Jane closed the distance between them, crashing into him with a shoulder charge that smashed him against the guard rail of Constance's bed. He crumpled to the floor, the breath knocked out of him.

Jane shot an anxious glance towards Maura as she groaned in pain, her body reacting to her attempts to defend herself and the effort of trying to pull herself clear of Evan. Then, bloodied and exhausted, she slumped back against the chair, her eyes fluttering shut. Jane panicked, tearing her eyes away from Maura with a renewed sense of urgency, knowing she couldn't afford to waste her advantage. She quickly straddling Evan, attempting to pin down his arms as he gasped for breath. But his initial shock from Jane's assault dissolved into abject fury, a sudden burst of strength making it difficult for Jane to wrestle the knife out of his grip, the blade flashing around dangerously as he attempted to fight back.

'She needs to pay!' he hissed, his eyes wild with rage as he fought against Jane's efforts to restrain him. She struggled to get control of the situation, grappling with him until she finally managed to pin him down by his wrists. Evan continued to buck and writhe, surprising Jane with his strength as he thrashed around violently. Jane would not be moved: there was too much at stake. She continued to hold him in place, shifting her position all the while to maintain her control. This was one battle she could not lose and she was desperate to get to Maura.

She gritted her teeth as she fought for dominance, eventually managing to disarm him after smashing his hand repeatedly against the hard linoleum floor until he cried out in pain and released the knife. It only served to make him even more furious, somehow managing to free his wrist, his fist connecting with Jane's jaw with a crack. She shook her head to clear it, tasting blood in her mouth and losing her last shred of patience. Before Evan could follow through with another punch she made her move, a swift blow to his head with her elbow putting an end to the tussle and knocking him out cold.

She leaned in, scrutinising the face of the man who had sought to tear Maura away from her, 'You'd better hope everyone gets through this, you bastard!' She growled under her breath before rocking back on her haunches, rubbing her aching jaw with her hand.

Jane heard the sound of heavy feet pounding down the corridor. Her head snapped towards the door and she let out a sigh of relief as two burly hospital security officers rushed into the room, crunching across the broken glass with their weapons raised.

Jane slowly raised her hands, showing them her badge as she did so. Once they acknowledged her, she jumped to her feet, not wanting to waste a second. After impatiently briefing them, she was at last able to turn her attention to Maura. She dropping down on her knees beside her, reaching out to comfort her, only to stop short, worried about hurting Maura as she was finally able to absorb her injuries.

Jane barely heard the buzz of activity in the room as the security guards dealt with the still unconscious Evan and summoned a medical team on their radio, alerting them to the condition of the casualties. Maura was the sole focus of her attention now. Jane took a shuddering breath and rubbed her hand distractedly over her mouth, her expression darkening as she assessed the damage Evan had inflicted on the ME. The urge to hug Maura was overwhelming, but Jane feared hurting her. Instead she placing her suddenly trembling hand over Maura's, squeezing it gently. She had never seen her look so pale and so fragile: her brow knitting as she tried to breathe through the pain, snatching shallow, ragged breaths. Jane's stomach lurched as the unbidden thoughts of how close she had come to losing Maura spilled into her mind. She took a few steadying breaths to calm herself before she turned her attention back to her friend.

As Jane listened to Maura's laboured breathing and watched the blood continue to ooze from her injured arm, she panicked, her frustration suddenly spilling over as she realised that Maura wasn't out of danger yet. She whipped her head round to address the guard at the door, 'Where the hell are the medical team?!'

'The hospital is in lock-down, detective. They'll get here as soon as they can.'

Jane frantically looked around the room for something to help staunch Maura's bleeding. She felt a flash of anger as her eyes swept across to Evan, lying prone and under the watchful eye of the other guard only a few feet away from her. She clenched her jaw and then quickly refocussed, her eyes alighting on Maura's scarf hanging over the chair. She reached over and grabbed it, then set to work wrapping it carefully around Maura's wounded arm, watching her anxiously as she groaned in pain, her eyes remaining tightly shut.

After tying off the makeshift bandage, Jane knelt down beside the pale ME, gently grasping her hand in hers and biting her lip worriedly as her gaze swept up the long, bloodied laceration trailing up the side of her cheek near her hairline. She carefully brushed Maura's hair away from the wound, then tentatively reached towards her unmarked cheek, brushing her thumb across it soothingly, 'Maur?' she whispered, her throat tight. She watched as Maura's eyes seemed to struggle behind heavy lids, finally cracking open. Jane smiled reflexively in relief, still gently caressing her cheek.

'Hey.' She smiled, her heart clenching as she saw Maura fighting to focus, then watched worriedly as Maura grimaced, attempting to shift position.

Jane gave Maura's hand another reassuring squeeze, her steady gaze meeting Maura's with conviction, 'Help is on its way. Hang in there, okay?' Jane kept her eyes locked on Maura's, watching as the ME searched her face and seemingly satisfied with Jane's words, visibly calmed, her breathing finally settling a little. After a few moments Maura struggled to sit up but Jane dropped her hand from her cheek and gently restrained her, 'Don't try and move, Maura.' She urged.

'Jane?' Maura's voice was painfully quiet but deadly serious.

'Yes, Maur'?' Jane leaned closer to Maura as her voice was barely more than a whisper.

'I think I broke my shoe.'

The earnestness of Maura's tone caused Jane to grin involuntarily, shaking her head with a snort. Her expression softened as she regarded Maura affectionately, an eyebrow raised, 'Well I for one am never going to criticize your choice of footwear again.'

Maura managed to smile victoriously despite her pain, and it spurred Jane on, desperately wanting to distract her friend from her injuries.

'Maura?' Jane waited until Maura's eyes met hers once more before she blew out a breath, rubbing at her jaw, 'We are going to have a lot of explaining to do when Gloria gets here.'

Jane watched as Maura seemed to consider her words before her expression turned serious, she leaned in closer, her steady gaze never leaving Jane's face, 'I'll protect you.' Maura whispered, the tiniest of smiles playing around her lips.

Jane chuckled, but as she searched Maura's face and saw the determination there beyond the humour of her words, it affected her deeply. The tears prickled her eyes, threatening to spill. Jane shook her head, slowly lowering it until their foreheads touched, her eyes fluttering shut as she squeezed Maura's hand tightly. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, her voice hoarse, 'I don't doubt it.'

Before Jane had time to savour the precious moment of calm, she was startled by Maura's sharp intake of breath. She pulled her head back, just in time to see Maura's expression crumple into a grimace of pain. Jane had seen enough. 'C'mere.' She croaked, adjusting her position so she could pull Maura across her lap, all the while being careful not to jostle her injured arm. Once she had her cradled in her arms she gently drew her into a hug, Maura's head nestling beneath her chin. Maura continued to whimper quietly, but grasped at Jane's T-shirt with her good arm, pulling her even closer. Jane swallowed thickly, working her jaw in an effort to fend off the tears that threatened to spill. She felt such a deep connection to the woman she held in her arms and it affected her so profoundly, making Maura's pain so much harder for her to bear.

Jane wasn't sure how long they had remained in their embrace when the sound of pounding feet and raised voices in the corridor broke the spell. Then, as if Maura had been holding out for the medics all the while, Jane's felt her go limp in her arms, finally losing her battle to remain conscious.

'Maura!' Jane frantically pulled her closer, burying her head in her hair. Her heart began to thud painfully in her chest as her panic escalated. She was oblivious to the methodical activity of the medics who had finally turned up. It was only when she felt a firm but gentle hand grasp her upper arm and the rich tones of the now familiar nurse pervaded her consciousness that she finally loosened her hold.

'Detective? It seems I can't leave you alone for five minutes,' Gloria burred, having recovered from the shock of the scene that awaited her. She bent down towards Jane and gently tugged on her arm. Jane flinched at the touch but relaxed as she looked up to meet Gloria's compassionate gaze.

'Come on, now. Let my colleagues do their jobs.'

Jane hesitated, ready to protest. She shot another anxious glance at Maura, not wanting to let her go, but another gentle pull on her arm caused her gaze to flick back to Gloria, seeing nothing but calm reassurance reflected back. She reluctantly lowered Maura to the floor, moving aside to give the medical team the space they needed to tend to her.

Jane got to her feet, fidgeting and watching helplessly as the medics worked on Maura, checking her vitals and calling out instructions to each other as they assessed her condition. Gloria checked on Constance and then, sensing the detective's growing agitation and concern, she returned to place a reassuring hand on her arm. Jane allowed it, grateful for the support.

Jane was frantic by the time the medical team were satisfied that Maura could be moved, carefully lifting her onto a waiting gurney. She tried to convince herself that the injuries weren't life threatening, but as her eyes swept across Maura's motionless body, her skin shockingly pale against the crimson of her bloodied wounds, uncertainty prevailed.

Jane allowed her gaze to linger on Maura's familiar profile, absorbing the curve of her jaw, the dusting of freckles across her cheek and the elegant sweep of her brow. It stole her breath, finally acknowledging in her head what she had known in her heart for so long. Maura meant everything to her: more than her job; more than her family; more than her own life. She couldn't lose Maura because she couldn't imagine life without her. It was a revelation that both overwhelmed her and terrified her.

'Maura!' Jane lunged towards the gurney as it swept past, her needy fingers brushing against Maura's unresponsive hand as she pulled against Gloria's restraining hold on her arm. She struggled to break away from the nurse's firm grip but she soon realised it was futile, letting her arm drop limply to her side in defeat. Instead, all she could do was look on helplessly, biting back the sob that threatened to escape as the stricken ME was whisked away from her and out of sight.