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Maura looked away, feeling shame, even though she wasn't at fault. Why did Jane do this to her? Maura was doing nothing wrong, and yet one glance at Jane, and not giving in, made her feel like a horrible person. "I've only had the same amount I usually have with you." She said, sipping her glass. "I'd never drive home drunk, you know me." She whispered.

She felt her stomach drop as Jane visibly withdrew at her words and kicked herself mentally as hard as she could. She must have had too much, just like Jane said, to admit that, twice. She felt her heart twist in her chest as Jane backed away, most likely disgusted in her, and walked away. Maura felt tears well up in her eyes and she looked back to the glass held tightly in her grasp. "I'm sorry." She muttered, then downed the rest of the glass. She prayed that she hadn't just screwed up their friendship as she always feared confessing, or even coming close to confessing would do. She only hoped that Jane would continue thinking Maura was drunk and dismiss her words. She asked a waitress for a refill and ran her fingers through her hair while she waited, then dropped her face in her hands, trying to keep back the tears.

Is Someone Jealous?

“Yes, Maura; reasons. Very legit reasons.” She cast a dubious look at Maura. “A few too many glasses, you mean. You’re drunk, Maur, drunk people never admit to being drunk. It’s like a law of nature, or something.” They never admitted it until the ugly truth finally hit them while they were emptying their stomachs into the gutters on the side of the street. And even then, some would carry on, insisting that they only ate something wrong, it was only a tummy bug, and the like. Jane herself was more one of the latter, rather than the former.

Wait… What? Did Maura really just say what she thought she said, or was this just another one of her fucked-up not-Hoyt-but-almost-just-as-bad nightmares? Maybe the world really had gone insane. “Okay, okay,” she set her hands on Maura’s shoulders, sitting her back down in her bar stool. “You don’t want to leave. Fine. I’ll leave you to your wine, then,” she gestured vaguely at the glass, before her hands were up in a form of silent resignation and she backed away from the bar, careful to loose herself in the crowd of people so as to almost soften the fact that maybe, yes, she had left her friend alone in a lesbian bar like she’d promised herself she wouldn’t do (she’d been intending to do quite the opposite) when she’d first gotten into the car to get to the damn place.

God damnit, why did she even care this much? Maura was having fun, why couldn’t she be happy for her? “Hey,” she flagged down a waitress. “Vodka, please.” She was going to need something a lot stronger than beer, tonight.

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"Reasons? Jane, it's not even that late yet, and I've only had a few glasses of wine. You know that does not intoxicate me to the degree you are suggesting."  Maura stated coolly. She was starting to wonder, because of Jane's explanation, if Jane even understood why she was trying to drag her home.

"I said," Maura stood briskly and stood toe to toe with Jane, gathering her courage. "I would have rathered that it was you hitting on me." She said firmly, hands balled on her hips. "And I've never thought less straight than now. Most rationally, yes. Not straight." Jane really needed to watch her words when in a lesbian bar. "And no, I don't want to go home yet." She continued, hugging herself.

Is Someone Jealous?

Jane huffed. “It’s late. It’s,” she checked her watch. Her face fell into a defeated-but-not-quite-defeated-yet scowl. “It’s 8:36. Which is late. Very late. We’re leaving, right now, because it’s late and you’re drunk and just… because of reasons, Maur. So come on, let’s go.” She felt bad for cutting Maura’s ‘fun’ short - well, not that bad. She should feel worse - but they really did have to go. Because of reasons. Jane would think of some reasons later.

“Um, I’m sorry, what?” Jane gave Maura a wary look, unsure what to make of her. How much wine had she drunk? She knew it was a bad idea to let Maura go off by herself, and of course, she was right. She pretended not to notice what she said. “Maura, you’re not thinking straight. We’ve gotta get you home.”

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Jane...you didn't have to sleep in the hospital while I was there. Now I feel awful. You should have gone home at night.

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Maura looked at Jane incredulously. Why was Jane acting like this, they were best friends, and it was obvious Jane didn't want more. Why did she care that Maura was at a bar, dressed as she was, not sure what she was hoping for? She stood her ground and gently pulled her elbow back. "It's not that late, Jane. Why am I leaving?" She asked her with a pout. She picked up her wine and sat back down. "I was having fun, Jane." She gave Jane a stubborn look not unlike the one Jane usually wore, then her eyes slid to her wine. How many glasses had she had already? "I would've rathered it was you that was hitting on me." She muttered, not meeting Jane's eyes, sure she hadn't heard her in the club.

Is Someone Jealous?

Once the girl – Erika, was it? – had made her excuse and scrammed, Jane withdrew her arm from Maura’s shoulder, trying not to blush as she realized the implications of what had seemed to be a good idea not thirty seconds ago. That girl probably thought she and Maura were dating, now! Which was so not true. The girl couldn’t’ve been more wrong. She and Maura were just friends, and… God, whywas she even thinking about this?

 Pushing the thought out of her head, Jane steeled herself, wiping her face of whatever small bit of near-embarrassment-like emotion that might have managed to slip past her iron defense. She gave her friend a frosty look, ignoring Maura’s reprimand and question. “It’s late. Come on. We’re leaving.” She got to her feet, tugging lightly on Maura’s elbow as a way of underlining her wish to leave, as if it would magically make Maura follow her out of the club. Like a child tugging their mother’s sleeve to get what they wanted, almost. Jane resented that. Was everything that she did today either childish or just plain stupid and irrational?

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Maura felt the arm and tried to shrug it off, but when she turned to see who would do something so openly offensive to her, and found Jane and her saccharin sweet smile which showed that she wasn't happen, looking down at her. "Erika, it's not what it seems like. I truly enjoyed conversing with you, Jane here just doesn't realize when it's appropriate to intervene in interesting conversations." She stretched her free shoulder a little, it still being sore from the bullet wound the year before, even though it should've already been completely healed. Erika made an excuse and Maura was sad to see her go. Even if she hadn't been flirting, she thought she had found a new friend, but it seems not, now.

She pointedly ignored Jane as she sipped from her glass. She shook her head, refraining from doing whatever she was about to do. "Jane, I was having a lovely conversation." She gently reprimanded Jane. "What was so urgent that couldn't wait until tomorrow at work?"

Is Someone Jealous?

Jane slammed her car door shut as she exited, stuffing her hands into her jacket pocket to guard against the chilly breeze blowing that evening, muttering irritably to herself and glaring daggers at anyone passing her that had the balls to look at her funny. Why couldn’t Maura just not question her motives for saying something and have to do exactly the opposite? If the blonde had only listened to her, she wouldn’t be here, missing the game that was on TV that night and freezing her ass off.

Okay. Maybe it wasn’t that cold, but it made Jane feel better by bitching about something, as trivial as it was and as childish as she probably sounded.

Turning the corner and walking briskly (adopting the tough man-ish air that she put on around crime-scenes where she knew the other jackass detectives like Crowe would be watching), down the street until she came up to the familiar brick building with a new guard, standing cross-armed in front of the doorway. Jane flashed her badge at him so he caved and opened the door for her. She took a deep breath as she entered, subconsciously smoothing down her uncombed-for-really-only-god-knows-how-long hair, blinking against the bright lights of the bar.

Jane’s eyes swept the room, taking in the people and the dancers and waitresses, until finally they zeroed in on Maura, sitting by the bar with some girl, dressed, as Jane had feared, in the old waitress outfit from their undercover mission years ago. She set her jaw, scowling, as she went over to Maura, but swiftly rearranged her face into a sickly-sweet forced smile as she sat herself down next to Maura, wrapping a perhaps way too protective arm over the blonde’s shoulders.

“Sooo,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the girl, who visibly gulped and cowed a bit in her seat. “D’you think I could join the two of you, or…?” she left the question hanging, shifting her gaze to give Maura a hurt and accusing look, both at the same time.

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Is Someone Jealous?

Maura exhaled huffily. Jane always made absolutely no sense, but Maura usually could understand why Jane did certain things. Regarding this outfit thought, she looked at the outfit on the hanger in her closet, she could not understand why Jane wouldn't approve of her wearing it. She pulled it out of the closet and strode into her bathroom, hanging it in reach. She normally just did as Jane asked, but if she said something and there didn't appear to be a good reason, Maura put her foot down. Just as she did now, changing into it after showering. She would wear it to the bar and dance, even if she felt uncomfortable being there without Jane, but she knew Jane wouldn't want her to go in the first place, for whatever unknown reason. Jane had been extra protective since the events the year before when Hoyt died, and she hadn't minded the attention, but sometimes she just needed a few minutes to breath.

She headed towards the bar and was let in immediately without needing to pay cover. She knew the outfit she wore was the former waitress uniform, but it looked like the uniform had changed over the last two years since her last visit here. She found her way over to the bar and ordered a glass of wine. A girl sat next to her and Maura was soon in conversation with her. She was an ER nurse, so they were talking about different procedures before she even realized it. She wasn't flirting, but she was enjoying the conversation that she normally couldn't find with her peers.

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"No, Jane." She looked up at Jane wearily. "This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault. This is all Hoyt's fault." She shook her head. "You don't deserve any of the guilt, it all rests with him. He's why you've been hurt so much by him, physically and mentally, and why I am in here now. This is in no way your fault, and nothing you could have done would have changed what he did." She wished she could shake the truth into Jane, but the woman was obstinate, and couldn't see what everyone else knew.

Maura perked right up. "Of course there is!" If there wasn't, she'd make sure there was, no matter who she had to bribe to get Jane's favorite beer there. "Thank you, Jane. Also, it's statistically impossible for that same freak  action to appear again, considering what kind of murders happen where. It's very unlikely that a surrogate will 'stumble' towards us, dying, again. Perhaps another time you might consider the mud bath again, but I will not ask this time." She was excited that Jane would come and not argue this time. Maybe she'd have fun this time?

Maura just nodded to Jane to make her feel better, even though her thought processes were already skimming past what Jane said. She didn't understand, and Maura was worried that she never could. Their intelligence was  what was different between most doctors and the two of them. They were certifiable geniuses , masters of their craft, even though Mr Hoyt didn't graduate from Medical School. "Of course I don't want to cut you up, Jane." She turned to look at Jane and her fingers ran over the bandage on her collarbone. "It hurt me to do this to you, so much." She felt an ache in her chest that she did that, to her best friend, her Jane.

Maura burrowed into Jane, taking what Jane would give her. She knew that Jane would never return her feelings that she worked so successfully to hide, but the few times that Jane gave her real affection, it was hard to differentiate from the feelings she wanted. She closed her eyes and enjoyed this. "I love hugging you." She whispered, then realized it was said aloud and hoped Jane didn't hear it. She kept her eyes closed, and knew she was probably blushing.

Devil in the Autopsy - Maura and Jane

Jane stilled, wincing slightly as Maura snapped, sitting wordlessly through. She knew, though Maura might deny it, that the blonde hated her for taking the blame for everything all the time, but Jane really just couldn’t help it. Hoyt had been her problem, and her problem alone. Being friends with Maura had made Hoyt Maura’s problem as well. And even though it was all over now, Maura had come out worse off than she. Jane shook her head. “I deserved every word of it; don’t take it back. I… I’m trying, Maur, really, I am. It’s just so… I hate what he’s done to you, what he’s done to me, what he’s done to everyone. It’s so… So…” She gestured with her hands, unable to think of a word to describe. 

Jane gave Maura an almost appraising look. “There’s really beer there?” She pretended to think for a moment. “Okay. Fine. If you really wanna go, I’ll come along. But no mud baths,” she smiled wryly. “My worst nightmare right now’s that another dying surrogate’s gonna come stumbling in on us again. I’ve had enough baby-terror to last me a lifetime.”

“Maur… Maura, listen to me, okay? Hoyt’s right about nothing. He knows nothing. Just ‘cause he went to medical school like you did, doesn’t mean he’s like you. Otherwise that would mean that every single other doctor in the whole world is like him. And that thought is a little bit creepy,” Jane frowned at the thought, eyebrows furrowing. She really hadn’t needed that mental image. “You don’t want to cut me up, Maur,” she reminded her, pointedly keeping her answers blunt and almost-stupid and voice as void of emotion as she could, trying to deflect a bit off the seriousness of the situation.

If Jane had thought that discussing it with Maura would’ve spared her more stress, she hadn’t been more wrong in her life.

She took a deep breath. How did one explain, or even return, the same kind of… emotions? Jane imagined it must’ve been harder on Maura; they didn’t call her Queen of the Dead for nothing. She had rarely had to deal with other living, breathing people with real, actual emotions before Jane. But she managed it. Maura managed to voice whatever she had had to voice. But while Maura seemed pretty damn sure of herself, Jane wasn’t. She had no idea what in hell she was thinking, much less feeling. Words failed her; and she internally cringed at what Maura would make of her longer-than-should-be-necessary silence. Jane rushed to speak. She settled for choking out a terse “Me too”, wrapping her free arm around Maura’s shoulders as the blonde snuggled closer to her, hoping to convey all her muushed feelings into a hug, as impossible as that seemed to her. 

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Maura shook her head, a few more tears escaping. "Jane, it wasn't your fault! People get hurt because of their own reasons, it's not all because of you!" She couldn't help the sudden burst of frustrated anger that came out of nowhere, it was her own fault that she had gotten hurt, that she got herself hurt to the point it had gotten. Jane didn't hurt her, like she hurt the brunette. She buried her face in her hand and cried at the guilt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped." She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her uninjured hand. A few tears escaped as she put her hand on her lap, glancing down ashamed with herself. "You didn't deserve that on top of everything else."

"Yes, a spa." She couldn't help the smile back. "And if you really didn't like it, I won't go in another clay bath. But I would really like to go to another spa, we can hire masseuses to relax our muscles, swim, jog, play cards, I heard they have good beer." She said, trying to entice Jane without begging, because she didn't want Jane to go if she felt Maura forced her to. "I, I would really like it if you went with me." She said quietly, looking down at her hand, trying to hide her blush.

She didn't say anything for a few minutes, going back in her memory to remember that specific conversation. She heard in her head what she said, and realized what was truth to her, really seemed to bother Jane. But then, she supposed, her wording hadn't probably reassured Jane, even if that was how she felt. “He said so, and he was right. We have the same background, and we both have the same fascination with you.” She closed her eyes. “But, I need you more than he does, Jane.” "I said that I need you more than he did, Jane, not that I needed you exactly like Hoyt needed you. He…" She stopped, knowing she didn't need to continue the sentence, as Jane knew better than Maura how Hoyt needed Jane. "I need you more than him. I need you here, here with me, living and healthy and happy. I don't think I can go back to who I was before I knew you, Jane. You've….you've changed me for the better." She blushed, still unable to articulate just how she needed Jane, but trying nonetheless. "You fascinate me, Jane. How you seem to bring out the best in me." She leaned against Jane's side and glanced past her out the window unseeingly. She snuggled in closer, her hand wrapping around Jane's arm familiarly.

Devil in the Autopsy - Maura and Jane

“Maur… Maura, look, I’m sorry,” Jane rushed out, knitting her eyebrows together worriedly. She hadn’t meant to hurt Maura like that. Jane felt the guilt spread through her when Maura turned her face away. “Please don’t cry.” She couldn’t stand it when Maura cried. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean it like that. I… I just can’t let you get hurt more because of something stupid I did. I can’t let you get worse because of me.”

Jane’s eyebrows shot skywards and she feigned incredulity, crossing her arms indignantly over her chest. She figured Maura might want something like this. “A spa. You’re not serious, are you? Tell me you’re not serious,” she shook her head, “I am not sitting in a tub of dirt ever again. I refuse. And I don’t care how good it is for my skin; my skin will just have to do without, won’t it?” She cracked a smile to show she was joking, but her expression soon turned serious. “Do you really want to go, though?” She wasn’t completely against the idea if Maura really wanted to go. She owed it to her. Besides, as long as she got to spend some quality time with her best friend, it couldn’t be all that bad… And it was a weekend away from her Ma’s incessant clucking and hovering.

“You said… You said that you needed me. Like, needed me like Hoyt needed me.” Jane exhaled, sharply, feeling a blush spread across her cheeks. “It’s nothing, really,” she said, trying to brush it off, changing her mind. It didn’t really matter to her, she could learn to live with it constantly hovering over her thoughts like some kind of bizarre, ominous storm cloud. “If you don’t remember, then that’s fine, too.”

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She didn't say anything in response to Jane's repeated and possibly hidden accusation. She felt a tear fall down her cheek as she looked down, hiding her face from Jane's view. "So you can go after me if I run off, but I can't go after you? That's hypocritical, Jane, even you have to admit it." She whispered.

Maura knew when she eventually returned to work, she'd never be able to forget what happened in there, but she didn't have the luxury that Jane did of not actually working in the room. She couldn't ask for a transfer either, because that department was her home, no matter what happened inside. "Two weeks? Yay." She made a half-hearted childish noise of cheering to amuse Jane, then looked up to give her a grin. She did look forward to those two weeks until Jane had to return to work and leave Maura all alone. She wasn't sure how much she'd even see Jane once she returned to work, considering most of their time together was on cases and in her office. "We'll do something to make up for this birthday. Maybe go to a spa or something during your two weeks?" She asked her hopefully. She wouldn't mind the change of scenery and a chance to forget what happened, and no chance of work interfering.

"Jane." She looked up at her with her customary blank glance, which she wore when she didn't understand something Jane said. "I have no idea what you're asking me for. I am not aware of anything that I may have said that would have you asking me about now. If you'll tell me what you're wondering about, we'd save you the time 'beating around the bush', I believe you call it, and I would explain whatever I said or if I don't remember." She asked patiently, turning her head again so Jane could have a moment to say whatever it was that Maura said that obviously bothered her.

Devil in the Autopsy - Maura and Jane

Jane grimaced, feeling a pang of guilt at Maura’s panic at being away from work for so long. Heaven knows she’d have about the same reaction if she’d been banned from work for six months. “I’m sorry, Maur. It’s like I told you: you shouldn’t’ve come after me.”

“To be honest, I’d give anything to not have to see that autopsy room again.” Jane said, quietly. She didn’t think she’d be able to see a scalpel again without getting chills. “You’ve got me for about two weeks, though. Cavanaugh insisted I take a break for a bit,” she smiled tiredly. “Some birthday this is turning out to be, huh?”

“Well, you’re right, kinda,” Jane bobbed her head, trying to stall and win herself a little time; she didn’t want to say it, but she wanted to understand what Maura had said to her properly. There was only so far she could go with speculation alone. “But do you… uh, remember what you said specifically? Liiike,” she winced, words failing her. “Like anything right before you passed out? Right right before?”

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"Well, yes. Even he doesn't deserve that." She looked forward, not saying anything for a moment. "It was all his fault. He orchestrated everything. Jane, he knew I would have insisted on performing the autopsy. Am I truly that predictable? He knew you wouldn't let me perform it without you there." She glanced down at her bandaged hand. She would have to wait to make sure she didn't damage her hand too much, before she could go back to work. She thought about this to try to hide from the guilt in her at doing exactly as Hoyt planned.

Maura didn't move her arm in the sling as she shuffled funny-like to the end of the bed to pick up her chart. "The bullet pierced my humerus and rebounded into my clavicle." Her face dropped in horror at the words. "Recovery of three to six months? But I can't be away from work that long!" She panicked, her breathing picking up as did her heart rate. "They were surprised my wounds weren't worse than they were and I was lucky, considering how I 'ran around doing things' afterwards. I shouldn't have moved at all." She finished the rest with a whisper. She went back up the bed and leaned her good side against Jane, staring off emotionless. "I can't go away that long. Dr. Pike will take over and belittle me and...what am I without my scalpel?" She asked Jane, bewildered and lost. She went back to playing with the cuff, feeling it grounded her better than other things could.

"Of course I remember things before I passed out, Jane. Now whether it's what you remember myself saying that might be the challenge. What did I say that make you ask?" She thought back to the night. She didn't recall anything that might make Jane pause. "I recall discussing Hoyt, discussing religion because it's what you believe, and that I had to protect you." She couldn't think of anything else that might bother Jane. She pressed her cheek against Jane's arm and looked at the cuff, wondering what life would be like now for Jane, without that ever-pressing stress and fear of Hoyt hanging over her, now being free of him in every way but in her mind. She knew Jane wouldn't see a psychiatrist though, so she would do what she could to help her.

Devil in the Autopsy - Maura and Jane

Jane winced, imagining it. While Hoyt would’ve wanted her death slow and painful, he’d probably have killed Pike as efficiently as he possibly could just to shut him up. “I’m actually starting to feel a little sorry for Pike now,” she muttered, feeling faintly amused. She’d never thought she’d ever hear herself say that. ”Mmhm. Yes ma’am,” she nodded, giving a mock-salute, but kept her expression serious.

Jane blinked, stunned for a second. Maura’s words flipped a switch, somewhere deep inside Jane’s head. Maura needed her? Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly controlled her facial expression. “Um, you wouldn’t have had a bullet go through your shoulder?” she tried, smiling weakly. Her eyes snapped to where Maura was playing with her jacket cuff, suddenly so much more aware and awake than she had been two minutes ago. “Uh, Maur… this might sound really weird or something… but would you happen to remember anything before you uh… passed out?”

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"Jane, there's no way you could have known. I'm the one who insisted on performing the autopsy, and imagine if Dr. Pike had taken his autopsy." She shook her head, wincing as she imagined how Mr. Hoyt wouldn't have put up with Dr. Pike for much longer than a minute.

Maura knew what Jane was thinking and shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips. She knew better than many what Jane's job entailed, and knew Jane had the need to protect who she had to, regardless what she had to do. "You keep up your end, and I'll keep up mine." She said with an air of finality.

The truth was, although she could feel the drugs running through her system, her shoulder ached like a bitch. She gave Jane a cheeky grin though, and laid her head on the brunette's shoulder. She closed her eyes as they laid back against the hospital bed. "It's inconsequential, and worth it to have you here with me. I need you here, and I don't know what I'd do without you." Her uninjured hand was on Jane's arm, and she played with her jacket cuff, her eyes following her own movements.

Devil in the Autopsy - Maura and Jane

Jane took a breath, prepared to argue, but gave in after another look at the hospital bed. She usually resented the sterile, too-white sheets, but she was too tired to really put up much of a fight. Groggily, she stood up and stumbled the several feet to Maura’s bed before almost collapsing onto it. 

“It’s not my fault. I know. But that’s not gonna stop be from wishing I could’ve prevented it,” she said, sighing. Three days had been enough time for her to think and get over most of her initial anger. She was still irked that Hoyt had almost gotten a one-up on them, and that Maura could’ve almost died trying to protect her, but she’d eventually gotten over that. Maura was alive now, and Hoyt was dead. That was the important part. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t still angry with herself, because she was more than just ‘angry’ - utterly furious would’ve been a more accurate description.

Jane squinted slightly at Maura, giving her an almost incredulous look. As much as she wanted to agree just to keep Maura safe from then on end, she knew she wouldn’t really ever be able to keep to that promise. It was her job to keep people safe no matter the cost. It was what she did for a living, and had been doing for the majority of her adult life. It was a part of her. But she didn’t really need to bring that up with Maura. “Alright,” she said, agreeing after a moment’s pause. “Deal. I won’t become suicidal and self-sacrificing if you don’t become suicidal and self-sacrificing.” Jane gave a tired smile. “How’s the shoulder, by the way? I know for a fact having a bullet through you isn’t fun… You holding up okay?”

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Maura was startled, and looked that way. "Three days? I understand that's a logical recovery time, but it feels like everything happened earlier today." She looked up at Jane. "You haven't gotten any sleep?" She sighed, a sad look on her face. "Come here. Please?"  She scooted over so Jane could join her.

"Jane, it's not your fault I was hurt. Hoyt was probably going to kill me anyway afterwards, so I see this as an improvement in scenarios than the both of us dead." She said, which was optimistic for her. She saw the guilty look and shook her head. "I can't promise you that, Jane." She said regretfully. "I'll do what I have to, but I won't go out of my way to get hurt, it really hurts to be hurt." She said the end with a small smile.

"I'll stop trying to sacrifice myself, if you stop trying to sacrifice yourself." She said firmly, remembering with a sick feeling in her stomach how Jane bared her throat to the scalpel because Hoyt said he'd spare Maura if she did.

Devil in the Autopsy - Maura and Jane

“You slept through three days, actually,” Jane said, giving a wry smile before shaking her head. “No, not really. I couldn’t sleep. Nightmares and shit.” It was half a lie. She was afraid that if she fell asleep, Hoyt would come back to haunt her. 

“No?” she asked, surprised. “Why would I be? You saved my life. You got me outta there pretty much all safe and sound. Wish I could say the same for you,” Jane glanced at Maura’s shoulder, looking guilty. “You didn’t deserve to get shot. Just promise me you’ll never try to sacrifice yourself for me ever again, alright?

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Yes, Mother was considering hot dogs along with the steaks, so would you consider going as my, what do you usually call it? My plus one?

*laughs* Yes, Jane. I promise there will be that champagne.

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Yes, well, Mother has been trying a few new things lately, and said it was worth trying in one of her parties.

Yes, Le Veuve Brut. That one.

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They have that champagne you prefer, and hot dogs on the grill this time~

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Maura looked at Jane, blinking tiredly. She didn't feel like she got much rest. "Morning? Did I sleep through the night?" She asked, becoming more aware of her surroundings. "Did you get any sleep?" She asked, worrying about Jane. She patted the spot next to her on the bed for Jane to sit on.

"Are you still mad at me?" She voiced her true fear quietly, looking down at her hands on her lap, fussing with the blanket. "I'm not going to apologize for what I did, but I'm so sorry you were hurt." She said, as blunt as ever.

Devil in the Autopsy - Maura and Jane

The hospital really ought to invest in keeping their magazines up to date. Jane had no idea  why she was reading a two-year-old copy of God only knows what magazine (she hadn’t bothered to look at the cover page as she picked it up and flipped randomly to somewhere in the middle). Printed words blurred in front of her eyes as Jane fought sleep. She had point-blank refused to give in to her mother’s badgering and admit defeat and go home for a couple of hours to get some rest and was now only barely still clinging to consciousness.

It was a relief when Maura finally woke up, however. It gave Jane something to do and think about. “Good morning, Maur,” she said, adopting an energetic, cheery tone and swallowing a yawn. “How’re you feeling today?”