Thursday

Jane made the arrests for the journalist case; the gang member responsible had swung a fist at Jane, who easily ducked it and had him in cuffs before he'd even regained his equilibrium. Frost was excellent in the interrogation room, using his attempted assault on a police officer as a starting point and running him down to murder from there.

Jane didn't have a reason to go downstairs, but after her shift she slipped down to the basement anyway. There were no autopsies underway and Jane sighed with relief. She had an appointment with her therapist that night and she didn't think she could handle the fresh wound of watching another autopsy.

"Oh. Come to spill some more hot liquids on me?" Doctor Isles asked, coming out of her office. She was in a gold dress today, and it made the gold in her eyes shine. Her hair was carefully styled and she smelled of caramel - looked like caramel, all smooth and sweet. She had her bag - she must have resented being stuck with having to use such a large one to fit her laptop - and it looked like she was heading home.

"Ok, can we just not?" Jane said wearily. "It's hard enough being down here without you giving me the business. I apologised for the coffee - it was an honest accident - and I apologised for being mean to you when we met. Can you just stop busting my ass? I'm just trying to - aw forget it." Jane headed for the lift, pushed the button twice, threw her hands up in exasperation and headed for the stairs instead. Doctor Isles stared after her, brow furrowed.

"You managed to watch part of an autopsy your first week back?" Richard, the therapist the hospital had set her up with, asked.

"Yeah. The chief ME might be a bitch but she's good with a - a - a knife."

"Any anxiety?"

"Quite a bit, with the other ME's."

"But not with the 'bitch'?"

"No, she's fine. Well, not fine, but not... Threatening, the way the others are."

"And the others?"

"Had to leave." Jane rubbed at her scars again. "One of the crime lab techs saw me in the hallway, she's been sweet to me since." Jane made a face.

"You think she pities you?"

"Well, yeah, Doc, I think she pities me." Jane said sardonically. "Why else would she be nice to me, after that? But she is nice, and I need to keep her nice so I can come and go in the crime lab." Jane sighed.

"And all the other Medical Examiners are men?"

"Yeah." Richard made a note.

"Do you think that's significant? Is it less intimidating if it's a woman holding the scalpel?"

"I dunno, she's just different, ok? You should see her - she's all fashion and class, everyone's either scared of her or trying to hook up with her."

"And you're not scared of her?"

"Not if she's not holding a scalpel in the same room as me, nah."

"And nothing else about going back to work has triggered any unpleasant memories? The dead bodies, your colleagues."

"Naw, bodies are fine. Korsak seems pissed that I asked for a new partner, but he'll come around."

"Do you feel he pities you?" The psychologist asked. Jane shrugged, thinking back to how weak and pathetic she must have looked, pinned to that basement floor like a butterfly specimen. She didn't know if she could respect a detective she'd seen like that, that had let themself be captured like that.

"Maybe."

"Does he have a new partner yet? It's been a year."

"He was given Frost while I was out. I guess it's three of us until they hire someone else."

"And how is your partnership with Frost?"

"He seems nice - good with the IT stuff, which could come in handy, but queasy with the bodies, which leaves me trying to talk to an ME that hates me," Jane sighed and rubbed her hands. If only Stanley hadn't been such a - such a Stanley that day. If only she hadn't spilled hot coffee on Doctor Isles. She just wanted to do her job, get back to normal, and she couldn't do that if the ME froze her out, couldn't do it if she didn't overcome her fear of scalpels.

"Is there any way you can repair that interpersonal relationship?" Richard asked.

"I offered to buy her a coffee, to replace the one I spilled, but she turned me down in front of my team." Jane rubbed at her face. "The other ME's just aren't as good - they're not bad, but her reports are incredibly detailed, and any detective with her on their case usually gets a better hit rate. I want her working on our bodies, Doc."

"Is Frost seeing anyone for his aversion to blood?" Richard asked.

"I dunno, that's kinda personal. I've only known him four days."

"And could Korsak deal with the ME for you?"

"I guess, but it feels very highschool. Running to teacher 'wah, the doctor's being mean to me', y'know?"

Richard nodded, looking at his watch.

"I can go?" Jane asked, springing to her feet, and he laughed.

"Yes, we're done for the day. Don't give up on your immersion therapy - if Doctor Isles is the only one you can watch use a... knife... then go watch her when you can. Obviously if you can create a better working relationship with her, you'll be in a better position to observe, but you seem to be doing your best to reach out to her." He reached out his hand and Jane shook it. "You've done remarkably well," he said. "I'm very proud of your progress."

"Yeah, well, it's been a year," Jane shrugged, her face trying to look unconcerned but still showing some signs of worry. "Thanks, Doc."

Notes:

Season 1 was a whole different animal. Rewatching season 1 is a whole trip.