Maura opens her eyes to find Jane sleeping on the chair by the bed, her head lolling at an angle that will surely leave her neck sore for the rest of the day. She runs her fingers over the bandages around her neck. If it would have worked neither this Jane, nor that other one would never have had to know. She could have slipped away easily. Instead the bruise on her face throbs, her healing wrists and ankles itch and she feels tired. Constantly tired. No amount of sleep helps. No amount of medication helps. Perhaps she is tired of this world. Perhaps she needs to move on.

She pulls off the blanket covering her and moves to stand on her feet. The weakness has a greater affect than she realized it would and she has to grab the edge of the end table to steady herself. The metallic surface is cool against her palm. She wraps the other hand around the pole of the machine attached to the IV and rolls it towards the window. She has not seen the world for too long.

The light that streams as she parts the curtains in makes her wince, but she does not move away. She observes the buildings of the other wings of the hospital through squinted eyes. She stands there for a while. Her grip on time has loosened so she does not know how long it has been when Jane's hand takes hold of her wrist, right above the bandages and pulls her back.

"The doctor said you should adjust slowly, Maura."

Maura turns around and a sob that surprises both her and the other woman escapes her chest. She lets go of the pole and Jane holds her up to keep her from stumbling to the floor. Tears run down her cheeks and Jane looks at her alarmed, unsure of what to do, or if she caused this.

"It's okay, Maura. You can look out the window if you want." Jane feels like she is talking to a child, not patronizing, but trying to convince her that Santa Claus is real when she has already caught her father trying on the white beard.

"I lost two months, Jane. Two months. Which is why this can't be real. Do you understand what I am saying?" Jane nods and helps her to the bed. She does understand. She felt every moment of those two months place a heavier weight on her chest, a new knot in her stomach. "I was happy. I was with you, you know. You were there. You made everything okay. But you're here. So you can't be there. But you are. And I don't know which is which. I can't tell, Jane. This seems like the logical explanation. It does. But that would make sense too, because you would not have let me stay in that place for two months. You would have come for me earlier. And you did. And I was okay. But you are here and the nightmare never stopped and I can't do this, Jane. I can't do this anymore."

Maura's hand makes it way to her throat unconsciously and Jane holds back the moisture forming in her eyes. She helps Maura pull her legs onto the bed. She covers her in the blanket. She makes sure the IV is working fine. But she does not meet the other woman's eye. She should have come for her earlier. She should have saved her. So it's all fine by her if this isn't real. She would be perfectly alright if that other world inside Maura's head was real, because it made her feel safer and anything that makes Maura feel safe, Jane will always try to give her. But she knows this is real so all she can do is look away as the guilt eats away at her insides leaving everything raw and achy.

She could apologize again. She could say she is sorry, she will never stop being sorry. But the apology would do little ease the frustrated, confusion drawn over Maura's face. She could assure Maura that this is in fact real, but she cannot bring herself to break Maura's fantasy.

"Jane?" Jane looks up at Maura. Her skin is less pale, but still nothing life before. Her cheeks are still hollow. Her eyes are afraid, constantly questioning everything before them. "Are you real?" The hope in her voice breaks Jane's heart.

"Yes, Maura. I am real. I am here."

"Don't you have to work?" Jane almost laughs, but the way she says it holds her back.

"Not until you're home."

"There is nothing you can do for me here, Jane."

Jane nods. No there is nothing she can do for Maura. The fact does nothing beyond making her feel helpless. "I'm still going to be here."

"When can I go home?"

"Soon, Maur. Very soon. I promise."