Frost calls Maura; his tone is frantic when he speaks. "Dr. Isles, Jane and Korsack have been shot; I don't have a lot of information but they're being taken to Mass General now."
Maura can't believe what she's hearing. "What! Oh my God;" her voice has risen to a high pitch.
"I'm on my way to my car now; I can pick you up out front if you want a ride Doc."
Maura agrees to meet Frost; as she hangs up Suzie walks in. "Dr. Isles some of those results you've been waiting on have come in."
"I'm sorry Suzie; not now. Please leave the reports on my desk." Maura is putting her keys in her handbag and pulling on her jacket.
"Is everything alright Dr. Isles?" Suzie can see the anxiety in Maura's face.
"Detective Rizzoli and Sergeant Detective Korsack have been shot. I have to go. Can you tidy up in the autopsy room for me please Suzie?"
"Of course Dr. Isles; please, go!"
"Thank you Suzie" Maura is ever polite as she races out of the morgue to meet Frost.
Frost and Maura arrive at the hospital with sirens blaring. They race into Emergency and Frankie is pacing in the reception.
"What do you know Frankie" Frost asks.
"Nothing Frost; no one's told me anything." He looks at Maura. "Maura can you go in there; can you please go and see what you can find out." Frankie's expression says it all; his face is etched with fear.
Pulling out her badge as the Chief Medical Examiner, Maura begs off to go and see what she can learn. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Where's Cooper" Frost asks.
"I left her with Cavanaugh; there we're so many cops already there when we arrived; Jane and Korsack were already in Ambulances." Frankie is fighting to hold back tears.
"Hey come on man, they'll be OK" Frost tries to reassure Frankie.
"Cavanaugh sent me here; God, Frost what can I do standing around here?" He pauses for a moment staring at Frost and then he starts to pace again.
Frost grabs Frankie on both shoulders and looks him in the eye. "We hang in there; that's what we do; OK man!"
Suddenly Franking is thinking more clearly. "Oh crap Frost; Ma! This has to be all over headquarters. I have to get to her."
Just then Angela races into the reception. "Frankie, Detective Frost, how are they; what's happened?" her voice is filled with fear and emotion.
"We don't know Ma; we don't know anything. Jane and Korsack have been shot; that's all we know." Frankie hugs his mother who almost falls into his grasp.
"Dr. Isles is in there Mrs. Rizzoli. She said she'd back as soon as she can. She'll find out what's going on. I'm sure they're going to be OK" Frost tries to sound more positive than he's feeling.
Angela is crying, "Jane's been so sick, she shouldn't even be at work at the moment. How could something like this happen? What were they doing?"
Frankie looks to Frost for more information. "They were just doing a routine follow-up on a suspect for the rape murders we've been working." Frost looks uncertain as he explains what Jane and Korsack were doing. He's wondering himself what in the hell happened to bring this on.
"Come on Ma; let's sit down. Maura should be back soon." Frankie tries to be strong to support his mother.
Meanwhile Maura has sought out a nurse inside Emergency, "I'm Dr. Isles, I'm looking for the two detectives who've just been brought in; they were both shot?"
"See the Senior Nurse in Ward 4 Dr. Isles. Just down there" the nurse points.
"Thank you" Maura turns and moves quickly in that direction. When she reaches the nurses' station for Ward 4 she asks for the senior nurse. "Excuse me, who's in charge here please?"
"I am" a buxom and heavy-looking woman responds. "Who are you?"
"I'm sorry; I'm Dr. Isles the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Two detectives have been brought in with gunshot wounds what can you tell me please?"
"Well Dr. Isles its early days. Detective Korsack's in surgery; he's being treated for a chest wound. Detective Rizzoli has taken a shot to the head. She's with neurosurgeon's that are assessing her treatment now."
This information rips Maura apart. She's trying to assess it professionally but her emotions are very fragile. She finds herself fighting the urge to faint. A chest wound and a head wound; knowing the dangers of both she finds herself wishing she wasn't a doctor. As a doctor she knows Korsack and Jane are faced with life threatening situations.
"I'm afraid that's all I can tell you for now Dr." The senior nurse concludes.
Maura shakes herself out of the mental diagnoses she's been doing. "Thank you" she turns and heads back to the reception area. As she enters she sees that Angela has joined Frost and Frankie. Maura's heart aches at the sight and she is dreading what she has to tell them.
Angela sees Maura first. She stands and races towards Maura who is coming towards them. "Oh Maura; please what you can you tell us?" Angela's fear burns dark in her eyes.
Frost looks at Maura who's as white as a ghost. Suddenly he feels very sick. Frankie tries to take control of the situation and support his mother. Fearing the worst after seeing the look on Maura's face, he wants his mother sitting down. "Come on Ma, sit down. Let Maura talk."
Maura's voice shakes as she fights the urge to cry, "Korsack's been shot in the chest, he's in surgery. The head nurse couldn't tell me anymore about his condition at this stage." Maura grabs a tissue from her purse. She wipes away tears. "I'm sorry. Oh Angela Jane's been shot in the head. She's being prepped by neurosurgeon's who are trying to determine what treatment she needs." Maura fights to be strong; she fights the urge to sob.
"Oh my God; Janey" Angela is distraught for her daughter but she is also acutely aware of the pain her best friend is feeling. She stands and hugs Maura. Maura needs to be held; she is so grateful to be in Angela's arms at that moment.
Beside them there is a loud crash. As Angela and Maura break their hug they look at Frankie who is holding his hand. "Hey come on Man," Frost looks at Frankie in surprise. Frankie is holding the fist he's just planted into the wall.
At the sight Angela is furious. "Frances Earl Rizzoli I've taught you better than that." After the shock of seeing Frankie act out in such a way, she realises that her son is broken and in pain too. "Oh Frankie I'm sorry." She hugs him tight and Frankie breaks and cries on his mothers shoulder. When he settles Maura takes a look at his hand.
"I'll see if I can get you some ice" Maura says.
"No its fine Maura; I'm sorry it's just Korsack and Jane could be dying in there!"
"Oh Frankie" Maura is hit hard by his words. "You mustn't think like that. Jane is strong and Korsack is a fighter…"
"Yeah Frankie" Frost supports Maura. "We have to be strong and it's not good to imagine bad things. Korsack 's always saying; get all the information before jumping to conclusions."
"Exactly, the Doctors are fighting for them; they're police officers" Maura reassures Jane's younger brother.
"I'm sorry; I feel so helpless" Frankie is fighting back tears as his mother holds him tight.
"It's alright Frankie; they'll be alright" Angela has found the strength to comfort her son even though she's terrified.
As time goes by Maura, Angela, Frankie and Frost sit and wait. From time to time one of them gets up and moves but mostly they just sit there in silence and wait.
He decides to deviate from his plan on this one occasion. So Shannon won't play a part in his work of art. If she can't eat then she will have to die a death worthy of someone who has ruined his master plan. He will wait and take his next victim tomorrow night as planned. He has waited this long to fulfill his destiny. A destiny set in motion over a year ago. He will wait some more.
The queen of the dead and the detective bitch will get a small reprieve. The body they find in the morning will not be one they recognise as his. No they will be distracted until his Rosie is laid out as the next card in his hand.
As night falls there is still no news on Korsack and Jane. As Frankie, Angela, Maura and Frost wait, Cavanaugh and Cooper approach.
Cavanaugh pulls up beside this group of people he has grown very fond of and stops. "Anything" he scans the faces before him hopeful of a sign of good news. They all shake their heads in the negative. "Oh shit" are the only words Cavanaugh can find.
Cooper looks at Frankie and Frost. She sees their fallen expressions. She knows Jane and Korsack and she's upset too but more than ever she also realises she's an outsider. These people aren't just work colleagues they're family. In her introduction to them she had inadvertently betrayed them all without any sense of what the implications would be. She was just doing her job. "I'm so sorry" is all she can say. They all look at her and nod their thanks but say nothing.
Cavanaugh stands in front of Maura. "Three shots were fired Doc; one of them killed Lyle Shepherd. He was one of the sex offenders that lived in the vicinity of our first victim." he explains.
"Why the hell would he shoot two cops" Frost asks. He doesn't get it. "Was there evidence that he's our rape murderer?"
"Not at this stage Frost" Cavanaugh looks at him long and hard.
Cavanaugh turns back to Maura. "Korsack and Jane had both drawn their weapons because they were lying beside them at the scene. They've been sealed for analysis." He scans the faces staring at him and then again focuses on Maura. "Crime scene techs found three casings and one bullet at the scene. Dr. Isles Shepherd's on his way to the morgue. When you're ready I need you to piece together what the hell happened."
Maura looks at him, at this moment she could care less about the crime scene and some sex offender who's had the audacity to shoot her best friend and the fatherly, lovable Korsack. When she speaks her voice is tight and strained. "I will examine him Lieutenant and I will give you the answers you need but I'm not leaving here until I know Jane and Sergeant Detective Korsack are going to be OK." She stares at Cavanaugh daring him to suggest she do otherwise.
Cavanaugh just nods, "Thanks Doc." He then sits beside Angela. "I'm so sorry; I don't know what to say. I want you to know Jane's the best detective I've ever had the pleasure of working with. She's tough Angela; she'll fight."
Angela doesn't say anything; his words are bringing on tears. How does she look him in the eye and tell him that his words are cold comfort at the moment.
Frost speaks up. "Has anyone notified Korsack's people?"
Cavanaugh looks at Riley and then back at Frost before speaking. "Josh and Melody are trying to get here; they're in Florida at the moment. His mother's in a nursing home. Cooper and I went and spoke to her. She's not well enough to get here but we said we'd keep her informed. She knows that he's surrounded by people who care about him" Cavanaugh explains.
Everyone there acknowledges the truth in that statement.
Maura stands, "If you'll excuse me I'm going to see if I can get any more information. I'll be back as soon as I can." All eyes fall on Maura, they are as desperate as she is for news.
When Maura gets inside the Emergency ward she locates a lady's room and enters. She locks herself in a cubicle; she puts the toilet seat down and just sits there. All sorts of thoughts are racing through her mind but she keeps coming back to just two! Please let them both live and please don't let this have anything to do with Jane's hands.
Maura gathers herself. She leaves the rest room and walks to the Nurses station for Ward 4. The senior nurse is sitting at a computer. Maura takes a deep breath before interrupting her. "Ah excuse me I was wondering whether you night have any more news on the two detectives that were shot earlier today."
"Dr. Isles" the nurse stands. "Please come through and sit down I'll get the doctor in charge."
Maura waits patiently in the small office she's been directed to. Its fifteen minutes before the Doctor heading up the Emergency ward enters. "Hello Dr. Isles I'm Dr. Marta Shultz, it's very nice to meet you; I've heard so much about you." She puts a hand out to shake Maura's.
"Thank you" Maura shakes her hand as she sits, "it's nice to meet you too; can you tell me anything?"
Dr. Shultz opens a file. "Vincent Korsack has a single gunshot wound to the upper chest. Huh; this is interesting; he was conscious and coherent when they brought him in… Hmm, anyway; he suffered a punctured lung. He suffered broken ribs from the impact of the bullet. He has been operated on and is currently in recovery. Dr. Yang headed up the surgery team and he's satisfied that Officer Korsack should make a full recovery."
Maura's been holding her breath; she exhales. "That is very good news Dr. Shultz."
"He will be in a lot of pain for a day to two. Dr. Yang intends to keep him heavily sedated until his breathing is less painful. When he wakes he'll be moved to ICU; I expect he'll be there shortly Dr. Isles."
"And Jane" Maura asks and realises she's terrified of the impending news.
"Jane" the Doctor looks confused momentarily. "Oh I'm sorry; yes Officer Rizzoli; let me see." She scans her paperwork. "OK; yes her situation is a little more uncertain Dr. Isles."
Maura feels physical pain at this news. She swallows, "What can you tell me Dr. Schultz?"
"There is good news and bad; the bullet did not penetrate her skull but it fractured it. The bullet hit her above her right eye. The impact of the blow has resulted in considerable cranial swelling. She was unconscious when she was brought in and as yet has not shown any signs of waking."
"Have they performed a Cat Scan Doctor, is her brain responding to stimulus" Maura asks.
"Dr. Yeo; our Chief of Neurosurgery is monitoring Officer Rizzoli. He says it is too soon to make a call. He says the next twenty-four hours will be critical. He's concerned that on top of everything she is fighting a fever. It doesn't help her situation."
Maura takes it all in. Her prognosis is Jane's situation is not good. "Would I be able to see her Dr. Shultz; she's my best friend?"
"Of course, come with me." Maura is taken to Jane's room. "If you'll excuse me Dr. Isles we're very busy this evening."
"Thank you Dr. Shultz; you've been very helpful."
When Maura's alone she takes her best friends hand. "Oh Jane!" she whispers as the tears she's been fighting all afternoon break. Still holding her hand she sits on the side of Jane's bed; the tears cascade down her cheeks in a torrent. Maura makes no move to wipe them away.