"The human body is resilient Angela; you would be surprised at its ability to heal. She probably just needs some time" Hope assured her. "Thank you Hope" Angela replied embracing the other woman in a tight hug. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Hope offered. "No, thank you. I was just going to ask my son, Tommy, to drive me home to get some clothes and some things for Jane" Angela replied. "Of course" Hope answered looking through the glass at Maura sitting by her best friend's bed side. "She is pretty shaken up by this whole thing. You should go talk to her" Angela urged.
"I'm probably the last person she would want to speak to right now" Hope said sadly. "I bet you would be surprised" Angela said linking her arm with Tommy's. "Will you tell her that I will be back within the hour" Angela requested. "Of course Angela" Hope replied.
The doors opened to the ICU and Hope entered quietly. "Maura" she said quietly. Maura's eyes never left Jane. "Angela went home to get some of Jane's things." Hope said quietly. Maura did not respond. "She wanted me to tell you she would be back in about an hour." Hope stood silently for a couple of minutes but Maura made no effort to respond. "Okay." Hope said turning to leave.
"Wait" Maura said quietly.
Hope stopped quickly and turned back toward her daughter. "Yes" she replied.
"How could you love someone who is capable of this?" Maura asked.
"I don't know Maura. I have asked myself that same question for many years" Hope replied.
"We were so young when we met" Hope began, "just kids ourselves really. We were idealistic about the way the world worked. I thought he was the most complicated, mysterious man I had ever met. And of course being inexperienced in love I was infatuated with him. And I think he felt the same about me, but he thought he could get out from under his father. He wanted to be an artist, but Paddy Sr. wouldn't hear of it. And then I got pregnant and that changed everything" Hope sighed. "He told me you died at birth because his father threatened to kill us both and Paddy protected us. And with the way the world works, he took over for his father and I tried to put my life back together after I thought you died. But I can't explain why I loved him. He wanted to be so good, he didn't want to be in that life and I could see that in him but he couldn't fight it any longer. As soon as our lives were threatened, he did what he had to do even though it was a lie that changed the course of both of our lives forever." Hope admitted.
Maura listened to Hope without taking her eyes off Jane. Hope began to slowly walk closer and closer to Maura hoping to offer her eldest daughter some comfort. She slowly reached her hand to rest on Maura's shoulder. "Jane will be okay. She is strong" Hope comforted.
A silent tear rolled down Maura's cheek as she listened intently to her birth mother. She understood the feelings Hope was trying so hard to explain but it didn't make it any easier that Hope could relate to her. Maura's tears flowed freely at the thought of the irony. She could finally relate to a blood relative, something she had wished for since finding out she was adopted but the sadness of the circumstances were overwhelming her.
"Maura" Hope said softly trying to comfort her. "Jane will be okay."
"She has to be, I don't know what I would do without her" Maura replied.
After Hope left Maura scooted her chair closer to Jane's bed resting her head on the side. The rhythmic beating of the monitors lulled her to sleep. When Angela returned she took a seat on the opposite side of Jane's bed hoping her daughter would wake soon. A couple of hours later her wish was granted. Jane's eye lids slowly opened. It took a couple of minutes for her eye's to adjust to the lights in the room. She looked to her left to see her mother seated, knitting a hat for TJ. To her right Maura's blond locks fell around her head as she rested her head next to Jane's hand. "Mmm" Jane attempted to say but struggled with a very dry throat.
"Janie?" Angela said loudly pulling Maura out of her sleep. "Jane?" Maura added.
"Ma" Jane forced from her lips. "Oh Jane" Angela replied grabbing her daughters hand assaulting it with kisses. Jane turned her head to where Maura was standing but didn't see her this time. "Maura?" Jane called softly. Maura rushed back into the room with a small cup. "Here Jane, this will help. Open your mouth" Maura instructed placing a couple of ice chips on Jane's tongue. The water helped Jane's throat, "Thanks" she said easier.
"What happened?" Jane asked.
"Paddy" Maura replied sadly. The memory of Maura standing in the kitchen… Paddy turning to leave then stopping to point a gun at her…her gun at her squeezing the trigger. Jane's abdomen burned at the memory. "I'm sorry" Maura said softly.
"It's not your fault Maur" Jane replied. "It is, he's my father" Maura rebutted. "He is not your father Maura" Jane replied placing her hand on Maura's. Maura laced her fingers with Jane's and squeezed gently.
"Someone is awake" the ICU nurse said entering the room. "Hello Jane, my name is April. I am just going to take your vitals and then I will go get the doctor to take a look at you. Are you having any pain?" the kind woman asked. "A little" Jane replied. "Okay sweetie, I will be back in a few minutes" April said before leaving the room quickly.
"Ma" Jane said quickly. "Where is Frankie?" she asked.
"He is working" she replied. "He's looking for Paddy, along with every officer in Boston" Maura interrupted giving Angela a slight head nod. "I don't want him caught up in this" Jane replied.
"I'll call him and tell him you're awake" Angela said patting her daughter's hand.
"Maura" Jane said quietly as her mother was pre-occupied on the phone. "I know Jane. It's okay" Maura said softly. "If he is armed, they will shoot him" Jane replied. "I know Jane. It's okay" Maura assured her squeezing her hand a little tighter.
"Detective" the Doctor said upon entering the room. "Ladies, if you don't mind I need to take a look at her incision" he said.
"Of course" Angela replied motioning for Maura to follow her to the other side of the room giving Jane a little privacy.
"Everything looks good Detective" the doctor said examining her wound. "Nurse April mentioned you are experiencing some pain" he said making notes in her chart. "Yes a little" Jane replied. "Okay, I will send her in here to administer some meds. You are going to be here for a while but I think we can move you from ICU sometime tomorrow as long as your vitals remain steady" he said with a smile. "It is important that you take this opportunity to rest. Your body has suffered a great trauma and will take time to heal. We had to remove a portion of your stomach, and upper intestine along with a portion of your liver. You should be able to make a full recovery but it will take some time Detective. You were lucky" he said finishing his notes and placing the chart on the end of Jane's hospital bed. "Thank you Doctor" Jane said huskily. "Rest Detective, I will check on your first thing in the morning" he replied before leaving the room.
"He's right Jane" Maura said returning to her bedside.
"I'm not going anywhere Maura" Jane joked.
"Jane!" Dean said bursting through the hospital room. "I came as soon as I heard" he said rushing to her side.