Frost coughed awkwardly at the scene, and made excuses about going to get coffee which he was sure went unnoticed by Jane.
Jane stared, personally cataloguing every wound she could visibly locate. She didn't hear the door open and close softly; it wasn't until the intruder was right beside her that Jane jumped and registered the new presence.
"It's okay, I'm a nurse." The woman tried to placate the jumpy Shadowhunter. "Name's Amelia and you're new here." She smiled. "I've had Miss Isles' room on my rounds since she arrived a while ago. You're the only visitor. And frankly, you're late." She studied the machines at Maura's side and made some notes.
"I uh," Jane swallowed thickly. "I was minorly detained. I got here as quick as I could."
"Well, she should be waking up anytime now. Then she'll be good to go as soon as she's ready once you fill out these papers." Amelia handed Jane a small sheaf of paperwork. She yanked a pen out of her pocket and tossed it on the stack. She grinned, "Have fun!" and disappeared out the door.
Jane drew the papers toward her, and keeping one hand firmly intertwined with Maura's, she did what she could to fill in the many blanks. There were some things she didn't know; like her social security number, her phone number, or her power of attorney or next of kin.
But she did know her name, her address, and a whole bunch of things that the paper didn't ask for. For instance, Maura slept curled up on her side on the right side of the bed and she didn't drink coffee generally, opting for tea instead. She was very health conscious and more often than not, had a plate full of vegetables which rivaled Jane's plate of pasta and meat.
She didn't always understand when someone was making a joke, and she'd stand there blankly with the most adorable look of cluelessness on her face.
A small squeeze of her hand drew Jane out of her reverie. She looked up hastily and noticed Maura's unfocused eyes on her.
"Maura!" Jane leapt up from her seat. "Are you feeling okay? Do I need to get you anything? How are you injuries? I'm so sorry you got hurt because of me, I completely understand if you want me to leave. I can just leave these papers here and-"
"Jane." Maura croaked weakly.
Jane stopped moving entirely.
"Shut up," the blonde commanded hoarsely, smiling. Jane nodded, acquiescing to the demand. "And sit back down." The brunette resumed her seat quickly.
"Now, tell me how you escaped."
And Jane did, leaving out the more gruesome details, and downplaying her gallantries.
"So you have him then, again?"
Jane nodded.
"Alright," Maura said and then with great effort heaved her legs out of the bed. "The sedative has mostly worn off, I should be able to walk and function without too many drawbacks." She swayed as she stood and blushed. "However, I may require your assistance with dressing. Leaving the hospital in this gown wouldn't be the best idea I've ever had."
Jane located Maura's torn clothes on the other chair by her bed and handed them to the blonde. Together they awkwardly managed to get the jeans on without Maura falling over, but Jane begged off from helping the doctor with her shirt, instead using the time to ask her for the rest of the answers required to finish filling out the discharge papers.
Frost came back just as Maura's shirt settled around her waist. "Oh Jesus, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were changing, I'll come back later," he said, turning back abruptly for the door.
"Barry!" Maura called hastily, "Don't leave, I'm done. I can't believe you're here, too!" She smiled dazedly, and Jane couldn't help but think that the sedative definitely hadn't yet run its course.
Frost handed the two coffee cups he was clutching to Jane as he met Maura's outstretched arms in an enthusiastic hug. "Of course I'm here, you don't think I'd let her come all by herself, did you?" he chuckled, squeezing her once before letting go. "Didn't know you'd be awake, so I didn't bring you any tea, my bad," Frost shrugged, taking his coffee cup back from Jane, who'd tasted his first and turned her nose up at the lack of sugar and creamer.
"All ready to go then?" he asked as he watched Maura struggle into her shoes. He met Jane's gaze and nodded toward the blonde not so subtly. Jane huffed but bent down to assist the doctor as he suggested.
"Thanks, Jane," Maura said brightly. Jane gripped her upper arm to help her from stumbling. "Barold, if you wouldn't mind grabbing the papers by the bed, we can blow this henhouse."
Jane snorted. "It's 'fly the coop', Maur, not 'blow the henhouse'." Frost chuckled behind them as they made their way out of the hospital room and down the hall to the nurses' station.
They handed over the paperwork and were sent on their fairly quickly. The attendant handed them an envelope as they left, and Jane opened it on Maura's behalf, the key to the Prius spilling out into her hand.
That made Jane stop. "Right, so, um, it's completely understandable if you don't want to come back to the Institute with us. In fact, Giovanni and Frankie already took all of your stuff back to your apartment so that you wouldn't have to go back at all. I'm happy to take you there, leave you there, and never interrupt your normal life ever again," Jane said quietly, ignoring the fallen look to Maura's features.
"No, please, I'd like to stay if you'd let me. I'd – well, I'd feel safer if you were around and let's not lie-"
"You can't lie, Maura," Jane interrupted, but quickly quieted at the glare she received for her input.
"-we'll probably both suffer from night terrors given the events of the past day, and it will probably ease both of our psyches if the other is within an easily reachable distance. Thus we can reassure ourselves of the other's being alive. I'm certain you'll find it as calming as I no doubt will tonight."
Jane and Frost shared a look. "I don't get nightmares, Maura," Jane denied stoically.
Maura simply gave her a stare full of disbelief which clearly stated she wasn't buying it. "We'll see about that when you come into my room tonight, Jane," Maura declared.
"Oh snap," Frost said, laughing. "She just threw down the gauntlet, Rizzoli. You just gonna take it standing up?"
Jane rolled her eyes. "Let's just go get her stuff, Frost."
"Yeah, yeah," Frost rolled his eyes at his parabatai's lack of answer. "You drive her in her car, I'll meet you back at the Institute and answer all of the annoying questions so that the two of you aren't swarmed when you make it back."
Jane nodded gratefully in appreciation. "Thanks, man."
"No problem," Frost shook his head, then smirked. "But you're going to owe me big time, partner."
"Sure, Barold, I'll see you later." Jane walked away, leaving Frost at the hospital entrance. She escorted Maura to the car and gently helped her into the passenger seat.
"So they took all of my stuff back?" Maura asked, staring out the window as Jane buckled her seatbelt and left the parking lot.
"Yeah, sorry about that, they were just following orders. I'm sure that if they know what's good for them, they didn't do any poking around or give any unnecessary and unwanted attention to your personal effects."
"Hmm," Maura hummed noncommittally. She reached across the centre console and placed her hand lightly on the brunette's knee. Jane immediately tensed up at the contact, but relaxed when Maura explained, "the last time I saw you, you were being escorted to what I was sure would be your tortured death. This helps me reconcile reality with the worst my imagination could conjure up."
Jane left it at that and the remainder of their journey was fairly silent, until Maura turned on the stereo and classical music filtered through the car's speaker system.
Jane tossed her a sidelong glance, her trademark 'Really?' clearly apparent in it. Maura simply smiled and shrugged it off.
Jane instructed Maura to stay in the car while she loaded up the back once again with Maura's possessions, thankfully still in the boxes. It made it easier to tell what she was supposed to bring back down.
It was on her final trip down to the car that she finally registered the pain in her side. Maura noticed it as well, as it manifested in the form of a limp that the Shadowhunter had not had mere moments before.
"You're hurt, what happened?" Maura demanded as Jane sat back heavily in the car.
"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine." Jane gasped, feeling for the key and turning the ignition.
Maura turned around in her chair and leveled a very stern stare. "Lift up your shirt."
Jane groaned, "Again, haven't we been over this? One little iratze and I'll be completely fine, stop fussing."
But Maura wasn't budging on the subject. "Shirt. Now."
Jane sighed and complied, grabbing the corner of her dusty, torn shirt, and lifting it slightly. "You know, there are probably a dozen easier ways to get me to take my shirt off…"
"Oh my God," Maura gasped, reaching for Jane's skin.
The contact sent new waves of pain radiating through the brunette's skin and she tried to push the blonde away. "Ow, stop that, I'll be fine once I'm back, just leave it be."
The skin was purple and bruised when Jane glanced down and fury swelled up in her chest. Those fuckers had attacked her while she'd been tasered. But how did she not notice? Had she fallen unconscious without realizing it?
"You probably have a couple of cracked, if not broken bones, Jane. You need to get them looked at by a medical professional!"