DISCLAIMER:I do not own Rizzoli & Isles nor any of the characters from the show. I am writing this purely for entertainment, not profit. Rizzoli and Isles are property of Tess Gerritsen and TNT.
Please find the full disclaimers in the beginning of Chapter 1.
Chapter 29
Jane blinked herself awake, looking first at Maura, who was still asleep. Maura's skin was cool, Jane could not feel the rattle or gurgling as Maura breathed, and Jane took a moment to thank God for the significant improvement in the past twenty-four hours that the proper hospital treatment had achieved.
The nurse entered the room, and Maura's eyes fluttered open.
"G'morning." The nurse offered in a soft tone of voice. "I will just switch the medicines and you can go back to sleep…"
"Good morning." Maura offered, sitting up. "Could I please ask that instead you remove the IV for a while, I take a quick shower, and then you put it back on?"
The nurse smiled at her.
"Sure. Are you feeling balanced enough to shower on your own, or do you need any help?"
"I am doing good, thank you. Jane will be by the bathroom door just in case."
The nurse removed the IV and covered the port with a tape plug, before saying: "I will be back in 15 minutes then."
"Thank you."
Jane moved to help Maura, but Maura just smiled at her, showing that today she was able to get up on her own.
"My knee is still sore, but it is way less painful than it has been."
"What about the shoulder?"
Maura moved it slowly. "Still very sore, but again, much better than it has been."
"Yell if you need any help them. I am right by the door."
Maura nodded gratefully, and in less than fifteen minutes she was out of the bathroom.
Only after Maura got back to bed and repositioned her oxygen mask, Jane moved to get her mourning routine.
Jane was getting out of the bathroom ready for the day when the doctor entered with the nurse.
"Good morning, Dr. Isles. I heard you are feeling much better this morning. I would like to do a quick check before we get you back on your IV."
"Of course."
He diligently examined her for a few minutes, asking questions as he prodded, rotated limbs, and auscultated her chest.
"You had a significant improvement since yesterday. We will keep the same regimen today for antibiotics, painkillers, and oxygen. We will collect some blood tests now, and I will have you booked for tomorrow early morning for another image check for your lungs. Depending on how it shows, I might release you to go home tomorrow."
"That would be fabulous…"
"You are all set then. Continue to maximize your rest today, the prognostics is promising… Your breakfast will be brought to you shortly."
The nurse collected two vials of Maura's blood, replaced the IV with the medication after the doctor confirmed the dosage, and they both left.
"How are you feeling?"
"I do feel better. More alert, stronger. But I will feel even better when I am back to my house."
"I am sure you will…" Jane chuckled.
The nurse came with the breakfast tray. Maura was able to handle all the plate covers herself.
"Don't you want to eat with me?"
"I will stay here with you, but I will not eat with you. I will find coffee and something to eat later."
"Not later, now." Angela offered from the door, making Jane jump.
"Good morning, Angela." Maura chuckled.
"Good morning, honey." Angela offered gently at Maura. "And good morning to you too, baby." Angela passed an arm around Jane's slim waist, squeezing her. "I brought you scrambled eggs, toast, and stopped by to get your favorite coffee."
"Thank you, Ma." Jane kissed her mother's cheek, grateful, and Maura patted the side of the bed for Jane to sit and place her brown bag on Maura's tray.
Angela laughed as Maura playfully stole a forkful of Jane's scrambled eggs – her breakfast from the hospital was only orange juice, toast, crackers and fruits.
"I am glad to see you are getting your appetite back." Was Jane response, before offering more of her scrambled eggs to Maura, but Maura politely declined.
Angela chattered with them about Tommy, and TJ, and the Dirty Robber, while Maura and Jane ate. She also took a picture of the girls eating, and texted it to Constance, to show her how much better Maura looked since she had arrived the previous morning. She could speak without losing her breath, and without coughing, and she looked less pale and more alert.
The nurse collected the empty trays, and they kept talking idly until Angela stood to leave for work.
"The Dirty Robber awaits. But if you girls need anything – and I do mean anything – just ring me, okay?"
"We are good, Ma, don't worry."
"Thank you, Angela."
Angela kissed Maura's temple and smooched a squirming Jane, before she left.
Maura's phone dinged, and she smiled.
"Your mom already sent news to my mom about me."
"Mom's network. It is scary to think of them in league!"
Maura texted a good morning message to her parents, before she noticed Jane was waiting to get her attention.
"Yes?"
"I am going on a limb that you are going home tomorrow. Do you want to do a shopping list? I will make sure that, when I go out to grab lunch later, I can do grocery shopping, so you are all set when you arrive home tomorrow."
"That would be perfect, Jane."
Maura opened a note on her phone, and began listing all that she would need for the next few days. She double checked the list after she finished, and texted it to Jane.
"You will find everything on that list in a single place if you stop by the new grocery shop that opened two blocks away from my home."
"Good. What about medicines or other medical things? Is there anything you will need that you don't have home?"
"I should be good, the only thing is the antibiotic that we will need to stop to pick up after the doctor prescribe it."
Jane exhaled, thinking of the best way to ask what she needed to ask next.
"I… hmmm… I have no idea what you had packed to take with you on the trip, Maura. But is there anything that was… burned with your luggage… that you would need in these next few days and that you need to replace?"
Maura paused for a moment. She had not thought about that.
"Nothing that I would need in the next few days, Jane, but thank you for helping me think this through. And you don't need to act as if you are walking over eggshells when you need to refer to the crash… I can take it."
Jane nodded.
"I know you can. But I will still spare you as much as I can."
"It is who you are. It is what you do." Maura sing-songed gently at Jane.
"Something like that… Could I please borrow your iPad for a moment? I realized I completely forgot to book my ticket back to DC for Sunday."
"Of course."
Jane picked the iPad, scanning through the available flights, before booking one, and setting the device aside.
"All set?"
"Yes. I picked the flight that leaves Boston Sunday 5PM, so I can stay with you as long as I possibly can and make sure you are back up on your feet."
