Chapter 40
Jane's I.C.U. Room – Tuesday at 2 p.m.
God, I'm so grateful she's still here. I was so close to losing her, and the mere thought makes chest constrict in pain. Mother says that I'm in no danger of getting arrested, but she still has all our attorneys standing by. She says that with one phone call, she'll have half a dozen at Cavanaugh's door and ordered me not to say a word. Jane still looks pale and fragile, but at least she woke up and talked to me for a few minutes.
Jane has gone through major trauma, and she's going to have to give her body time to heal. But getting her to cooperate with the process is going to be a challenge. A challenge I'm more than willing to take on.
For whatever reason, I don't seem to be able to stop touching her. If I'm not holding her hand, I'm caressing her cheek with the back of my hand. Jane is stunning. Flawless skin, lovely dark curls, and amazing expressive dark eyes. Not to mention her dimples and that gorgeous smile. Jane Rizzoli is drop-dead gorgeous, and I'll never tire of saying it.
I know I still have a lot of explaining to do, and she's going to be upset when she hears all the details, but I have no regrets.
Her moaning my name brings back to the present. I go to her bedside, and as I grasp her hand, I softly ask, "Jane, love, are you in pain?"
"Mmm, it hurts a little," Jane murmurs as she slowly opens her eyes.
"I'll get the nurse," I say as I reach for the call button.
"Wait, not yet, please, baby," Jane pleads.
"Love, talk to me. What's wrong? Tell me what hurts," I beg. Her tone is breaking my heart. I don't know if she's in emotional or physical pain. But I'm positive she's in pain.
"I want to know everything that happened," Jane says.
"Jane, that can wait till after you're a little stronger. You need to a lot of rest to help your body heal. This was a major trauma, love. You lost a lot of blood," I explain.
"Feels like I've been asleep for years," Jane groans.
"Let me get the nurse. Effective pain management is essential to your recovery, love," I plead.
"Baby, please tell me everything that happened," Jane pleads.
I relent and begin to talk fast. The faster I tell Jane what she wants to know, the faster she can take her medication and rest. When I finish, all she asks is, "Is Paddy's family going to hunt me down?"
"Nobody is going to hunt you down, love. Vince, Frankie, and even the F.B.I. say that their C.I.'s say that there's no evidence that they're out for revenge," I quickly explain.
"That doesn't mean it's over," Jane softly says.
I squeeze her hand and promise, "Listen to me, Jane, we're safe. I don't care if I have to hire a security detail for us for the foreseeable future or forever. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."
Jane softly smiles, "I thought I was your protector."
I kiss her cheek and whisper, "And I'm yours. Now, you need to rest and your pain medication."
As I push the call button, Jane says, "Baby, you should go home and get some rest. Call Korsak and Frankie, and they'll stay here with me. You need a shower and a bed."
"I won't leave you," I answer.
"Mmm, just one night. Please," Jane pleads.
As the nurses give her the medication, I softly answer, "I'll think about it. Now, sleep."
Jane smiles and says, "Stubborn, but I love you."
I grin and answer, "You should talk. And I love you. So much."
With that, she's out like a light. I stand by her bedside and hold her hand and watch her sleep. My world is right again. She's going to heal and be as good as new, and she's in love with me.
That's all I need to be happy.
Outside Jane's Hospital Room – Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.
"I want to see her," Gabriel Dean says as he clutches a bouquet of pink roses.
"No," I flatly answer as I block the door with Martin, Sanders, Harvey, and Darlene. I can see Aldrich walking towards us with Mrs. Isles. I can't believe this bloody bloke thinks he will get the detective back by buying her flowers. He doesn't know the first thing about the detective.
"Who do you think you are?" Dean says as he takes a step towards me. From the corner of my eye, I can see Darlene's face. She's bloody angry, and she has her hand on her gun.
"I'm her bodyguard, and I have my orders," I coldly answer. If he gets any closer, I'm going to deck him.
Dean looks at Darlene and smirks, "What, Darlene? Are you going to shoot me?"
"If necessary," Darlene answers. From her tone, I know she's not kidding. She'll shoot him if he tries to get into the room.
When Mrs. Isles and Aldrich join us, she hands me a bag of food and a blue gift bag and stares down Dean, "You have no business here. Leave."
"Not until I see her, and Jane is MY business," Dean insists.
That's when the door opens. Dr. Isles closes the door behind her and says, "Leave now. For the last time, Jane is MY business, not yours. She's in love with me, not you. Jane Rizzoli is MINE."
"No, she's not. She's just confused!" Dean loudly answers.
"She doesn't bloody want you. She's in love with Dr. Isles. Leave!" Darlene shouts. She's flushed and incredibly angry and has taken a step towards Dean. I look at Harvey and, with my eyes, motion for her to get close to Darlene. The last thing we want is for one of us to discharge our weapon; that is our last resort.
"No!" Dean yells back.
"Leave, or I'll get you fired," Mrs. Isles coldly threatens. I don't know where she came from. All my attention is on bloody Dean.
Dean laughs and says, "You can try."
"I don't make idle threats, Mr. Dean. Let me ask you a question, how many times have you had dinner with the Attorney General of the U.S.? I've been donating to his campaigns from the beginning, and we've grown close. One phone call and you're done. Now, are you going to leave Jane alone or not?" Mrs. Isles seriously threatens.
Harvey, Martin, Sanders, Aldrich, and I are grinning like fools. Darlene is still tense and ready to pounce, and bloody Dean is speechless. I guess he's not friends with the Attorney General. He shoves the flowers into my chest and walks out without saying another word.
Once he's gone, Mrs. Isles says, "Ms. Harvey, why don't you take my Maura's place so that she can have her dinner. She's hardly eaten anything."
"Of course," Ms. Harvey says as she goes into Jane's room.
Aldrich grins at Mrs. Isles, "That was bloody priceless. You left the bloody bloke speechless."
"I don't want to ruin someone's career, but if I'm pushed, I will. One more incident and Dean can kiss his job goodbye."
I look at the bouquet and ask, "What do I do with these?"
Mrs. Isles shrugs and orders, "Rip up the card and give them away to anyone on this floor, Mr. Armstrong. They are beautiful and should be enjoyed."
I nod and walk over to the nurse's station.
R&I
As we walk into a little floor on the I.C.U. floor I ask, "What's in the bag, Mother?"
Mother grins, "Season tickets to the Boston baseball team."
My mouth drops; I guess Mother pays close attention to Jane too. "Season tickets to the Red Sox?"
"That's right. I thought it would be a nice get well gift for Jane. Do you think she'll like them?" Mother asks.
"I think she'll be ecstatic," I say as I look at the tickets. Mother got season tickets for four.
"I was told that those are the very best seats in the stadium," Mother says.
"We'll know if that's true when Jane sees them. I think she could have bought her the worst seats, and she'd still be incredibly excited about having season tickets. These might get her out of that bed sooner than later," I smile. I can't wait to see her face when she sees these.
"I thought she could take her friends too," Mother smiles. Mother can be very generous and thoughtful. This just might get Jane out of bed.
"Thank you, Mother. It's very thoughtful," I continue to smile as I put the tickets back in the bag, and then I grab the food bag.
"It was nothing, darling. Now, I think you need a bed and a shower. So why don't you go home and take a shower? And then sleep in a real bed. I'll have you back here first thing in the morning."
I bite my lip as I think about it. I do need a shower, and I'd prefer to do it at home. So many germs in a hospital. But I don't want to leave her. What if something happens and I'm not here to protect her. "What if something happens? She's so vulnerable right now. I don't want to leave her alone. I need to protect her."
"Darling, she's not going to be alone. Jane is going to have five bodyguards. We need to take three for you, and I'm sure if you call her brother and Detective Korsak, they'll be happy to take your place for one night," Mother argues.
I give it some thought and reluctantly agree. A shower will do me good, and then I can pack a bag so that I don't have to leave my love again. I hope nothing happens.
Outside Jane's I.C.U. Room – Wednesday at 1 a.m.
It's been more than three days since I've tried to see Jane. I'm hoping that showing up at this time will be to my advantage. It's late at night, and nobody is going to want me to make another huge scene. So they might give me what I want, to see my Jane. I'm her mother; I should be allowed to see her.
As I approach her room, I can already see that Jane's in there alone. Unless Maura's in the bathroom or something. Maybe she left Jane. I can only hope.
But Jane isn't completely alone. Frankie, Vince, and one of their bodyguards are guarding the door. When Frankie sees me, he says, "What are you doing here? It's one a.m. We're in the I.C.U., for God's sake. These people need peace and quiet and not another one of your hysterical scenes."
"I won't make a scene if you let me see her," I propose.
"And I'll throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here if necessary," The tall blond bodyguard threatened.
"I wasn't talking to you, and Jane is none of your business," I snap back.
"The detective is my business. I'm her bodyguard, and I'll protect her from anybody that will harm her," The bodyguard says.
Before I can respond, Vince asks, "If we let you see her, will you leave peacefully?"
"Yes."
Frankie and Vince look at each other for a minute. Then, Frankie walks me into the room and whispers, "Whatever you do, don't upset her. I'm going to be right at the door. If she even raises her voice, I'll drag you out of here. Do you understand?"
I nod and walk into her room. Again she's lying in a hospital bed and probably still in mortal danger. Jane shot Paddy Doyle, and I highly doubt that his people are going to let this go. Jane is my little girl, and I have to protect her even from herself. This proves that I've been right this entire time. Jane has a death wish, and her true mission in life is to lie in a casket. But it's not too late to save her.
I nod and sarcastically ask, "So where's the love of her life? She should be here, shouldn't she?"
"Maura hasn't slept in days. Finally, Jane insisted she go home, take a shower and get some sleep.
"Maura's only been gone for four hours," Vince explains.
"Bullshit is the princess angry that Jane killed her daddy," I answer sarcastically.
Frankie's hold on my arm gets stronger, and he growls in my ear, "Shut up, Ma. Say anything like that to Jane or Maura, for that matter, and I'll drag you out of here. And if you ever come even close to either of them, I'll arrest you for harassment to start."
I pull my arm out of his grasp and say, "Why are you so angry? You know I'm telling the truth, don't you?"
"You know what? This is a bad idea. I'm trying to do the decent thing because Jane is your daughter. But you're making it obvious that being decent to you is a waste of time," Frankie says as he begins to pull me out of the room.
I pull in the opposite direction and begin to beg, "Alright, alright, I'll behave. I need to see Jane."
Vince stops Frankie's movements and says to me, "Ten minutes. Don't make us regret letting you see her, Angela."
With that, I'm finally left alone in the room. I walk to Janie's bedside and gasp when I finally take a good look at her. She's so pale and looks so fragile. She's skin and bones, and they stuck a needle in her neck again. I think it's called a central line. Her brow is damp, which tells me she's running a fever. As I carefully put my hand on her forehead, it confirms what I suspected. She's running a fever, which means she's caught some infection.
My hand on her forehead brings her around. She's moaning softly and beginning to move around. I put my hand on her good shoulder and whisper, "Janie, you have to stay still. I don't want you to pop a stitch or something."
She doesn't acknowledge me; instead, she moans, "Maura, come back."
Hearing Jane call out for her makes me angry. I put my hands over Jane's and whisper, "She's not coming back, Janie. But you don't need her. You have your brothers and me. That's all you need."
"No, no, I need Maura," Jane continues to plead.
"Maura left you, Janie. She left you and isn't coming back. She's no good. We'll take good care of you," I insist.
"Maura baby, love you," Jane moans.
"Janie, she said she wasn't coming back," I lie, but before I can continue, I hear a voice coming from behind me, and it stops me cold. All Constance Isles loudly says is, "Liar."
When I turn around, I'm not only met by Maura but by Constance Isles, and they both look furious. Maura goes to the other side of the bed, and as she intertwines their fingers, she whispers, "Jane, love, I'm here. I'll never leave you. I went to the house for a little while. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't sleep without you. I love you so much, Jane."
"If you loved her, you wouldn't have left her. And don't forget it was your father who shot her. You're a danger to her. If you really loved her, you would leave to protect her from Paddy Doyle's people. They probably want revenge for killing Paddy Doyle. It's all your fault," I passionately argue.
"Leave Angela, and if you ever hurt her in any way, you'll have to deal with me," Maura coldly states.
"You can't tell me what to do, and you don't scare me," I curtly reply.
"Oh yes, she can. Jane has given Maura power of attorney. If you care about Jane, you will leave peacefully so as not to upset her. And you should be afraid of us, Angela, because we'll tear you apart," Constance Isles replies. I can see where Maura get it. Constance's tone is exactly like Maura's. Cold.
But I'm not easily intimidated. So I repeat, "I'm not going anywhere. I have every right to be here. I'm Jane's mother, her blood."
"You do remember the elbow to the throat move, don't you?" Maura says. Her tone is ice cold, and from the look in her eyes, it tells me she means every word.
"You're just like your father," I answer in disgust.
"Then you should take me very seriously. Leave and stay away from us," Maura answers coldly.
"Make me."
"My pleasure," Constance answers. She then calls out, "Mr. Armstrong?"
Oh God, Jane's bodyguard comes in, and he looks even bigger. Constance smiles, "Escort her out. And if she resists drag out by force."
To my shock, I hear Jane whisper, "Leave Ma. I don't want you here."
"You heard her, now leave," Maura orders.
"She needs me," I loudly answer.
"I need Maura, not you," Jane softly moans.
"Janie," I begin, but Constance orders, "Enough, Angela. Mr. Armstrong, get her out of here."
"And who do you think you are?" I spit back.
"Their mother," Constance angrily replies.
"Jane already has a mother!" I yell. And that was all she wrote. I made Jane cry out, "Leave!"
And then two female bodyguards come in with Frankie and Vince on their heels. Frankie and Vince tell the male bodyguard, "We'll take care of it, Armstrong."
The bodyguard nods, and then Frankie and Vince forcibly drag me out. When we get to the elevator, I angrily say, "Who the fuck does Constance Isles think she is? I'm Jane's mother."
"You haven't been acting like Jane's mother for a long time, Ma. Constance Isles has protected her, accepted her, and loves her. She appreciates who Jane is and has never tried to change her. And I don't know why you're so concerned about Jane now. You wished she was dead, Ma! Or have you forgotten," Frankie loudly says.
"I didn't mean it. I was angry," I reply. I know I never should have said that, but I was furious.
"There are things you can never take back, Angela," Vince says as the elevator doors open.
Frankie pushes me into the elevator and orders, "Don't come back. I'll have their bodyguards drag you away on sight. Don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, Frankie walks away, so I plead to Vince, "I'm her mother. I should be allowed to see her, Vince."
"Jane is a grown woman and doesn't want to see you. You can't force yourself on her. So leave them alone, Angela." Vince says as the elevator doors closed.
Well, at least I saw her. But this isn't over.
R&I
"You came back. Ma said you weren't coming back," Jane whimpers.
"Love, I just went to the house for a shower and some sleep. But I couldn't sleep without you, so I came back. I'll never leave you, Jane. Angela was lying. Sweetheart, how do you feel?" I ask.
"Sweaty and hot," Jane mumbles as her eyes begin to close.
"Rest, love, the doctor will be here soon, and they'll give you something to make you feel better," I softly say as I lean down to kiss her forehead. To my relief, she closes her eyes and immediately falls asleep.
The kiss tells me she's running a high fever which means she must have a post-op infection. I should have never had left her. When I got to her bedside, I noticed that she was sweating. I look at Mother and say, "She's running a high fever, Mother."
"Then she needs a doctor immediately," Mother says as she pushes the call button.
"I should have never left her," I mumble as I hold her hand.
"You couldn't have known that Angela was going to show up or that she was going to run a fever. She was fine when you left Maura, darling," Mother says.
"An infection is going to complicate her recovery. It's going to take longer for her to recover, and Jane isn't exactly the best patient," I say as I watch her sleep and rub her knuckles with my thumb.
Our conversation stops when the nurse comes in. She takes her temperature and says, "It's at 103.7. I'll page the doctor immediately, and I'll bring in some ice packs."
"I'll apply the ice packs; just get the doctor here as soon as possible and call for a phlebotomist. The doctor is going to have to run blood tests to find out what type of infection she has so that he can treat her," I order. Times like this make me wish I was a doctor for the living.
The nurse nods, and I ask Mother, "Can you go with her so that she can give you the ice packs? We need to lower her temperature as soon as possible."
"Of course, I'll be right back," Mother says as she follows the nurse out.
To my surprise, when we are alone, I hear Jane moan, "Maura baby, come back."
I squeeze her hand and whisper, "I'm here, sweetheart."
"I keep dreaming that you leave me because I killed Paddy. I keep remembering how we fought when I shot Paddy the last time. Every time I wake up, I think you're gone," Jane murmurs.
"Love, I was wrong. I made the mistake of seeing Paddy Doyle as my father and not the sociopathic killer he always was. I'll never leave you, Jane. I love you so much," I admit. But, I was wrong, and my mistake almost cost me the most important person in my life. The one person that comes before absolutely everything.
"Remember when I jumped off the bridge," Jane whimpers.
"How can I forget?"
"I lied when I said that when I was plummeting to my death, I was thinking about beer and ravioli. The truth is, all I was thinking about was you," Jane whispers.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was a coward. All I was thinking was that I was going to die not telling you how in love I was with you. How I was never going to find out how soft your lips are. Or how you would feel in my arms," Jane mumbles.
"God, Jane. When you jumped, I thought the same thing. If we hadn't gotten you back, I would have never recovered. I would have blamed myself for your death for the rest of my life. I didn't cry the entire night. And then you got out of that boat; all my emotions came crashing down. That's why I couldn't stay there. I didn't want you to see me fall apart. I couldn't tell you how I really felt," I say as a tear rolls down my cheek. Just thinking about what happened that night makes my heart clench and causes tears to roll down my face.
"I wanted to go to you, but you were so angry, and I was terrified you didn't want to be best friends anymore. I'd rather be best friends than nothing at all," Jane softly moans.
"Love, shh, it's okay. We're okay. I'm never going to leave you, Jane, I promise," I reassure her.
"Mmm, it's so hot," Jane whimpers.
"I know, sweetheart. You're running a fever. The doctor is on his way," I whisper.
Before I can say another word, Mother and Dr. James arrive.
When he walks in, Dr. James asks me, "How's my favorite patient?"
"Running a high fever. Jane must have developed a post-op infection," I explain.
"I didn't know you could diagnose the living," Dr. James snipes as he examines Jane's wound.
I hate his tone but try to stay professional. So I explain, "I treated living patients during my residency. And on occasion, I've treated live patients without a problem."
"That still doesn't qualify you to diagnose my patient," Dr. James snaps back.
"What is your problem?" I angrily reply.
"I don't like unqualified individuals practicing medicine," Dr. James coldly states.
To my complete surprise, I hear Jane whimper, "She's an M.D. and a genius. She's more qualified than you to treat me. It's because of her that I'm even alive."
"I doubt she's a genius," Dr. James mumbles.
"She is a genius, and she's way hotter than you. Do your job and treat me without the attitude. If you can't do that, send another doctor," Jane softly orders. God, even in her condition, she's my protector.
"Fine, I don't need this," Dr. James huffs and walks out.
Mother looks at both of us in confusion and asks, "What just happened?"
"He's sore I wouldn't go out with him," Jane whispers.
"You're kidding," Mother says in disbelief.
I shrug and explain, "He was my surgeon, and he's very good at his job. I don't understand why he was so unprofessional just now. When I was his patient, he asked Jane out. I guess he's jealous that she's with me and declined his invitation."
"Well, he's not going to get away with it. I'll go get you another doctor and deal with Dr. James," Mother angrily says as she storms out of the room. Mother is furious. I almost feel sorry for Dr. James. Almost.
At least Mother brought the ice packs. As I riffle through my bag for Tylenol, I say, "I'm going to give you some Tylenol to help lower your temperature and apply the ice packs. Hopefully, this will begin to lower your temperature."
Jane swallows the Tylenol, and when I put the ice pack on her forehead, she whines, "It's so cold."
"I know, love. But I have to lower your fever," I apologize.
"I feel so sweaty and cold at the same time. And the gown and sheets are sticking to me," Jane complains.
I bite my lip and offer, "Let me call the nurse to get you and the bed changed. Love, do you think you can sit up for me?"
When Jane nods, I press the call button. When the nurse comes in, I explain that Jane wants new sheets and a new gown, she agrees to help. While she goes get the new sheets and gown, I get Jane ready. I put down the bed rail and say, "Alright, love, I'm going to adjust the bed to a sitting position. You need to tell me if you're in any pain, okay?"
Jane nods, and I slowly adjust the bed. I keep my eyes trained on her face, and I don't see any discomfort. Once that is done, I say, "I'm going to move your legs to the side of the bed. Let me do all the lifting and moving."
"Maura, I can do that," Jane says.
"Just let me do it, sweetheart," I plead. When Jane nods, I slide them over, and now she's ready. Now I only need the gown and a washcloth. Moving her to the recliner is going to be nerve-racking. The last thing I need is for her to fall.
I stand between her legs and put the ice pack against the back of the neck as we wait for the nurse. When she puts her hands on my hips, and she pulls me closer, that makes me smile.
"That still feels so cold," Jane murmurs.
"It's because you're so hot, sweetheart," I whisper.
"Do you think the new doctor is going to be long?" Jane whimpers.
"I doubt it. Mother can be very intimidating, and if she doesn't see results quickly, she'll begin threatening that she's going to transfer you to Hopkins," I softly smile.
"Intimidating? I'd say she can be downright terrifying. Even I know to stay on her good side. I'd be scared to be on the other side," Jane mumbles.
"You threaten arrest and bodily harm; Mother threatens legal action and getting the guilty party fired. Different tactics, same result," I softly explain.
"So the doctor should be here very soon?" Jane smiles.
"Yes, it also helps our cause that the Isles Foundation makes major donations to this hospital every year," I smile back.
"Jesus, does your family own Boston?"
"Of course not, but that doesn't mean we're not well known for our generosity," I smirk. What can I say? My family is well connected throughout the U.S. We are very well connected here in Boston, and for that, I'm grateful. Right now, I'll use all our connections to keep us safe.
"When do you think I'll get out of here?" Jane murmurs.
"I don't know, sweetheart," I answer nervously. I don't know if I should be happy that Jane is beginning to ask when she's getting out of here. It means she's feeling a little better, but it doesn't mean she's anywhere near ready to be discharged. I desperately need her to be a good patient.
"Guess," Jane orders.
I frown and answer, "You know I don't guess, Jane."
"Please," Jane pouts. God, she's so adorable. So finally, I give in and answer, "Ten days."
"Ten days? I'm not dying, you know," Jane complains.
"You were almost dying, Jane. Your body has gone through major trauma, and it's going to take time for you to heal," I passionately argue.
"When am I going back to work?"
"I don't know, Jane."
"Guess again, Maura." Jane orders again.
I shake my head and answer, "In 8 to 12 weeks."
"Jesus, three months, really?"
"Yes, really, Jane. If you want to regain full function of your arm, you're going to need lots of physical therapy and give your body time to heal," I explain.
"Well, this is going to suck," Jane pouts.
I give her a soft kiss and answer, "No, it isn't. You're going to rest and be good as new in time. I need you to be a good patient for me, sweetheart."
"Do I at least get all the kisses I want?"
I grin and answer, "Yes."
When she smiles, I drop the compress and carefully cup her face in my hands. I slowly lean in and press my lips to hers. When I feel her pull me closer, I deepen the kiss. Jane moans as I explore her mouth with my tongue. God, she tastes so good. When she starts to suck my tongue softly, I begin to groan. When I need to breathe, I pull away, making Jane move her kisses to my jaw.
"Love, we need to stop," I loudly moan as my eyes close. My fingers are now in her dark curls, pulling her closer to my skin. I'm flushed and panting. Only Jane has ever done this to me. My body responds to her like no other. Nobody has ever aroused me like this much with only kisses.
"Love you so much," Jane murmurs against my warm skin.
"God, I love you too," I whimper as I press my lips to hers again. I can't help myself. I absolutely love her kisses.
When I hear someone loudly cough, I reluctantly stop. I look up and see that Mother has returned with the nurse and what I assume is Jane's new doctor. The doctor is a woman. She has beautiful auburn color hair; she's a little short but slender. Her smile is lovely and puts you at ease. And my face feels like it's on fire. I feel like I'm thirteen, and Mother caught me making out with my girlfriend.
Mother has a smirk on her face, and the doctor introduces herself as, "I'm Dr. Heather Grace. I'll be in charge of your care now, Ms. Rizzoli."
Jane is also blushing, but not as much as me. Instead, she proudly says, "I'm Detective Jane Rizzoli, and this is my girlfriend, Dr. Maura Isles."
Dr. Grace smiles, "It's nice to meet you both. Let's check you out and get you feeling better."
Jane nods and lies back on the bed so that the doctor can examine her. When she finishes, Dr. Grace says, "I'm going to order I.V. antibiotics, ice packs, and Ibuprofen to get her fever under control. I'll also order some blood tests to identify the type of infection. In the meantime, try to get a lot of rest."
"Thank you, Dr. Grace," I smile as I shake her hand.
"We'll take good care of her. I'll be back later today to check on her," Dr. Grace says.
I look at Mother, and she's pleased with the doctor from the look on her face. I nod, and then the nurses ask if Jane still wants new sheets and a new gown. When Jane nods, Mother goes outside, and the nurse and I get her changed quickly and settled back in bed.
As Jane begins to drift off, she whispers, "I love you, baby."
I smile, and as I kiss her cheek, I whisper back, "I love you, my love. Now rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
Jane smiles as sleep overtakes her. I'm glad I came back. This is where I belong.
Thanks for reading.
See you soon!