The Silent Girl

at an opened box) You’re a platinum member of the shopping channel.
     
JANE
I swear I’ll kick you out if you don’t stop cleaning.
     
MAURA
Is that why you banned your mother?
     
JANE
She told you that? She also tell you all her OCD banging and clanking isn’t restful? Wait, Finnish? Finland Finnish?
     
MAURA
The stress hormone, cortisol, suppresses your immune cells’ ability to activate telomerase.
     
JANE
So you say. Mine are fine.
     
MAURA
Quite simply, keeping your brain busy aids recovery.
Mind-body -
     
JANE
Mind-business.
     
    As Maura tries to lead Jane toward the bedroom -
MAURA
You are my business. C’mon.
     
JANE
     
    (clutching her side)
Ow! Stop! I’m not going.
     
MAURA
Still having pain?
     
JANE
No. I just like saying “ow.”
     
MAURA
Could be from an intermittent obstruction due to adhesions.
When was your last bowel movement?
     
JANE
You just cannot control yourself, can you?
     
MAURA
I think you’re avoiding —
     
Maura stops short: there’s a DUMMY hanging from the ceiling.
     
MAURA (CONT’D)—
What is that?
     
JANE
Get Well gift from Korsak and Frost.
     
MAURA
That’s “restful?” Where’s your uniform?
     
Maura goes into her bedroom. We hear her rummaging around.
     
MAURA (O.S.) (CONT’D)
It’s disgusting in here …
     
Maura emerges with the uniform in a dry cleaning bag.
     
MAURA (CONT’D)
     
    Put it on.
     
JANE
It makes me look like a man.
     
MAURA
We can do this the easy way or the hard way.
     
JANE
I am not a hero, Maura. Shooting yourself is not heroic.
     
Maura leaves tough love behind, takes her friend’s hand.
     
MAURA
The people of Boston think it is.
     
JANE
Eight People died, Maura. I don’t want a medal for that.
     
MAURA
Five of them were bad guys, Jane.
     
JANE
They’re giving a kid who saved a squirrel a medal. That’s more heroic.
     
MAURA
Cat. From a burning house.
     
JANE
Whatever.
     
MAURA
This ceremony isn’t for you. It’s for your fellow officers, your parents, the community. You’re a symbol, a heroic flesh and blood reminder of the Thin Blue Line.
     
JANE
Wow, that’s good. Almost had me.
     
MAURA
Okay. Hard way.
     



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
     
    TESS GERRITSEN is a physician and an internationally best-selling author. She gained nationwide acclaim for her first novel of suspense, the
New York Times
bestseller
Harvest
. She is also the author of the bestsellers
Ice Cold, The Keepsake, The Bone Garden, The Mephisto Club, Vanish, Body Double, The Sinner, The Apprentice, The Surgeon, Life Support, Bloodstream
, and
Gravity
. Tess Gerritsen lives in Maine.
www.tessgerritsen.com