Snapshots 4.0
Chapter 19 – Scooter
"Jane, let me help you." Maura requested as they got home from the hospital.
"Maur, I got it. I can handle walking with the crutches. Oh crap, I forgot about the few steps getting into the house." Jane stated as she saw the steps leading into the house.
"Jane, they showed you how to rock your body and position the crutches to help you." Maura informed her wife.
"I know Maura, I know, just give me a minute and I will get this." Jane said.
"Okay Jane, I will leave the front door open for you. I am going to go inside right now. I need a glass of wine." Maura stated as she turned to walk away from her stubborn wife.
"Okay, Maur, I will be right there. Thank you!"
"What are you thanking me for. I am leaving you out here to deal with this on your own so that I don't yell at you."
"I know and I love you for that. I know that I am stubborn but I need to figure this out on my own. I really hope I don't fall in the process." Jane announced.
"Me too, Jane. I am more than willing to come back out if you need my assistance."
"Thank you, now go enjoy your glass of wine. Maybe I can make in it in the house before you finish it."
"Then you can let me know if you want us to sleep upstairs or downstairs. I know you can use the elevator to get upstairs but I wanted you to make the decision. I don't want you tempted to go up and down the stairs."
"Okay, I will let you know when I make it inside the house." With that Maura went inside the house and poured herself a glass of wine. She picked up one of her medical magazines and began reading an article that caught her attention.
Almost ten minutes had passed before Jane sat down beside her. "I figured it out Maur. It took me a little longer than I had planned but I was able to do it just like the technician showed me. Thank you for your patience with me. I know I can be a lot to handle sometimes." Jane admitted.
"It's a good thing I love you so much." Maura said as she smiled.
"Yes, it is." Jane said as she snuggled into Maura. After a minute she started kissing Maura and said, "Maur, how are we going to get me out of my pants. I am not sure they will fit over this cast."
"Interesting, I guess if push comes to shove, I will have to cut that pant leg." Maura replied.
"Can you do it in such a fashion as to save my pants? These are my favorite pair of jeans." Jane questioned.
"First let's try to get them off of you. Can we go to whichever bedroom we are going to sleep in first?" Maura asked not knowing which room they would be sleeping in yet.
"Yes, I would like to sleep in our bed upstairs, all of our stuff is there and we have the elevator so I can, we can ride up in the elevator. I promise I will not touch the staircase until I am out of this cast." They started walking over to the elevator so that they could make their way upstairs. Well Maura walked and Jane hobbled. She wasn't as sure of herself on the crutches as she thought she was. She couldn't wait to go to the medical supply store in the morning and get a knee scooter.
"Jane, let's rephrase that statement to, 'I will not attempt the staircase until my injury is healed.' That way it covers both casts and a possible few weeks after the cast comes off." Maura advised.
"Man, you drive a hard bargain." Jane laughed and continued, "Just kidding Maur. Okay, I will not attempt to use the staircase until my injury is healed. There I said it can we go upstairs now? I am getting tired and we still have to go through our nighttime routine and I would really like to snuggle up and kiss you and maybe fool around. We don't have any plans tomorrow, do we?" Jane asked.
Jane had finally arrived at the elevator and they rode it upstairs. They went into their bedroom and Maura started getting ready for her nighttime routine. "Yes, Jane, we are having lunch with Frankie and Nina tomorrow at the café by the precinct."
"Ah, I forgot about that. Frankie is going to tease me about breaking my foot, just like he teased me when I sprained my ankle and was driving Ma's Cano Express car around."
"Yes, I remember that also. You didn't want Lt. Martinez to know that you messed up your ankle. I wonder what he looks like now. Too bad he didn't stay in Boston, I would already know if he is still as handsome. Maybe I can google him to see what he looks like. It has been over twenty-five years."
"Really Maur, you are going to talk about Martinez right now?" Jane stared at Maura with a pissy look on her face.
"Yes, Jane I liked Lt. Martinez. I know he liked you before we started dating."
"Maur, please, let's get back to me and my dilemma." Jane plopped down on the bed and unbuttoned her jeans. She slid them down as far as she could. She removed the left leg of the pants from her body and was attempting to remove the right leg of the pants. "Maur, it is a little tight, do you think you can help me remove my jeans?"
"I will be right there, Jane, give me a minute." Maura stated as she came out of the bathroom with her hair pulled back. She was getting ready to remove her makeup. Jane really liked when Maura didn't have any makeup on. She liked her natural beauty. She looked great with her makeup on but Jane felt that she was just as beautiful without makeup.
Maura leaned down at Jane's right side to see if she could determine if the pants would slide over the cast. It was a tight squeeze. It took several minutes but Maura was able to wiggle the pants off of Jane's right side. Then it hit Jane, "Maur, the only thing that will go over my cast is my sweats. I can't go to lunch in my sweats. What am I going to wear?"
"You could always wear a dress, Jane." Maura suggested.
"No way in hell am I wearing a dress to go to a café to have lunch with my brother and his wife. I would rather wear my sweats or put my jeans back on. If they came off, they could go back on with your assistance." Jane stated.
"How about we sleep on that and worry about it in the morning?" Maura suggested.
"Sounds great Maur, I guess we can worry about how I am going to shower in the morning also." Jane added.
"Yes, let's leave those worries for tomorrow. I am going to finish my nighttime routine. Do you need me to get your shorts and t-shirt for you?" Maura asked wondering if Jane would be able to hobble over to her dresser.
"Nah, I can handle that, go ahead and get ready for bed. I want to snuggle up with you already."
"Okay, let me know if you need anything. I will be just a few minutes, as I need to remove this makeup and put on my moisturizer."
"Okay." Jane said as she used the crutches to help her rise up off of the bed so she could get her nightwear. She took some pain meds and climbed into bed. A few minutes later Maura joined her in the bed and they snuggled up together. They were both tired from the adventures of the night and the alcohol they had consumed. Jane's pain meds were starting to kick in and her pain was somewhat relieved as she tightened her grip on Maura.
Morning came quickly. Maura had set an alarm so they could get up and get dressed to go to the medical supply store and pick up a knee scooter for Jane. They might also have to get Jane some pants that will fit over her cast. Jane's cast had managed to scratch Maura's legs during the night so Maura wanted to get some sort of cover to cover up the cast so it didn't hurt her during the night. She figured if push came to shove, she would simply secure a towel around it. That would definitely be more comfortable than the raw cast material.
Jane apologized so many times to Maura. She could see the scratches and it made her very self-conscious. Maura told her, "Jane, we didn't know, it is not your fault. We were both tired and didn't think about it. Now we know and can prevent it from happening again." She leaned over and kissed Jane to try and comfort her. Jane immediately deepened the kiss and didn't want to let Maura out of bed. "Jane, love we have to get up if you want to get your scooter before lunch with your brother and Nina. We have to get you some pants also otherwise you might have to wear one of your dresses." That did it Jane let go of Maura so they could get ready.
The medical supply store opened at 9 AM and they were there at 9 AM when the doors opened. They had three different types and they picked out the scooter that would best fit Jane's needs. The clerk adjusted it for Jane's height. She took it for a quick spin to make sure she knew how to operate it and then they purchased it.
Maura also picked up some other medical supplies that she felt would be good to have on hand for their travels and also items to help her make sure that Jane did not get her cast wet. Then they went to find some pants that would be good for Jane to wear out for meals and errands. Jane was having fun riding around in the store with her scooter.
They had wanted to arrive at the café before Frankie and Nina but they were delayed as Jane was riding around the store finding things that she felt she had to have. She purchased a bike horn and lights for her scooter. She wanted to fix it up like a police car so she told Maura, "I have to have these things to make my scooter look cool." Maura just smiled and told her that they needed to leave so they can get to the café for lunch.
Frankie and Nina had just sat down with their menus when Jane and Maura entered. They stared at Jane on her scooter wondering what the heck had happened. "What's with the scooter?" Frankie asked her older sister.
"I kinda broke my tibia and had to get this cast." Jane took her leg off of the scooter and showed them her blue cast.
"That is a cool scooter. I bet you wish you had that when you sprained your ankle all those years ago when I was working for Martinez."
"Oh, please don't mention him." Jane added.
"Yes, Frankie she doesn't want to talk about or remember Martinez." Maura informed her brother-in-law.
"Who's Martinez?" Nina asked. Jane gave her a look. She just gave Jane a look back, she never had taken any crap from Jane and Maura found it adorable how they interact. Nina is the only one besides Maura that can give Jane crap.
"Oh my God, can we change the subject. He is ancient history. I mean I have been married to Maura for over 25 years now, so he is not and actually never was important. He is but a mere speck in the history of my life." Jane said as she glanced at the three of her lunch companions that seem to be ganging up on her.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic Janie." Frankie said as he joined the conversation again.
"Na, na, na, I'm not listening to you. I'm not listening to you." Jane said as she put her hands over her ears and shook her head from side to side. Just like they did when they were kids.
Frankie, Nina and Maura just laughed at Jane. She certainly was good to have around as entertainment. She had everybody laughing at the table. The waiter almost hated to interrupt them as he came over to take their order. Nina decided to let the topic go for now but she would ask Frankie later when they got home. She thought she remembered hearing something about him for sure but she didn't want to upset Jane. It was quite apparent that Jane didn't want to talk about him.
They ate their lunch and talked about some of the future trips that Jane and Maura would take after Gen retired. Nina heard almost daily from Gen about how excited she was that she and Steve would be able to join Jane and Maura on their Route 66 trip. Nina had never seen Gen so excited about anything, well except maybe when she had told them during the Crime Scene Kitchen event that Riley Cooper was leaving BPD. She was excited about that.
Maura told Nina, "I'm not sure when we will be able to start our trip now as Jane's injury needs to fully heal before she can take on a long trip like that. If it was her left foot, it wouldn't be an issue but the right foot is an issue. Prolonged pressing of the gas pedal could do damage to her foot. Then we have to watch the weather, because our trip is set to start in Chicago."
"It sounds like it is going to be a great trip. There are so many places and things to see along the way." Nina mentioned and Maura agreed. "So, what are you going to do while Jane is laid up?"
"Hey, I'm not laid up. I can still do things. That is why we got me this fancy scooter." Jane retorted.
"Yes, I see you have added your own bells and whistles. Trying to make it like a cop car Janie?" Frankie questioned Jane.
"Why not, if someone is in my way I can blow my horn, and if it is dark, I can have my lights on." Jane responded. Nina and Maura just smiled. Jane was definitely great at making them laugh and smile.
"I see you have blue flashing lights, what are those for?" Frankie asked.
"Well, I might want to pull over a pedestrian for being too slow." Jane laughed as she said it. She knew it was silly but she wanted to have some fun while she was incapacitated. "Look, a girl has to have some fun and if I can't go on my trips with my lovely wife, then I have to entertain us. Maura loves when I entertain her." Jane looked lovingly at her wife to confirm that Maura did indeed love her wives' antics.
"Yes dear, I love when you entertain me with your antics." She wanted to add the word childish but figured she would leave that out. Maura didn't know it but Jane had ordered the item that would let her drive with her left foot. She put it on rush delivery so it would arrive within the next day or two.
Jane planned to take Maura on a trip once it arrived. Maybe go up to the cabin in Maine for a little get away. She thought that sounded great to snuggle up with Maura in front of the fireplace without all the noises of the city. She would tell Maura when the device arrived and after she figured out how to put it in the Jeep. First, she had to make sure she could get in and out of the Jeep without any problems. She might have to take the Prius if the Jeep's height was an issue.
They finished up lunch and said their goodbyes to Frankie and Nina. Jane held the door open for them as they left the café. Frankie watched as Jane opened the driver's door for Maura and then rode over to the passenger door. She folded up her scooter and put it in the back seat and then climbed in the passenger seat.
As they drove off Frankie thought about how great it was that his sister had found Maura and how they truly were like soulmates. Jane would do anything for Maura and that pleased him to know that his sister was so happy. Jane had never had too much luck in the relationship department and aside from a small blimp in their relationship when Jane shot Maura's biological father their relationship had been pretty solid.
He had always told Jane that he had no problem with her loving a woman but he had had his misgivings at first, and he is glad that he was wrong. Maura has been the best person for his sister and they have been happy together. He loves his nieces and nephews and is proud of the people that he and his sister and brother have turned out to be. All three of them found wonderful adoring spouses and have enjoyed their lives with their families. That after all is all that anybody could want for their siblings.
Nina nudged Frankie as he was deep in thought. "What are you thinking about Frankie?" Nina asked him as he turned to look at her.
"Just how lucky I am and my sister and brother. We all have amazing spouses and children." Frankie replied.
"Yes, you do. The three Rizzoli children won the lottery with their spouses. I think we make the three of you better as do the three of you make us better."
"That is very true Nina. Shall we go back to the precinct and finish out our day?" Frankie asked as he took Nina's arm and intertwined it with his so they could walk back to the precinct.
Jane and Maura meanwhile decided that they would take in a movie and enjoy the rest of their afternoon. There was an old movie playing that they had seen many times but they enjoyed the theatre atmosphere. There were not too many people in the theatre, they almost had it to themselves. So, there was no problem keeping the scooter close to them. Jane had used the basket at the front of her scooter to hold the popcorn and Maura carried their soda that they would share as they watched the movie.
Within ten minutes of the movie starting Maura had her head on Jane's shoulder and Jane had her arm wrapped around Maura. It was almost just like home except there was no coffee table for Jane to put her long legs on. She didn't mind though. She enjoyed the little things in life that put a smile on her wife's face. She lived by that motto, 'A happy wife is a happy life.'
When the movie was over, they grabbed some take out and headed home. They had to plan their dinner with AJ and Anna for the next week. Now that Frankie knew about Jane's broken foot, they had to tell Angela. Jane was not looking forward to making that telephone call. Her Ma always had something to say when she injured herself. Most of the time it had to do with how dangerous her job was. Now that she was retired, she wondered what her ma would complain about this time.
"Maur, I don't want to call my Ma. Can you do it for me? She is just gonna bitch at me like she always does and tell me how irresponsible I am and how I should be more careful. It was an accident. It could've happened to anyone." Jane whined she really didn't want to call her Ma.
"Jane, you are retired now, she cannot blame this injury on your job. Well at least not being a police officer, this injury was due to your job as my loving, adoring wife. I know you were wanting to fool around with me and couldn't take your eyes off of me and that is how you miss judged the step and fell. We don't have to tell your mother that though." They both laughed. "Do you want to skip the phone call and just go over and have brunch with our parents tomorrow? That way my parents will be there and your mother won't yell at you in front of my parents."
"Oh, that would be great Maur. Thank you for that suggestion. Do you think you can call and set that up? I really do not want to talk with my Ma right now." Jane asked with those puppy dog eyes that she knew Maura couldn't resist.
"Yes, Jane, I will call and set up brunch with our parents." Maura took out her cell phone and called her mother.
"Mother, hello. I thought it might be nice if Jane and I could join the three of you for brunch tomorrow. We haven't spent that much alone time with you lately."
"Darling, that would be great. I will let our chef know. It will be great to spend some time with you and then you can tell us all about your upcoming trips."
"Okay, mother we will see you about 10 AM tomorrow." With the arrangements all set Maura ended the call with her mother.
"It is all set up Jane, we need to be there at 10 AM."
"Thank you, Maur. Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
"Not in the last hour but how about you show me also." Jane smiled and they walked over to the elevator hand-in-hand. This is one activity Jane didn't mind participating in.