Sorry this took me longer than expected but I really wanted to get it right. I had an idea in my head and I hope it came through. Anyway…as always…thanks for the reviews, encouragement, and sticking with me. Enjoy…
Fighting the Darkness
Liam McGrath sat in his Jeep Wrangler, drinking a cup of coffee and eating a donut as his eyes followed Jane on her journey across the parking lot towards the small café down the street. He laughed as he thought it was probably Maura who sent Jane to get something other than cafeteria food. A smirk crossed his lips when Jane pushed through the doors and disappeared in the small restaurant.
Settling back in his seat, he let out a tired sigh as he savored the hazelnut coffee he had picked up and silently agreed that Maura had done the right thing by sending Jane to get her something better than they would find in the hospital. It had been a long night and even though Maura had texted him that their plans had changed, he decided to stake out the parking lot in case something arose that needed his attention. What that could be, he wasn't sure but it was a gut feeling that he would be needed and he never disregarded his gut feelings.
He studied the donut he held in his hand and rolled his eyes at the rainbow sprinkles that topped the chocolate frosting. His love for chocolate frosted pastries held no boundaries but the sprinkles were a little too much in his opinion. Be that as it may, he couldn't stop the faint smile as he took a bite of the delectable treat. The feeling of chocolate frosting adorning the tip of his nose caused him to drop his gaze to grab a napkin and when he looked up again, he saw Jane pushing through the door juggling a handful of coffee and a bag. When he didn't notice anything remarkable, he wiped his nose and took another bite but this time when he looked up he saw that Jane was pacing back and forth while talking on her cell phone at the cross walk. This caught his attention and he immediately noticed the change in her demeanor and the set of her shoulders when she shoved the phone in her back pocket after hanging up.
With a renewed interest in what Jane was doing, Liam watched carefully as she crossed the street quickly on her way back to the hospital. Her face was strained and she seemed agitated which caused him to sit up straighter so he could watch her carefully. Something had changed and he would bet his life it wasn't good.
The thought that he should text Maura crossed his mind, but he decided to wait and see what would happen next, if anything. For all he knew, Jane would go in the hospital and come out with Maura by her side or…she would leave alone and he would follow her as he had promised Maura he would do.
It wasn't long before he had the answer to his question when Jane emerged alone and strode across the parking lot to her car. He watched her as she checked something in the trunk before getting in the driver's seat. For a moment, she didn't do anything except sit with her hands on the steering wheel looking straight ahead and for a brief second, he thought maybe she had noticed him. Luckily, she hadn't and he started his car when she pulled her blue light out and set it on the dash board.
Curiosity caused him to pause as he watched her pull out of her parking spot, the blue light was on her dash but not on and he wondered what she was up to. When she reached the entrance to the parking lot, that's when he started to follow her. It was that slight hesitation that set him back because when she hit the main street, she turned the light on and took off like a bat out of hell, almost leaving him in the dust. Almost.
Following Jane hadn't been an easy task, but about halfway to their destination Liam guessed where they were headed which gave him some leeway on keeping up. As they weaved through traffic at break neck speeds, he worried that he would be stopped by the police or seen by Jane. But to his benefit, Jane was focused on one thing and one thing only, getting to her destination in record time.
When they reached the warehouse district, he hung back to give her plenty of room so she wouldn't see him. Watching her carefully, he pulled to the side until she stopped and turned her engine off. He was about thirty yards away from her, still in plain sight if she decided to look around so, he turned to park alongside one of the warehouses several rows away.
As quietly as he could manage, he climbed from his car and peeked around the corner of the building he was parked next to. He could see Jane sitting in her car and again, she didn't seem to be doing anything except looking straight ahead. But then with a flourish of movement, she was out and stalking around the car to her trunk. Pulling a mirror from his pocket, he moved away from the corner and held the mirror out, so he could see her, and she couldn't see him. What he saw made his heart sink.
Watching Jane gear up with a bullet proof vest and a Glock 19 confirmed his gut feeling that he was there for a reason. And without wasting any time, he quickly went to his trunk to get his own gear, so he could follow her into whatever situation she was getting herself into.
He was thankful that he decided to throw some extra equipment in his trunk on his way out the door even though he was rarely without his Ruger SR9c that was securely strapped to his side, concealed by his jacket. It had been a last-minute decision to throw his extra Ruger with the Crimson Trace laser sight attached, but a good one all the same. As he pulled his jacket off, he opened the trunk and threw it in beside the armored suitcases that filled the space. Removing the shoulder holster, he tossed it in the trunk before opening one of the cases. With the pop of a button, the case flew open to reveal another hand gun with several magazines. He had noticed that Jane had taken two extras with her so he grabbed them and set them to the side. Reaching for his tactical vest, he gave it a quick shake before slipping it over his shoulders and zipping it up. He grabbed the magazines and slipped them into one of the many pockets on his vest before putting one of the guns in a built-in holster at his chest. The gun with the laser sight would eventually be strapped to his side, but at the moment, he felt better with it in his hand.
With everything in place including a few extras, Liam gave himself a quick pat to make sure he had everything he needed. When he was satisfied he was ready, he moved cautiously to the edge of the wall to peek around again but was startled by a loud bang reverberating all around him and it caused him to freeze. Listening carefully for anything else, he decided he needed to see what Jane was up to and when he glanced around the corner, he saw she was already gone.
"Damnit…" he let out a heavy breath and ran his fingers through his hair. He wasn't sure which building she had gone into, but then something caught his attention…an open door and he was flooded with relief. "Smart."
As carefully and quietly as he could manage, he jogged across the gravel roadway separating each building and cringed as the crunch of the gravel under his shoes seemed as loud as what he assumed was Jane closing her trunk earlier. But he knew he didn't have much time left so he disregarded the sound and continued his quick jog towards the open door.
When he finally made his way across the thirty yards of gravel to the open door, he dropped down and slipped inside the building to find there was little to no light. Slipping his night vision goggles over his eyes, he looked around until he saw Jane standing about ten feet away from two people. One had a gun and the other was tied to a chair and it was then that he recognized Paddy. He could hear the other man talking and from what he could surmise, this was a showdown between him and Jane.
He could hear what they were saying, but none of it made any sense except for the part about Maura and then Jane's pained response. When he saw the man's gun being raised to point at Paddy, then Jane, he took aim himself and waited on bated breath to make his move.
Liam's instincts told him that if Jane was going to walk away from this, he would have to shoot first but by doing so, it would reveal his location and identity. From where he was, he could see that she had the other man, who he assumed at this point was Sean, in her sights and he willed her to go ahead and shoot. But she didn't and it prompted him to turn his laser sight on. It would be something he would regret later because Jane must have seen it. She hesitated long enough for Sean to shoot first with a thunderous crack, hitting her square in the chest causing her to stagger backwards. But, it didn't stop her from getting off three shots of her own, the last one was simultaneous with Sean's and then he watched in horror as Jane pitched forward and dropped to her knees.
There was no hesitation this time as Liam pulled the trigger, igniting the darkness with a flurry of flashes as he rained a volley of gunfire down on Sean. One, two, three…four, five, six…he didn't stop until his magazine was empty. He watched without a trace of sympathy as the other man fell back against the wall behind him and slid down to the ground leaving a bloody trail along the wall. He hadn't missed and Sean wouldn't be getting up…ever again.
Paddy watched helplessly as Jane took two bullets to the chest, knocking her to her knees. He knew she was wearing a bullet proof vest but it was like playing Russian roulette with armor piercing bullets. It all depended on where the bullet hit and in most cases, dumb luck. He struggled to free himself, but to no avail and his heart sank as he watched her land face down in the dirt. Holding his breath, he waited for her to move but when she didn't, he struggled harder against his restraints. It was the flurry of gun fire coming from across the room that caught his attention. He could see the muzzle flashes in the distance followed by the thuds of metal hitting flesh and for a split second, he wasn't sure if he was the one being shot. His eyes, wide with horror, traveled from the distant gun fire to Sean who was now sliding down the wall, leaving a trail of blood as his body hit the ground. He braced himself for the hit but when it didn't come, he realized he wasn't the target. A smug smile crossed his lips at the thought that Sean had gotten what he deserved. He didn't care what came next, as long as Sean was dead.
"Paddy!" A familiar voice called out, a voice Paddy hadn't heard in years.
"Liam, is that you?" The question was filled with doubt, but hope all the same. The doubt disappeared when Liam appeared out of the darkness and cut the ropes that held Paddy captive.
"Help Jane." Liam said as he turned his attention to Sean.
Jane winced at the weight on her chest until she opened her eyes and saw Maura spread out across her body. For some reason, she couldn't recall falling asleep with Maura by her side but apparently, she had. She tried to stretch but found her body was pinned under a heaviness she didn't recognize so she glanced down to find that Maura's belly was fuller and rounder then she remembered. With some effort, she reached over and touched Maura and then marveled at the gentle pokes against the palm of her hand.
"You're pregnant...?" Even though it was a question, Jane was sure the answer was yes.
"Very much so, thanks to you." Maura sighed as she snuggled closer.
Jane laughed and continued to run her hand over Maura's belly. "I know I'm good, but I didn't think I was that good."
"Um…you won the coin toss. But next time I'm picking the coin. I believe you may have cheated."
"Me? Cheat?" Jane tried to feign surprise.
"Don't play innocent with me Jane Rizzoli-Isles." Maura yawned and burrowed her head into a soft pillow. "But I'm too tired to argue with you. Can we please just go to sleep."
Suddenly, Jane's eyes felt very heavy and her mind drifted off into a fog. "Yeah…" she let out a heavy breath. "Sleep…"
The beating Paddy had taken earlier made it difficult for him to get up from the chair he had been tied to but after a brief hesitation to catch his breath, he pushed himself up and staggered towards Jane. "She took two shots…" he said as he knelt next to her. "One to the chest…" his fingers ran over her vest as he searched for another hit. "I'm not sure where though."
When Liam was satisfied Sean was no longer a threat, he joined Paddy next to Jane's prone body. "Did her vest stop the bullets?" He asked as he helped roll Jane over to her back only to discover her neck and shoulder covered in wet, sticky blood. Pressing around her collarbone, he found the hole and lifted her up to see the other side. "I've got a thru-and-thru here." He placed his hand on the wound, applying pressure to slow the bleeding.
Paddy ran his hands over the front of the vest trying to find where the second bullet hit. After a thorough check, he found the bullet still embedded in Kevlar, but it had been a direct hit to the chest. The indentation was enough to let him know she would probably have a fractured sternum if not worse. "It didn't penetrate." He said as he reached over to undo the vest.
"No!" The urgency in Liam's voice caused Paddy to stop and look at him with a surprised expression. "That much blunt force trauma could cause damage to the heart and lungs. If we're lucky, she'll only have some contusions but worst-case scenario is a myocardial rupture. If we take the vest off now, she might start to bleed internally but if we leave it on, the pressure may buy us some time to get her to the hospital."
"Okay." Paddy nodded his understanding. "What do we do now? What about that?" He pointed to where Liam's hand covered the hole just below her collarbone.
"Well, she's lucky. If you're gonna get shot in the shoulder, below the collarbone is the sweet spot. I think the bullet missed the artery. She's bleeding but not profusely." Liam pulled his knife out and handed it to Paddy. "Here, cut my sleeve off so I can try and stop the bleeding." He held his arm out for Paddy. When it was done, he took the cloth strip and wadded it up before stuffing it into the hole. "That should hold up for a while." Pushing himself up from the ground, he slipped the knife back in his pocket. "You need to drive her to the hospital. Her car is here and her blue-light with the siren. Use that to get through traffic."
The distant sound of children playing and the scent of freshly cut grass roused Jane from her nap. As she laid, stretched out on a blanket with her head resting in Maura's lap, her eyes fluttered open. She squinted at the bright light that hovered over her until Maura's smiling face came into view, blocking the light.
"Hey Beautiful." Jane said with a smile.
"Hey yourself." Maura bent to place a soft kiss on Jane's forehead. "Our daughters have been waiting patiently for you to wake up, so you can play with them.
Lifting her head, Jane caught a glimpse of two girls chasing each other around the yard. One she recognized immediately as Valley, the other looked like a miniature version of Maura. Her eye's widened in surprise at the sight before her but when she tried to sit up, a heavy weight on her chest pinned her down.
Another surprise came in the form of a small bundle snuggled in her arms. Wisps of dark hair the same color as hers, haloed the head of a sleeping baby. Even though it was a struggle, she lifted a hand to run the backs of her fingers along a chunky cheek and smiled when a soft coo followed.
"He couldn't resist taking a nap with you." Maura said as she ran her fingers through Jane's hair. "He looks just like you when he's asleep."
"Like me?" Jane seemed surprised.
"Of course. You did carry him around for nine months."
"I did? How did that happen?"
"Don't you remember? You lost the coin toss." Maura laughed.
"Um…" The confusion was evident in Jane's tone but before she could finish her thought Maura looked up at two anxious little girls and held up a hand to stop their rapid advance.
"Wait until I get your little brother out of the way before you pounce."
A sigh of relief escaped from Jane's lips when she felt the heavy weight being lifted from her chest and she couldn't help but wonder how something so little could weigh so much. But the relief was short lived when two small projectiles hurled themselves at her causing her to gasp in pain. It was a pain she'd never felt before, like burning hot rebar being shoved through her body at high speed. The tears that pooled in her eyes stung and she struggled to breathe. Something this wonderful shouldn't hurt like this, she thought as pain exploded in her chest and spread to her arms and legs. The only thing she could do was close her eyes and allow herself to drift away to a place where the pain would disappear.
As Paddy and Liam knelt next to Jane, she moaned and her eyes fluttered open long enough for them to roll to the back of her head. It was a harsh reminder that time was of the essence.
Touching the artery in her neck, Liam checked her pulse. "Her pulse is weak. We're gonna lose her if we don't move!"
"Jane!" Paddy raised his voice and touched Jane on the cheek. "Jane…don't you die on me!" This time there was panic in his voice as he gave her cheek a light pat. When nothing happened, he looked at Liam who could only shake his head. "Fight damnit! Don't you dare give up!"
"We don't have time for this Paddy!" The urgency in Liam's voice caused his voice to shake. "We can't wait. She won't make it."
"The hell she won't. Maura will never forgive me is she dies!" Paddy said as he started to gather Jane's limp body in his arms.
Liam bent to help and it wasn't long before they had her cradled in their arms. As quickly and carefully as they could, they carried her to the car and slid her in the backseat. Putting a hand on Paddy's shoulder, Liam glanced at Jane. "Get her to the hospital. I'll stay here and clean up this mess." He looked back at Paddy with a stern expression. "And as always…"
"You were never here." Paddy said before Liam could finish.
"Go…" Liam turned and trotted towards the warehouse leaving Paddy alone.
Jumping in the driver's seat, Paddy grabbed the keys from the visor and started the car. Putting the car in reverse, he pulled away and spun around. With adrenaline flowing through his veins, he threw the car into drive and took off. He would do whatever he had to in order to save Jane because he knew Maura would never survive a loss like this and much to his surprise, he realized neither would he.
Maura sat across the kitchen table from Constance and Angela trying to feign interest in the conversation between the two women. Her eyes were heavy and her body ached from fatigue, but she refused to give in just yet. There had been no word from Jane and her mind was riddled with anxiety.
"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Constance asked as she watched Maura push her omelet around her plate. She knew that Maura hadn't eaten any of the pastries that Jane had brought to the hospital, opting instead to pass them out to everyone in the waiting room.
"I'm just tired." Maura said as she tried to stifle a yawn.
"Well, you have been up all night." Angela sat back in her chair and studied the dark rings under Maura's eyes. She could see there was something else, something Maura was trying to hide.
Pushing her hair away from her face, Maura sighed heavily. "Yes, I have."
"Why don't you go get some sleep." Constance watched Maura over the rim of her coffee cup. "Angela and I can clean up." She nodded towards the takeout bags.
Maura was quiet for a moment as she contemplated her mother's suggestion but then she shook her head. "I'd like to wait for Jane to get back from the hotel."
Setting her coffee down, Constance gave Maura a reassuring smile. "I'm sure she'll be home any minute."
"Did you say Jane went to the hotel?" Angela asked.
"Yeah, she said Frankie got called into work and couldn't get our stuff and check us out, so she went instead." There was an edge to Maura's voice as she realized all her anxiety and worry may have been justified.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Angela shook her head. "No, Frankie dropped our stuff off this morning." She pointed to the suitcase sitting at the foot of the stairs.
Maura blinked a few times, staring at the suitcase as if it had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She could feel her stomach begin to churn and the sudden urge to be sick washed over her.
"Maura?" The anxiousness of Angela's voice was sharp to Maura's ears. "Is something wrong? Is Jane in trouble?"
Dropping her head into her hands, Maura pushed through the need to let the tears that had pooled in her eyes fall. The sound of her cell phone pierced the quiet and stabbed at her chest with its doubled edged blade. She didn't need to look at the ID on the screen to know who was calling. As if her nightmares were somehow manifested into reality, the ringing became louder…almost unbearable. With a shaky hand, she picked up the phone and slid her finger over the green dot to accept. "Please tell me she's alive." The words came out on a rush of breath as she pushed herself up from the table, knocking her chair over.
"Yes…" Liam's voice cracked slightly under the strain of not really knowing. "Paddy is taking her to the hospital as we speak. You need to have a trauma team ready."
"Tell me more…" Maura's resolve strengthened.
"She's been shot twice. Once in the chest…but she was wearing her vest. It didn't penetrate but I'm sure the vest is putting pressure on her sternum."
"You said twice…"
"Yeah, the second bullet is a thru-and-thru. It entered just under her collarbone and came out under her arm on the left side. I think it missed the artery but she is still bleeding and may have a broken collarbone." He said quickly, trying to tell Maura everything she needed to know to be ready.
"Okay." Maura said as her mind switched into doctor mode. "I'll have a surgical team ready in case of a myocardial rupture." She said as she moved across the room, gathering her jacket, purse, and car keys. In her haste, she didn't notice that Angela and Constance watched her with expressions similar to horror. "Anything else I need to know?"
"Sean is dead. Paddy was beaten up pretty badly though, so make sure he is looked at even if he refuses." Liam hesitated before continuing. "It's over Maura. I'll clean up this mess and get back to you as soon as I can."
Clearing her throat nervously, Maura nodded even though Liam couldn't see her. "I'm leaving now." She faltered briefly but quickly regained her strength before hanging up.
As soon as Maura hung up the phone, everything went from fast forward to slow motion. She stood in the foyer, keys in her hand and tears in her eyes making it difficult for her to see. It wasn't until she felt her mother's touch on her shoulder that she remembered she wasn't alone.
"Maura?" Constance could see that something was terribly wrong. Having heard only one side of the phone conversation, she knew Jane was in trouble.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Maura turned her attention to the two women regarding her with fear and uncertainty. It was the pained expression on Angela's face that caused her to reach out and take Angela's hand in her own. "We've been here before." She said as she pulled Angela's shaking body into her arms. "But we have to go right now. I have to be there when they bring her in." Letting go, she pulled back enough to wipe Angela's tears away, paying no attention to her own.
"Okay." It was all Angela had the strength to say.
"Here, let me drive. You have phone calls to make." Constance took the keys away from Maura and wrapped an arm around Angela as she led her to the door. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave Maura an expectant look. "Come on honey." She beckoned.
Watching her mother lead Angela away, Maura knew she needed to pull herself together, so she followed the two women out to the car. Pulling her phone out, she began to make the phone calls she needed to make to ensure that Jane had the best waiting for her when she arrived at the hospital.
A weightless feeling came over Jane as she slipped into the darkness and drifted away from the pain that had almost crushed her. She opened her eyes to discover that the darkness surrounded her, enveloping her in its oppressive hold and her blood ran cold. Like a slap to the face, she realized that everything she had ever wanted in her life was gone. In the blink of an eye, her family was gone and she was all alone. Hot tears stung her skin as they ran down her cheeks and neck, pooling in a wet, sticky mess. It was an unfamiliar feeling and she tried to shift her weight but found that her body was pinned down by something she couldn't see. She struggled to find her voice and found only silence in her attempts to call out for Maura. Breathing became difficult with each passing second as the darkness squeezed the breath from her lungs little by little, leaving her gasping.
"Maura!?" She called out when she finally found the strength. Her voice echoed in the emptiness that surrounded her and caused her to shiver. "Maura! Where are you? Please don't leave me!" Desperation shook her as she resisted the urge to go back to sleep.
"Oh, my sweet Jane…" Maura said softly, like the ghost of a whisper in Jane's ear. It was like a breeze that Jane could feel but not see. "I haven't left you. You've left me."
Sadness radiated over Jane's body, masking the pain long enough for her to catch her breath. "I'm right here…" she tried to reach out and touch something, anything. Then the pain returned, pulling her further into the cold, dark abyss that threatened to swallow her up.
The drive to the hospital had been quick with the help of Jane's dashboard siren. Car's moved out of the way as Paddy maneuvered past, but no one tried to stop him. He had no intention of stopping regardless. Nothing was going to keep him from getting Jane to the hospital. He glanced over his shoulder a few times, risking an accident but he had to make sure she was still breathing. It was the occasional moan assuring him she was still fighting that made him realize her time was limited and he had no intention of wasting it.
As he pulled up to the emergency room entrance, he was relieved to find two paramedics waiting with a gurney and anxious expressions on their faces. It was obvious that Maura had been notified and for that he was thankful.
The two men waiting, wasted no time when he put the car in park and jumped out of the driver's seat to help. He winced when Jane let out a particularly agonizing moan and couldn't stop himself from brushing blood-soaked strands of hair away from her face.
"You need to move the car…" The tall dark-haired paramedic with the name Jake embroidered on his shirt said as he tried to push Jane away from Paddy.
"The keys are in the ignition…move it or have it towed…I don't give a shit." Paddy said. His nostrils flared, and his eyes flashed with anger as he dared them to argue with him. He took Jane's hand just to emphasize he wasn't going to be pushed away.
The paramedics looked at each other and then shrugged their shoulders in resignation. Far be it for them to argue with the old man. They had their orders to bring the wounded officer straight to Dr. Morgan in the first emergency bay for evaluation.
Paddy held on to Jane's hand as they rounded a corner to a long hallway and much to his relief, Maura stood at the end waiting. Her arms were crossed and face impassive as they got closer and he wondered why she hadn't run to Jane's side to take his place.
"In there…" she pointed to the open door containing a room full of doctors and nurses waiting for their arrival. Her eyes pinned Paddy to the spot outside the door where he let go of Jane's hand and watched helplessly as they wheeled her in and shut the door.
"You're not going in?" His expression was a combination of confusion and uncertainty.
Maura's arms were still crossed as she stared at Paddy. "The best trauma surgeon in the northeast is in there. She'll handle it."
Shoving his hands in the pockets of his blood-stained pants, Paddy nodded as he studied Maura's face. She was pale and had dark rings under her eyes and he realized that she was holding herself together by a thread. That at any moment she would break but it wouldn't be in front of him. "I'm sorry." It was all he could think to say as he looked down at his clothes, finally noticing the blood.
"Is that yours or Jane's?" Maura asked as she nodded towards the crimson spots that covered him.
"Both, I think." He pulled his hands out of his pockets and began to nervously rub them together. When Maura took a step forward and raised her hand, he staggered backwards. He wouldn't blame her if she slapped him but as he braced himself for the blow, he was surprised to feel the feather light touch of her fingers above his eye.
"You're going to need stitches." She studied the deep cut before turning her attention to the one on his cheek. "And here too most likely. The rest will heal on their own."
"I'm fine." He watched her gaze move from his wounds to meet his own.
"No, you're not. Promise me you won't leave without having a nurse look at you. I'd do it myself but…" her eyes glanced at the closed door.
Shaking his head, he let out a heavy sad sigh. "I can't do that."
"Yes, you can. You owe me that much at least." Maura pushed a finger against his chest as her ire ignited. "Ryan will want to talk to you. I need you to come up with a good story, something believable. Liam will do his best to take care of things but when an officer is shot…someone has to answer for it."
"Okay." Paddy conceded without much fight.
"I expected you to resist more than this." The relief was evident in Maura's tone as she ran a shaky hand through her hair.
"I'm too tired to argue and I want to stay until I know Jane is okay."
"Good. You can wait in the waiting room, but I'll warn you that my mother and Jane's mother are there as well…and I'll bet a room full of family, friends, and co-workers. It might be a tough crowd…especially dressed like that." Maura nodded to his clothes. "Wait here and I'll have a nurse bring you a set of scrubs and let you clean up a bit and…" she pointed to his cut. "Get that stitched up."
"Whatever you say."
Maura's posture finally relaxed just enough for Paddy to notice the slight change. She was still guarded but the tension between them disappeared.
"Hey, Angie…" Maura reached out to stop a nurse before she could pass by. "Would you mind taking this gentleman to get cleaned up and give him a clean pair of scrubs?" She gave a gentle smile and got one in return. "Oh, and could someone please check his cuts for me?"
"Of course Dr. Isles." The nurse's smiled turned sad as she glanced at the closed door. "How is Detective Rizzoli?"
"She'll be fine. Dr. Morgan is with her." Maura tried to sound hopeful.
"That's good news." Angie touched Maura on the arm before turning her attention to Paddy. "If you'll follow me sir…I'll find you somewhere to change and get someone to look at those." She said as she pointed to his cuts.
"Thanks, the name's Paddy by the way." Paddy started to follow her but stopped to look at Maura. "I'd like to give you a hug right now but…" his voice trailed off as he waved at his clothes. Maura's expression softened as she acknowledged him, giving him the courage to take her hand in his. "I'll do whatever I can to make things right. Tell Ryan I'm ready."
Giving the hand in hers a gentle squeeze, Maura gave a weak smile in response. She couldn't find the words or her voice in that moment, but she could tell by the look on Paddy's face that he understood what she couldn't say.
"I'll be waiting for good news." He said over his shoulder as he followed Angie down the hall and away from Maura, finally leaving her alone.
When Maura found herself standing alone in the hallway, she ran her fingers through her hair and leaned against the wall for support. Her steel reserves were beginning to fade and as the fluorescent lights flickered slightly, her body gave out. Dropping her head into her hands, she finally allowed the tears to fall and her body shook with the sobs that followed. It had taken every ounce of her strength to stay away from Jane as they wheeled her in, but Paddy's presence had helped in a strange way. She tried not to look at the gurney when Jane passed by, but her eyes betrayed her and all she could remember now was the bright crimson set against the pale backdrop of stark white skin. The image was burned in her mind now and it matched the same image that haunted her from Jane's encounter with Hoyt. But now, as she stood alone, surrounded by the sounds of a busy hospital, she knew she would have to push past the doubt and anger that pressed upon her keeping her away from Jane. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady herself as she wiped at her wet cheeks. Before she could do anything else, the door opened, and a nurse stepped out.
"Dr. Isles…we need you." The young woman took her by the arm and started to pull her.
"What is it?" Maura stiffened, refusing to let herself be moved from where she was standing. Her heart sped up and her mouth went dry at the thought of why she was being summoned. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to say goodbye.
"We have her stabilized, but we just can't seem to get her to wake up. Dr. Morgan thinks you might be able to help."
Pushing her hair away from her face, Maura let out a heavy breath. "Okay…" she allowed herself to be led into the room.
Bright lights filled the room causing Maura to squint in reflex as she made her way across the room. One step at a time. She thought to herself as her shaky legs carried her over the black and white linoleum that was polished so well that she could look down and see her reflection. It helped of course, looking down because watching the buzz of people working on Jane at a frantic pace caused her heart to beat faster and her sight to dim. I won't faint…I'm stronger than this. It was the mantra she repeated as she got closer to Jane.
"Hey…" Dr. Stella Morgan turned around from what she was doing to address Maura. "We've got her stabilized." She said as she pulled at the rubber latex gloves on her hands and they came off with a snap. Dropping them into a bucket next to her, she reached out to take Maura's hand. "Come here and let me show you what we're dealing with."
Again, Maura felt her knees begin to buckle as she allowed Stella to pull her closer to the gurney. She wasn't sure she would survive having to see Jane like this again but with a deep breath, she steadied herself and looked down at the prone body of the woman she loved. "Tell me…" she said, her voice quivering with the emotion she was desperately trying to control.
"She's very lucky. The bullet that hit her in the chest didn't pierce the armor in her vest. I think it may have been this…" Stella held up a small square piece of Kevlar armor. "It isn't standard for most vests and most people don't use them, but Jane did. It saved her life."
Maura took the dented piece of metal from Stella's hand and examined it. She nodded in understanding. It had been something she insisted upon when Jane received her new vest from the department. It had cost extra, something they had to pay for themselves, but it didn't matter what it cost as long as it saved Jane's life. Even though Jane had complained that it was bulkier and hotter than her old one, she wore it because it was a promise she had made to Maura.
"I think we can rule out a fractured sternum, but without an x-ray I can't be sure. We are dealing with simple pneumothorax due to several broken ribs but no blunt cardiac trauma. The other bullet however, did leave her with a broken clavicle and a collapsed lung on the left side. It entered here…" Stella pointed to a spot just under her collarbone and lifted up her arm and pointed to a place underneath it. "The bullet hit just under her collarbone, shattering it in two places. It then moved down through the upper corner of her lung before turning and coming out just under her arm. The good thing is there is no bullet to retrieve. The bad thing is, it left a trail of destruction in the soft tissue that will have to be repaired. They are already setting up the O.R. for surgery. There are bone splinters floating around and we don't want them getting close to that collapsed lung. Things look better than I expected when I saw how much blood she lost but we aren't out of the woods yet."
Maura stood stock still as she listened to Dr. Morgan explain what was happening. She could see the tube sticking OUT of Jane's chest to allow the air that was trapped to escape. And she noticed that they had done their best to clean up the blood that had coated her face and neck. Everything that Dr. Morgan had said left her feeling exhausted but hopeful. A few broken bones and a collapsed lung were things she could deal with. It would take time, but Jane would have a full recovery and then they could move past all the things that had threatened to hold them back. That is if Maura could move past the constant fear that the next time they wouldn't be so lucky. As doubt filled her thoughts, Jane let out a gasp and the monitors lit up and began to beep a synchronized chorus of alarm.
Dr. Morgan pushed Maura aside and grabbed the defibrillator. "She's going into cardiac arrest..."And with those words, Maura's world turned upside down in a split second.
Jane had succumbed to the darkness that covered her, pulling her further away from the pain that let her know she was still alive. It hadn't taken her long to realize what had happened and the reality almost caused her to give up but then Maura's voice rang in her ears bringing her back to fight the unbearable pain that surged through her.
"You have to fight Jane! Fight for me…fight for our family! Please don't leave us!" Maura's voice was far away but the urgency reverberated through Jane's body. She could feel the darkness pulling at her, whispering promises of comfort if she would only submit to it. But she knew they were lies. If the pain disappeared, so would she.
"No! Maura, come back!" Jane's throat burned with fear and anger making it difficult for her to speak. The darkness continued to hold her in its grip, making it impossible for her to see.
"Jane! Jane! I can't live this life without you! Fight!" Maura's voice faded away on a crack of thunder that shook Jane to her core. A flash of light lit up behind her eyes blinding her by its intensity followed by the sound of far off voices she didn't recognize.
"Again…" was followed by another crack of thunder and flash of light that sizzled like electricity in Jane's chest.
Pain blossomed like the pedals of a flower, bringing agony as it opened within her chest. "Maura!" She shouted as she found the strength to push back, breaking through the thick tendrils of doubt that tried to hold her prisoner. "Maura!" She shouted again but this time she was able to open her eyes against the blinding flashes of light and pain to find herself looking into tear filled hazel-green eyes filled with grief.
"She's back…" the words echoed in Jane's ears. With a gasp, she realized just how close she had come to losing everything. It won't happen again. She willed Maura to see the promise in her eyes as they continued to look at each other. Even if it means turning in my badge. She thought when she felt the feather light touch of Maura's lips to her forehead.
Jane swallowed the hard, dry lump that had settled in her throat before trying to speak. "I'm sorry…" she said on a shaky breath as she tried to reach up to wipe Maura's tears away.
Taking Jane's hand in her own, Maura lifted it to her lips to place a soft kiss along the blood-stained knuckles. "I know my Sweet Jane. Everything is going to be okay."
And then Jane's eyes fluttered shut, but this time the darkness that surrounded her didn't claw at her like before, this time it was filled with a promise, the promise that tomorrow would come again.