To answer what a PICC is, its stands for Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC). It's kinda like a big IV, that is inserted in the arm, near the armpit. Its fed through a big vein and just inside the heart. It's used when people are getting a lot of IV medication for a long time, and sometimes people will go home with them if they need IV antibiotics. Again glad you all like what I've done so far, and thank you.
Maura was woken up by the bright over head lights being turned on.
"Sorry honey, lab, I need to draw some blood," the phlebotomist apologized. She was wearing black scrub pants, and black scrub top with what looked like red bubbles.
"It's alright, I'll step out," Maura said leaving Jane's side.
She walked out to the nurses' station where she saw Angela sitting at a computer clicking away.
"Hey Dr. Isles. Oh I'm sorry did lab wake you up, I should've given you warning," Angela said looking up from her computer screen.
"It's ok, can you point me in the direction of the bathroom."
"I'll show you it's not in here," Angela replied. She got up from her computer and went to the doors of the ICU pushing the silver button to exit. When they were in the hallway Angela pointed to the elevators, "Just to the right of the elevators are the restrooms and you remember how to get back in correct?"
"Yes."
"Ok I'll go give Mrs. Rizzoli a heads up. I don't think she'll be as understanding as you," the nurse said scanning her badge to get back into the ICU.
"What time is it?" Maura asked before she walked through the doors.
"Four AM. Doctors come around about five, and then Radiology will be around six for the chest x-ray. So fair warning when you come back in you probably won't be able to sleep," Angela said before going to wake up the other Angela.
Angela was right. When Maura returned it was not long before Dr. Millan was back looking at Jane's dressings.
"Hey Angela," she called to the nurses' station.
"Yea Sonya," Angela said appearing in the doorway.
"Can you get me dressing supplies? I want to see how the wounds are healing." Sonya asked as she washed her hands.
"Sure thing," the nurse said disappearing.
"Would you like to step out?" the young doctor asked the ME.
"No, I was here last night when Angela changed the dressings. I can help if you'd like," Maura said in return.
Angela returned with the doctor's request. She again pulled the curtain closed for Jane's privacy. The nurse assisted the doctor with the dressing change, while Maura tried to keep Jane's modesty intact. When they finished the doctor spoke to Maura and the nurse who assisted with the change.
"Lets put a PICC line in. How were her labs this morning?" Dr. Millan asked Angela
She went over to the computer and pulled up a screen with a bunch of numbers. "H and H are 7.5 and 24. How many units?" the nurse asked.
Maura knew those were labs measuring Jane's blood levels, they were still low and the nurse Angela was asking the doctor how many units of blood to transfuse.
"That's not bad. We'll do 2 units, I'll write the orders. Keep the LR going as well as the continuous Zosyn and Vanco for pharmacy to dose," the doctor answered.
"You think all the antibiotics will cause her to get C-diff?" the nurse asked
"Hmmm, possibly… We'll give her some IV Flagyl daily just in case until she wakes up then we'll have her take lactobacillus tablets, and encourage yogurt," the doctor said before leaving.
"You know our thought process there right?" Angela asked Dr. Isles making sure she wasn't overwhelmed.
"Yes, you were concerned the IV antibiotics would kill the good bacteria in Jane's colon. The doctor prescribed the antibiotic used to treat C-diff to help prevent it from happening. Then when you all wake her up you'll give her oral bacteria to help her stomach. Do you think I'm incompetent?" Dr. Isles spat to the nurse.
"No, you looked like you were lost in thought. I'm sorry. I'm normally use to family members with no medical background like her mother," Angela said pointing to the woman lying in the bed.
"Sorry, I tend to get a little snippy when I'm tired. How is Frankie doing?" Maura asked to change the subject.
"Dr. Smith saw him, his labs are better than Jane's. Like I predicted last night, he's going to be extubated today. The doctor already turned the ventilator off and he is able to breathe on his own. So they'll do that later when he is more awake. We just stopped the medicine keeping him in the coma. Mrs. Rizzoli is very excited. She may find her way in here when Frankie wakes up, to give you warning. Do you need anything?" Angela asked walking back over to Jane looking again at all the tubes, making marks to the atrium, and emptying the foley bag.
"No, thank you. I appreciated all you've done. Why did I not hear you last night?"
"I respect sleeping family. I have enough light from the hall to come in and check everything I need to not disturb you. Although moms and dads always hear me walk in, no matter how quiet I am," the nurse said with a smile.
"You back tonight?" Maura asked hopeful
"Of course," she said with a wink before walking out of the door to check on her other patient.
Next thing Maura knew the portable X-ray machine was there taking a picture of Jane's chest. Angela came back hung another bag of blood before leaving for the day. The day was a blur to Maura. People kept coming and going. Respiratory came and checked Jane. The orthopedic came and told Maura there is no surgical intervention for Jane. They're just going to put the arm in a sling and let it heal on its own. She'll need to take it easy for at least six weeks, as well as takes calcium and vitamin D pills. The day nurse was thankfully not Beth but she wasn't anything like Angela. She made Maura leave whenever she did anything to Jane, and didn't talk to Jane like Angela did. When she got kicked out by the nurse she took the opportunity to get changed into the clothes in her duffle bag. When she returned to the ICU, she was attacked by a brunette woman wearing a pink plaid shirt. The same outfit she had on the day before.
"Whoa, Mrs. Rizzoli is everything alright?" Maura asked pulling the mother off of her.
"Yes, Frankie is awake. He's asking about Jane. I only have what the nurse Angela told me last night. You know more of what happened. Come in and tell us how Jane was shot," she said pulling Maura to room two.
Frankie looked a lot better than his sister. His color returned and he was sitting up eating a late breakfast. He had only antibiotics and normal saline going into his IVs. Not as many lines as Jane.
"Dr. Isles," he said in a raspy voice. It was irritated from being intubated.
"Frankie," she said wrapping her arms around his neck.
"How's Janie? And what happened? Ma has told me some things but she doesn't know the details. Also informed me that you're the advanced director?" he asked when they pulled away.
"Advance directive," Maura corrected. She sat in a chair at the foot of the bed and took a deep breathe. Now or never Maura told herself.
"What's wrong?" Frankie asked reading the look on the doctor's face.
"Nothing, Jane is fine. She lost more blood than you. She has to get more blood today, but she's going to be fine. She has a chest tube like you do but on the right instead of the left. Jane was shot… and…" Maura trailed off thinking of how to keep going. "You know Bobby took her hostage. When they got outside no one could get a clear shot – "
"So they shot my daughter?" Mrs. Rizzoli interrupted standing ready to do damage herself.
"Ma! They wouldn't do that. Now sit down and let Dr. Isles finish the story." Frankie yelled at his mother. He turned his attention back to the doctor, "Go ahead Maura."
"Ok. They couldn't get a clear shot; she kept trying to get someone to shoot him. She also informed them all that Frankie was bleeding to death. No one of the SWAT team or the policemen that had guns on them moved. Then…" another deep breathe. "Jane grabbed Bobby's gun and turned it to her ribs and fired. She shot Bobby but not before the bullet went through her. She did it to save you Frankie," Maura said not breaking her eye contact from Frankie. She was too afraid to look the mother in her eyes.
"Wow," was all Frankie could say as the tears started to roll down his face.
"I'm gonna kill her. How could she do this? First Frankie joins the Academy to be like his big sister – "
"Ma!" Frankie interrupted but Mrs. Rizzoli only held up her hand as she continued her rant.
"Then she pulls a stunt like this. Bad enough my baby boy was near death so she figures, 'I know what to do, shoot myself so then Ma can't kill me.' Well it won't work I'm going to kill her," Angela said starting to the door to go to Jane's room.
"Stop!" Maura said grabbing her arm. "First off Jane is still in her coma so it won't do any good yelling at her because she won't hear you or be able to defend herself. Secondly she didn't do it to just make you angry. She did it to save your son, who she loves very much. She probably knew that if anything happened to Frankie you'd blame her especially his death. And lastly she knew what she was doing," Maura said, knowing the last reason was a stretch but she had to say something.
"How?" Angela and Frankie said in unison.
Ok this isn't lying this is just my interpretation of Jane's thought process. So it is stretching the truth but not lying Maura told herself to give her the courage to keep going with her reasoning.
"Do you have any idea how many autopsies Jane has witness me do? Let's just say a lot. So Jane has come familiar with the human anatomy, not as well as me but enough. The bullet missed the heart, and killed the man who nearly killed Frankie and many of their coworkers. And there was me. Jane knew I'd do whatever I could to save her just like I did for Frankie," Maura finished hoping Mrs. Rizzoli believed her.
"I guess you have a point. Well when Jane wakes up she'll be having a long talking to," Angela said sitting back down next to Frankie.
"Good," Maura said. She turned to the youngest Rizzoli and said "Glad you're doing better Frankie, but I'm going to go back to Jane see what else they're going to do for her. I'll keep you both informed."
Maura gave Frankie another hug before going back into room one where Jane lied in the same position with a new bag of blood hanging.
Next thing Maura knew it was getting dark outside and she have yet to see the nurse Angela.
"How's she doing?" a nurse asked. Tonight she was wearing a green top that had multiple designs and colors and pink scrub pants.
Maura smiled seeing Angela has returned. "Good, she won't need any more surgery but will need to take it easy for a while. That's not going to be easy for Jane to do. She has the PICC, so everything can go in there giving her veins a break, and she won't need to be poked by the lab anymore. I don't know how the chest X-ray came out," Maura told the nurse, before realizing she probably already knew all this information.
"The X-ray still showed a lot of fluid, but her lung is gradually expanding. Sorry it took me so long to get in here. Is Mrs. Rizzoli always…" Angela trailed off.
"Always what?" Maura urged the nurse to continue
"Always trying to hook up her children with a 'nice girl' or 'guy,'" Angela asked using her fingers to quote nice girl and guy.
Maura laughed. "Yes what did she do?"
"Well I decided to go see Frankie first tonight because he was awake. Then Mrs. Rizzoli gave me a hug saying she was happy to see me. She turned to Frankie saying see, I told you she was cute, and she took such good care of you and your sister last night. Then she left Frankie and me alone. It was really awkward. I felt bad for Frankie, he turned bright red. I kindly told him that he nothing to worry about," the nurse said going through her nightly routine.
"Yea why is that, because Mrs. Rizzoli does not give up without a fight. She had planned a blind date with Jane and this guy named Joey Grant. He went to school with Jane and was her lieutenant. She tricked Jane into the date," Maura said laughing thinking back to that night. After the disaster Jane went to the morgue to see Maura. The two of them had wine and cheese talking about any and everything. That night Maura also said Jane looked gorgeous in her black dress.
"Well that won't be happening for a few different reasons. First I'm already seeing someone, and second he's sooo not my type," the nurse said before checking the dressing seeing if they needed changing. "Sorry Jane, I'm not insulting your brother, so don't hate me when you wake up. I'm checking your dressings. The one around the tube looks good, but I have to change the one from the gunshot. Doctor wants it changed twice a day to keep it clean, and help it close and heal."
Angela went to get her supplies but was stopped when Maura asked "Why is Frankie sooo not your type?" imitating the nurse.
She took a deep breath. "Let just say, this Rizzoli is more my type," the nurse said pointing to the patient in front of Maura.
Nothing else was said about the topic. The dressings where changed and Maura did not care that a lesbian nurse was taking care of Jane, but she kept a close eye on her hands. She did not want her touching Jane in certain areas, but remembered how well Angela kept Jane covered. That explained a lot in Maura's head.
"Let's put pillow behind Jane, put her on her side. Get her off her back for a while. Her bottom looks a little red," Angela when she finished the dressing on Jane's back.
"Why are you looking at Jane's butt?" Maura said defensively. What is wrong with me? Maura asked herself.
"I was assessing her skin. You know when someone stays in one position for too long that there is potential for skin breakdown," the nurse said taken by surprise.
"Sorry," Maura mumbled as the nurse placed a pillow behind Jane's back. The nurse finished and started walking out the door but stopped. She turned around to give the doctor a piece or her mind.
"And for the record Dr. Isles, I may like girls but that does not mean I want every girl. First like I said I'm dating a wonderful woman. Second I'm a professional and would never act inappropriate in my care to my patients. And lastly I would never, and I mean never date a patient," the nurse Angela said as she spun on her heals and walked out of the room.
What is wrong with me? The nurse Angela has been nothing but nice to me and Jane. She allowed me to stay in here and help her with Jane. She has explained everything to not only me, but Jane and her Mother. I'm being protective of Jane. Why? Yes she is my best friend and I don't want to lose her. Well…my feelings toward Angela did change when I found out she likes girls. Then it hit Maura, thinking back to the undercover assignment at Merch.
Jane and Maura were undercover trying to catch a killer. Maura was walking around in the polka dot corset as one of the waitresses. When Jane walked in seeing how exposed Maura was she tried to cover her up, possibly due to jealousy. Maura kept giving Jane and her potential female suitors' drinks all night. One time she reached over Jane's shoulder purposely putting her cleavage in Jane's face. Her heart skipped a beat when Jane stared at her breasts, for what felt like an eternity. Then every time one of those women put a hand on Jane Maura's stomach did a flip. Then she would smile every time Jane pulled her hands away not wanting them to touch her.
Maura's epiphany was that she was madly in love with her best friend. The jealousy she just felt now was the same jealousy she felt that night at the club. Maura sat down next to Jane intertwining their fingers like she has been doing for the past 24 hours.
"Hey Jane. I'm sorry for the way I just acted. That was out of character. I didn't know what came over me. Well... I do now. I don't know if you heard the nurse Angela, not your mom, say that you were more her type than your brother. She wasn't coming on to you, but was just clarifying that she was gay. So when she was talking about your bottom looking red, I got jealous. Why would I, Dr. Maura Isles get jealous of another woman looking at your butt? Well that is because I'm in love with you Jane. I love you Jane Rizzoli."
Maura put her head back down on the bed still holding Jane's hand as she closed her eyes. At the door the nurse Angela watched the scene unfold in front of her. She heard every word Maura said to the comatose patient. She also could've swore she saw a tear roll down Jane's eye when she heard her name with the words I love you before it. Some would argue that it was just an accumulation of fluid in the eye, but Angela didn't. She has seen some remarkable things happen to her patients especially when they were in the presence of those who loved them. She was a strong believer of the power of love. She turned to check again on the other Rizzoli, thinking that possibly tomorrow Jane would be extubated like her brother was that day.