Chapter 15: Summer's End
The next morning Jane woke early to find Maura curled up in her arms. Turnabout is fair play, she thought to herself. One arm was useless to her since Maura was laying on it. The other arm had free range of motion, though it was currently tucked around her girlfriend's stomach, holding her close.
Jane loosened her grip from around Maura's middle, and moved her hand down to massage Maura's ass through her sweet pajamas. Oh, she loved her girlfriend's rear; so round and supple but muscular. The sensation was heavenly. Maura let out a low groan, which fueled Jane's desire even more. She slipped her hand down the waistband of the blue shorts and under the satin underwear that Maura was wearing. Even better, she thought to herself, enjoying rubbing and pressing the soft flesh of her bottom while nuzzling closer to her girl's neck.
She could hear Maura's breathing begin to change and knew she would wake up soon. Jane decided to abandon her lower half, lest she be tempted by other places she could go, and she worked her way up Maura's side. She dipped her hand under the blue top, again reveling in the wonderful softness of this girl in her arms. What a wonderful way to wake someone up, she thought to herself. Or at least a wonderful way for me to wake up, she mused, continuing to ascend the honey-blonde's torso.
She had finally reached where she wanted, and began cupping Maura's perfectly round breast. Since the medic was laying on her side, Jane had to content herself with the one, but content she was as she rolled and teased the nipple, while her lips began to softly kiss at the nape of her girlfriend's neck.
Maura's breathing was accelerating, and Jane could feel how it was rising and falling.
"I think someone's awake now," she whispered into her ear.
"If I am, does that mean you'll stop," the petite teen whispered back. "Because I could still be asleep."
Jane laughed at her response, kissing her more soundly on the neck. "You don't have to be asleep, but I hope you enjoyed your wake up call."
Maura turned over on her back, looking up into Jane's nearly black eyes. "I loved my wake up call," which was the only encouragement Jane needed to dip down into the slumber-warm neck to continue her earlier work.
A little later, the girls heard Jane's mother downstairs moving about, beginning to make breakfast.
"I guess that's our cue that we should be getting up," Jane said, taking in Maura's tousled appearance. Having Maura come back to Boston with her was a fantastic idea. She was thoroughly enjoying their evenings and mornings. Unfortunately, they'd have to leave the sanctuary of her bedroom, but the demands of society could not be kept at bay. Oh well, so goes life, she thought.
Jane propped her head up on her hand. "So what would you like to do today?"
Maura smiled. "I have no idea. I haven't spent any time in Boston, so anything would be fine with me."
"Well, I wish we didn't have to leave my bedroom, but I think my parents and brothers would start to get a little suspicious." Her honesty elicited a loud laugh from her girl. "I think a tour of Boston would be in order." Maura nodded happily. "Okay, you get dressed and I'll go downstairs and talk to Ma."
Jane threw a t-shirt and a robe on and headed for the door, with a quick look back at Maura on her bed with her knees drawn around her chest watching her. Oh, this would be so easy to get used to.
In the kitchen, she could see her mother was in the midst of making French toast. "Mmm, this looks good Ma. You need any help?" Angela looked up to see her daughter. Jane looked so happy that she was practically beaming. Angela was a little surprised at her daughter's good mood as she usually wasn't a morning person, or at least an immediately-out-of-bed morning person.
"Janie, good morning! You sleep okay?" Jane paused half-way in the fridge from getting out the apple juice. Was her mother prying?
"Uh..yeah, I guess so."
"I just wondered if it was hard to get used to the old house again after the quietness of the woods for all those weeks. I'm glad you didn't have a problem." Relief swept through the athlete's body. Her mother was still clueless about the actual extent of her 'friendship' with Maura. Oh thank God!
"Nope, no problems at all. Just same old, same old. Good to be back in my own bed though. Those camp beds are not really built for comfort," she replied, a little too chipper, causing Angela to raise her eyebrows in response. Boy Jane seemed really happy this morning! Seeing her mother's suspicious look, Jane searched to change the topic. "Um, so did you need some help? Looks like you're whipping up quite a spread here," she noted, taking in the fruit, powdered sugar, and what looked like something in a pot that might be homemade syrup in time.
"Ah, I've got this handled. Why don't you go make sure you're brothers are getting up. Breakfast is probably about another thirty minutes off."
"I think Maura's in the bathroom, but once we're ready, I'll wake them. You know how they don't like to be woken up before the food is actually on the table, lazy bums." Angela smiled. That was actually true of all the Rizzolis, not just Jane's brothers, but she decided not to point that out to her unusually perky daughter this morning.
"So what are you girls planning on doing today?"
"I think I'll take Maura around the city, show her the sights. What do you think?"
"Sounds like a good plan. Be sure to take her to the North End. I don't think a tour of Boston by an Italian would be complete if you didn't take her there." Jane laughed in response. So true, so true.
"I wish I could take her to a Red Sox game. Maura's not the biggest sports fan, but it's such a great experience. Too bad ticket prices are astronomical," Jane mused.
"Hmm . . . Have you tried asking your Uncle Arthur about it? You know he is with that advertising agency that does all of the Red Sox promotions and events. Sometimes he has a couple extra tickets that the agency can't use. And I think they have a game tonight. Sometimes last minute things happen and people can't use the tickets. It'd be worth you calling him."
"Ma! That's a great idea! I'll call him a little later. Thank you!" She bounded upstairs to check on Maura's progress. It would be awesome if she could score those tickets. She decided not to tell Maura about this possibility since it probably wouldn't happen, and she didn't want to disappoint her. She was already considering when she could step away to call Uncle Artie without being noticed.
When she returned back to the bedroom, she saw Maura was dressed casually, but impressively, in tight jeans and a loose fitting knit top. She always looks great, Jane thought admiringly.
"Breakfast should be ready soon. I'll be down in a few minutes after I get ready. But we have some juices in the fridge and water and maybe even some teas, so you're welcome to help yourself to whatever you'd like," she suggested.
Maura hopped up after tightening her last shoe, and quickly pecked Jane on the cheek. "Okay, I'll see you there." After hearing her descend down the stairs and convinced she was out of earshot, Jane quickly went out into the hall and grabbed the cordless phone from its jack, dialing her uncle as she ducked back into her bedroom.
At breakfast, Jane and Maura hammered out a plan for the day, taking in suggestions from the Rizzoli clan. They decided they'd go downtown and grab some fancy coffee drinks and walk through the Gardens and around the Common. They'd check out the John Hancock Tower and then they'd head over to Quincy Market for lunch and walk around the North End and the waterfront.
"Then we can head back home and get cleaned up. I have a surprise for you tonight," Jane grinned. Maura got very excited and begged Jane to tell her, but she wouldn't budge. She caught her mother's eye across the table and gave her a wink.
It was a gorgeous summer day in Boston to be out on the town – not too hot, just the way summer days should be in New England. The girls easily passed the time, and Maura enjoyed being able to walk around the small city. It was easy to get where they wanted to go via foot, and if they got tired, they could always jump on the T. She was even more convinced that Jane would love visiting Paris and walking around the streets with her. If only I could get her there, she wished.
They arrived back at the Rizzoli house a little before 5 o'clock and the house was empty. After needling her all day, Jane was at last prepared to give up her secret on their night's activities.
"Okay, you ready to hear what I we're doing tonight?" Maura nodded eagerly, awaiting the answer. "All right. Well, this probably isn't exactly up your alley, but it is a super Boston-y thing to do, and I think you'll really like it. You know how I'm a big Red Sox fan?" She paused, and Maura again nodded. "Well, typically because our ball park is smaller, tickets to go to a game are crazy expensive. But I talked to my uncle, who works for the advertising agency that does all of the player promos and stuff, and he actually had a couple extra tickets to tonight's game. So we are going to the ball game tonight!" Jane's enthusiasm bubbled over, and Maura couldn't help but catch it.
Though she wasn't a sports fan, she had read about the infamous Fenway Park and she could feel the town's enthusiasm for baseball. It was hard not to catch it, and being so close to Jane, she knew she'd have to become a fan at some point anyway. Might as well jump on the ship now.
"There's just one catch. Tonight the Red Sox play the Yankees," she scowled, and she could see Maura didn't understand the meaning behind that. "We hate the Yankees. Sometimes those games can get a little out of control. People get a bit emotional about sports, especially baseball, and especially when its against our most hated rival, so sometimes fights break out and stuff. So my uncle insisted that he come with us. It's probably for the best anyway. He's a pretty big guy and I don't think people will be as likely to mess with us if he's there."
"Jane, this sounds amazing! I've never been to a baseball game before!"
The brown-eyed teen laughed. "Well, you are in for a real treat. I'm totally psyched, too. I've been to lots of Red Sox games, but I've actually never been when we've been up against the Yankees. Those tickets are notoriously hard to get, and I was actually shocked Uncle Artie had them available at all. We totally lucked out." She glanced at her watch. "But we've got to get ready. The park gets packed pretty earlier, and I like to see batting practice beforehand. We're meeting my Uncle near the park entrance in about an hour, so we should get our stuff together and head out."
The trolley cars for Kenmore Square were packed to the bursting point, but is was the most efficient way to get to the game. Jane made sure to keep a close eye on Maura, and would discreetly hold her hand when she was worried that they'd get separated. She also liked holding Maura's hand, but downplayed their public displays of affection, especially in crowds like this. No need to draw attention to ourselves. You never know what assholes may be around to make a scene. Jane carefully guided her to where they were meeting her uncle.
Maura was surprised to meet the large bear of a man that Jane quickly hugged and called Uncle Artie. He was barrel-chested and towered about a foot over Maura and a good half-foot over the lanky Jane. She politely held out her hand as Jane introduced him to her, and he quickly pulled her in for a tight hug.
"Any friend of Janie's is a friend of mine. I'm so glad Janie called me up. I was just about to see if anyone from the office could use the extra tickets, but I was much happier to have some great company to bring along. A Red Sox/Yankees game is always a good game!"
They made their way into the park, with Jane and Uncle Artie pointing things out and spewing facts at Maura. They were in their element and loved sharing interesting information about their favorite team and the ballpark itself.
"…And our park is smaller because of the way it was built. We weren't able to build it bigger because of surrounding neighborhood buildings, but to equal the playing field, so to speak, the architects made The Green Monster, which is this huge green wall that players have to hit balls over if they want to knock it out of the park. It's a real challenge," Jane spewed her baseball fun facts.
On the way to their seats, Uncle Artie insisted that they get some traditional food, so they loaded up with sodas, hot dogs, and peanuts before making their way to left field.
"These are incredible seats Uncle Artie," Jane gushed as they sat in the fourth row back from the field. She never would have been able to get tickets to this game if she'd tried on her own, let alone so close to the field. Maura looked around her, taking in the already very crowded ballpark. She agreed with Jane; the seats were amazing.
The game started on time, and Jane explained about the different players as they came to bat, regardless of if they were Red Sox or Yankees players. She also explained how to read the different statistics on the huge electronic scoreboard.
There were a few hecklers with Yankee jerseys seated near the trio, but most of the time other Red Sox fans (who surrounded the loud-mouths) shouted them back down. They started getting drunker and louder in the fifth inning, and by the seventh inning stretch, Jane could tell that Uncle Artie's fuse was getting very short. He finally stood up and started shouting back at the jerks.
"Hey, listen guys, I'm here with my niece and her friend and we're just trying to enjoy the game. Your smart mouths aren't helping. Why don't you just shut up, huh?"
Maybe because he actually stood up, or maybe because he was such an intimidating figure to begin with, the hecklers felt that they couldn't back down from a challenge. They too stood up, and begun flinging insults right back at the large man.
Jane saw Uncle Artie getting angrier, his body trembling while he balled his fists tightly at his side, the color of his face becoming redder. Though Uncle Artie prided himself on being the calm one in the family, no Rizzoli was a pushover, and the famous Italian temper would eventually find its way to the surface.
She tried to diffuse the situation, tugging on her Uncle's sleeve. "Hey, Uncle, why don't we just go up and tell the cops about these guys? They're disturbing the peace and you know that Boston's worked really hard at trying to clean up these games. They're not gonna let these guys stick around."
As he was turning toward Jane to consider taking her advice, his facial expression suddenly changed from anger to panic. He grabbed his left shoulder and his eyes went wide. "Uncle Artie?" she asked, but he was already falling backward, his body jerking alarmingly.
Maura, who was seated beside Jane and had watched the change in Jane's uncle immediately understood what was wrong. "Oh my God, Jane, he's having a heart attack!"
Jane was shocked. "What?"
Knowing there was no time to waste, Maura quickly stepped around Jane, and began trying to lay her unconscious uncle onto his back – which wasn't easy given the tightly packed stands. Remaining calm, she looked up at Jane. "I need your help. I saw a defibrillator at the top of the stairs, on the right. Go get it. I need to start CPR on him, but the machine will work best." Jane nodded, dumbly. "Go, now!" and Jane ran off. "You," she said making eye contact with the person that had sat on the other side of Uncle Artie, who was right above her head now, panic-stricken. "There are cops all around here. Flag one down or go find one. We need to get the EMTs here right away." The man ran off, climbing over the now vacant seats that Maura, Jane, and Artie had abandoned.
Jane was back with the defibrillator. "Maura, here," she said, shoving the plastic box as her. Maura had just completed giving him two short breaths and watched his chest rise and fall. Without losing any further time, she opened the box and took out the electric shock pads, relieving them of their sticky backs. She had to use two sets of sticky pads because, unfortunately Uncle Artie was a hairy fellow and the pads had to stick right onto the skin to be effective. Maura listened intently as the device spat out electronic instructions about continuing CPR and when to stand back.
Though going through all the motions, Maura spared a brief thought of thanks that she was so petite - there was precious little room between the stadium seats and the next row. She had instructed the next row down to move because she, and everyone else, needed to be clear of the body when the defib issued electronic shocks.
Due to the crowds, Maura had to go through five rounds of CPR with defibrillator assistance, but at last the EMTs came. She quickly relayed to them what his status was, and what had happened leading up to the occurrence. She told them that she too was a medic, and she could see that the revelation gave them relief and understanding as to how a civilian was able to handle an emergency situation which such aplomb.
Jane and Maura followed the EMTs out of the ballpark. They offered Jane a ride in the ambulance with them, but unfortunately there was only room for one person. Even in her haze, Jane refused to leave Maura alone in the big city, and asked where they were taking him. After getting the information, she said that they'd make their own way there, and then the ambulance was off.
Jane pulled out her cell phone and called her Mom, quickly telling her what had happened and where they were going. Angela said she'd meet her there. Jane knew she'd tell the rest of the family, too.
"C'mon, let's get to the hospital," the shaken brunette said, hailing down a cab.
"Geez, what a night," Angela said as the family noisily made their way into the Rizzoli living room. They had just spent the last four hours in the emergency room waiting for news on Uncle Artie. Jane and Maura had arrived first since the hospital was in Boston proper, and the rest of the Rizzolis rushed in about twenty minutes later.
Jane remembered the look of panic on her father's face as he asked her, and then an attending nurse, what the status of his brother was. He had been in surgery for hours. While they waited, Jane told her family what had happened, and how Maura had taken charge of the situation. Finally the doctor came out and told them that his prognosis was good. "Did any of you know the Good Samaritan that started CPR on Mr. Rizzoli?"
Jane piped up. "Yeah, she's right here, actually. She's my friend visiting and the three of us went to the game together. She's an EMT," Jane stated proudly.
The doctor nodded, but was a bit confused because she appeared so young. "You're an EMT? You look very young to be in the field."
Maura smiled tiredly. "I am still in high school, but I received my training as an EMT and worked this summer as a medic at a camp a few hours from here."
"Ah, I see. Well, young lady, Mr. Rizzoli was very lucky he invited you to the game. Because of your quick action, we don't anticipate any brain damage, and he doesn't seem to have any damage to his rib cage, a common side effect we see with CPR. It was very smart of you to have noted where the defibrillator was and to get it so quickly. He certainly owes you a debt of gratitude." Maura looked down and smiled sheepishly. She wasn't used to being the center of attention and it made her feel awkward, but she was proud that she had been able to help.
The doctor continued. "I'm sure you're all eager to see him for yourselves. Please understand that he is very tired, so you may visit him, but only one at a time and for no more than five minutes." Taking in the crowd again, he further clarified his statement. "It would be best if he had no more than three visitors tonight. The rest of you can see him tomorrow."
Jane's father went in first and came out a few minutes later. He said his brother was extremely tired and not exactly coherent. "I told him we'd let him get some rest but that we'd be back first thing tomorrow morning. I let him know that we were all out here praying for him and wishing him a speedy recovery." He turned to Jane and Maura. "He doesn't remember much of what happened, so I told him a little, but we can tell him the full story tomorrow. He was starting to fall asleep as I talked to him, but he looks pretty good considering."
Before anyone could say anything further, Mr. Rizzoli pulled Maura into a tight hug. "Thank you for saving my brother," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion. He pulled back after a moment from the stunned teen. He cleared his throat and blinked several times, not wanting to have an emotional display in front of his family. "Let's go home," he said, looking at the door and not making eye contact with anyone.
The kids quietly retreated to their bedrooms while Mr. and Mrs. Rizzoli went to the kitchen to talk and unwind a bit before they went to bed. Maura and Jane got ready for bed. It was nearly two a.m. and they were both exhausted. When Maura came back from the bathroom, teeth freshly brushed and face glowing from its recent scrubbing, she crawled into bed and snuggled against Jane, who was staring at the ceiling.
"Hey there," Jane said, pulling the girl closer. "How are you doing? You okay?" Maura sighed. It had been a big night.
"Yeah, I'm okay, just still processing it all. I've never had to do anything like that, but I'm glad I was able to help."
"Maur, you more than helped. You probably saved my uncle's life."
Maura was humbled by the praise, but didn't think that was true and shook her head. "I helped, but the EMTs would have been there soon."
Jane kissed her forehead gently, still holding her tightly. "I'm no doctor, or EMT for that matter, but I saw how long it took them to get there. Yankee-Red Sox games always sell out. There were tons of people there, which made it difficult for them to get to us, even shouting and running all the way. No, it was because of you, and because you noticed your surroundings when you got there, that he is doing as well as he is."
"Thank you, Jane," Maura said, finally taking the compliment. She was still a little shaken up from all the excitement, and she speculated that she would be sore tomorrow since saving someone via CPR is an incredibly physical act, but being in Jane's arms brought her a sense of peace. She quickly fell asleep.