Seely booth limped back to the car. He couldn't believe that had just happened.

"Booth," said Brennan catching up to him, "you just fell."

"Yes. I know," he said with more acidity in his voice then he had intended.

She blinked.

"Your ankle is clearly injured. Will you please stop moving so I can take a look at it?"

"It's fine," said Seely, trying to brush it off.

Brennan could see that her partner was hurting. Aside from the physical signs, like the clenched jaw and the altered pattern of movement, there was a shift in his demeanor. She usually wasn't good at "reading" people, as Angela called it, but she understood Booth. Seeing him in pain caused an ache in her stomach that she couldn't logically explain. When she was with Booth she felt like her world was different. It scared her, but at the same time, she liked it.

"Please, I can drive you to the hospital-"

"The hospital," Booth interrupted, "Please, it's a sprained ankle. I don't need a hospital. I've walked off worse."

"You have no way to access the magnitude of the injuries without an x-ray, and-" Brennan could see that, despite her logical proposal, she wasn't going to get Booth to agree to go. "At least let me take you back to your place," she offered.

Booth nodded as they got in the car. He was silent during the drive, which was unlike him. It all supported her hypothesis that he was in more pain then he was letting on. She sped up.

They finally arrived outside of Booth's apartment. As Brennan pulled into the adjacent parking garage, she noticed that Booth's hands were balled into tight fists and his eyes were shut.

"Booth," she said as his eyes snapped open, "we're here."

She turned off the car and went over to his side. He was getting out of the car.

"Here, let me help you," she said offering her shoulder.

"I told you, I'm fine," he said. She appeared momentarily saddened. He knew she was concerned and trying to help. Truth be told, he probably needed it. Between football as a teen and military training as an adult, he had had his fair share of twists and sprains. This felt worse than anything he remembered.

He went to take a step. As soon as he put weight on it, his leg all but collapsed beneath him. Brennan swiftly caught him and wordlessly slipped his arm around her shoulder. He appreciated the fact that she didn't gloat. He knew she was trying her best to keep what was left of his dignity in tact.

Together, the two made it to his apartment. When inside, she helped him to the couch. He exhaled as he lay back, shutting his eyes.

"Booth," she said quietly, "I just need to take a look at it."

She expected a protest but he just nodded, not even opening his eyes. She sat down across from him and gently took his foot and put it in her lap. She carefully untied the lace. She tried to be as gentle as she could as she slipped the shoe off, but he winced when it jostled, even slightly. She hated to see him like this.

She peeled off the sock carefully and was greeted with an awful sight. His ankle was puffy and already quite swollen. It was red and purple. It looked bad.