Cowritten with Googlemouth. As usual, none of the characters belong to us, but we're happy to play with them for a bit.

The first thing Jane recognized was the sound of a machine beeping followed very shortly thereafter by a dull pain in her lower right side. Her mouth felt like she'd had about two bottles of tequila the night before and chased it all down with some sand for good measure, and her whole body felt heavy.

With more effort than it should have taken, she slowly opened one eye to look around the room. Clearly, she was in the hospital. Clearly, the bullet hadn't killed her. Clearly, she had to quit finding herself in this place.

She rolled her open eye. Swallowing, she concentrated on opening the other eye to look around.

She was alone in the darkened room. A chair beside her bed gave proof that someone had taken up residence beside her. A few pillows, a blanket, some magazines, and a half full bottle of water sat in and around the chair. The television was on, but the sound was off. Whoever was currently sharing her room was watching a station that did fashion programs, so that narrowed the field. It was either her mother or Maura.

With a sigh, she glanced back at the magazines to see if she could tell. But they were no help - Cosmo, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Vogue. It could still be either one of them.

With some effort and hard concentration, she managed to hit the call button. The friendly male voice that answered seemed surprised by the call.

"Ms. Rizzoli, you're awake! Nurse Atkins will be there in just a few to check on you. Is there something specific you need?"

"Detective," Jane rasped out. "Detective Rizzoli, and a toothbrush. Also," she cleared her throat, "I want this thing out of me. I'm pretty sure I can pee on my own, and I feel like slime. Any chance for a bath of some kind?"

"Of course, Detective Rizzoli. I'll see what we can do."

The cheerful voice just made Jane crankier than she already was. She sighed as she contemplated who was sharing her space. Her mother or Maura? With Frankie likely in the hospital too, it was probably Maura. But, her mother and her father could be splitting duties. Of course, her father had to work. But, so did Maura.

The knock on the door pulled her back from her thoughts. A large, stout woman walked in, smiling and carrying a bag. "Welcome back, Detective. I'm Carol Atkins, your nurse for the evening. The desk told me you wanted a toothbrush and a bath. We'll get 'that thing' taken care of while I'm here, too." She winked at her impatient patient. "You can't really have the bath right now, but I can help you get a little clean."

"I'll take what I can get. Did they bring me some clothes?" Jane nodded her head toward the empty chair.

"As a matter of fact, they did. They're in the drawer next to your bed. Come on, let's get you taken care of." With an air of professionalism and a fond smile dancing on her features, Nurse Atkins pulled the curtain and began tending to the detective's requests.