Chapter 14
Maura woke first the next morning and looked into the peaceful face of her lover and best friend. She wondered if that would change once they go back to work. Could they still have the working relationship they always had before they became lovers?
"Does your mind ever shut off?" Jane asked groggily as she looked out of one eye. "What are you thinking about that put that look on your face this early in the morning. It's way too early for that. Come here." Jane pulled her against.
"I was wondering about how things are going to change once we go back to work."
Jane reached up and smoothed the worry lines on Mura's forehead. "One thing will be that we will have to wake up earlier if we want to snuggle like this in the morning. We'll have to wear clothes more often, as much as I would love seeing you like this, the morgue is a little too chilly for your current state of undress. We may have to get used to not being able to kiss whenever we want. Might make it a little more interesting, being able to find spots to sneak a quick kiss, maybe even cop a quick feel at work." Maura giggled and leaned forward to kiss Jane. All of the sudden Jane got serious. "It's only been a few days but I know it's going to be hard going back to my apartment after falling asleep with you next to me every night. We'll just have to have more sleepovers."
"I know this may be too soon but have you ever thought about moving in here?" She kind of tossed it out there casually but she was serious. "Bass and Jo would have a back yard to run in. Not that Bass needs a big space but Jo sure does. If you don't want that's fine, we can just continue as we've been doing and as you said just have more sleepovers but I think it…" Whatever she was going to say was cut off by Jane's lips covering her own.
"Slow down Maura. Let's talk about this ok? How long have you been thinking about this?" Jane kissed her again.
"I've imagined it since the first day I met you. I've wanted it for months even though I didn't think it was possible but now that I know it's possible I want it even more. This is not a spur of the moment decision I can assure you."
"You don't make spur of the moment decisions that much I know. I've never had a relationship that lasted long enough to get to this point." She sat up and rested her back against the backboard. "Wow! Are you sure?"
Maura sat up so that she could face Jane and tried to gauge her feelings but she couldn't. She took Jane's face in her hands. "I've never been surer of anything. I want to be here for you when you come home from a hard day to do whatever I can to help make things easier. And I do have a backyard that Jo would love."
"There is that." Maura playfully slapped her arm.
"Why do you keep slapping me? Why should I move in here if you're going to keep slapping me? If you slap me when I'm down like this I hate to think what you're going to do to me when I'm all healed up. Why would I want to subject myself to that?"
Maura straddled Jane's hips and leaned forward to kiss her. "Because this will be waiting for you every night." She leaned forward and kissed her again. "And every morning." Once again leaning forward to kiss her.
"You do not play fair do you? How is a person supposed to resist that?"
"Jane, you're not supposed to resist, you're supposed to fall prey to my beguiling ways and beg to move in with me. But in all seriousness Jane, I think it would save us both time and money. We want to be together right?" Jane nodded. "If you don't want to move in right away I'm fine with that. If you want to keep your place that's ok too. Maybe you need to think about it for a few days. Don't make a decision right now, give it the rest of the week."
Jane finally sat forward and covered Maura's lips with her own. "I would love to move in with you. After all Jo does need a backyard to run around in and Bass would have company during the day." Jane pulled Maura down so that she was lying next to her with her head on her shoulder. "Maura, I love you and I think I have for a long time."
Maura lifted her head so she could look her in the eye. "I love you too. I can honestly say I've never felt this way before. No man has ever made me feel the way you do and I doubt anyone else ever could."
"Well that's good to know. So we've got the rest of the week what are we going to do with our time?" She wiggled her eyes at Maura.
"Oh I'm sure we can think of something." Maura returned.
The time flew as they spent the week getting to know everything they could about each other. They spent a lot of time cuddling on the couch reading and watching TV. They went jogging and attended Maura's yoga class on a regular basis, Jane did what she could with her hands but spent most of the time just watching Maura's ass. They went to the doctor together when Jane got the bandages off and the stitches came out. There didn't appear to be any permanent damage to her hands. She had full flexibility, with some pain of course, and the strength would return with time. Then there were the scars, of course they would fade in time but right now they were going to be a constant reminder of her weakness. She was not able to take down Hoyt, he got the better of her, and she now had a permanent reminder.
"They'll fade Jane." Maura said gently as if she had read her mind. "They will remind you that you are a survivor and that Hoyt couldn't beat you."
"That's funny I was thinking it was a reminder of my inability to catch him on my own and that I let him get the better of me but I like your way of looking at it better. You're a glass half full kinda girl aren't you?" Jane smiled at Maura then turned back to the doctor. "So doc what kind of restrictions are there?"
"Well you are going to have to use some common sense for a while. It will still be some time before you can use a weapon so if you do go back to work you'll have to be on desk duty. You should set up some therapy sessions to exercise the muscles and tendons in those hands. If you don't exercise them you'll lose use of them. I want to see you back here in a week so I can see how they are doing and decide when you can go back to work full capacity or not. So I would say you can go back to work after the weekend."
"Are you trying to tell me I have to sit behind a desk for 8 hours? Doc that will drive me crazy."
"No, I'm only releasing you to go back to work for 4 hours a day. So you'll only go half crazy."
"Ha ha, funny one Doc. So I go back to work for 4 hours and the rest of the day I exercise my hands and I come back in a week then I can go back to work full time?"
"I'll make a decision at that time but you have to give yourself and your hands a break. Exercise every other day because those muscles need time to relax too if you don't you'll fatigue them and maybe cause even more damage. It won't get you back to work any sooner. Be patient."
"I don't know how to be patient doc." She gave him a serious look.
He looked back and forth between the two women. "You're going to have to learn or your hands will not heal correctly and you'll never be able to use them to their full potential again."
"Are you trying to scare me?"
"Is it working?"
"Yeah doc it is."
"Then my job is done. But you'd better take it seriously. Dr. Isles will be able to tell you that what I say it the truth."
Jane turned to Maura. "Is he telling the truth Maura?" Jane was well aware of the fact that Maura couldn't lie worth a damn so she watched her carefully.
"Yes Jane he is telling you the truth. If you don't exercise them enough the muscles and tendons will atrophy but if you overdo it then they will be fatigued and you will not be able to exercise them when you really need to."
"So if I don't exercise enough I'm screwed and if over exercise I'm screwed. So it sounds like either way I'm screwed."
"No Jane you have to find a happy medium and that is what a physical therapist will help you with." The doctor gave Jane a smile that told her she had better take him serious or he wouldn't hesitate to keep her out of work. "You will regain full use of your hands again, I'm sure of it but you have to do things right for that to happen. I'm sure Dr. Isles will be able to help you with that. Now ladies our time it up, why don't you make those appointments on your way out and I will see you in about a week."
"Sure Doc and thanks for everything." She reached out to shake hands.
"I think we should give it a little more time before you start shaking hands. Maybe next time."
Jane and Maura left the doctor's office and when they got into the car Jane turned to Maura from the passenger seat. "Remember what I told you was going to happen when I got those bandages off?"
Maura turned to Jane with a confused look on her face. "No Jane I don't think I remember."
Jane wiggled her fingers. "I said you were mine, when we get home I plan to exercise my fingers in a way that I'm sure won't be included in my therapy sessions."