A/N: So this one is long as hell again. Sorry about that...it takes a lot of words to lay out a scene in the first person so that you guys can visualize with me every step of the way. This one is sad and intense but hopefully you can find the beauty in it too...and you know how I love the cliffhangers. LOL! To all those following this story and reviewing my work, bless you guys. You mean the world to me. I had no idea this story would be so widely and openly received. Please keep reviewing and give me your ideas. I like to know what you guys think. That being said...here we go again!
Maura
"Emily, sweet heart you have to calm down!" I pleaded with the dark-haired beauty who had fallen to her knees in the surgical waiting room of NYU's Memorial Hospital.
Emily was hysterical and had been so since that fateful call she received in the middle of dinner. It had taken everything I had, every ounce of strength and every connection I'd ever made to get us to the hospital so quickly. We arrived fifteen minutes after the ambulance and rushed in side only to find out that Angela had already been sent to radiology for x-rays. Emily had fallen apart all over again when she realized she couldn't see her child. They wouldn't let her into the radiology room and had no answers as to exactly what was going on until the x-rays came back. Angela's condition had been described to us as 'extremely critical'.
Emily had another all out panic attack when the Doctor said those words, 'Extremely Critical'. The Doctor had emphasized the word 'Extremely'. I knew what that meant. I'd done two rounds of surgical residency and I knew exactly what that meant. Angela was in trouble, deep, deep trouble. I saw the worry in the Doctor's eyes. His face remained a mask of unreadable emotions, his expression never changed. But I knew what I saw. It was all in the eyes.
Doctor Jenkins' eyes were strained and slightly bulging when he delivered the fateful news. I could see the pressure he was feeling by the dampness of his sweaty face. He was worried. I knew it. I wanted to ask more questions, I wanted to push for more information but Emily was the only one they would speak to directly and she was in no condition to think clearly, let alone speak in any intelligent fashion to the doctors and nurses.
I was worried about Angela, but I was more worried about Emily. She had collapsed onto the floor on her knees upon hearing the Doctor's daunting information. She was screaming and crying so hard everyone on the first floor could probably hear her. They were the most heartbreaking, painful wails of despair I'd ever heard. Everyone around us was staring sideways, their expressions pained and uncomfortable. Every eye was on us, every whisper was about us. Normally I would not have been able to deal with this situation. I hated being stared at, I hated being whispered about. This happened to me far to often my entire life and it always drove me to flee to a corner and curl up into myself. But I couldn't do that this time, not this time.
I kneeled with Emily on the floor in front of everybody, pleading with her, trying desperately to comfort her. I tried to wrap my arms around her body but she was shaking so hard and rocking back and forth in her grief barely able to breathe and certainly couldn't speak. Her hands were clasped together in front of her face in a grip so tight her knuckles were turning white. Tears were soaking her face and falling steadily onto the cold linoleum of the floor beneath us. I could only imagine what she must have been thinking, I could see the terror in her eyes behind all the tears. I could hear the heartbreak and panic in her steady, shrill wails of pain. Emily could hear no words, her mind had stopped registering speech beyond what the doctor had said. 'Extremely Critical'.
What could I do? What could I say? There were no words of comfort for a grieving terror-stricken mother. What pain must she feel knowing her child's very life was in danger? What horror was it to have to be told you can't be with your child, knowing that any moment might be their last? What agony was it to have to wait, to wait to hear what you knew would only be bad news, bad news about the life of your child? What strength could a mother find staring down the long dark tunnel of a hellish existence without the one they had carried in their bodies for nine months? What visions swam through their minds, what memories played through their heads? What love was greater than that of the love of a mother for her child? What would a mother not do for her child? What would they not sacrifice, what would they not give? What mother would not be willing to lay down their own life if it would save her child?
I had no children, I could never understand the gravity of Emily's reality in that moment. I was terror-stricken in a way I'd never felt before, but still, I had not carried that child. I had not felt her move inside me, I had not whispered to my womb sweet words when I felt her stir. I had not pushed her from my body in blood and pain. I had not held her in my arms as she took her first breaths and opened her eyes for the first time to gaze upon the beauty of the world around her. I did not know what it was to be a mother, to live only for another person. To protect them, to pick them up when they fell, to teach them each and every thing they knew of life. I never would no such joy or such responsibility. I was barren. That was a pain I had to deal with all on my own. Yet in still, I felt for Emily. How could I not?
Emily would do anything, anything to be in Angela's position. I knew that, I knew that when she first told me of her child. Emily had been willing to sell herself just to feed the little girl. Angela was all she had. There was nothing and no one else in the world for her. She had lost so much already, she had lost everything and everyone she loved. The thought of losing Angela also was driving her to the brink of her sanity.
I tried to hold Emily as she cried. My heart was breaking seeing her like this. It was terrible to look upon, her screams were awful to hear. They cut down into the very core of me, piercing my ears and my mind with wave after wave of sympathy and grief. I knew everyone else in the room could hear and feel it too. I could tell by their wide eyes and open mouths. I could tell by the way they could look no where else but at Emily. They didn't have to know why she was crying, they didn't have to know exactly what was going on. The screams of grief and pain were understood universally, they were the same in every language, in every corner of the world. It was just understood. Something awful had happened to someone Emily loved, and it was a nightmare to witness this display of grief.
Two nurses shuffled up to us coming to a stop behind Emily. I looked up at them over Emily's shoulder. My heart immediately dropped. One of the nurses, the older one, was holding a syringe in front of her. I knew what was in that needle, I knew what they were thinking.
I began to panic. I tried to fight it down, I tried with all the strength I had. Emily needed me, she had no voice of her own in this moment. She had no one else to lean upon, no one else in the world to advocate for her. I had to be her voice, I had to state her case and stand up for her. I had to try, I just had to try.
I knew I had no legal standing to speak for her, I knew my words would fall on deaf ears if I didn't have my sense about me. I gritted my teeth and willed myself to over come my own feelings of panic and my urge to run. I would not cower this time, not this time. This time I would fight, I would fight for Emily and I would fight for Angela. There was no one else. I would not back down. Emily's wails were tearing at the heart of me, ripping my mind and my soul to shreds. I wanted to cry, I wanted to break down right along with her, but she needed me. Emily needed my strength and my mind to be clear and sober. She couldn't afford for me to be weak, not now, not in this moment when her own strength had escaped her like a wraith in the night. If I faltered even for a second I would fail Emily and fail her child. They both needed me.
"Just let me try one more time...please!" I hissed at the nurses over Emily's shoulder.
Both of their eyes went a little wide. I imagine they had assumed I didn't know what the needle was for. They exchanged a brief glance with each other.
"Please," I pleaded.
"One more minute," the older nurse said.
I could tell right off the bat that one minute really meant one more minute for the older very stern looking nurse. She had the sharp eyes and determined expression of one who had been doing this for a very long time. There was probably very little that woman hadn't seen or experienced as a trauma nurse. She had the set jaw and stern expression of one who had heard the wail of grief far to many times in her life. She was no spring chicken, she would put an end to the screams one way or another and without so much as a slight hesitation.
The younger nurse however looked wild-eyed and panicked. She looked very very young actually. She might even have been doing a training rotation with the older nurse. The young one hadn't experienced many situations like this if any at all. I could tell by the way her eyes crinkled and her shoulders were tensed as she stared down at Emily. I saw her turn her head away slightly. It was paining her to witness this, her ears with ringing with the reality of what true grief could do to a person. She would not sleep well tonight, Emily's screams would follow her all the way home and into her dreams. If she had children, she was thinking of them too, the look on her face told me everything.
"Emily, EMILY!" I growled shaking the grief-stricken woman's shoulders roughly trying to knock some kind of sense back into her.
I was a futile effort, she just couldn't stop crying. I was growing more and more worried for her by the moment. Her breath was coming in painfully shallow unproductive sobs. Hyperventilation was extremely dangerous if allowed to continue for to long. Despite the rapidness of her breath, I knew her body wasn't getting enough oxygen. If she didn't calm down soon, and I mean very very soon, she would most likely faint due to an oxygen deprived brain. I looked up again at the needle. I felt my face wrinkle into a desperate frown. I hated to admit it, I hated to even think it, but it might be our only option. Emily couldn't go on like this, she couldn't have a psychotic break in front of so many people. I knew where she would end up if she did. That would be a disaster! Then Angela would have no one to speak for her, no one to hold her tiny hand or cradle her tiny body if she passed. I was terrified, but the needle was better than the alternative.
I looked at Emily sobbing hysterically on her knees one last painful second. My heart broke all over again. She was such a beautiful woman, stunning actually. Even now, in the condition she was in, she was still painfully beautiful. I hated to do this to her, but something had to be done and quickly. I drew Emily as tightly into me as I could manage, rocking back and forth in sync with her own body. I closed my eyes tightly steeling my nerves. I drew a deep breath and looked up at the older nurse. Our eyes met, she was waiting for me to admit the obvious. We stared at each other in mutual understanding. Our eyes communicated all the words that we left unsaid. I nodded my head once and closed my eyes again. I couldn't watch, I just waited, I waited for the screaming to stop and for the body in my arms to finally relax and breath deeply the oxygen it needed to survive. It didn't take long, the drug was impossible swift. Finally after thirty seconds the wails became softer, the rocking became slower, the muscles relaxed in her body and Emily fell heavily into my arms completely unconscious.
"We'll move her to a room and monitor her vitals," The older nurse said kindly.
I nodded my head slightly. I was fighting back tears of my own again. I had a lump in my throat that burned and hurt when I swallowed. I felt more guilt in that moment than I ever had in my life. But I had no other choice, the other option was unthinkable. Two orderlies came bustling in with a hospital bed in tow and lifted Emily's thin form easily onto the bed and covered her with a warm blanket. I stood and clasped Emily's hand gently kissing the back of her fingers as I looked down at her beautiful face. She almost looked peaceful despite the tear streaks and running mascara. I lifted the end of the blanket and wiped her face clean as gently as I could. I smiled down at her, one tear escaped each of my eyes as I gazed upon the woman that had so quickly captured my heart. I batted my lashes furiously.
"We have to take her back now Miss. Would you like to come with her? It will be easier for her when she wakes up to see a familiar face. She won't remember what happened or how she got there. Seeing you will lessen the blow and hopefully she won't fall apart again and have to be resedated." The older nurse asked me.
"No, I have to stay and speak to the Doctors about Angela," I sighed heavily.
I wanted to go with Emily, more than anything I didn't want to leave her. But I couldn't leave her child without an advocate.
"See that she is put into a private room and assign a private care nurse to her," I said in the most commanding voice I could muster under so much stress.
The older nurse looked at me quizzically.
"This patient has no health insurance, she can't afford..."
"...her care and Angela's will be covered by the Isles foundation of Medical Research and Family Assistance." I cut in.
"See that she receives the best care," I looked at the nurse levelly.
"And you are...?" She asked
"Dr. Maura Isles," I stated strongly.
I enjoyed the way the expressions of everyone around me changed immediately.
They knew who I was, this hospital received millions of dollars a year through my foundation. Even the older nurses face changed into something revealing awe and respect.
"Of course Dr. Isles...we'll see to it right away."
I nodded my thanks.
"Tell the Doctor I'd like to see the x-rays myself and I want a full report of Angela's diagnosis and prognosis. As of this moment, until Emily recovers herself, I am Angela's power of attorney."
The older nurse looked at me strangely.
"This woman's name is Jane...Jane Clementine Rizzoli." the nurse said.
I stumbled for a moment. I could have kicked myself. I forgot Emily wasn't her real name. Dammit! I recovered quickly...
"...of course. Emily is just a nick name I have for her!" I said casually.
It wasn't a lie, thank God or I would have broken out into hives and started hyperventilating myself. No one needed that headache on top of everything else. I prided myself for thinking so quickly. Normally I would have stuttered and stumbled and made a fool of myself. But not this time...not this time.
"Yes ma'am...I'll tell the Doctor." The older nurse said.
I leaned down and kissed Jane lightly on the fore head. I let my lips linger there for several moments. The warmth of her soft skin beneath my lips sent sparks throughout my entire body. I smiled through the unfallen tears behind my eyes. I ran my thumb over Jane's cheek several times studying her beautiful face. She had done something to my heart. Something I couldn't explain, but I felt a tenderness and a compassion inside of me that I'd never experienced before. It was far beyond my understanding, but I knew I could not fail her. Failing...Jane...would be like failing her child and myself. I kissed her lightly one more quick time before the nurses rolled her away and out of my sight. I watched her bed turn the corner and sighed with a heavy heart.
"Jesus Christ" I swore to myself when I was finally left standing alone.
I rubbed my forehead with my fingers willing the raging headache in my mind to go the hell away. I didn't have time to be crippled by my own pain. I turned around and noticed everyone in the waiting room was staring at me with wide eyes and gaping jaws. There was whispering everywhere. I felt a surge of panic run through me. Memories of so many times in my past of facing down sniggers and stares just like these played through my mind. I felt my mouth dry out and my palms begin to sweat. I thought of running, that was what I always did. I ran away, away from the stares, away from the whispers. I always ran to a dark corner of my mind and of a building trying to hide, trying to get away. But I couldn't do that this time...not this time. I remembered the words I spoke to Emily...I mean Jane early in the evening.
"Character is what is built in the face of great adversity, strength is what is found to overcome your challenges, love is felt most keenly after suffering tremendous pain."
I steeled my nerves. I formed my sweaty palms into fist and set my jaw. It was time I stood by my words, it was time I stopped running. It was time I found my own strength and built true character. I would not run...not this time.
"Please forgive the disturbance. I apologize for that. It won't happen again," I said with a voice full of a strength I'd never had before.
I almost smiled as I walked toward the doors of the waiting room. I had calls to make.
The first number I dialed was that of my attorney. It was after midnight, but he still answered after the third ring. I sighed gratefully when I heard his deep voice pick up on the line.
"Dr. Isles?" James asked me with a faint voice heavy with sleep.
"I'm sorry to wake you James but I need you now, like right now at NYU Memorial Hospital." I said in a hurried clipped speech.
"W-What's going on are you hurt?" he asked me.
I could tell he was immediately concerned.
"James it's a friend of mine, I'll explain everything later but I need you to draft Power of Attorney papers for me over a woman named Jane Clementine Rizzolli. It has to be done now James, it can't wait until morning. Lives could depend on this." I said.
"WHAT? What the hell is going on? Who is Jane Clementine Rizzolli?" He asked me in a panicked voice.
"Never mind that...do it now James and bring the papers to me. Jane isn't conscious at the moment and we're going to have to force this through without her signature. Do whatever it takes, call whatever Judges you know and get this done and get down to the hospital as soon as possible." I pleaded, commanded, begged.
"Ok Maura, but you have to tell me..."
"James...just do it now!" I spat and hung up the phone immediately.
I didn't have time to banter with him on details. James was the best civil attorney in the state and had worked for my family for years. I trusted him, he was discreet and honest. He better have been with as much as he charged.
The next call I made was to Addison Montgomery. She was one of the greatest pediatric surgeons in the country, perhaps even the world. I'd met her several times at conferences and worked with her briefly at a fellowship we shared in California. I knew she had a practice in New York now and I knew she would come if I called her. I didn't know or trust any of the Doctors here. I needed the best for Angela. I didn't like the panicked almost defeated look I'd seen in the eyes of Dr. Jenkins earlier. I needed a Titan, I needed a fearless beast of a doctor and that was Addison Montgomery.
Addison also picked up on the third ring.
"Hello?" her clear beautiful voice sounded in my ear.
My heart soared hearing her speak. I thanked every God under the sun that she answered and didn't sound like she was sleeping.
"Addison, it's Dr. Isles...I need your help!" I said desperately into the phone.
"What's going on?" she asked me curiously.
"The child of a friend of mine... a female patient approximately one year old is in serious trouble. She swallowed a button battery earlier this evening, about an hour ago and it doesn't look good. I know surgery will be necessary, by this time the damage to her esophagus and possibly her lungs is quite severe. I don't trust anyone but you Addison. I need your help." I pleaded into the phone.
I could feel tears behind my eyes again when I thought of Angela.
Button batteries were extremely dangerous to children if swallowed, sometimes even fatal if not diagnosed quickly and inexperienced surgeons failed on the operating table.
"Where are you?" Addison's voice sounded worried but not panicked. I could hear her shuffling around, it sounded like she was moving quickly.
"NYU Memorial Hospital."
"I'm on the outskirts of town, it will take me at least forty-five minutes to get there," Addison said breathlessly into the phone " But I'm on my way. Who's the attending Doctor assigned to the case?"
I thought hard for a moment closing my eyes trying to remember. I hadn't been able to register a lot of information over Jane's screaming and me trying to comfort her. My mind was full of so much panic small details were lost on me.
"Jenkins...Dr. Jenkins," I finally shot out when I remember the man's damn name.
I remembered his panicked eyes more than anything else though. They were haunting me.
"Oh!...Oh boy," Addison said.
I could hear worry in her voice. I began to panic even more. Addison was never worried.
"What...what is it?" I asked desperately.
"Nothing...nothing...where is the child now?" Addison asked.
I thought I heard the roar of an engine starting. I thanked the God's that Addison moved swiftly.
"In radiology, I'm standing here waiting for the results now."
"They won't tell you anything if you aren't a family member," Addison said gently.
I knew she could tell I was worried, but she also knew it was her responsibility to inform me of the facts. She was right and I knew it, but that's why I called her and James. I wasn't going to let pesky things like protocol kill Jane's baby.
"No...but if you claim the patient you can talk to me...off the record of course"
"No...actually I can't...not without the presence of another family member or with signed documentation from both you and a family member saying that you have the right to receive information on the child's condition and make decision on their behalf."
"I'm working on that, my family's attorney is on his way now. We're trying to work something out."
"Where is the child's family?" Addison asked curiously.
I sighed heavily thinking of Jane passed out under heavy sedation all alone in a cold loveless hospital bed. I hoped her dreams were more pleasant than her reality.
"She's...she's been sedated. There is no other family. Jane could be out for hours and the child doesn't have that kind of time. Serious decisions will have to be made on how to treat this and Angela needs an advocate. That has to be you until I can force something through the system. We'll deal with the fallout later...but Addison...I'm not going to let this kid die." I said the last with a matter of fact tone that brokered no argument.
I could hear Addison sigh.
"I'm going to call the hospital and speak to the doctor myself. I've met him before he...let me just call him." Addison said changing the flow of her conversation quickly.
This made me very nervous. What was she not telling me about Dr. Jenkins.
"Is there something I should know?" I asked feeling panic rise in my core.
"If the battery has been in that child over an hour she will absolutely need surgery, major surgery. I'll be there as fast as I can but do NOT let anyone cut into her. I'm coming Maura as fast as I can but I have to go now...I gotta figure this out. I'll call you after I speak to the doctors." Addison said sincerely.
I smiled a little. I knew she would come through for me.
"Of course. I'll be waiting." I said thankfully.
"Oh and Addison...thank you so much!" I choked on a sob.
"I got you kid," Addison said, then the line went dead.
I made one more call to the president of my Foundation. I ordered her to draft the paperwork of our intent to cover all of Jane's and Angela's medical cost and to have the bills sent directly to the foundation. I asked her to fax the document to the hospital's administration office immediately. Jessica didn't ask any questions, she just did as she was told. I was grateful to her.
When all the calls were made and I was standing outside the hospital alone in the darkness I finally let myself breath properly. This was the craziest night of my life.
When I first walked into my hotels' bar earlier that evening and saw Jane I was struck speechless. Carmelite showed me her picture before, but the picture did nothing, absolutely nothing, to capture the beauty of Jane Rizzolli in real life. The woman was...God she was amazing. I was enchanted by her immediately. She was so strong, even though she didn't know it. She was charming when she wanted to be, and cold as night when the mood was on her. She was biting and sarcastic, mean sometimes and foul-mouthed. There was a fire in that woman that drove me wild, but a darkness that made my blood run cold. I had never been so happy as I was chatting with her on the rooftop garden. Her smile was...God it was gorgeous, her olive skin glowed like the late evening sun in the candle light. Her onyx eyes made my heart soar when they were excited, and her body...Jesus she was gorgeous.
I thought many things of Jane as I spoke with her at my hotel. By the time we finally sat down to dinner I had a head full of ideas of where I wanted our relationship...if that's what you wanted to call it...to go. But I could never have anticipated this situation we were in at the moment. This was beyond anything I could have imagined. This was...this was hell.
I suddenly remembered poor little Suzie, Jane's teenage baby sitter, sitting back in the hospital lobby all alone. She too had been hysterical when we rushed into the hospital. I hadn't had the time to comfort her, I was to busy with Jane and the Doctor and nurses. I sighed. I gathered my nerves and ran back into the hospital.
I found Suzie sitting alone in a corner of the waiting room. She was sobbing quietly to herself. Her knees were tucked into her chest and her arms were wrapped around them tightly. Her bright red hair was messy and she looked half her age in sponge Bob pajamas and bright yellow slippers. I sighed again.
"Good Grief" I thought to myself as I made my way over to her.
"Suzie, sweet heart are your parents coming to pick you up?" I asked her kindly.
I even gave her my best smile. She looked up at me with wide sea green eyes and a freckle filled face. She would have been adorable if she wasn't so grief-stricken.
"My parents don't have a car, and I forgot my bus pass. I don't even think they know I'm here." She said sobbing again into her knees.
I sighed heavily again.
"Please don't cry, the best Doctors in the world are working on Angela," I tried to reassure her.
Suzie only cried harder.
"It's all my fault, I should have been watching her." The young girl wailed.
"Honey, small children just do things like this sometimes. It's no one's fault, you couldn't have anticipated this. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact...you a hero today Suzie." I said resting a hand on her knee.
Suzie looked up at me in wonder.
"What?" she asked
"Oh yes, you saved Angela's life. You did everything I told you and now Angela is in the care of those that can save her. You're a very very brave girl. You should be proud of yourself." I smiled at her warmly again.
I could tell she wanted to believe me, but she still had her doubts.
"Is Angela going to die?" she asked me quietly.
I didn't speak for a moment. I couldn't lie but I couldn't break this girls heart.
"We are doing everything we can, and I mean everything. If any child in her situation has a chance to survive something like this...its Angela. Don't you waste your time worrying, Angela has very powerful people in her corner." I said sincerely.
Suzie smiled at me.
"I'm going to call my driver to take you home, his name is Percy and he drives a black Mercedes Benz. He'll be here in a matter of minutes so look out for him ok. Don't leave with anybody but him. Ask to see his ID before you get into his car. It will read Percy Parker! Tell him Dr. Maura Isles said for him to take you home."
"Are you Jane's girlfriend?" Suzie asked me cocking her head to the side and smiling at me.
I smiled back.
"I'm sure we'll meet again. Go home and get some rest little hero," I said standing and offering my hand for Suzie to shake which she did politely.
Her grin really was adorable. If I was able to have children, I would want them to look just like her. I winked at her and walked toward the doors leading to the patient area. I had to get to Jane.
I asked to be led back to Jane's room and was glad when I found it to be nice and very private. Jane was all hooked up to the monitors and a nurse was leaning over her inserting her IV.
I didn't disturb the nurse, I just walked around the other side of the bed dragging a free chair right next to Jane's bed taking her hand and sitting down. She did look peaceful. Watching her sleeping as she was, I became less guilty about the fact that I'd let the nurse sedate her. This was...this was a mercy to her. Had she remained conscious she would be driving herself crazy in a world of despair and agony. She very likely would have ended up on the fourth floor psychiatric ward if the Doctor came back with bad news again. Yes...this was a kindness. I hoped she slept through the rest of the trauma, I hoped she would awake from her dream state to a whole new world full of better news and better prospects.
I brought her fingers to my lips and kissed them softly. Her skin smelled sweet, like lavender. I smiled down at Jane's beautiful face. I felt sympathy and longing pour out of myself and wash over her. In a matter of hours this woman had become precious to me. I would never let her go, not ever. She had touched me in a way I didn't know was possible. She had found a part of me I didn't know existed. That part belonged to her now. She had tattooed her name on it and claimed it as her own. I gave it to her freely, she deserved it. She found a diamond in the rough inside of me and I was grateful for it. I would never let her go.
I looked up at the monitors. I became troubled.
"Her heart rate is far to rapid!" I told the nurse.
The nurse looked up at me. It was a stick thin balding man. I didn't care for male nurses. I always felt they lacked the maternal instinct necessary to do their jobs with the concern of certain details that most women possessed naturally. Nursing was just as much about the mental health of the patients as it was about vital signs and administering drugs.
"She's suffered a shock. I'm administering a steady flow of a mild sedative to keep her under for a while. It will lower her heart rate soon. She's also suffering from a bit of malnutrition and has a vitamin D and potassium deficiency. We discovered all that when we ran her blood panels. Everyone is so worried about her. It's awful what's going on with her child. I can't say the same thing wouldn't happen to me if it were one of my children. I can't even imagine. We're going to keep her comfortable until her vitals stabilize and it's safe to bring her out of this. For now though...for now it's best if she sleeps." the nurse said.
I instantly fell in love with him. I was wrong, he was a great nurse.
"What's your name?" I asked softly.
"Mike...just call me Mike. I'll be working with Jane and just Jane until she pulls out of this." he said kindly smiling at me.
I smiled back.
"I have to run and get more fluids for Jane, she needs potassium and some other vitamins in her drip. I'll be right back...do you need anything yourself?" he asked.
"No...thank you!" I said.
Mike smiled again and shuffled from the room in a brisk flurry of hurried motion.
I didn't have time to reflect on my thoughts because my cell phone rang. I grabbed up my purse quickly answering before I even looked to see who it was.
"Hello?"
"Maura...it's Addison. I spoke to the Doctors. I've claimed the patient, but I don't know anything until I see the x-rays. They are prepping Angela for surgery right now though...I don't know any more than that. I guess your lawyer faxed over some papers claiming you as Jane's medical proxy and by extension, since Jane is incapacitated, you also speak for Angela. There's still more paperwork that has to be filed but your lawyer will explain that to you. The hospital won't argue with you over it only because of who you are. They'll be in to talk to you shortly about the x-rays, I'll be there soon." Addison said in a flutter of hastily spoken words.
I smiled. Addison was indeed on the ball.
"I'll see you when you get here...thank you so much again Addison."
"This is what doctors do Maura, I'll see you soon!" she said and hung up.
It was only moments before Dr. Jenkins and that older nurse from earlier entered the room, Mike was right behind them with a cart full of IV fluids.
I perked up immediately. I felt a wave of adrenaline surge through me. The doctor was holding x-rays in his hands. I stood quickly and snatched them from his hands unceremoniously holding them up to the light.
My heart dropped immediately. I felt bile rising into the back of my throat.
"Oh dear God!" I exclaimed before I could stop myself.
I could see the button battery as clear as day lodged in Angela's tiny esophagus. There was major tissue damage to the entire esophagus. Button batteries, if lodged in the esophagus, reacted to the saliva in the body and caused an electric current that burned into the tissues of the body causing catastrophic damage. If left untreated, the person would surely die a slow and agonizing death. From the looks of the x-ray's Angela was indeed in a 'Extremely Critical' condition.
I felt my eyes begin to water. I'd never even laid eyes on the child but I felt a love and a desperation I'd never felt before. This was serious, very very serious. The doctor and the nurse were quiet while I studied the x-rays. They knew I knew exactly what I was looking at. They knew I could formulate for myself the severity of the situation. They were looking everywhere but at me as I studied the x-rays. Perhaps it was a relief to them that they didn't have to explain what was going on with Angela. I forced down the vomit trying to escape my body.
"In your medical opinion Doctor Jenkins, what are Angela's chances of recovering from this?" I asked softly. I couldn't find enough breath to speak with any real confidence. I knew what I was seeing in those x-rays.
Dr. Jenkins didn't speak for a moment. I didn't dare look at him. I didn't care to see the doubt in his eyes.
"Angela is being prepared for surgery as we speak. Dr. Addison Montgomery has claimed lead on this case, I will only be assisting. I will defer any opinion of mine until she arrives. All I can say is...this is critical." His voice was serious and suspiciously quiet.
I handed the x-rays back to the Doctor without meeting his eyes. I couldn't look at them anymore. I didn't care what they showed, I didn't care what his opinion was. Nothing was certain until the Doctors got inside the body. I trusted Addison, she was the best after all. If anyone could bring Angela back from the brink of death, it would be her.
Mike was silent as a mouse as he hooked up Jane's IV fluids. He never looked our way. The older nurse standing with the Doctor had a pained, forced smile of reassurance and sympathy on her face. I didn't care to see that either. I wanted no one's sympathy. I wanted action. I would not give up, I would not resign Angela into the cruel arms of death. I would not think of tiny coffins and black veils. I wrapped my heart with all the strength I could find and willed myself to be strong, to be strong and to hope. I would not give up.
Like an angel from heaven Addison Montgomery rushed into the room already dressed in scrubs and wearing a surgical cap. Her face said she meant business. We didn't speak, we only exchanged quick smiles before Addison was studying the x-rays herself. Her face never changed, she showed not one sign of fear or panic. She didn't look the least bit hopeless or forlorn or intimidated. I was beyond grateful for that.
"Is Angela prepared for surgery now?" was all Addison said.
"Yes Doctor, she's being put under as we speak," Dr. Jenkins said timidly.
"Let's not waste time," Addison said handing him the x-rays again.
Addison looked right at me now. Her green eyes burned with a fierce determination. Her fire red hair only added to her powerful air of confidence.
"We'll be in surgery several hours. The condition is serious but I can save her. I have to go now though I can't wait any longer," She said sternly eyeing me with an overpowering seriousness.
"Go!" was all I said.
I sat next to Jane's bed holding her hand. I spoke no words, I cared for no one's conversation. The seconds seemed endless, like one eternity after another piled on top of each other dragging on painfully slowly. Mike was quiet as her breezed in and out of the room checking Jane's vitals, taking her temperature and blood pressure periodically. Every now and then he would smile at me. I tried to return the smile as warmly as possible. I knew I was failing. It was taking all my strength to be strong for Jane.
Over an hour later James stalked into the room. He was dressed as flawlessly as ever in a sharp blue pinstriped suit with a pressed white shirt and nice matching tie. Even dressed as he was he still looked haggard and worn down. I only imagined what hell he'd been going through over the last couple of hours trying to comply with my demands. This sort of thing was unprecedented. Forcing through a power of attorney after a person was already incapacitated was nearly impossible. But James was a master of the loophole. I trusted him.
"Well, I did it." he sighed in a tired weary voice.
"How?" I asked
James handed me a stack of paperwork.
"I had Jessica send me over the forms for hardship assistance that your foundation gives to needy families. I took the liberty of calling an old detective friend of mine who found out all of Miss Rizzolli's information. I won't tell you how he did all that. I filled out everything I could. I had to date everything as if it were yesterday though...that needs to stay between us. I had to call Judge Ellis and make a case that since the financial responsibility of Jane and Angela's medical care fell to your foundation that by extension the responsibility fell to you personally. Since the foundation is reputable and successful, not only in assisting in financially aiding those in need, but also providing expert medical doctors and specialist for extreme cases, I said that since Jane is incapacitated and that you two were long time friends, you deserved to take over the power of attorney personally through the resources of your foundation." James said exasperated by his ordeal.
I could tell it had taken a lot of imagination and string pulling to push this one through. I smiled. I knew there would be a ridiculous bill waiting for me in my inbox in a few days. He was worth every penny.
"It was a hard sell. But I did it. The judge signed off on everything. It's only temporary though until the Doctor says Jane is mentally capable to resume her own care and Angela's. After that you guys have to do this thing the right way in order for it to hold." James said running his hand through his long dark locks.
I didn't bother reading everything. I signed where I should and handed the papers back to him. Normally I wouldn't have done that, but I trusted Jessica and James. I hired them for a reason, they knew exactly what they were doing.
"James thank you," I said sincerely.
"I'll pay you double your fee for your trouble," I assured him.
"You'll pay me triple my fee for my trouble," he grimaced narrowing his eyes at me. "This sort of shit don't come cheap,"
I only smiled.
"Of course," I said calmly.
"Good, well, I've got to get these back to the judge so he can get them on file. Do you need me to come back when I'm finished?"
"No James, go home and be with your family." I said graciously.
James gave me his winning grin and left without another word.
I looked down at Jane again after he had gone. She still looked so peaceful. Her heart rate I noticed had stabilized and her breathing was even and steady. I kissed her hand again tenderly and sighed. I sat holding her hand for eons longer thinking so many odd thoughts when Addison and Dr. Jenkins finally returned. They both looked extremely tired but they were each wearing triumphant if not weary smiles.
My heart soared. I gripped Jane's hand tightly in my own.
"So?" I asked hopefully
Addison's smile widened.
"We were able to extract the battery using a laparoscopic procedure without having to cut Angela open. It's a new technique I just learned and I tweaked it a little bit but it worked. There is some damage to her lungs, but we got the battery out in enough time that the damage won't be lasting. She will heal. Angela does have a tracheotomy and it will have to stay in until her esophagus heals. She'll remain in the ICU for a few days until she stabilizes and the risk of post op infection lessens. It will be a couple of weeks at least before she's strong enough to go home. She has a feeding tube now because she can't swallow but we didn't do a catheter, she's too young for that. The nurses can just change her diapers." Addison looked over at the sleeping Jane and for the first time she looked worried.
"It's going to be hard to see Angela in the state that she's in. She's hooked up to everything under the sun and has a machine breathing for her. It...it will be hard for the mother." Addison said looking back at me again.
There was sympathy in her eyes.
"I know, Jane is...she's strong. She'll get through it." I stated with all the confidence I could manage.
Addison didn't seem convinced. I didn't blame her, I'm sure she knew why Jane was lying on that hospital bed unconscious.
"You said she had no other support system. This is going to be a lot for one person to handle." Addison said truthfully.
I sighed. She was right.
"I'll be here as much as I can, she'll get through it."
Addison smiled at me again.
"I'm going to hang a round a couple more hours to make sure there aren't any complications. I'll be staying in the city the next several days in case I need to rush back. The Doctors here know to call me if anything happens, and you have my number. Call me if you need anything!"
I stood and pulled Addison into a tight grateful hug. I felt tears pouring out of my eyes. I squeezed her and cried all over her shoulder. Addison seemed shocked at first, then she wrapped her long arms around me and hugged me back.
"You're a great friend Maura, it's my pleasure to help you." She said kindly.
It was a few moments longer before I managed to rein in my tears and gather myself again.
"Can I see Angela?" I asked releasing Addison from my grasp.
"She's in recovery, it will be several hours before she comes too. They won't let you hold her even then, she's in a deep incubation chamber and will be for a few days. But you'll be able to see her before mid morning." Addison smiled warmly at me.
I could not have been happier to hear it.
I sat with Jane for another hour before Mike pulled her from her sleep. It took several long minutes before Jane was coherent enough to realize where she was. When she did she sat up with a start, panic all over her face. Her eyes locked to mine. She seemed confused, like she was trying to remember who I was. I noticed when she did remember finally. Dread and terror covered her face.
"Angela?" she asked me. Her voice was trembling in nervous fear.
I smiled.
"She's going to be fine!" I said excitedly.
Jane covered her mouth and began to cry. It took forever to explain everything that had happened. Jane looked so ashamed that she had behaved the way she did when I told her she had to be sedated. I refused to let her be embarrassed. I coaxed her with sweet words instead reminding her that her baby was going to be just fine. I left out the part about the long recovery and the condition Angela was in at the moment. I'd let Jane regain her strength for a while longer before I told her all of that. Eventually Jane relaxed enough to lean back on the bed and she sighed, releasing all the worry and fear from her body.
"I don't know how I'm going to pay for all of this," she said sadly.
I saw tears behind her eyes again.
"It's been taken care of already," I said brushing loose strands of her long black locks from her face.
Jane looked at me like she was seeing a ghost.
"HOW!" she exclaimed.
"It was covered by a private foundation that specializes in assisting low-income families with emergency medical care." was all I said.
The smile that covered Jane's face was breathtaking. Tears of joy were rolling down her face this time. I felt a few tears of my own escape my eyes. My heart swelled seeing the relief on Jane's face.
"Maybe there is mercy for whores." Jane said through her tears.
My heart broke.
"You're not a whore." I said softly.
Jane rolled her eyes and looked at me, she was still smiling though.
"Yes I am."
I sighed, I'd argue that point later. For now I was just...I was exhausted and thrilled and excited. I took my seat next to Jane and we talked for a long while about many things. It was a pleasant conversation. I never took my eyes off her. I was just so happy to see her alive and happy and knowing that her baby was also alive and well. This was the most insane night of my life.
"I'm starving," Jane exclaimed as the first rays of sunlight crept through the hospital window. "When's the breakfast tray getting here?" She asked me grumpily.
I giggled remembering Jane's voracious appetite.
"What would you like to eat Jane? I'll get you anything you want." I said kissing the back of Jane's hand again.
She'd let me hold her hand all night, never once trying to take it back. Jane looked at me and smiled wickedly.
"You know my real name?" She asked, her eyebrows arched in wonder.
I only smiled.
"Yes Jane,"
"And I can have anything I want for breakfast?"
"Yes Jane,"
"I want..."
"...Excuse me, is there a Miss Jane Rizzolli in this room?" A woman asked appearing in the doorway.
She was a stout homely looking woman in her upper middle-aged years. She was wearing a rather worn looking skirt suit that didn't fit her properly and was burdened with a briefcase stuffed full of files. Her face looked pinched and her eyes looked strained. She had the weary looked of someone often over-worked and under-rested.
"Yes...that's me." Jane said timidly.
"My name is Claire Haverty, I'm with the Department of Children's Services of the state of New York." the woman said staring right at Jane.
Jane's face went blank and white as a sheet.
"I'm here to investigate a report of child neglect that resulted in the serious injury of an infant," The woman said.
"Oh Shit" I thought to myself.
I turned back to look at Jane. I thought we might have to sedate her all over again.
