The red lights washed across the windows of the homes on Beacon Hill. Many of the residents peered out of their pristine windows desperately trying to see what or who had invaded their peaceful, picturesque existence in one of Boston's most affluent neighborhoods.
Jane stood holding Emma, transfixed by the lights as the EMTs quickly wheeled Maura out the front door. Arthur and Constance had arrived after the phone call from their daughter-in-law, which seemed entirely too composed in retrospect for the scene that had unfolded before them.
Arthur had gathered the boys and ushered them into Aiden's room. The noise from the paramedics and the sound of the stretcher being rushed up the stairs had awakened them drawing them into the hallway. As Jane remained immobile looking at her wife being whisked away still shocked by what had so quickly transpired, Constance coaxed Emma from Jane's arms and urged her to go with her wife.
Jane gently kissed Maura before she eased out of the bed and went downstairs. Maura had asked Jane to lay with her and even though it put her behind there was no way she would ever deny her wife this simple request especially after she had just given birth to their daughter. Maura was feeling clingy. Maura's word not Jane's and Jane wanted to be there for her in any way she needed. Jane wanted to let Maura know she had her and that there was no place she'd rather be.
Jane had joined her and Emma after three stories for the boys despite their best efforts to wrangle four out of her. She held firm, kissed them, tucked them in and knew they would be down for the night because they were exhausted. Maura on the other hand had a small window of opportunity while the youngest of them slept and Jane encouraged her to take advantage of that. If it meant lying with her until she dozed off then that was what Jane would do.
When she headed down the stairs, laundry and tidying as Maura referred to it was her focus. She knew having the house pulled together in case someone stopped by would make Maura happy and they always needed clean clothing. She preferred tackling this when everyone was sleep then she was able to accomplish it a lot faster – no interruptions, which meant she could fall out on the couch for a quick beer while watching Sports Center, which was her one guilty pleasure right now.
She took the baby monitor with her so she could hear if Maura or her children needed anything and started working. Jane smiled and shook her head as she put the first load into the machine. Not many would believe this was her life now and that she wouldn't change it for anything. She loved taking care of her family. It made her happy. There wasn't much she wouldn't do for them although she still wouldn't give her mother the satisfaction of helping at family dinner.
"You just do this to annoy me Jane Clementine. I know you do. I know you help Maura," Angela complained loudly while preparing dinner.
"Maybe I do. Maybe I don't," she said smirking at her mother as she slowly sipped her beer and winked at her wife who simply shook her head wondering when antagonizing her mother would get old for Jane.
Jane turned when she heard Cassie whining. She had left Cassie watching over Maura and Emma and was surprised to see her downstairs. She was certain the dog would remain with her wife and her daughter until she returned at which time Cassie would go sleep with the boys. It had only been a couple of days but this had become Cassie's routine. When Jane wasn't with Maura and Emma, Cassie was.
Having a new baby in the house was an adjustment for everyone but her kids, furry and all, were embracing it. The boys were attentive and extremely helpful while Cassie was apparently in charge of security. Jane chuckled. She wouldn't turn away six willing hands to provide an assist or four furry paws. Jane couldn't have asked for a better situation and while it might not last because the newness would wear off soon and the boys would get bored with it, she would be thankful for it right now.
"What's wrong girl?" she asked reaching down to rub the dog's head and scratch behind her ear.
"You need to go out?" Cassie took a step back.
Jane reached for the leash and headed towards the door but Cassie went in the opposite direction towards the stairs then stopped waiting as she expected her human to come. Jane frowned but her curiosity got the better of her prompting her to follow Cassie who led her directly into Jane's room and sat next to Maura resting her face on the mattress.
Jane took a quick peek at Emma before she went to Maura who she could hear quietly mumbling in her sleep. This was unusual. Maura didn't talk in her sleep. Jane sat on the bed but the movement didn't wake her wife. Jane gently rocked Maura. Nothing. She turned on the light. The change in the room's illumination didn't wake her either when normally it would. Jane looked at her. Her skin color was pale. Jane touched Maura's forehead. It was clammy. Something was wrong. Cassie whimpered. She knew something was wrong too.
Maura had mentioned to Jane before her fell asleep that she was not feeling especially well. She couldn't put her finger on what was wrong exactly but she felt off. Jane had assumed it was because she had given birth just a few days ago. That assumption seemed reasonable at the time. Now she wasn't so sure.
They had agreed that maybe a well-deserved nap while Emma was sleeping was in order but Maura wasn't waking up when Jane shook her and her speech was incoherent but not in her normal Google way. Jane called Constance and asked if she and Arthur could come over.
"Of course, Jane. We will be there in a few minutes."
"Thank you." Jane hung up and tried again to wake her wife.
"Maura," Jane called again before getting up to grab a wet cloth to wipe Maura's forehead.
"Baby, you need to wake up for me," Jane pleaded to no avail.
Her gut never failed her and her gut was telling her something was very wrong. She felt Maura's pulse. It was rapid. Too rapid and that couldn't be good. Jane pulled the cover back thinking if she could just get her up, it would help to wake her. She was not ready for the dark spot surrounding her wife. Blood. She needed to remain calm. She had five people in this house depending on her to do just that. She quickly called 9-1-1.
"BPD Dispatch, what is your emergency?" the dispatcher answered.
"This is Sergeant Rizzoli, BPD. I need an ambulance at my home. My wife is bleeding," she replied her voice calm.
"Jane, this is Roberta Quincy," the dispatcher replied. She knew Jane and Maura from her years of answering dispatch calls and had become rather fond of them both. They were good people. "We are dispatching EMS."
"Please hurry," Jane replied her voice tight.
"Has Dr. Isles been shot?" Roberta asked trying to assess the situation so EMS would have an idea of what they were rolling into.
"No," Jane responded aware of how possible the answer to that question could be given all that had happened in their lives. "She is hemorraghing. She just had our baby."
"Is she conscious?"
"No, not really. She's mumbling something but won't wake. Please hurry," she repeated her voice strained.
"EMS is already en-route. They should be there any minute. Jane, I need you to go open the door for them."
"I don't want to leave her," she replied. Roberta frowned. She could hear the vulnerability in Jane's voice. She knew this was a normal reaction. Whatever was going on in that house, she knew Jane would be afraid for her wife. Anyone would be but she needed Jane to follow her instructions, so the outcome of this situation would be the best it could be.
"Sergeant Rizzoli," Roberta said her voice firm as she attempted to push Jane into proactive mode. "Go open the door. Now. EMS is arriving. They need immediate access."
Jane responded to the use of her official title. Sergeant Rizzoli needed to jump into action. Sergeant Rizzoli needed to take care of business. When Jane got down the stairs, EMS was approaching her front door.
"Upstairs," she directed, "to the left."
Constance and Arthur entered the home behind the EMTs. They watched the paramedics ascend the stairs followed closely by their daughter-in-law. They both followed. Constance nodded to her husband who turned towards his grandchildren's rooms where he found Cassie standing in the hallway between the sleepy, confused boys and what was going on in their mother's room. Arthur patted the dog's head then ushered the boys back into their bedroom trying to reassure them all was all right.
Constance entered the bedroom. She saw Jane standing to the side intently focused on her daughter and the paramedics who were rapidly asking questions which Jane answered while not taking her eyes off of them or what they were doing to her wife. Constance allowed her eyes to trail down the bed where she saw the blood – so much blood. She gasped and choked back tears.
"Oh Maura, darling," she whispered. Her first instinct was to gather Maura in her arms and hold her but she knew that wasn't possible. So she went with the second and went to stand near Jane out of the way trying to contain the tears that wanted to escape from inside of her.
Emma stirred and began to whimper. Jane handed the phone to her mother-in-law and went to her daughter gathering her in her arms holding her tightly.
"Shh, little one. Mama's got you," she said in a sweet calm voice as she rocked the little girl. "Mama's got you."
"Sergeant?" Roberta called.
"This is Constance Isles," Constance spoke into the phone after hearing Roberta call for Jane.
"This is dispatch may I speak to Sergeant Rizzoli."
"She can't come to the phone," Constance replied watching Jane comfort her granddaughter.
"Okay. I know EMS has arrived. We are going to hang up now."
"Thank you," Constance responded moving out of the way as the paramedics rushed her daughter from the room with Jane and Emma right behind them.
Kyle Thompson a paramedic quite familiar with Jane instructed her to come with him. "You can ride with us, sergeant. But you need to come now," his voice urgent.
"Jane, go," Constance commanded as she arrived next to Jane removing Emma from her mother's arms. "Go."
Constance needed to settle Emma and help Arthur with three crying boys who had no understanding of what was happening to their mother. She dialed the number. A number she never thought she would ever dial. But she knew she needed the person on the other end of this call. This person was better equipped to help Maura and Jane right now and Constance's love for her daughter far outweighed her pride.
"Dr. Martin," the voice answered.
"Hope, this is Constance Isles." The name caused Hope pause. Without knowing why she called, Hope knew something was wrong. There was only one reason for Constance Isles to reach out to her. Something was wrong with their daughter.
"Constance, hello," Hope responded calmly.
"Maura needs you," she said simply and quietly. "She has been taken by ambulance to Mass General. Jane is with her. She has been hemorrhaging."
"I'm on my way," she replied requiring no further explanation.
Maura was whisked away from Jane as soon as the ambulance arrived. The paramedics were rattling off things Jane didn't understand and the doctors were responding with other things she didn't understand. She was left outside the closing doors with looks of uneasiness on the faces of the doctors and nurses tending to her wife.
Jane wasn't sure how long she sat waiting for someone to speak with her though she knew it couldn't have been long. When Dr. Bennett did come down after being called from upstairs, it wasn't Jane's voice asking questions of her. It wasn't Jane's voice repeating the words – postpartum hemorrhaging, transfusion, D&C, hysterectomy. It wasn't Jane's voice acknowledging that surgery would be the last resort. It wasn't Jane's voice thanking the doctor for the information.
Jane looked towards the voice that was asking the questions, repeating the words and saying thank you. Her eyes asked how.
"Constance called," Hope answered. Jane nodded before feeling the familiar, loving presence of her brother. She looked to her right to find Frankie smiling at her. He drew her to him in a hug and kissed her temple. With his arms wrapped around her, she sighed deeply and possibly for the first time since this started felt hopeful.
"How?" she asked.
"Dispatch," he answered while leading his sister to a chair. He sat Jane down, squeezed Hope's hand and they waited.
Constance had taken the mantle and channeled Angela Rizzoli. Strike that. Angela Cavanaugh. After calling Hope, she called Nina. Nina was on the phone when Frankie came rushing in pulling on his jacket trying to tell her about what was occurring on Beacon Hill. She waved him on his way after indicating she knew because she was on the phone with Constance.
He kissed his wife and ran out the door. Nina called Tommy while she gathered her children to head to Maura's. Tommy jumped in his car with TJ in tow after kissing Lauren who said she would meet him there with Benjamin. Tommy and TJ would go to take care of the boys so Constance and Arthur could get to the hospital.
Tommy arrived before Nina and took custody of Emma and the boys. Arthur and Constance left for the hospital after asking if he was sure he would be okay.
"Been here before," he answered. "TJ and I got this." TJ nodded as he fist bumped his dad. Constance hugged them both and followed Arthur out the door.
Nina found Tommy feeding Emma with Cassie watching closely to make sure nothing happened to her. TJ was reading to the boys who were struggling to stay awake but refusing to sleep. Abigail herded her cousins up the stairs after Nina suggested the bed would be a good place for bedtime stories. She was hoping all the children would go back to sleep. Tommy traded Emma for Leo who he put in the crib before going to make sure the kids would fall to sleep. Lauren entered the house to find Nina rocking Emma and a quietness she didn't expect.
"Any word?" she asked. Nina shook her head. Lauren and Benjamin joined Nina and Emma in the wait.
The hospital had various combinations of Rizzolis, Isles, Martins and Korsaks over the next few hours. They didn't have to be there but they were and for that Jane was grateful. This was what family was she could hear her mother saying. Being there when you knew you needed them and even when you didn't.
Jane had gotten up to stretch her legs and check on her children. She wanted to know they were as good as they could be. She would go home soon just so they could see her. She wanted them to be okay. She needed them to be okay and she wanted to be able to tell Maura they were fine.
"They're good Janie," Tommy replied quietly as Evan's head rested on his chest. "TJ read them back to sleep after Abigail told them they had to go." Jane smiled. She could imagine Abigail marching in and taking control.
"So, all the kids are sleep. Lauren and Nina too."
"I'll try to get back there soon."
"Why?" he questioned aware she didn't need to stretch herself thin running back and forth from home to the hospital.
"My kids," she replied unsure how he didn't understand her need to make sure they were okay.
"Your kids are sleep. When they wake up, we will feed them, bathe them and dress them. We've got this, Sis," he assured her. "You worry about Maura. Be there with her. Let us be here for you by being here for the kids." Jane listened touched by their willingness to change their lives around to help her.
"Thank everyone for me, please," she said to her brother as she tried to control her emotions.
"I will but you know that isn't necessary."
"Tell my kids I love them," she replied wiping her nose.
"Already did. They love you too."
"Thank you little brother," she said clenching her jaw.
"I'm hanging up on you now," he said knowing she was close to losing it and honestly if she did, he would too.
Jane felt the bed move. She raised her head to see Maura staring at her. Her beautiful eyes were tired. Jane could see a faint smile greet her. She stood and gently moved a wisp of hair from Maura's face. Maura's smile deepened. Jane leaned in to kiss her wife. The contact between the two brought a peace to Jane that she desperately needed. She pulled back and smiled at Maura who brushed the tear away from Jane's cheek.
"You scared me, Dr. Isles," Jane whispered thankful her wife was alive. "Don't you dare do that again. My heart can't take it." Maura pulled Jane's hand to her lips and kissed it.
"I love you so much, Maur," Jane choked on the words.
Maura squeezed her hand. "I love you too, darling. With everything I am."
Jane nodded. "I'm not ready for this to end," she admitted not ashamed of her emotion.
"Nor am I sweetie. Nor am I," Maura replied opening her arms and drawing Jane in.
