Maura Isles sat down on the side of her bed.  She was physically and mentally drained.  It felt as if she hadn’t slept in over a week.  As a doctor she knew the signs, she was starting to crash.  Her body needed both sleep.  If it hadn’t been for Angela she doubt that she would have lasted this long.  Angela.  Maura smiled thinking about Jane’s mother fondly.  Trust her to start cooking in a crisis and ensuring that everyone was fed.  Maura sighed and fell back unto the bed.  Promising herself that she would just rest a minute before taking a shower.

She woke with a start.  She felt confused and her mind was sluggish to start functioning normally.  Slowly reality started to filter through:

Jane’s been shot.

She nearly died.

No.

She did die.

She flat lined.

Two minutes.  One hundred and twenty seconds.

A lifetime.

She was dead for at least two minutes before the doctors in the ER could bring her back.  Never in her life had Maura Isles ever been so scared before.  All the knowledge she had accumulated could not prepare her for the panic and helplessness that engulfed her during those two minutes.  They say that a person’s life flashes before their eyes when experiencing near death situations.  Being a scientist Maura had always believed it was just a mere expression, but when Jane died…

Every moment spent with her flashed through her mind.  Minute details of Jane Rizzoli were etched into her mind’s eye for eternity it seems.  That exasperating eye roll, the trademarked Rizzoli stare, the dimple in her chin, her smile, her laughter and her voice.

”Maur…, Maur!”

Jane’s cries filtered through Maura’s awareness.  She sat up dragging a hand through her hair.  Then reality came flooding back.  Jane was calling her.  She rushed out of the main bedroom down the hall to the guest bedroom.

“No, leave her alone!”

Maura rushed to her bedside and realised that Jane was having a nightmare.  She was trashing around on the bed wildly.  Moaning loudly her hands clenched into tight balls on the sheets.  Still breathing heavily from the mad dash into the room, Maura sat down on the side of the bed.

“Jane… it’s ok.  I’m here.  You’re having a bad dream.”  Maura whispered and ran a hand lightly across Jane’s forehead.  Smoothing the brown curls away from Jane’s furrowed brow.  Jane seemed to calm at her touch.  Maura continued to whisper her name while tracing her fingers over the worried line on Jane’s forehead.  Suddenly Jane sat up straight startling Maura.  Her eyes were open, but unfocused.  “Maura…” she moaned again.