Disclaimer: No, still not mine…too bad, so sad.
Chapter Fourteen
Maura removed her hands from Jane's hair. She stepped back as if to turn and leave but Jane captured her in her arms.
"I know that was probably a goodbye kiss, Maura, but I want you back," Jane said. Maura refused to meet her eyes.
"I'm moving out of state, Jane. Empirical studies have shown that long-distance relationships-"
"So don't move, Maura. Stay here in Boston. This is your home, after all."
"Is it?" Maura met Jane's gaze. "It ceased being my home when you said 'I do' to Joey Grant. And, I don't trust you."
It was Jane's turn to drop her gaze. "I know," she whispered. She dropped her arms to her side and watched Maura's high heel shoes walk out of her office.
Maura almost ran to the front of the precinct. She parked at the front curb, noting how different it felt from the days she worked as the chief medical examiner and had her own space in the employee lot in back. Starting the engine she knew she would miss the car; she decided to sell it since she didn't think she'd need her own vehicle in New York City. Keeping and parking a car in New York could be an expensive headache and Maura didn't wish to fight the traffic.
She thought of her conversation with Jane and how easy it was to slip back into the banter they enjoyed when they worked together. Maura smiled as she recalled the many times Jane tried to make her guess as to the nature of a reddish brown stain found at a crime scene.
"Come on, Maur," Jane practically whined, "it's blood, isn't it?"
"Jane you know I don't speculate about reddish brown stains. If it's blood the lab will tell us."
"A man is found stabbed to death, Maura, and you can't call the bloodstains at the scene blood stains? You have to insist on calling them reddish brown stains?"
"Jane you know perfectly well it could be another substance and not blood. I wouldn't be doing my job correctly if I guessed and led you down the wrong path."
"What other substance could it be, Maur?"
"Iodine."
"Iodine? What did the killer do, try to put the pieces back together?"
Maura smiled at the recollection. This conversation was common at their crime scenes but Maura always stuck to her guns. Her final report was complete each and every time. Jane and her team of Frost and Korsak were just as meticulous in their findings as well, closing most of their cases. Maura was extremely proud of her detective.
Her detective no more, Maura sighed. She thought back to the day she found out Jane was dating Joey.
Frost walked into the morgue with a file from one of Jane's cases.
"Is Jane in the field, Barry? Is that why you brought me her case file?" Maura asked. Frost stared at his shoes.
"Uh, no, Doc, she's upstairs. Joey Grant came by to talk to her."
"About what? I thought he was in DC."
"I guess he moved back. They went to dinner last night, Doc. They're talking over their date." Frost hated to be the one to break the news, Jane should have been down here, but she avoided any mention of Maura. Everything was now, "the morgue," or "the autopsy room" and never any mention of Maura by name.
Maura felt like she'd been punched in the gut. It was just the previous week that Jane dumped her and moved out of their home.
"Is it serious?" Maura asked but knew the answer anyway. Yes, it was serious. Jane Rizzoli did not do casual relationships.
Two months later Jane sported an engagement ring and planned the wedding. Maura went home alone each evening tended to Bass and read through her pile of medical journals before trying to sleep. More often than not she cried herself to sleep, clutching Jane's pillow for its scent.
Maura pulled into her driveway and waited for the garage door to open. She had difficulty seeing her way into the garage for all the tears freely flowing down her face. She opened her car door, locked the Mercedes and entered her kitchen. She never saw the hand that held the butt of a pistol high above her head until it came crashing down on the back of her head.
Jane grabbed the last of her bags and loaded them in the back of her car. She found a cheap motel not far from the precinct that was still close to the kids' schools. Returning to the house she shared with Joey she took another look around to make sure she didn't forget anything she needed. Joey stood in the kitchen with his arms folded in front of him, a blank expression on his face.
Jane's eyes flitted over his body, wondering what she ever saw in Joey Grant to begin with, but realized that without their marriage she wouldn't have her children.
"I'll pick the kids up this afternoon, Joey. I want to explain to them in person where I'll be," she said. Joey nodded.
"Please have them back by dinnertime."
"I was thinking of taking them out, to ease the blow."
"Okay. Well, then home by seven if you would. Bath time and all that, you know, Jane."
"I know. Thanks, Joey, I'll see you later." Jane turned to leave. She almost left her key behind but decided to keep it for now.
Her phone rang just as she buckled her seatbelt. It was Frost's ringtone.
"Yeah, Frost, what do you have?"
"Jane, dispatch just called me. They have report of a burglary with injuries at 1245 Elm Drive."
"Shit, Frost, that's Maura's home!" Jane yelled. She put the car in reverse and drove away as fast as she dared.
"Units are on scene. It's Maura, Jane. She apparently surprised the burglars when she returned home. They attacked her as she entered her home through the garage."
Shit, shit, shit, Jane thought as she drove. Tears were falling and she strained her eyes to see. "Where did they take her, Frost?" Jane asked as she thought, Not Maura, no not Maura. Please, God, do not take Maura tonight.
"Mass Gen. Jane, they said it was bad. A head wound from being knocked unconscious and then they-" Frost was cut off by Jane hanging up her phone. She didn't want to hear the rest.
Jane pulled into the emergency bay of the hospital and flashed her badge at the security guard. Running into the hospital she called Maura's name to the triage nurse without breaking stride.
"Bay three, Detective," the nurse called back. Jane bolted through the ER doors and found Maura looking small in a large hospital bed.
She was unconscious, a large white cap of gauze and bandage around her head. Both eyes were blackening; Jane knew Maura would be lucky if her eyes weren't swollen shut soon. Another large bruise stuck out prominently on the bottom of her chin. Jane approached the bed and gently took Maura's hand. She looked at it, then, and noticed the bloodstains on the knuckles where Maura apparently tried to fight back. Jane motioned for the nurse.
"Have you taken samples from under her nails?"
"We just did, Detective. Are you a family member?" the nurse asked.
"Yes, I'm her partner," Jane lied.
"I'll get the doctor, then. He needs to speak with you." Jane continued to hold Maura's hand as she waited for the ER doctor to appear.
"Evening, Detective. Ms Isles is your partner?"
"Yes, I'm Detective Jane Rizzoli. Ms. Isles is Dr. Maura Isles. She used to be our chief medical examiner."
"I see. I'm Dr. Schmidt. I examined Dr. Isles when she was first brought in. The head wound is actually nothing more than a hard knock on the head and a concussion. The eyes are swelling shut as you can see."
"Was she sexually assaulted?"
"Not entirely. They attempted to rape her but was interrupted by someone coming by to see about a car she was selling, if the other police officers are correct. The assault was never completed, fortunately. We did a full rape kit to make sure."
"Thank God," Jane sighed.
"I'd like to admit her at least overnight, see how she responds when she wakes tomorrow morning. We have a bed on the med-surg unit ready to go so we'll transfer her in a few minutes. You might as well go home, Detective. I'm sure Dr. Isles will sleep through the night. We can call you if there are any changes."
"No, I'm staying, actually. Maura is the love of my life, Dr. Schmidt, and I don't want to take the chance of her waking up in the hospital, especially if she can't see for a few days."
"We'll get you fixed up with a special chair you can sleep in, Detective. She'll be in room 819."
Jane followed the attendants as they transferred Maura to another gurney and took her to her new room. After transferring Maura to her new bed the night nurse came in and took Maura's vitals to start her floor chart. Jane settled down in the chair in the corner and watched. When the nurse left she moved to Maura's bedside. Taking Maura's hand once again Jane watched Maura sleep for awhile. Putting her head on the bed next to Maura Jane cried soundlessly as the emotion of the day overcame her.
TBC