Sorry I'm being so technical and medical. I can't help it, I have a medical background. I'm building the feelings Maura didn't know she had for Jane, but we all clearly saw week to week. You'll see where it's heading. Again i own nothing
"Are you Dr. Maura Isles?"
Maura jumped at the sound of her name. "Yes?" she responded looking at the woman wearing purple scrubs standing at the doorway of Jane's room. She had a lunch bag in one hand and her purse slung over her shoulder. Maura was trying to figure out if she was coming or going.
"Sorry to startle you. But there are two men outside in the hallway looking for you. They don't seem to realize there's an intercom box that connects them to the desk," the nurse chuckled.
"Oh yes. Well when I came up here the nursing assistant just opened the door she must not have shown them how to get in touch with the desk," Dr. Isles said as she stood. She gave Jane's hand an extra squeeze before letting go and heading towards the door.
"It happens," she said turning to walk out. Before she did she turned around and asked, "Do you know where the intercom is to get back in?"
"No, I don't. When I got up here I came right in to see Jane. Could you show me?" the Dr. responded.
"Sure!" she said motioning for the doctor to follow. They stepped outside the room, "First to exit, you need to push this button to open the door when you're in the ICU," the nurse said pushing a silver square button that said push to exit. Maura nodded to show she understood as the doors opened.
They stepped outside and the nurse moved to the right of the doors. She pointed to a black box, "Push the red button and it'll connect you to the desk in here and we'll open the door for you. Just tell them who you are and who you're here to see."
"Thank you for your help," Maura said catching sight of the two detectives.
"No problem. If you need anything just ask. My name is Angela, I'm one of the night nurses," she informed the nurse before turning to walk back into the ICU.
"Will you be the Rizzoli's nurse?" Maura asked before she went through the doors.
"I don't know yet, but I'll see what I can do," she said smiling and winking at Maura.
Maura didn't know what the nurse was implying but she wanted to get back to Jane. She turned to the detectives. Korsak was holding her duffle bag and purse in one hand and keys in the other outstretched to the doctor.
"Thanks," she said taking them from him.
"You're welcome. Bass and Jo-Friday are in my car so we can't stay long. I don't want them to stay in the car for long. Your car is in the parking garage fifth floor near the exit. If you struggle to find it you can just put the button on your keys," he informed her.
"Thank you again."
"So how is she?" Frost intervened
"She seems peaceful. She's resting and they're giving her everything she needs. Minus the day nurse people have been pretty nice," she replied.
"Good, well we better get going, we'll check in and see how they're doing, and if you need anything don't hesitate to call. Ok?" Korsak said as he pulled her into a hug again.
"Thanks again and will do."
Frost and Korsak left the way they came and Maura turned to go back into the ICU. She pushed the red button waiting for someone to answer. "Can I help you?" a voice asked on the other side of the door.
"Yes, Dr. Maura Isles. Jane Rizzoli's advance directive, I'll be staying with her," Maura said into the box.
"Ok" the voice responded as the doors opened.
Maura walked into the ICU and straight to Jane's room. She placed her items under the window away from Jane's bed and the machines around her. She took her spot again next to Jane holding her hand. She was still trying to figure out how to tell her mother how her daughter also became a patient in the ICU with her brother. She intertwined their fingers, and with her other hand was drawing circles around Jane's scar.
"I told you I'd see you what I could do," came a voice from the doorway. It was Angela; she lost her bags, but had a clipboard instead, and was walking towards Jane's bed.
"You did, I didn't know what you meant by that," Maura said.
"Well two things. The Rizzoli's and I were not here yesterday, the other two nurses were and so are they're patients so they didn't want to change their assignment. And two I'm charge tonight so I make the assignment, so I could decide who has who. So I had some pull," she said as she started writing things down from all the bags draining from Jane and going into her.
"Good."
"Can I ask why you wanted me to be their nurse?" she asked working her way over to the computer in the room.
"Well the day nurse was kind of rude to me, and you were really sweet. And I think it'd be best if both Jane here and her brother Frankie have the same nurse. You can keep Mrs. Rizzoli informed of her daughter's condition since you'll be going back and forth to the rooms," she said to the nurse who was listening but also clicking away at her computer.
"Don't think I'm not listening. I'm just multitasking. If I don't chart what I do it doesn't happen. Also checking the doctor's orders, seeing what she wants us to do," she said reassuring the doctor she cares about what she is saying.
Angela made her way to the door and pulled the curtains to block the nurses' stations view of the patient in room one. Then she made her way to the sink, washed her hands, then to Jane's right side. "I'm going to check her dressings see if they need to be changed, I pulled the curtain for privacy," the nurse informed Maura.
"Ok what can I do to help," Maura asked, as the nurse was putting gloves on.
"Nothing yet, I'm going to pull the sheets down and unsnap the johnny to see the dressing in the front first. Then I'll need your help to turn her on her side so I can get a look at the one on her back," she said.
Maura watched the nurse pull the sheet and blanket to her waist, and unsnap the sleeve of the hospital gown. She pulled the gown out from under Jane's neck and arm to see the chest tube protruding out of her chest. The nurse moved the gown over Jane's breast to keep her covered. Maura thought that it was sweet the nurse was trying to help Jane maintain her modesty even though she wasn't awake.
"Jane I'm just checking your dressings. They need to be changed. I'll also help you get washed up as well with the help of your… wife?" Angela asked referring to the doctor.
Wife? Why would she think I'm her wife? Maura asked herself.
"No best friend and coworker," she corrected the nurse.
"I'm sorry. Only family are allowed in here so I wasn't sure. The nurse I got report from said you were her advanced directive. Most times the advance directive is the significant other. I shouldn't have assumed," the nurse said making eye contact, showing her sincerity. "Can you help me roll her?"
"Sure," Maura said grabbing a pair of gloves herself.
"Jane, we're going to turn you onto your left side toward Maura so I can look at the dressing on your back," Angela said to Jane, as she untied the right restraint.
Maura was surprised the nurse was speaking to Jane as if she was awake. She has read that comatose patients still can hear even though they aren't awake. The nurse must know that the auditory was the last to go and was making sure Jane was comfortable.
"Ok we'll put you back onto your back," the nurse said to both Jane and the doctor. When Jane was back on her back she kept talking to Jane "I'll need to change your dressing on your back as well. I'm going to check you your brother Francesco first. Then I'll be back to get you changed and washed up. Before I forget my name is Angela, I'll be your nurse all night," she said giving Jane's hand a squeeze after retying her wrist to the bed loosely.
She turned her gaze to Maura. "Again if you need anything just ask. Would you like me to get you some of our socks?" She asked motioning to Maura's Jimmy Choos.
"Ah sure, I'll be staying."
"Ok, that lounge chair," she said pointing next to the window. "Opens up to a bed, we'll get you some sheets and such. Now before I head over to her brother, can you tell me what exactly happened? The nurse was a little vague in report."
"What did she tell you?" Maura asked, taking her spot again sitting next to Jane holding her hand.
"Gunshot wound, through and through. Fractured ribs, has a chest tube, and in a medicine induced coma. Getting blood, fluids, and antibiotics, has a foley, and will probably need a PICC line placed tomorrow," the nurse said listing the report she received only moments ago.
"Well Detective Jane Rizzoli was held hostage by a dirty cop. Her brother was in the morgue dying from internal bleeding. He was shot twice but had on his vest. The trajectory of the bullets still caused significant damage. Frankie was dying so Jane grabbed the gun from the man holding her hostage, turned it to herself to shoot the man that was preventing the police from saving her brother," Maura said with tears rolling down her face.
Angela went over to Maura placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. She's a hero, she saved her brother. Does her mother know?" the nurse asked giving Maura's shoulder a squeeze.
"No. I don't know how to tell her," Maura confessed.
"Understandable. I wouldn't know how to tell my mother if one of my siblings did something so brave. I'll let Mrs. Rizzoli know how her daughter is doing, and that you will be staying with her. I'll try and convince her to stay with her son. Also have her get some rest. When she is rested and calm, maybe then you can tell her, or you can wait for Jane to tell her. If she gets Jane too upset we can always ask her to leave," Angela said with a smile.
"You seem to know how to handle distraught family members," Maura said with a smile through her tear streaked face.
"Not exactly…I know how to handle Italian families," Angela confessed.
This made Maura laugh. She felt more comfortable knowing the two Rizzoli children were in good hands for the night.
Angela left Maura lost in her thoughts with her fingers again intertwined with Jane and drawing with her finger of her other hand, waiting for the nurse to return to begin washing Jane up. For the first time Maura took a look at Jane and how dirty she was. There was blood on her face and in her hair as well as gravel. She stood to cover Jane up and in the process saw Jane's tan abdomen had a red tinge to it. She wanted to wash Jane, to rid her of this day.
It didn't seem long before Angela was back in Jane's room. In her hand she had a pair of slipper socks, sheets, another hospital gown, a pillow, washcloths, towels, and a pink bucket filled with toiletries, gauze and tape.
"You ready?" She asked pulling the curtain closed. "If you don't feel up to it I can get the nursing assistant to help."
"No its fine, I want to help Jane get cleaned up. Where do we start?" Maura asked standing grabbing a pair of gloves.
Angela placed everything down on the bed side table. She took the socks, sheets and pillow and put it on the chair under the window, leaving the towels and the pink bucket on the table. She took everything out of the bucket and headed to the sink warming up some water.
"How about we start with her hair? We can't really wash it good in the sink with shampoo and water, but we have this shower cap that has special shampoo in it. Then we just rinse her hair with wet washcloths. It'll help to get rid of some of the blood that is in her hair, then we'll work our way down," Angela suggested moving to the sink.
"Ok you seem to know what you're doing."
"What kind of doctor are you? If you don't mind me asking, Mrs. Rizzoli told me you Frankie's life but it was beyond your scope of practice," Angela said moving back to the bedside table. She opened a yellow package revealing the shower cap. "Help me lift her head and get her hair in the shower cap."
Maura did as she was told helping Angela massage the contents of the shower cap into Jane's black curly locks. "Medical examiner, I'm used to the already deceased and diagnosing what caused their death. Not preventing it."
"Well, you did a good job. And I commend you for what you did. You hear that Jane, your friend is a hero," Angela said taking the cap off, and wetting some wash cloths.
They washed Jane up head to toe, talking about their medical choices, and talking to Jane letting her know what was being done.
When they finished Angela was cleaning up when Maura asked "How is Frankie doing?"
"He is doing ok. And for Mrs. Rizzoli, she did give me permission to share Frankie's information with you, so she won't have to leave Frankie. She'll be there until he wakes up. I've been dubbed the messenger for the night, so don't shoot me," Angela said holding her hands up to surrender. Maura laughed at her gesture. "So you're in the clear until probably tomorrow," Angela informed her closing the lid to the linen bin.
"What do you mean tomorrow?"
"He's doing really well, and they might stop the medicine to wake him up. We'll know after his chest X-ray in the morning and his lab work. Don't quote me."
"Oh dear," Maura said sinking back into her chair.
"Don't worry, like I said we'll keep her out if she makes a scene."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm going to check on Frankie. I think he can go without a bed bath tonight. What do you think?" Angela said gesturing to the room next to Jane's
"I think he'll survive," Maura said with a smile.
Angela left leaving Maura alone with Jane again. She walked over to the recliner taking the socks out of the package. She slipped off her Jimmy Choos and slipped on the brown slipper socks. Then moved back to her chair next to Jane. She lied her head down on the bed again intertwining her fingers with Janes and closed her eyes. Thinking about the comment Angela made earlier. What if I really was Jane's wife?