Maura Isles was a resilient woman. Despite an emotionless and loveless childhood, Maura had grown to become a woman who embraced feelings and displays of affection. She had survived the never-ending teasing of her adolescence, as girls called her names to her face and boys avoided her like the plague. In college, Maura had survived heartbreak, imposter syndrome, and a lack of a social life. As a young woman, Maura's intelligence began to be appreciated, but the woman still struggled to make friends who didn't take advantage of her. Still, she had survived. She pushed herself through medical school, graduating at the top of her class. When Ian left the first time, she had survived. When her birth mother had rejected her and even when Paddy admitted that he would have shot Jane, she had persevered.
When she opens up the link to a video that was sent to her email and watches the contents, this is the first time that she feels as if she will not survive.
The camera showcases a wide angle, showing Jane against a dark background as a light is shone on her. Maura cries out as she sees the blood that has dried all over Jane's body. From the looks of her wound, pale skin, and blood pooled at the bottom of Jane's feet, Maura estimates the blood loss to be significant. She zooms in, seeing how the most significant of Jane's wounds have been stitched up to prevent the detective from bleeding out. Jane's head bobs as she drifts in and out of consciousness. When her head falls to the side, her neck bent in an awkward position, Olivia walks over and slaps Jane, startling her enough for her to wake up again. The video cuts to Jane laying down, as her hands and feet remain bound to a wooden cross behind her. Maura stares at the video, desperate to see the rise and fall of Jane's chest to determine whether the woman is still alive or not. It is subtle, but it is there, and it brings Maura a small glimmer of hope. Above Jane, two words are etched into the wood.
Tragicum Heros. Tragic hero.
Unable to bear any more, Maura rises from the chair and runs out, heaving into the toilet in the women's restroom. When she leaves, she makes a beeline for Frost's desk. Ignoring the emptiness of where Jane sat across from him, she shows him the link to the video. As he watches, she turns away, staring off into space as Korsak and Frost play the video. Frankie walks over to join them, but he is quickly stopped by the two other men. They shake their heads, knowing that this would be too much for the younger Rizzoli. Frankie leans against the desk, hanging his head as he rubs at his neck.
Frost takes the video over to BRIC and their team takes the video apart, analyzing every pixel and sound wave, hopeful to find a clue. Olivia and Sarah cover their tracks well, drowning out the environmental noise with a white noise machine. Without windows, sunlight, or background noise, their odds of finding Jane are slim to none. Frankie has left to break the news to his mother, and Maura knows that this will be the most challenging visit that he will ever do. Maura doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, and doesn't think about anything other than Jane. Her hands shake, leaving her unable to grasp a pen or use a keyboard. She was there when Cavanaugh saw the video and the blinds in his office window are still bent from where he threw his monitor after watching it. Things around the office are getting broken at a record-setting pace, as the tension and uneasiness creep into every second of their days. No one dares to touch Jane's desk and the old coffee cup next to her paperwork begins to smell as it leaves a permanent ring on her desk.
Maura tries not to think about how she would react if Jane died. If that were to happen, a part of her would die alongside Jane. If she somehow found the will to go on, she would have to move to an entirely different country and grieve the rest of her life for the love of her life. She is already moving through the stages of grief, with the current one being bargaining. Praying to a God she doesn't believe in, she makes promises to be a better person or to become a nun if her Jane is brought back safely. For the first time in her life, science is against her. As she thinks about physiology and anatomy, the science behind Jane's likelihood of survival revealed a grim truth. Unless Jane were to be found and delivered without delay to a gifted trauma surgeon, there was no coming back from the injuries that had been done upon her.
Jane isn't sure what day it is anymore. Her memory becomes foggy as her body becomes accustomed to the excruciating pain that is ever-present. Jane isn't sure why she is still alive. Olivia and Sarah seem to argue more often, bickering in hushed tones when they think that Jane isn't paying attention. She knows that they recorded a video and only assumes that it was sent to Maura. Her heart aches for Maura and can't imagine how she must be feeling. To distract herself, she replays the moment that they met.
As she thinks about her ridiculous outfit and how Maura was the only one who respected her, she finds herself smiling despite the pain. When that memory is over, she replays the night of the award ceremony. The way Maura had looked at her after her confession during her speech. It was a look filled with love, relief, and most importantly, hope. Jane knew she was an idiot sometimes, but she knew that she had done something right when she befriended Maura Isles. They had built a life together over the years, supporting each other through the moments that would have broken any ordinary couple up.
Jane makes a promise to herself that if she makes it out, she will see Maura walk down that aisle and grow old with Maura. Maura will be the mother of her children and her best friend until her very last breath.
With that, she breathed out shakily for the last time and her heart stops beating, her hands falling to the ground.